OUT OF CHARACTER
Written and performed by Ari’el
Stachel
JANUARY 8–26, 2025
Directed by Tony Taccone
Dear Patrons,
Thank you for being with us today for Ari’el Stachel’s stirring play Out of Character. When I discovered the play, I knew we had to bring it to Theater J. Ari is a riveting performer whose deeply personal story speaks to our mission.
In Out of Character, Ari fearlessly tells of growing up in a household with a Yemeni father and an Ashkenazi mother and how he performed his identity, constantly shaping himself as a character to fit in until accepting the complexity of his authentic self.
In Ari’s words, “I’ve latched on to all of these different identities in an effort to try and somehow feel American. But what I’ve learned is that the idea of having a fractured identity is actually the very thing that is most American of all.”
It has been a joy to partner with Reg Douglas and Mosaic Theater on this project, and I’m thrilled that Tony Taccone, who has been collaborating with Ari on this play since its earliest development, is here directing the piece. Tony and Ari’s work has been seen on Broadway and across the country, and I’m honored to have these stellar artists at Theater J.
As we continue to tell stories that reflect the breadth and diversity of the Jewish experience, I invite you to return to Theater J on February 2, when we will share excerpts of the work of 6 racially and ethnically diverse Jewish writers who have received commissions from Theater J. In addition to seeing parts of their plays, you will hear about their creative journeys. At Theater J, we are committed to ensuring that theater is alive and vibrant, performing the plays for today and investing in artists and the plays of tomorrow.
Thank you for being here and sharing this story together.
With appreciation,
As the Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater, I am honored to welcome you to the DC premiere of Out of Character, produced in partnership with the wonderful team at Theater J. This co-production is a hallmark for Mosaic as we celebrate our company’s 10th Anniversary Season and stands as a testament to our deep beliefs in collaboration, new play development, and the DC theater community. Thank you for joining us!
I first encountered Out of Character in June 2023 and I knew that we had to find a way to bring this unique and moving story to Washington. I am so glad that my dear colleague Hayley Finn agreed and that now we can together share Ari’el’s work with you. Over the past year, we have pooled our creative resources to provide Ari’el and his collaborators the vital space to explore, discover, rewrite, and reimagine his play in an all too rare, but oh so important second production – a shining example of the power of partnership. By working together, we have been able to support these talented artists and deepen this bold new play for you and future audiences.
Out of Character is a story about being a mosaic. We follow Ari’el as he navigates how to bring the disparate parts of his identity - being Jewish, Yemeni, a person with anxiety, an actor, a son, an American - together into a more beautiful whole. Producing plays that honor the difficulty and resilient power of this effort is the mission of Mosaic Theater. As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we commit to another decade of this urgent and joyful work. Thank you to the members of the vibrant Mosaic community for their steadfast belief in this aim, especially core Mosaic partners Amy Weinberg & Norbert Hornstein for their generous support of this production.
Mosaic’s Managing Director Serge Seiden and I look forward to welcoming all of you, especially our new friends at Theater J, to our home at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street to see more of Mosaic’s work, including our upcoming productions of cullud wattah and Andy Warhol in Iran. As we kick off 2025, let us all remember this special joy of being together as one DC community and continue to celebrate the many parts that make our City a uniquely beautiful mosaic.
LEADING PRODUCER
Covenant Foundation
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Robert M. Fisher Memorial Foundation
Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation
SPONSORING PRODUCER
Cathy S. Bernard CANVAS
Cheryl Gorelick
Norbert Hornstein and Amy Weinberg
Sari R. Hornstein
Kay Richman and Daniel Kaplan
The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation
Dianne and Herb Lerner
Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind
Patricia Payne
Revada Foundation of the Logan Family
Hank Schlosberg*
Shapiro Family Foundation, Inc.
Share Fund
The Shubert Foundation
George Vradenburg
Helaine Zinaman and Roselyn Abitbol*
SUPPORTING PRODUCER
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Bruce A. Cohen*
Patti and Mitchell Herman
The Morgan Fund at the Seattle Foundation
Nussdorf Family Foundation
Helene and Robert Schlossberg
Bella Rosenberg
PRODUCTION ANGELS
Mindy Gasthalter
M. Craig Pascal
Stuart Sotsky
Jim Feldman and Natalie Wexler
This production is supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Theater J gratefully ackowledges these donors who have supported Theater J since December 2023 through December 2024. *of blessed memory
THEATER J
Hayley Finn, Artistic Director
David Lloyd Olson, Managing Director
PRESENT
The Berkeley Rep production of
OUT OF CHARACTER
Written and performed by Ari’el Stachel
MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC
Reginald L. Douglas, Artistic Director
Serge Seiden, Managing Director
With additional development support from Theater J and Mosaic Theater Company of DC
Director...............................................................Tony Taccone**
Scenic Designer Afsoon Pajoufar+
Costume Designer............................................Maggi Yule
Lighting and Projections Designer..............Alexander V. Nichols+
Sound Designer and Dramaturgy................Madeleine Oldham
Properties Artisan............................................Pamela Weiner
Assistant Scenic Designer..............................Sarah Beth Hall
Associate Projections Designer....................Ahren Buhmann
Production Stage Manager...........................Shayna O’Neill*
Assistant Stage Manager...............................Grace Carter
CAST
Ari Ari’el Stachel*
The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited. Out of Character is 80 minutes with no intermission.
World Premiere produced by Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley, CA
Johanna Pfaelzer, Artistic Director / Susan Medak, Managing Director
Out of Character is sponsored by Mosaic Partners Circle Activists Norbert Hornstein & Amy Weinberg.
Out of Character is made possible in part by the Bruce A. Cohen Memorial Theater J Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fund.
