It’s the Year of Outreach

For all the alleged controversy we’re said to have been fomenting (that’s the chatter amongst a small circle of folks who receive withering emails from the crazy folks at COPMA), the rest of our 14,000 ticket holders this year (that’s how many have come to SEAGULL, ZERO, and now YONKERS with 10 more days left to go on the run) have been experiencing a Theater J that’s been delivering rich, deep, solid, thought-provoking work that’s been—dare we say it?—pretty much middle of the road. It’s given us a great opportunity to expand our base by bringing in lots of new attendees to the theater; AND we’ve taken up the cause of bringing our story out to as many gathering spots as possible; conferences, classrooms, festivals, places of worship. And now last night, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with the warm folks at Washington Hebrew Congregation where 60 members of their L’Chaim series came to a salon at the home of Van and Sandy Sabel and—since 90% of them had all seen the play–and the other 10% were scheduled to go this weekend—we had an amazing talk about the play in, what began as a great interview (or me) driven by Rabbi Bruce Lustig and then turned into a free flowing discussion with all in attendance.

The rabbi’s finest point was that, after the Brighton Beach/Biloxi Blues/Broadway Bound trilogy that proved so autobiographical of Neil Simon’s youth, here Simon was following up the trilogy with a deeply personal autobiography—not of Simon’s childhood per se—but of the American Jewish community writ large. We talked of the scars of experience that become ameliorated from one generation to the next, and the insistence upon more demonstrative love and affect as Neil Simon himself demonstrates in his own life, leaving the emotionally fraught world of New York that delivered him to the softer, more emotionally affirming world of Los Angeles that seemed to offer comfort in the wake of personal loss.

In fact the most autobiographical material in YONKERS, I submitted, had nothing to do with Bella or Grandma, or even the boys being stuck in a relative’s home; it had to do with Eddie losing a wife to cancer and being stuck as a single parent in the middle of his life and career… Later, I discussed the universal resonance of the play, and its impact upon my very diverse assemblage of students from the University of Michigan and California at Berkeley. I read an excerpt from one of the student essays; this, from a Korean-American student who saw his own family drama being played out on stage. Here’s a bit of his entry:

The last time I blogged from LA…

…I sat shiva with DAVID AND SHADOW AND LIGHT librettist (and friend), Yehuda Hyman for his mom and then blogged about the bittersweet sense of it all from my friend Greg Germann’s dining room. I’m heading there again in a few minutes. A year and a half ago, with that wonderfully ambitious, risky musical we were joyful about a run of an additional hundred tickets sold over the weekend (or something like that) as we licked our wounds over the critical divide that sealed DAVID’S disappointing (for now) fate and knew that, despite the little weekend spike in sales, the show would leave blood—and broken hearts—on the floor. And yet it was sunshine in LA, theater far behind, the vicissitudes of life lapping up against the shore as we strolled the Venice beach boardwalk, Greg and I, after paddle-tennis and yapping about middle-age, intersections, art, family…

It’s nice to be back and to hear and see the box office reports that Lost in Yonkers is SOLD OUT ALL WEEKEND! That’s right, another wonderful week of audiences, last night’s, apparently, laughing from the word go (or actually the word “hot” and in “I’m so hot!”) and leaping to their feet at the end. While Simon’s fate on Broadway has been indeed loudly lamented and might have even cut into our advance ticket sales—yes, it’s no longer the record breaking clip of early November—a sold out weekend is a sold out weekend and there’ll be only two more weeks to go.

We’re rolling out our first online ads with the Washington Post for Thanksgiving Week which promises to close out our run with a wonderful bang. So as we look at the surf, and commune with friends, and think about the times gone by and family and work and all that human stuff, it’s nice to remember that artists are hard at work back in DC, laying it all on the line emotionally every night, engendering real warmth and deep feeling every night.

Soon I’ll be posting some of my students’ reactions to YONKERS. They’re truly amazing and insightful. And we’ll have much more chance to hear from a special group of audience members this Wednesday with our Washington Hebrew Congregation member friends who’ll all have seen the play as we gather at a warm home to discuss the depths and the heights of the work with Rabbi Bruce Lustig, other Theater J Council members and myself as part of their L’Chaim series. So thrilled that 50 wonderful (and mostly brand new) friends of our theater will be sharing their impressions and getting to know us better.

And now, it’s off to tackle the freeways!

In Los Angeles…

Just touched down at LAX after an amazing morning conference session and lunch at the Canadian Embassy courtesy of Woolly Mammoth and their national think-tank gathering entitled “Theatre, Democracy, and Engagement in the 21st Century.” Notes will follow, I hope (!), but you can look into the Woolly blog of the conference here.

I’m here in LA to see the final performance of the musical PARADE at the Mark Taper Forum. It’s the Jason Robert Brown/Alfred Uhry musical about the Leo Frank lynching in Marietta, Georgia, circa 1915; Frank who was wrongfully accused of the murder of 13 year old Mary Phagan at the pencil factory that he managed. Notes will follow on this Donmar Warehouse-directed production that’s a radical re-think of the Broadway version of some 15 years ago, slimmed down, edited, bolstered; very much looking forward to it.

