Theater J 19/20 Season: Welcome Home by Edlavitch DCJCC

19/20 SEASON

“THE MOST INFLUENTIAL JEWISH THEATER COMPANY IN THE NATION.” —The Washington Post Dear Friends, Welcome home. Welcome home to a warm and glowing Theater J inside of a beautifully restored and refreshed Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. Welcome home to a season of provocative, entertaining, smart, funny plays that explore the Jewish experience and the universal human condition with passion, humor, and delight. Welcome home to a season filled with music and heart, a season that will lift you up and keep you soaring.

This season celebrates journeys of every kind, from the intoxicating new musical Love Sick, based on the Song of Songs, and its surprising journey of the heart, to Edward Albee’s late-career masterpiece Occupant, about Jewish sculptor Louise Nevelson, and its astonishing journey of art. Winter brings two new plays, Sheltered, a suspenseful tale of one couple’s 1939 journey to save lives by emerging writer Alix Sobler, and The Wanderers, Anna Ziegler’s lyrical new play which journeys back and forth between a Satmar Hasidic couple and a secular couple, providing a deeply sympathetic look at modern love. Next, we will go on a journey from Germany to Jerusalem to New York with Dr. Ruth Westheimer in Becoming Dr. Ruth as we revisit Naomi Jacobson’s Helen Hayes nominated performance as America’s favorite sex therapist. Our season closes with a journey into the mind of an obsessed man, the semi-fictional story of a forgotten writer’s battle over the ownership of The Diary of Anne Frank in Compulsion; Or the House Behind. Theater J is a place to see your friends and favorite artists, to be challenged and delighted, to be excited and moved and surprised. Join us for this entire season of heartwarming theater, of courageous performances, and of art that reminds you who you are and where you belong.

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

Welcome home. We’ll see you in the lobby.

Yours, Adam Immerwahr Artistic Director

Jojo Ruf Managing Director

WELCOME HOME

TABLE OF CONTENTS

19/20 SHOWS.....................pages 4-9 SUBSCRIPTION TICKET PACKAGE INFORMATION......................page 10 SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS...........page 11 4

WHO DOESN’T LOVE AN UPGRADE?

WHEN THE SEASON STARTS IN SEPTEMBER, YOU’LL DISCOVER A THEATER SPACE AS INSPIRING AS THE PLAYS ONSTAGE

• A refreshed Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater with a new entrance, new seats, and new carpet • An upgraded lighting system

• An expanded concessions area • New lobbies and bathrooms

• A state-of-the-art ticket office on the ground floor

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE BIG REVEAL!

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

Find information at our new welcome desk.

19/20 SEASON

“EXTRAORDINARY… LUSH…FULL OF SURPRISES” — San Francisco Chronicle

See it first at Theater J! before it transfers to New York.

A PASSIONATE NEW MUSICAL

From an extraordinary collaboration of international artists comes Love Sick, the critically–acclaimed new musical that fuses a thrilling original score, Middle-Eastern harmonics, dazzling choreography, and an inspired story of passion and awakening. Based on The Song of Songs, Love Sick tells the story a young wife in a lifeless marriage who discovers she has a secret admirer. Intrigued, she begins a mysterious, dizzying journey of sexual and personal empowerment.

WRITTEN AND ADAPTED BY OFRA DANIEL MUSIC BY OFRA DANIEL AND LIOR BEN-HUR

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

Love Sick’s creative team includes Olivier and Tony Award nominee Christopher Renshaw, prolific Israeli actress/writer Ofra Daniel, and celebrated Palestinian musician Ali Paris.

Supported by the Fisher Family Foundation Visiting Artist Fund, and the Arthur Tracy "The Street Singer" Endowment Fund, which honors the legacy of renowned singer and entertainer Arthur Tracy.