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theater, Theater J, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
**The director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), a national theatrical labor union.
+Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
Ari’el Stachel* Ari’el was featured in Olivia Wilde’s Warner Brother’s Don’t Worry Darling, opposite Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine. Previously, Ari’el was seen in A24’s production of Zola, directed by Janicza Bravo. He can also be found recurring on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU. Other TV credits include Showtime’s Billions, Netflix’s Jessica Jones, and CBS’ Blue Bloods. He received the 2018 Tony Award® for his role in The Band’s Visit on Broadway. His previous performance of this role at The Atlantic Theatre Company also garnered him 2017 Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.
Tony Taccone (Director) was raised by a large family of artists who believed that art is the highest calling of mankind. His dad was Italian and his mom Puerto Rican, which made for a lot of very loud Sunday dinners. He was heavily influenced by the counter-culture movement of the 1960’s, developing a rambunctious political perspective and a love for rock n’ roll that remain strong to this day. He toyed with the idea of becoming an archeologist, until he discovered that he’d have to take courses in statistics. He met a group of actors at a bar, and thought, “Hey, these people are really fun”. Acting on this insight, he made a long and lucky life for himself in the theatre.
Afsoon Pajoufar+ (Scenic Designer) is a NYC based designer of stage and environment for play, opera, and live performances. Recent works include Cyrano de Bergerac (Pasadena Playhouse), Fuente Ovejuna (Theatre For A New Audience), Adoration (Beth Morrison Projects/LA Opera), Out of Character (Berkeley Rep), Molière's Dom Juan (Fisher Center at Bard SummerScape), English (Studio Theatre/ Barrington Stage), Lady M (HeartBeat Opera), MONIN[MORNING/MOURNING] (PROTOTYPE 2022), Word. Sound. Power (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Paper Pianos (EMPAC), Will You Come With Me (The Play Company). Internationally her work has taken her to Alte Münze (Berlin) and Schauspiel Köln (Cologne). She is a proud member of USA 829. afsoonpajoufar.com
Maggi Yule (Costume Designer) Maggi is the Costume Director at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where Out of Character was first performed. She also designed The Guys and Latin History for Morons at Berkeley Rep. Other Bay Area credits include, Sisters Matsumoto and Mamma Mia! (Shellie Award Winner) at CenterREP. Frog & Toad, Pinkalicious, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Ivy and Bean and others at Bay Area Children’sTheatre. She also designed The Great Divide and By and By for Shotgun Players. Pygmalion, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, It’s a Wonderful Life, Proof and Sly Fox at Town Hall Theatre as well as The Chairs, Wilder Times and Wittenberg for Aurora Theatre. Her work has received both TBA and Shellie Award nominations.
Alexander V. Nichols+ (Lighting and Projections Design)
Alexander V. Nichols’ design work has been presented on Broadway, off-Broadway and in opera houses, concert halls, theaters, warehouses and vacant lots throughout the world. Recent projects include scenic and projection design for Fidelio at Lyric Opera of Chicago, scenic and projection design for The Headlands at American Conservatory Theater, production design for Yuri Possokhov’s Swan Lake at Hong Kong Ballet, and lighting design for Christopher Wheeldon’s Finale Finale at San Francisco Ballet. Upcoming projects include the new musical Prison Dancer, John Leguizamo’s musical Kiss My Aztec! and All That We Are by Les Sept Doigts de la Main. At Theater J, Mr. Nichols previously designed the set and lighting for Andy Warhol: Good For The Jews?
Madeleine Oldham (Sound Designer and Dramaturgy) is a sound designer and DJ based in Oakland, CA. She has designed sound for theaters around the country including ACT, Berkeley Rep, Portland Center Stage, Kansas City Rep, Marin Theatre Company, Crowded Fire, and more. You can hear her on KALX radio as DJ Madame X. Madeleine believes that stories hold power for both good and evil, and it’s up to us to keep this knowledge close and use it well. She also understands that the best sport is ice hockey, and wiener dogs are the embodiment of joy.
Sarah Beth Hall (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a freelance scenic designer based in the greater DC area. Select local credits include: Orlando (Constellation Theatre), Winnie the Pooh, A Year with Frog and Toad (Imagination Stage), Sleeping Giant, Sometimes the Rain… (Rorschach Theatre), Quilters (1st Stage), Frankenstein (NextStop Theatre), Make Way for Ducklings (Adventure Theatre). Select regional credits include: The Book of Will, The Rose Tattoo, The Caretaker (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), God of Carnage (The Cape Playhouse), The Hobbit (Adirondack Theatre Festival), Neverwhere, Listen for the Light, SuperTrue, The Fisherman’s Wife (Know Theatre), Little Women (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company), Bonnie & Clyde, Pippin, Mamma Mia! (Summer Rep Theatre Festival). sarahbethhalldesign.com
Shayna O’Neill* (Production Stage Manager) Shayna O'Neill (pronoun inclusive) is the Resident Stage Manager and Production Manager for Mosaic Theater, where their credits include The Art of Care, Mexodus, Nancy, Confederates, one in two, Bars and Measures, and The Till Trilogy. Career highlights include the National Symphony Orchestra's Pops! Series at the Kennedy Center, working on concerts with Diana Ross, Leslie Odom Jr., will.i.am, and others; eight years with the Yale Baroque Opera Project; world premieres of Hindsight and Round Table and the NYC premiere of The Oregon Trail at Fault Line Theatre, where they are an Artistic Associate; and producing the podcast Dirty Laundry: Unpacking the Costume Closet.
Mosaic Theater Company of DC: Mosaic Theater Company of DC produces bold, culturally diverse theater that illuminates critical issues, elevates fresh voices, and sparks connection among communities throughout our region and beyond. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Reginald L. Douglas and Managing Director Serge Seiden, Mosaic produces plays that both entertain and enlighten, using art to build empathy amongst diverse people united by the magic of theater, and hopes to build community by reflecting the many cultures that call DC home.