A UJC “Monday Night Live” Tale

Here’s a United Jewish Communities GA tale from our Avital Sharansky, Laura Giannarelli (with a shout out to Karen Carbone of Carbone Entertainment, who cast the ensemble and costumed them so well).

“Thanks, Karen, for sending the photos from the event this evening.  They look great.  I was particularly pleased to see the photo of myself with the Rabbi and the second photo of Joe Peck, the Rabbi and me.  I want to remember the gentleman.  For thereby hangs a tale….

 You know, of course, where we were all stationed in the ballroom throughout the evening.  After the dancers exited, and after having been up on stage ourselves and introduced by that member of the Likud party (What was his name?!), we all filed off and began to try to ‘mingle’ as the Capitol Steps performed.  Well, Joe Peck, a.k.a. Menachem Begin, and I were paired up.  We decided to get a decaf coffee first. 

 As we stood by the coffee station, I said ‘Hello’ as Avital to a passing gentleman in a yarmulke.  Unlike several other folks, who had avoided meeting our eyes and strode past, this gentleman paused and engaged us.  I began with a version of the beginning of my ‘remarks’ – “My name is Avital Sharansky…”  Well, he interrupted me right away and said that he had heard ‘my husband’ speak earlier that day.  I nodded and smiled, and tried to continue by saying something along the lines of “I would like to tell you my story.  Do you know my story?”  He broke in again and said that he didn’t know mine, but he knew my husband’s story quite well.  He talked a bit about how moved he had been by the plight of the refuseniks and how they had inspired him.  I said that ‘my husband’ and I had been separated for thirteen years, how I had met with VP Bush and with President Reagan and that “my goal throughout our ordeal had simply been to get my husband back.”  He nodded approvingly and then he said, “I think my wife knows someone who knows you well.  Do you still live…?….and he mentioned an Israeli neighborhood amidst a small flood of Hebrew.  Not wanting to panic, I just smiled and nodded.  

Letter of Thanks from the Federation

Last week we posted a warm note from J Street staff thanking us for our participation in their October conference. Yesterday we received a nice note from Susie Gelman, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

Thank you for representing the Greater Washington Jewish community at the 2009 General Assembly! We hope you learned something new, heard from interesting speakers, and connected with others who share your Jewish values.
Check out www.jewishfederations.org/ga for videos and other highlights of the conference. If you have any feedback, I would appreciate hearing it so that we can make the next GA even better.

Hope to see you next year at the GA in Orlando!

Susie Gelman, President, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

The General Assembly gathering of some 3,500 leaders from Federations across the country–with hundreds of vendors, including both Israeli and American organizations and artisans–was a comfortable place to be, actually. Was happy to have been invited to the Nadav Foundation’s first annual award celebrating Jewish Peoplehood (the buzzword, as they readily admitted, of the entire conference) to Stuart Eizenstat, who gave a terrifically inclusive acceptance speech calling on a more pluralistic embrace of the many different kinds of Jews eager to support, and in some cases, move to Israel (but who, if they were “Jews by choice,” might face opposition if they weren’t converted by an ultra-Orthodox, government-approved rabbi). “There aren’t enough of us to be discriminating!,” he implored, and that message of unity was appreciated.

And so, in the end, was all the effort that went into making “Monday Night Live” at the Marriott Wardman such a success. All 12 actors were an eager and dedicated bunch as they transformed, thanks to good costumes and excellent make-up from Hollywood pro (and Fort Washington resident) Diane Hammond, into genuine Israeli historical figures. While it turned out to be difficult for the event organizers to manage the traffic flow of the attendees–and so most of the actors were not positioned in the right place at the right time for the bulk of the guests to see or interact with–the presentation was salvaged when they determined, at the 11th hour, to bring all the historical figures on stage and have a Likud member of knesset introduce them one by one. And so Herzl, Golda, Ben Gurion, Begin, et al were seen (and magically magnified via video feed across the entire ballroom) and not so much heard, but the impact was still felt; historical figures were traveling among us on this night that celebrated Israeli modern dance (a nice performance from the troupe Vertigo), the timely satire of the Capitol Steps (still very, very good at what they do, 27 years and counting with a very fresh take on Obama-weariness, Joe Biden bloviating, Mark Sanford gallivanting, and Hillary pant-suit sniggering) and the headliner, Jewish soul-singer and American Idol semi-finalist, Elliot Yamin.

Mazel Tov, Ari!

Becky here…

When we all arrived at the office this morning we had an email waiting for us from a Council Member that had the heading above and this inside:
Look who’s among The Forward 50, 2009
(Media and Culture) –

http://www.forward.com/forward-50-2009/

Clicked the link and lo and behold it’s our very own, Ari Roth, listed among the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ruth Messinger, The Coen Brothers…and well 46 other individuals each working dilligently and tirelessly in their own respects.

Curious about how this list was put together I found this…
“The Forward 50 began 15 years ago, the brain-child of Seth Lipsky, founding editor of the English Forward, who went in search “of the men and women who are leading the American Jewish community into the 21st century.”

