“The Immigrant” is the first play the New Jewish Theatre has presented three times in its 25-year history. Mark Harelik’s tribute to his grandfather has never been timelier than it is in NJT’s brilliant production.

The title character is Haskell Harelik (rhymes with garlic). He was Chatzkell Garehlik when he left Belorussia and crossed the Atlantic in steerage. He reached Galveston, Texas, in the summer of 1909. The play shows how he acquires a new name and a new life in Hamilton, about 300 miles northwest of Galveston.

| RELATED: NJT’s Rebekah Scallet to direct ‘The Immigrant’ with her own immigrant story in mind

When Haskell first appears in Hamilton, he is hauling a wheelbarrow full of bananas near the home of Milton and Ima Perry. They are initially suspicious of the foreigner, but empathy overcomes their mistrust. Little by little, the lives of Haskell and the Perrys intertwine. Ima buys more bananas than she needs from Haskell. Later, he rents a room in the Perry’s home. 

Eventually, Milton, a banker, advises Haskell on running his business and lends him the money needed to expand it.

Haskell’s family grows along with his business. When he has saved enough money, Haskell sends for his wife, Leah. Life in Texas is difficult for her. She misses being part of the community she grew up in. But Leah, like Haskell, learns to adjust to her new surroundings and develops a close relationship with the Perrys. They are present when all three Harelik children are born.

For the most part, “The Immigrant” celebrates the ways immigration enriches the lives of both the newcomers and the people who welcome them. Even so, the play recognizes that embracing a few immigrants is not the same as accepting a wave of immigration. The long friendship between Haskell and Milton is tested when they clash over restrictive immigration quotas in 1939.

NJT’s production of “The Immigrant” was astutely directed by its artistic director, Rebekah Scallet. Her production concept divides the audience into two facing groups. The open area between them runs the full length of the theater. Michael Sullivan’s lighting admirably supports Scallet’s use of the wide stage.

A video screen is suspended over each of the two banks of seats, giving everyone in the theater an unobstructed view of projections drawn from the audio-visual design by Mark Harelik and Randal Myler. In the prologue, the slideshow supplies a context for Haskell’s journey to America. The later visuals include pictures of Haskell’s family, business and environs.

The slideshow marks the passage of time in the play. So do Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes, which are remarkable for their attention to period detail; Dennis Milam Bensie’s wigs; and the music in Kareem Deanes’ sound design. 

At opposite ends of the acting space are the facades of two houses. The banker’s home is naturally the more imposing. When Haskell is renting a room from the Perrys, he appears on a balcony above their front porch. Rob Lippert’s scenic design seems to incorporate visual cues from the slideshow for the house in which Haskell and Leah’s children are born.

The NJT cast is superb. Dustin Lane Petrillo meticulously delineates the changes in Haskell as he adapts to life in Hamilton. David Wassilak conveys Milton’s vulnerability as well as his rugged self-assurance. Mindy Shaw has a sure grasp of the whimsy in Ima’s spirit and the generosity in her heart. Bryn McLaughlin is deeply affecting when Leah expresses her despair.

At a time when immigration has become such a controversial topic, the New Jewish Theatre deserves great thanks for bringing back “The Immigrant” in such an entertaining and moving production.

The Immigrant’

WHEN: Through Oct. 29
WHERE:  New Jewish Theatre’s Wool Studio Theater in the Jewish Community Center’s Arts & Education Building, 2 Millstone Campus Drive
HOW MUCH: $27 to $58
MORE INFO:  Visit newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.