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) was founded in 1913 as the first of the American actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Today, Equity represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans for its members. Through its agreement with Equity, this theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors and stage managers employed in this production. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. For more information, visit actorsequity.org.
THEATER J SUMMER MUSICAL THEATER CAMP
Rising 2nd – 9th graders
Leap into the magic of musical theater this summer. Young artists entering 2nd–9th grade will spend the day singing, dancing, acting, and learning the history of musical theater in America. Each session will culminate with a performance for families and friends, followed by a celebration. There’s no place like Theater J!
SUMMER 2025 DATES
Three Week Camp (The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition): June 30 – July 17
One Week Camp Session 1 (Summer Spooktacular): July 21 – 25
One Week Camp Session 2 (Kids in Charge!): July 28 – August 1
One Week Camp Session 3 (Fairy Tale Fantasy Week): August 4 – 8
Please contact Hester Kamin at hester@theaterj.org with any questions.
Hayley Finn** (Theater J Artistic Director) (she/her/hers) is an accomplished director and producer with over twenty-five years of experience in professional theatre across all aspects of the profession, including producing, directing, casting, education, fundraising, and has been instrumental in creating national partnerships for theatres across the country. Prior to joining Theater J, she was the Associate Artistic Director at the Playwrights’ Center, where worked with some of the nation’s leading playwrights and, in her tenure, produced over 1,000 workshops. She also served as a Co-Artistic Director of Red Eye Theater from 2019-2023 where she co-produced and curated the New Works 4 Weeks Festival—an annual four-week festival that commissions 11 artists each year to make new performance works—and co-led the fundraising and development of a new 150-seat black box theater in Minneapolis.
She has directed nationally and internationally, including at Cherry Lane Theatre (New York, NY), Curious Theatre Company (Denver, CO), the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Edinburgh, Scotland), Ellis Island (New York), Guthrie Theatre (Minneapolis, MN), HERE Arts Center (New York, NY), History Theatre (St. Paul, MN), Flea Theater (New York, NY), The Kitchen (New York, NY), LAByrinth Theater Company (New York, NY), Marin Theater Company (Mill Valley, CA), New Dramatists (New York, NY), O’Neill Theater Center (Waterford, CT), Pillsbury House (Minneapolis, MN), People’s Light (Malvern, PA), Public Theater (New York, NY), Playwrights’ Horizons (New York, NY), Red Eye Theater (Minneapolis, MN), Six Point Theater (St. Paul, MN), South Coast Repertory Theater (Costa Mesa, CA), and the Nine Gates Festival in Prague. Finn was Assistant Director on several Broadway productions, including the Tony Award-winning production of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge. Most recently at Theater J, she directed the regional premiere of Jonathan Spector's This Much I Know.
Finn is an Alumna of the Drama League Director’s Program, recipient of the Ruth Easton Fellowship, TCG Future Leader Grant, National Endowment for the Arts support, and a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. She received her BA and MA from Brown University.
David Lloyd Olson (Theater J Managing Director) made his stage debut at age five at the Marcus JCC of Atlanta preschool and is now proud to be one of the leaders of the nation’s largest professional Jewish theater. He most recently served as managing director of Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia where he oversaw the organization’s largest ever fundraising campaign and the doubling of their annual foundation support. He was manager of the executive office and board engagement at the Shakespeare Theatre Company where he supported the transition of the theater’s artistic directorship from Michael Kahn to Simon Godwin. He has also held positions at Arena Stage, GALA Hispanic Theatre, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and Pointless Theatre. He was an Allen Lee Hughes management fellow at Arena Stage, a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Valmiera, Latvia, and the recipient of two DC Commission on Arts and Humanities Fellowship program grants. He proudly serves on the board of the Alliance for Jewish Theatre (alljewishtheatre.org) and the board of Adas Israel Congregation.
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL JEWISH THEATER COMPANY IN THE NATION.
– THE WASHINGTON POST
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 and commonality through theater-going experiences.
The Edlavitch DCJCC embraces inclusion in all its programs and activities. We welcome and encourage the participation of all people, regardless of their background, sexual orientation, abilities, or religion, including interfaith couples and families.
All of the programs at the Edlavitch DCJCC are supported in part by a generous gift from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
DEEPEN YOUR IMPACT
Theater J is dedicated to producing work that illuminates ethical questions of our time, examines the changing landscape of Jewish identities, and celebrates inter-cultural experiences. Less than half of Theater J’s budget comes from ticket revenue. We are reliant on generous gifts from audience members like you, who see the value of having a thriving Jewish cultural center in the heart of the city.
We invite you to join your friends and neighbors in supporting our work. With your gift, you’ll be recognizing the vital role Theater J plays in our community–a place where the stories of immigrants are proudly told, where we ask that theater engage both the head and the heart, and where we produce art that reminds you of who you are.
WAYS TO GIVE
Theater J accepts contributions by mail, phone, online, or through stock donation. Checks can be made payable to Theater J and mailed to 1529 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
For more information or to make a donation visit theaterj.org/donate or contact rmuha@theaterj.org and 202.777.3225.