Ari Roth
Ari Roth, the ebullient playwright and director of Theater J in Washington, D.C., took a risk in the aftermath of January’s Israeli military incursion into Gaza: In March, he staged a reading of Caryl Churchill’s Palestinian protest play, “Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza,” at Washington’s Jewish Community Center. After 12 years at Theater J, during which time he consolidated and expanded its quality, reach and repertoire, Roth, 48, is still willing to go out on a limb. Not only did he stage the Churchill play this year — garnering protests — but he had previously staged Motti Lerner’s “Pangs of the Messiah,” about the Israeli settlements, and Hillel Mittelpunkt’s “The Accident,” about Israel’s hypocritical intelligentsia. “I don’t program to offend the Jewish community, but to be in dialogue on issues that are extremely important,” Roth said.

From Shirley…
“Ebullient (adj.)
1. Zestfully enthusiastic.
2. Boiling or seeming to boil; bubbling.

If the shoe fits….

Yay for our ever-enthusiastic and truly zestful AD!”

On behalf of the staff….Mazel Tov, Ari!

Around Town Divided!

Check out the “Jane v. Trey War” on Around Town. (Warning: We’re totally over-hyping. For a change.)

Answering the Age Old… (from an actual facebook back-and-forth)

Q: What makes you decide what plays to bring?

A: who knows? it’s an interesting combination, but it must start with a personal passion

a connection that makes it feel vital

you start by loving something

and wanting to share it with others

and build a season around that

and linking that love to other things…

Thoughts from our audiences….

Becky here…We’ve asked our audiences for feedback on their expereinces seeing Lost in Yonkers and there’s a few excerpts below. We’d love to hear from you too! Post a comment to the blog and share your own thoughts.

“It was a wonderful night at the theater for my wife, our 15-year-old son, and for me. It’s hard to believe that such a quality performance can be had at such a reasonable price. The intimacy of the theater is one strong point that will keep up coming back. I have missed some productions in past years but hope to attend more regularly from this point on. Being able to get the tickets at the preview price was an added bonus, although the quality of the production would have made it a steal at even the full price.

Thanks for putting on a show such as this. It was amusing to learn that Brighton Beach closed last week on Broadway after a seven-day run. Things might have been different if the J-team had been involved!”
- Theater J patron, C Sachs

______________________

“We loved Lost in Yonkers. I took my teen daughter, I want to introduce her to theater. We saw Zero Hour the month before. She has really enjoyed the shows and I am grateful there are entertaining, high quality shows that I can take her to.

(Re: Lost inYonkers) we talked about how the playwright builds suspense, how the grandsons, son and daughter talk about the grandmother before we actually see her. Ho this develops her as a character. These techniques are not usually exercised in pop culture (TV) and bc my teen is totally wired to instant messaging, web surfing and immediate gratification, she is seeing an art form she doesn’t get much exposure to. (This concerns me about her generation!).

She studied the McCarthy era and immigration in school, so the Zero Hour really was relevant to what she learned. I remember Zero Mostel from my childhood (A Funny thing happened on the way to the Forum), but was not aware of the his political activities or appearances before the committee for unamerican activities. It was a learning experience for me as well.

We enjoyed both plays immensely. I saw other parents there with their teens. It really is a wonderful family experience and Theater J features shows that raise issues that we as a society should talk about. And then there are the shows that are just good entertainment.

Thank you again, we look forward to attending more shows.”
- Theater J patron

____________

” Four of us came to see Lost in Yonkers together. We thought the play was tremendous and we always enjoy coming to see the plays at the DCJCC “
- Patron

First Day Highlights from the Next Conference (or who needs J Street?)

GOP WHIP ERIC CANTOR, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MICHAEL OREN AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS OPEN 2009 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Nov. 8, 2009

More than 3,000 participants attended the opening of the 2009 UJC General Assembly in Washington, D.C. today, which began with a plenary featuring Republican Whip Eric Cantor, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren and a host of other distinguished speakers.

“Now more than ever, your leadership enriches our country’s moral fabric by adding the deep-rooted Jewish traditions of community, tzedakah, tikkun olam and helping those who are in need,” Rep. Cantor said.

He urged delegates to take a stand against growing anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the world. “Federation has always been in the forefront of our struggle – and you must continue the fight. I and millions like us – of many faiths, cultures, and political persuasions – await your leadership before it is too late.”

Ambassador Oren also called upon participants to join together in the struggle against those who seek to destroy Israel. “Israel depends on the strength and support of the Jewish people,” he said. “Our ability to withstand the weapon of delegitimazation depends on our being united. Whenever Jews remained united, we overcame unspeakable challenges and flourished.”

The opening plenary focused on the theme, “Remember when you thought anything was possible? It still is.”

* * *

Alas, for all our involvement in Monday night’s program, The GA fails to list the Washington DCJCC or Theater J as a destination or attraction or as a highlighted place to visit on the special page of recommended sites from 2009 GA Co-Chair and Jewish Federation of Greater Washington officer, Dede Feinberg called “Dede’s D.C. Page.” She does list The National Zoological Park, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington and Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. But no Washington DCJCC, nor Theater J’s Lost in Yonkers. Call me slighted, but I think we gotta get Dede to the theater, don’t you?