SEPTEMBER MON

TUE

WED

PWYC

THU

7:30 PM

OPENING NIGHT

7:30 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

FRI

SAT

SUN

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER RENSHAW CHOREOGRAPHY BY MATT COLE SEPTEMBER 4 – 29, 2019

7:30 PM

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

2:00 PM

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS ■ Cast Talkback ■ Creative Conversation ■ Sunday Symposium Open Captioned Performance

WELCOME HOME

THE PLAY "BOWS ITS HEAD IN AWE AND GRATITUDE BEFORE THE MYSTERIOUS FORCE OF WILL THAT ALLOWS GREAT ARTISTS TO BE." — The New York Times

A MASTERFUL TRIBUTE TO SCULPTOR LOUISE NEVELSON

Facts are in dispute and words are in question in this late-career masterpiece by multiple Pulitzer Prizewinner Edward Albee (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, A Delicate Balance ). A little Jewish girl from Russia immigrated to the US and became the renowned sculptor Louise Nevelson. In Albee’s Occupant, she’s been invited to participate in an interview—from beyond the grave. Through her ups and downs, her contradictions and evasions, we witness the deep inner turmoil and intrepid triumphs of one of the 20th century’s greatest artistic minds.

BY EDWARD ALBEE DIRECTED BY AARON POSNER

NOVEMBER–DECEMBER MON

OPENING NIGHT

TUE

7:30 PM

WED NOV

7:30 PM

THU

PWYC

8:00 PM

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

7:30 PM

FRI

8:00 PM

SAT

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

SUN

PREVIEW

7:30 PM

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

DEC

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS ■ Cast Talkback ■ Creative Conversation ■ Sunday Symposium Open Captioned Performance

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

NOVEMBER 7 – DECEMBER 8, 2019

Starring Theater J favorite Susan Rome, this surprising, touching, and delicious play is an unabashed exploration of how a pioneer for free-thinking women everywhere found her voice.

19/20 SEASON

“THOUGHTFUL AND HEARTFELT… CULMINATES IN AN EMOTIONAL, BEAUTIFULLY ORCHESTRATED SEQUENCE.” — Atlanta Journal-Courier

It is 1939, and Hitler’s assault on Europe has begun. Though much of the world is ignoring the rising threat, Evelyn and Leonard Kirsch suspect that the menace is real. This ordinary American couple makes an extraordinary decision that could save the lives of many Jewish children and change the course of history. But first, they must convince their estranged friends to help. What begins as a night of cocktails and conversation becomes a tense negotiation of politics, morality, and survival—and the stakes are no less than life and death. A suspenseful story that will bring you to the edge of your seat.

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

Featuring McLean Fletcher, Kimberly Gilbert, David Schlumpf, Alexander Strain, and Erin Weaver.

JANUARY–FEBRUARY MON

TUE

OPENING NIGHT

7:30 PM

WED JAN

7:30 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

THU

PWYC

FRI

SAT

SUN

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

FEB

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

ORDINARY PEOPLE IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES BY ALIX SOBLER DIRECTED BY ADAM IMMERWAHR JANUARY 9 – FEBRUARY 2, 2020

7:30 PM

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS ■ Cast Talkback ■ Creative Conversation ■ Sunday Symposium Open Captioned Performance

WELCOME HOME

“ONE OF THE BEST WRITTEN, MOST CLEVER AND TIGHTLY CONSTRUCTED PLAYS I HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR… THE WANDERERS SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.” — Entertainment Today

See it first at Theater J! The Wanderers will subsequently be produced in New York.

A FUNNY NEW DRAMA ABOUT MODERN LOVE

Esther and Schmuli are Satmar Hasidic Jews embarking on an arranged marriage, despite barely knowing each other. Abe and Julia are high-profile celebrities embarking on a dangerously flirtatious correspondence, despite being married to other people. On the surface, the lives of these two pairs couldn’t be more different; but the hidden connections between them draw the audience into an intriguing puzzle and a deeply sympathetic look at modern love. From the award-winning writer of Photograph 51 and Actually comes this funny, insightful, and moving new play.

BY ANNA ZIEGLER DIRECTED BY AMBER PAIGE MCGINNIS FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 15, 2020

FEBRUARY–MARCH MON

TUE FEB

OPENING NIGHT

7:30 PM

WED

THU

PWYC

PREVIEW

7:30 PM

8:00 PM

7:30 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

FRI

SUN

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

28 6

8:00 PM

SAT

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

7:30 PM

MAR

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS ■ Cast Talkback ■ Creative Conversation ■ Sunday Symposium Open Captioned Performance

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

Featuring Tessa Klein, Jamie Smithson, Alexander Strain, Dina Thomas, and Kathryn Tkel.