EDLAVITCH DCJCC LEADERSHIP
Edlavitch DCJCC
Chief Executive Officer: Jennifer Zwilling
Chief Finance and Administrative Officer: Charlie Winters
Chief Experience Officer: Jesse Bordwin
Senior Director of Institutional Advancement: Emily Jillson
THEATER J STAFF
Artistic Director: Hayley Finn
Managing Director: David Lloyd Olson
Production
Production Manager: Mark T. Berry
Technical Director: Tom Howley
Associate Producer: Charlotte La Nasa
Technical Coordinator: Willow McFatter
Company Management Associate: Grace Carter
Head Electrician: Garth Dolan
Resident Properties Artisan: Pamela Weiner
Scenic Charge: Danielle Harris
External Affairs
EDCJCC Arts Marketing Manager: Jill Gershenson
EDCJCC Arts Marketing Coordinator: Byron Escobar
Development Executive Assistant: Ryan Muha
Director of Donor Engagement: Emma Wesslund
Ticket Office and Front of House Manager: Nino Porter
Assistant Ticket Office Manager: Lauren McNeal
Marketing Consultants: Rachel Hewitt, Adriana Cisneros Emerson, and Jasmine Jones, Rachel Media
Publicist: Kendra Rubinfeld and Travis Hare, Kendra Rubinfeld PR
Graphic Design: Molly Winston
House Managers and Ticket Office Associates: Sophia Bonde, Steve Chazanow, Emily Eason, Allen Eldridge, Lily Goldberg, Sarah Moosadzeh, Robert Reeg, Hadiya Rice, Kaneeka Rice, Sam Rollin, Alia Schreiber-Goldstein, and Mary-Margaret Walsh.
Education & New Play Development
Education Programs Manager: Hester Kamin
Expanding the Canon Rosh Beit: Sabrina Sojourner
Expanding the Canon Commissioned Writers: Harley Elias, Zachariah Ezer, Caroliva Herron, Jesse Jae Hoon, MJ Kang, and Kendell Pinkey
Teaching Artists: Rebecca Berman, Erin Cleary, Nikki Crawford, Noah Israel, Jen Jacobs, James Carlos Lacey, Aaron Posner, Lynette Talya Rathnam, Howard Shalwitz, Jamie Steinman, Holly Twyford, and Erin Weaver.
Founding Artistic Director: Martin Blank
OUT OF CHARACTER STAFF
Head Electrician: Garth Dolan
Associate Head Electrician: Ben Harvey
Audio Engineer: Elisabeth Dupuy
Light Board Operator: Willow McFatter
Followspot Operator: Lorna Ryan
Paint assistants: Sarah Phillips-Hooley; Carolyn Hampton
Load-in Crew: Barrett Doyle; Matty Griffiths; David Higgins; Tad Howley
2024–2025 THEATER J COUNCIL
Mara Bralove, Chair
Mindy Gasthalter
Ann Gilbert
Cheryl Gorelick
Rae Grad
Patti Herman
Aimee Imundo
Daniel Kaplan
Arlene Klepper
Liz Kleinrock
Kenneth Krupsky
Stephen Lachter
Karen Lehmann-Eisner
Ellen Malasky
Meredith Margolis
Howard Menaker
Alfred Munzer
Sherry Nevins
Patricia Payne
THEATER J HONORARY COUNCIL
Patty Abramson*
Michele G. Berman
Bunny Dwin
Lois Fingerhut
Marion Ein Lewin
Paul J. Mason
Evelyn Sandground
Hank Schlosberg*
Saul Pilchen
Bella Rosenberg
Mita M. Schaffer
Robert Schlossberg
Terry Singer
Stuart Sotsky
Manny Strauss
Bob Tracy
Kathryn Veal
Trish Vradenburg*
Patti Sowalsky
Irene Wurtzel
EDLAVITCH DCJCC 2024–2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Johanna Chanin, President
Eva Davis, Vice President
Meredith Margolis, Vice President
Janis Schiff, Vice President
Janet B. Abrams
Olufunmike Adeyemi*
Andrew Altman
Joan Berman
Michele G. Berman
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Jennifer Bradley
Jaclyn Lerner Cohen
Sara Cohen
Eva Davis
Jonathan Edelman
Myrna Fawcett
Meg Flax
Brian Gelfand
FOUNDING DIRECTOR
Ginny Edlavitch
DIRECTORS EMERITI
Stephen Altman
Rose H. Cohen
Jill Granader
Martha Winter Gross
Daniel O. Hirsch
Jonathan Grossman, Treasurer
Amie Perl, Assistant Treasurer
Benjamin Loewy, Secretary
Daniel Glickman
Dina Gold
Debra Goldberg
David Goldblatt
Rena Gordon
Brad Lackey
Joshua Maxey
Alyssa Moskovitz
Sid Moskowitz
Alfred Munzer
Alyson Myers
Melanie Franco Nussdorf
Amie Perl
Arnold Polinger
Shannon Powers
Norm Rich
Ilene Rosenthal
Michael Salzberg
Max Sandler
Rhea Schwartz
Michael Singer
Tina Small
Mimi Tygier
Diane Abelman Wattenberg
Jessika Wellisch
Eric Zelenko
Jennifer Zwilling, Chief Executive Officer, Ex Officio
Stephen Kelin
William Kreisberg
Saul Pilchen
John R. Risher Jr.*
Lynn Skolnick Sachs
VICE PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Lee G. Rubenstein
HONORARY DIRECTOR
Barbara Abramowitz
Deborah Ratner Salzberg
Mindy Strelitz
Francine Zorn Trachtenberg
Robert Tracy
Ellen G. Witman
MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers
Cathy Solomon: President
Jeffrey Banks: Vice President
David Grosso: Vice President
Bill Tompkins**: Treasurer
Serge Seiden: Managing Director
Myrna Sislen: Secretary
Reginald L. Douglas: Artistic Director
Members
Craig Benson
Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Bill Braithwaite
Vince Brown
Deborah Carliner**
Susan Clampitt
Steven Clay
Bobbie Gottschalk
David Alan Grier
Juanita Hardy
Cornell Harris, Executive Committee Member-At-Large
Carroll Johnson-Welsh
Ted May
David J. Nolan
Damión Perkins
Leslie Scallet
Andy Shallal
Michael Singer, Executive Committee Member-At-Large
Elizabeth Steinglass
Stephen Stern, Executive Committee Member-At-Large
Muriel Wolf
Cynthia Wolloch, Executive Committee Member-At-Large
Julie Zalkind
MOSAIC STAFF
Leadership
Reginald L. Douglas: Artistic Director
Serge Seiden: Managing Director
Artistic and Production
Chris Banks: Director of Production
Nadir Bey: Technical Director
Jacob Ettkin: Education and Engagement Manager
Shayna O'Neill: Resident Stage Manager
Psalmayene 24: Andrew W. Mellon Playwright in Residence
Chelsea Radigan: Artistic Producer
Business and Administration
Michael Cottrell: Finance & Accounting Manager
Lina Khawaldah: Business & Operations Manager
Development
Dina Soltan: Donor Relations Manager
Marketing and Communications
Sabrina Garland-Sash, Marketing Manager
Theater J, as part of the Edlavitch DCJCC, embraces inclusion in all of its programs and activities. Theater J strives to make our productions accessible to all by providing the following to meet the needs of our patrons, and to enhance their experience at the theater. For information, please contact our ticket office at 202.777.3210 or boxoffice@ edcjcc.org.
