Fiddler on the Roof

Imagine that you have chosen to direct Fiddler on the Roof now for the audience of your choosing. Who do you think needs to see this musical? What current issues seem particularly relevant to the text?

Listen to the music from Fiddler on the Roof. What is one song that particularly stands out to you as meaningful? Why does the song speak to you? What does the music sound like, and how does it convey emotion and meaning?

What does the musical teach audiences about Judaism and Jewish culture? If you went into the musical knowing nothing about the Jewish religion, what conclusions might you draw? Based on research, do you think those conclusions are accurate?

At the end of the musical, the people of the town are forced to go their separate ways. Choose a character and imagine what happens next. Where do you think they go? What choices do they make? Why do you think so?

The musical is based on a series of short stories about people living on a shtetl in Russia. Write your own story either about one of the characters who is not fully fleshed out or about a character who you think would fit into the world of the play.

What point do you think the musical makes about tradition and the role it plays in a culture? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Consider how Tevye’s asides function in the play. When does he speak to God? When does he speak to the audience or to himself? How do these instances create meaning in the musical?

If Tevye is the protagonist of the play, who is the antagonist? What is Tevye’s main goal in the play? Who is working against him and what is their main goal in the play?