Mishkin's Paradise: A Play In Two Acts

Mishkin's Paradise, Fred Feldman's play in two acts, is a striking drama of miscarried hope and the extremes of the American dream. It is a universal tale of family conflict and recovery.


There is a little of the fallen hero, Leon Mishkin, in each and every one of us. Mishkin goes through life making hard choices that affect his business, family, and emotional well-being. He is recalled by his only son, Arnie, now a grown man, and the head of the business Leon so painstaking worked to build. Arnie returns to his birth place on the Lower East Side of New York to reconnect with his roots. What he finds is the reality of his difficult childhood experiences with a tough, hard-driving father and deceased mother, Esther.


The lengths to which Leon goes to fulfill his career goals is evidenced by his cousin and building superintendent, Morris Lewis. Morris is the dark side of Leon's moon. He unlocks the secret of Leon Mishkin's questionable deals that doomed his family.