ACCESSIBLE SEATING
The Edlavitch DCJCC has ramp access from the Q Street entrance and all our restrooms are ADA accessible. In the Goldman Theater, removable seats provide patrons with the opportunity to be seated with their companions while sitting in their wheelchair.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING
Assistive listening devices are available at our Ticket Office. They are free-ofcharge and offered on a first-come, first-served basis at all performances.
OPEN CAPTIONING
Captions will be offered at three shows this production. Contact the Ticket Office and selected dates. Captioning sponsored by Dianne and Herb Lerner
LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS
Large print programs are available at our Ticket Office, located on the first floor. Or read a low vision digital program on your mobile device by scanning the QR code outside the theater.
Theater J respects and welcomes gender diversity. Please use the restroom which makes you most comfortable or most closely fits your gender identity or expression. An allgender restroom is located on the Lower Level.
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Theater J and the Edlavitch DCJCC commit to being an inclusive, safe, and welcoming space for all. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations from either patrons or staff. Please visit our website at theaterj.org to learn more about our policies and procedures
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Our building sits on the traditional homeland of the Nacotchtank (Anacostan), farmers and traders who lived along the banks of the Anacostia River. Beginning in 1608, European settlers decimated the Nacotchtank with disease, warfare, and forced removal. By the 1700s, the survivors fled to join other tribes to the north, south, and west, including the Piscataway Peoples, who continue to steward these lands from generation to generation. We know this acknowledgement is only a small step towards justice, and we ask that all of us learn about the past and present and invest in the future of our country’s Indigenous communities wherever we are.
•
•
•
PHOTOS:
Page 2: Hayley Finn. Photo by Josh Olson
Page 3: Photo of Reginald Douglas courtesy Mosaic Theater of DC.
Page 4: (Top to Bottom) Danielle Skraastad, Ethan J. Miller, and Dani Stoller in Prayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon. Photo by Ryan Maxwell Photography. Maboud Ebrahimzadeh and Tyler Herman in The Hatmaker's Wife by Lauren Yee. Photo by Ryan Maxwell Photography. Sara Kapner, Jake Horowitz, and Michael Perrie Jr. in Hester Street A play by Sharyn Rothstein, with original music and songs by Joel Waggoner, based on the film by Joan Micklin Silver. Photo by Ryan Maxwell Photography. (Left to Right) Firdous Bamji, Ethan J. Miller, and Dani Stoller in This Much I Know by Jonathan Spector. Photo by Ryan Maxwell Photography.
This winter, JxJ presents eye-opening documentaries and captivating music that transcends borders and cultures. Tickets are available now!
THE BIBI FILES
Thursday, January 23, 7:15 PM
The Bibi Files is a documentary with never-before-seen interrogation footage of Benjamin Netanyahu and his inner circle.
BECOMING BEACONS: IN THE STUDIO WITH NEFESH MOUNTAIN
Saturday, February 1, 7:30 PM
Join us for a very special live in-person work-in-progress screening of a new short film about the band Nefesh Mountain as they record their new Americana/Bluegrass album.
Sunday, March 2, 11:30 AM
With a ship’s-horn power voice & irresistible stage presence, Nani defends the endangered Ladino language.
SOUL OF A NATION
Sunday, January 26, 7:30 PM
This inspiring and eye-opening film delves into Israel's most perilous chapter in recent history.
THE AFRO-SEMITIC EXPERIENCE
Sunday, February 9, 11:30 AM
Founded in 1998 by pianist Warren Byrd and bassist David Chevan, they have been performing, recording, and teaching together for over 25 years.
Thursday, March 6, 7:30 PM
This documentary chronicles the remarkable journey of the Jewish singer-songwriter Janis Ian.
NANI VAZANA
JANIS IAN: BREAKING SILENCE
FRIENDS OF THEATER J
Theater J gratefully acknowledges the following donors who have given to Theater J from December 1, 2023 through December 1, 2024.
