Allen Lewis Rickman and Yelena Shmulenson, currently appearing in “The Essence: A Yiddish Theatre Dim Sum” which is selling out at the NY International Fringe Festival, have been cast in “Chinese Puzzle”, an Audrey Tautou film to be shot in New York.
The actors, best known for their work in the prologue to the Coen brothers’ Oscar-nominated “A Serious Man” (watch video), will complete their Festival run before filming begins.
“The Essence,” an irreverent revue intended for non-Yiddish speakers, is billed as “Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Yiddish, in 85 Minutes,” and appears six times during the Festival; the first two performances have already sold out.
The show’s publicity postcard has turned up on eBay, where the asking price is $10.
“Chinese Puzzle” is the third in a trilogy that began with “The Spanish Apartment” and continued with “Russian Dolls.” The films concern the relationships between a group of young people sharing an apartment. All three are directed by Cedric Klapfisch and feature Audrey Tautou. Rickman and Shmulenson play a bickering landlord couple.
Here’s a scene from “The Essence”: Fishing in Yiddish