19/20 SEASON

“JACOBSON IS CAPTIVATING FROM START TO FINISH.” —MD Theater Guide

See it first at Theater J! Next stop: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

AMERICA’S FAVORITE SEX THERAPIST RETURNS

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

America’s favorite sex therapist is back! Before she became Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Karola Siegel had to flee Germany in the Kindertransport, become a sniper in Jerusalem, and survive as a single mother in America. Naomi Jacobson, who earned a Helen Hayes Award nomination for the role, returns to Theater J for an unforgettable, heart-warming evening of theater. This inventive production was a must-see show of the 2017-2018 DC theater season. Don’t miss the return of this triumphant and lifeaffirming story of a girl who found her own unique place in the world.

MARCH–APRIL MON

OPENING NIGHT

7:30 PM

6 13

TUE

WED

APR

THU MAR

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

BY MARK ST. GERMAIN DIRECTED BY HOLLY TWYFORD MARCH 27 – APRIL 19, 2020

FRI

SAT

SUN

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

7:30 PM

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS ■ Cast Talkback ■ Creative Conversation ■ Sunday Symposium Open Captioned Performance

WELCOME HOME

“ABSORBING… A FASCINATING, MULTILAYERED TALE.” —The New York Times

WHO OWNS ANNE FRANK’S STORY?

Sid Silver is a man obsessed. When he learns about a young girl named Anne Frank and her diary, Silver makes it his mission to ensure her tale is heard. But is the manuscript a work of art? A cultural treasure? Or simply a valuable product? As he fights for the diary’s publication and the rights to adapt it into a play, Silver’s idealism turns to fanaticism, and his good intentions may prove to be his undoing. A fascinating, semi-fictional story about one forgotten writer’s battle for one extraordinary girl’s diary.

BY RINNE GROFF DIRECTED BY JOHANNA GRUENHUT

JUNE

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

OPENING NIGHT

7:30 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

12 19

8:00 PM

SAT

PWYC

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

SUN

PREVIEW

7:30 PM

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS ■ Cast Talkback ■ Creative Conversation ■ Sunday Symposium Open Captioned Performance

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

JUNE 5 – 28, 2020

Starring Paul Morella.

Subscription package purchasers get terrific be Benefits for 6, 5, and 4-play ticket package buyers: • • • • •

Up to 30% off the regular price Same great seats at every show Unlimited exchanges No handling fees Peace of Mind Parking

• • • • •

Free refills (on plays!)* Show insurance* One free guest ticket* Discount on JxJ tickets Invitation to “welcome home” reception*

*subject to availability

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES — Get the Lowest Prices AND the Best Seats PEAK

• SAT EVENING 8:00 PM

• SUN MATINEE 2:00 PM NON-PEAK

• WED EVENING 7:30 PM includes cast talkback

• THU EVENING 8:00 PM • SAT MATINEE 2:00 PM • SUN EVENING 7:30 PM WEEKDAY MATINEE

• WEDNESDAYS AT 12:00 PM

4 PLAYS

5 PLAYS

6 PLAYS

Regular

$228

$270

$294

Senior (65+), Military, EDCJCC Member, JxJ All-Access Passholder

$208

$245

$264

Regular

$168

$200

$222

Senior (65+), Military, EDCJCC Member, JxJ All-Access Passholder

$148

$175

$192

Regular

$136

$160

$168

Senior (65+), Military, EDCJCC Member, JxJ All-Access Passholder

$116

$135

$138

THEATER J is a nationally renowned professional theater that celebrates, explores and struggles with the complexities and nuances of both the Jewish experience and the universal human condition. Our work illuminates and examines ethical questions of our time, intercultural experiences that parallel our own, and the changing landscape of Jewish identities. As the nation’s largest and most prominent Jewish theater, we aim to preserve and expand a rich Jewish theatrical tradition and to create community through theater-going experiences. THE EDLAVITCH DCJCC (EDCJCC) is the vibrant home and cultural heart of Jewish Washington. It works to preserve and strengthen Jewish identity, tradition and values through a wide variety of social, cultural, recreational and educational programs and services. ONGOING SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; Susie and Michael Gelman, The Morningstar Foundation; Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert O. and Arlene R. Kogod Family Foundation; Revada Foundation of the Logan Family; Share Fund; The Shubert Foundation; George Wasserman Family Foundation, Inc., and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