Leading Producer ($100,000+)
Covenant Foundation+
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Sponsoring Producer ($25,000–$99,999)
Cathy S. Bernard 0 CANVAS
Cheryl Gorelick 0
Norbert Hornstein and Amy Weinberg 0
Sari R. Hornstein
Kay Richman and Daniel Kaplan +0
Supporting Producer ($18,000–$24,999)
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Bruce A. Cohen*
Leading Angels ($10,000–$17,999)
Friends at the Theodore H. Barth Foundation
James Beller and Christopher Wolf 0
James A. Feldman and Natalie Wexler
Sponsoring Angels ($6,000–$9,999)
Michele and Allan Berman 0
Stuart and Martha Bindeman Charitable Trust 0
Susan and Dixon Butler
Myrna Fawcett
Ann Gilbert 0 ¶
Supporting Angels ($3,000–$5,999)
Anonymous
The Family of H. Max & Josephine F. Ammerman and Andrew R. Ammerman 0
Mara Bralove and Ari Fisher 0
Bonnie and Louis Cohen
Clark-Winchcole Foundation
Bunny Dwin 0
Lois and Michael Fingerhut 0
David and Patricia Fisher 0
Jay Freedman and Irma Reshefsky 0
Mindy Gasthalter 0 ¶
Rae Grad and Manuel Schiffres 0
Enthusiasts ($1,000–$2,999)
David and Deborah Astrove 0
Sherry and David Berz 0
Joyce and Fred Bonnett
Carol and Robert Burman 0
Johanna Chanin and Randall Levitt 0
Debra Lerner Cohen and Edward Cohen
Marcy and Neil Cohen, Ryna Cohen
Janet and Michael Cornfeld 0
Linda Goldsmith and Howard Berger
Michael Gross
Susan and Allen Hannenbaum 0
Erez Harari
Aimee Imundo and Neil Gurvitch 0
Admirers ($500–$999)
Anonymous 0
Friends at Temple Beth Ami
Susan and Steven Bralove 0
Charles and Rochelle Curtis 0
Kathy and Jody Dreyfuss 0
John Edelmann 0
Michelle and Glenn Engelmann
Enrique and Suzanne Fefer
Gail Ginsberg
Dina Gold 0
Jerry Grossman 0
Helaine Harris
Jim Henderson 0
Toby May Horn 0
Robert M. Fisher Memorial Foundation Theater for Youth Fund Δ
The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation Δ
Dianne and Herb Lerner
Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind Δ+0
Patricia Payne 0
Revada Foundation of the Logan Family
Patti and Mitchell Herman Δ 0
The Morgan Fund at the Seattle Foundation 0
Marion Ein Lewin 0
Paul and Zena Mason 0
M. Craig Pascal
Diane and Arnold Polinger
Rae Grad and Manuel Schiffres 0
Meg and John Hauge
Daniel Hirsch and Brenda Gruss 0
Karen E. Lehmann 0
Sherry Nevins 0
Andrea Boyarsky-Maisel
Martha Winter Gross and Robert Tracy 0
Bonnie and Alan Hammerschlag
Arlene and Martin Klepper
Barry Kropf
Sandra and Stephen Lachter 0
Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation
Marion Ein Lewin
Ellen and Gary Malasky 0
Paul and Zena Mason 0
Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett 0 ¶
Jeff Menick
Carl and Undine Nash
Richard Kaufmann 0
Hillel Kaye
The Matthew Korn & Cynthia Miller Family Foundation
Kenneth and Amy Krupsky 0
Mary Lynne Martin
Alan McAdams and Ellen Dykes
Rona and Allan Mendelsohn 0
Jean and Richard Meyer 0
Morgan Stanley Foundation
Linda Rosenzweig and Sandy Bieber 0
Iris and Gene Rotberg 0
Steve and Ann Roth 0
Lauren and Glen Howard 0
Aviva Kempner
Bruce and Ann Lane 0
Zev Lewis
Nancy Limprecht and Rick Haines
Meredith Margolis and Gary Goodweather
Kenneth & Ellen Marks 0
Mary Lynne Martin
Ilene Meiseles
Sylvan Mintz 0
Martin Mintz 0
Donald and Lynne Myers 0
Jason Najjoum
Cathy O'Kelly 0
Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation
Hank Schlosberg*
Shapiro Family Foundation, Inc. Δ
Share Fund Δ
The Shubert Foundation
George Vradenburg
Helaine Zinaman and Roselyn Abitbol*
Nussdorf Family Foundation
Helene and Robert Schlossberg 0
Bella Rosenberg 0 ¶
Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins 0
The Leshowitz Family Foundation, Terry Singer Δ +
Manny Strauss and Betsy Karmin +
Nora Roberts Foundation
April Rubin and Bruce A. Ray
Dr. Kathryn Veal +
Judy and Leo Zickler
Saul and Nancy Pilchen 0
Ilene and Steven Rosenthal
Mita M. Schaffer and Tina M. Martin* 0
Rhea Schwartz 0
Leslie Sewell and James Jaffe
Barney Shapiro and Susan Walker 0
Les Silverman 0
Stuart Sotsky 0
Patti and Jerry Sowalsky 0
The George Wasserman Family Foundation
Joan S. Wessel
Trina and Lee G. Rubenstein 0
Ruth and Samuel Salzberg Family Foundation
Pat and Bob Shapiro 0
Peggy and David Shiffrin
Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt
Philip Teitelbaum
Ziva and Aaron Tomares
Bunny Weinstein 0
Jeff Weiss 0
Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman
James & Theodore Pedas Foundation
Michael Rabinowitz
Vicki Robinson
June and Marvin Rogul
Bruce Rosenblum 0
Douglas and Charlotte Siegler 0
Arlene Farber Sirkin and Stuart Sirkin
Steuart & Linda Thomsen 0
Lori and David Vise 0
Donald and Loretta Walters 0
Jonathan Weinberg 0
Sylvia & Peter Winik 0
Janet and Robert Wittes 0
Richard Young 0
¶ Denotes a member of the EDCJCC’s Community Pillars program. These supporters have committed to leaving a legacy by including Theater J in their estate planning. + Denotes support of our New Play Development programs. Δ Denotes support of our Family and Education Programming. 0 Denotes support of the 2024 Theater J Benefit.
EDLAVITCH DCJCC DONORS
The Edlavitch DCJCC wishes to thank the following donors who enable us to serve the commnity. This list includes all fiscal year 2024 gifts to date (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) from donors who made commitments or donations of $1,000 or more. The Edlavitch DCJCC thanks all of our donors for the important impact they have on our work.
$300,000+
Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
$100,000 - $299,999
Anonymous
Bruce A. Cohen*
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
$50,000 - $99,999
Covenant Foundation
Sari R. Hornstein
Norbert Hornstein and Amy Weinberg
Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF)
$25,000 - $49,999
The Aviv Foundation, Inc.
Cathy S. Bernard
Johanna Chanin and Randall Levitt
Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
The Dweck Family
Lois and Richard England Family Foundation
Rena Gordon
The Kay Family Foundation
$10,000 - $24,999
Ronald and Anne Abramson
Suevia and Rudolph B. Behrend Fund
Bender Foundation
Michele and Allan Berman
Lisa and Josh Bernstein
Bookey Family Foundation
Abby and Andrew Cherner
CIBC Private Wealth Management
Sara Cohen and Norm Rich, Cyna and Paul Cohen, and Family
Myrna Fawcett
Ann Gilbert
Cheryl Gorelick
Jill and Robert Granader
Patti and Mitchell Herman
JCC Association
$5,000 - $9,999
Janet Beth Abrams
Monica and Gavin Abrams
AllShifts
The Family of H. Max & Josephine F. Ammerman and Andrew R. Ammerman
Anonymous
Carol and Gary Berman
Joan and Alan Berman
Jordan Lloyd Bookey and Felix Lloyd
Andrea Boyarsky-Maisel
Susan and Dixon Butler
Bonnie and Louis Cohen
Cyna and Paul Cohen
Rose and Robert Cohen
Eva Davis and Justin Kramer
Bunny Dwin
Cindy Barad Elias
David and Patricia Fisher
Mara Bralove and Ari Fisher
Robert M. Fisher Memorial Foundation
Meg and Samuel Flax
Mindy Gasthalter
Edith Gelfand, Brian and Jenny Gelfand
GMP LLP
Dina Gold
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Susie and Michael Gelman, The Morningstar Foundation
Nussdorf Family Foundation
Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation
The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation
Dianne and Herb Lerner
Alfred Moses
Sid and Linda Moskowitz
Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind
National Endowment for the Arts
Patricia Payne
Diane and Arnold Polinger
Elise and Marc Lefkowitz
Karen E. Lehmann
Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation
Thelma Z. Lenkin
The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner
Family Foundation
Marion Ein Lewin
Dan Mendelson and Jennifer Loew
Mendelson
Amy and Alan Meltzer
The Morgan Fund at the Seattle Foundation
Katharina Otto-Bernstein
M. Craig Pascal
Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins
Saul and Nancy Pilchen
Debra Goldberg and Seth Waxman
Michelle and Jonathan Grossman
Meg and John Hauge
Embassy of Israel
Arlene and Martin Klepper
William Kreisberg
Kenneth and Amy Eisen Krupsky
Stuart S. Kurlander and David L. Martin
Sandra and Stephen Lachter
Gary Laden, Esq.
Joy Lerner and Stephen Kelin
Dale and William Lipnick
Saskia and Benjamin D. Loewy
Ellen and Gary Malasky
Marshfield Associates
Paul and Zena Mason
Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett
Jeff Menick
Sherry Nevins
Cozen O'Connor
Nora Roberts Foundation
April Rubin and Bruce A. Ray
Joan and Barry Rosenthal
Susan Sachs Goldman
Samuel G. Rose
Daniel Hirsch and Brenda Gruss
Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation
Revada Foundation of the Logan Family
Share Fund
The Shubert Foundation
Kay Richman and Daniel Kaplan
Ilene and Steven Rosenthal
Martha and Philip Sagon Family Foundation
Deborah and Michael Salzberg
Hank Schlosberg*
Rhea Schwartz and Paul Wolff
Shapiro Family Foundation, Inc.
Norman Pozez and Melinda Bieber
Bella Rosenberg
Trina and Lee G. Rubenstein
The Abe & Kathryn Selsky Foundation
Janis and Philip Schiff
Lisa Silver and Barry Kopit and the Silver Family Foundation
The Leshowitz Family Foundation, Terry
Singer
Rae Grad and Manuel Schiffres
Helene and Robert Schlossberg
Richard Solloway
Manny Strauss and Betsy Karmin
Martha Winter Gross and Robert Tracy
James A. Feldman and Natalie Wexler
James Beller and Christopher Wolf
Ruth and Samuel Salzberg Family Foundation
Lynn and John Sachs
Deserie and Allen Saunders
Mita M. Schaffer and Tina M. Martin
The Schoenbaum Family Foundation, Inc.
Les Silverman
Michael Singer and James Smith
Tina and Albert Small, Jr.
Charles E. Smith Family Foundation
The Sosland Foundation
Dr. Stuart Sotsky
Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt
Summit Print & Design, Inc.
Francine Zorn Trachtenberg and Stephen
Joel Trachtenberg
Mimi Tygier and Robert Rubin
Dr. Kathryn Veal
The George Wasserman Family Foundation
Diane Abelman Wattenberg
Jessika and David Wellisch
Eric Zelenko
Judy and Leo Zickler
Eric and Kathryn Zimmerman
$2,500 - $4,999
Babs and Rabbi A.N. Abramowitz, Wendi and Daniel Abramowitz
Andrew Altman
Stephen and Amy Altman
Anonymous
Jamie and Joseph A. Baldinger
Joy and Leonard Baxt
Devorah and Kevin Berman
Lynn and Wolf Blitzer
Deborah and Charles Both
Debra Vodenos and Samuel Boxerman
Fani and Dan Brandenburg
Susie and Kenton Campbell
Marcy and Neil Cohen, Ryna Cohen
Susan Cohn
Dave Connick
Sara Cormeny and Peter Miller Cornerstone Research, Inc.