BOX OFFICE (202) 777–3210 | MONDAY – FRIDAY 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Give us a call and we’ll make it easy to purchase and answer all your questions.

benefits, plus an upgraded patron experience! Benefits for 8- or 10-ticket flex pass buyers: • Up to 30% off the regular price • Unlimited exchanges • No handling fees

• Maximum flexibility in picking your shows • Invitation to “welcome home” reception*

*subject to availability

FLEX PASS — Maximum flexibility! Redeem your tickets for any performances of any of the six shows.

8 Ticket Flex Pass

$360

10 Ticket Flex Pass

$400

CLASSES FOR THEATER LOVERS

BEHIND THE SCENES: DESIGNING SHELTERED Taught by Artistic Director, Adam Immerwahr 5 sessions, $249 (subscriber price $229) Tuesdays, October 24 – November 21, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Explore all the elements that go into making a theater production. Learn how a director solves the challenges of a script and weaves the scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designs into a unified work. BEYOND THE SCRIPT Taught by Artistic Director, Adam Immerwahr 6 sessions, $289 (subscriber price $269) Tuesdays, March 31 – May 12 (no class April 7), 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Take a deep dive into Theater J’s 2020-2021 plays in a friendly, book club-like setting. Learn how a theater professional analyzes a script as we read and discuss the plays in our season. (Participants will need to purchase scripts.) THE BUSINESS OF SHOW BUSINESS Taught by Managing Director, Jojo Ruf 5 sessions, $249 (subscriber price $229) Wednesdays, January 15 – February 12, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

The magic we see onstage would not be possible without a lot of creative thinking on the business side. Gain a better understanding of the theater you attend by learning the secrets behind “the business,” from the way an institution creates and markets its season, to how union negotiations have shaped our art form. Register for two classes, save 10% on each. Register for three classes, save 15% on each.

ACCESSIBILITY

We are committed to ensuring access for all patrons

Wheelchair spaces with companion seats are available for purchase online, by phone, and in person. Our building has ramp access from the Q Street entrance, and all of our restrooms are ADA accessible. Assistive listening devices are free-of-charge and offered on a first-come, first-served basis at all performances. Open captioning is provide for each production. See calendars on pages 4-10 for exact performance dates.

Large-print programs are available for each show. Please contact us at (202) 777-3210 or theaterj@theaterj.org to request one in advance of your show.

PHOTOS 1. Jojo Ruf and Adam Immerwahr, Photo by C. Stanley Photography. 2. Valerie Leonard with Christopher Warren, Healy Knight, and Charlie Trepany in The Jewish Queen Lear, Jacob Gordin's Mirele Efros, by Photo C. Stanley Photography. 3. Shayna Blass, Zack Powell, Susan Rome, and Sasha Olinick in The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry. Photo by Teresa Castracane. 4. Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Photo courtesy of Hershey Felder Presents. 5. Jaysen Wright and Sylvia Kates in Actually by Anna Ziegler. Photo by C. Stanley Photography. 6. Tyler Herman and Josh Adams in Trayf by Lindsay Joelle. Photo by Teresa Wood. Illustrations by Donald Ely

Single tickets go on sale July 15.

1529 SIXTEENTH STREET, NW WASHINGTON, DC 20036

We look forward to seeing you…back at 16th and Q! SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO THEATER J’S 19/20 SEASON THEATER J Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director Jojo Ruf, Managing Director EDLAVITCH DCJCC Jill Granader, President Carole R. Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer Craig Mintz, Chief Financial Officer Bini W. Silver, Chief Operating Officer

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

The EDCJCC embraces inclusion in all its programs and activities.