$1,000 - $2,499
Adas Israel Congregation
Eric Adler
Bette Ann S. Albert
Clement and Sandra Alpert
Laurence and Agatha Aurbach
Alison Baraf and Aryeh Portnoy
Cheryl and Herbert Baraf
Linda Goldsmith and Howard Berger
Emily and Adam Berman
State of Israel Bond (Bernstein Endowment)
Elaine and Richard Binder
Paul Blank
Joyce and Fred Bonnett
Susan and Steven Bralove
Ito Briones and Warren Coates
Marian and James Brodsky
Anita Wolke and Ken Brooks
Nancy Taylor Bubes and Alan Bubes
Morris J. Chalick, MD
Chevy Chase Trust
Howard and Carol Cohen
Jacqueline and Edward Cohen
Debra Lerner Cohen and Edward Cohen
Jeffrey Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum
Peggy and Morris Dahan
Toby Dershowitz
Yvonne and Jeffrey Distenfeld
Sonnie Dockser
Jessica Dodson and Jeremy Levine
Ilana Drimmer
Tamara Dunietz and David Dunn
Jonathan Edelman
John Edelmann
Anna Faure
Suzanne and Enrique Fefer
Rachel and Pete Federowicz
Daniel Freeman and Rebecca Zylberman
Laurie and Jerry Friedman
Natalie Friedman and Daniel Winston
Tova Geller
Morgan and Josh Genderson
Marsha Gentner
Scott Eric Dreyer and Ellen Clare Gillespie
Dreyer
Nancy and Marc Duber
Jay Freedman
Lois and Michael Fingerhut
Rhoda and Daniel Glickman
Paula Seigle Goldman
Leslie and Samuel Kaplan
Stacey Kluck
Aviva Kempner
Tamara Korolnek
Brad and Ali Lackey
The EJL98 Charitable Trust, on behalf of Edward Lenkin and Roselin Atzwanger
Johanna Chanin and Randall Levitt
Johannah and Jeremiah Lowin
Meredith Margolis and Gary Goodweather
Ellen Gertsen
Bernard Gewirz
Catherine and Micah Gibson
Cathy and Michael Gildenhorn
Audrey Goldstein
Richard and Sue Goldstein
Lois and Hadar Granader
Helen Greenfeld and Richard Mintz
Michael Gross
Erwin Gudelsky
Erez Harari
Margaret Hoeger
Sandra Hoexter
Mariana Levinas Huberman
Maya Hyman
Nancy and Steven Jacobson
Rob Kallman
Sandy and Eliot Kalter
Sid Kaplan
Jared Kassoff and Jaime Creighton
Irene and Lou Katz
Ellen Kay
Hillel Kaye
The Kresge Foundation
Barry Kropf
Janet Leno and Peter Harrold
Kimberly and Bruce Levin
Jesse and Alyssa Levine
Kay Klass and Mark Levitt
Margery and Sheldon London
Melanie and Hal Marcus and Family
Philip Margolius
Ellen and Ken Marks
Alan McAdams and Ellen Dykes
Rona and Allan Mendelsohn
Elaine and William Miller
Gary Mintz
Rachel Moskowitz and Ari Moskowitz
Simor Moskowitz
Joan Nathan
Miriam Morsel Nathan and Harvey
Nathan
Gayle and Steven Neufeld
Carol Mates and Mark Kahan
Alyson Myers
Carl and Undine Nash
Shannon and William Powers
Suzanne Priebatsch
Eric Salzberg
Rubin Schron
Leslie Sewell
Peggy and David Shiffrin
United Bank
Heidi Wachs
Wealthspire Advisors
Susan Wedlan and Harold Rosen
Joan S. Wessel
Janice White
Carolyn and William Wolfe
Rebecca Wolozin and Louis Beckman
Victoria Odinotska
Ellen and Scott Paseltiner
James & Theodore Pedas Foundation
Marsha and Jamey Pelton
Amie Perl and Evan Goldman
Linda and Bruce Pollekoff
Joel and Nancy Poznansky
Deborah and Juan Prawda
Michael Rabinowitz
Rabbi Fred N. Reiner and Susan Liss
Renay and Bill Regardie
Suzanne and Bruce Rosenblum
Norman L. and Caryl G. Rosenthanl
Linda Rosenzweig and Sandy Bieber
Alfred Sanders
Lewis Schrager and Frances Marshall
Yechiel Schron
Dolores Seigel
David Selden and Julie Wallick
Susan Brett and Rob Shesser
Dale and Alan Sorcher
Barbara Silverstein and Alan Kirschenbaum
Mindy and Jeff Sosland
Leslie and Howard Stein
Susan Rubin Suleiman
Lise Van Susteren and Jonathan Kempner
Philip Teitelbaum
Ziva and Aaron Tomares
United Way of the National Capital Area
Janet B. Weiner
Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman
Janyse and Bernie Weisz
Sharon Wilkes and Robert Kinberg
Carol and Michael Winer
Ellen Witman
Janet and Robert Wittes
Barbara Yellen and Phil West
Lynda Zengerle
Jennifer Zwilling Rosenwasser and Jon Rosenwasser
*of blessed memory
With the support from our community of donors, the Edlavitch DCJCC remains the premier address in our nation's capital for an expanding, diverse, and vibrant urban Jewish community. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Edlavitch DCJCC today, please visit edcjcc.org/donate or contact Emily Jillson at 202-777-3231 or ejillson@edcjcc.org.
