Theater J 2018-2019 Season: Around Town

THEATER J

2018-2019 SEASON

AROUND TOWN

JOIN US FOR A SEASON UNLIKE ANY OTHER

THEATERJ.ORG

Dear Friends, For Theater J’s 2018-2019 season, we invite you to join us “around town” at some of the greatest cultural venues throughout the city, as our historic Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center building undergoes exciting renovations.

When we return to the EDCJCC building in the fall of 2019 you will enjoy a renovated Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, a new box office, improved accessibility features, and an overall enhanced theater-going experience.

A SEAS UNLIK ANY O

ARO TOW

We view this season as one of great opportunity: to partner with some of the terrific theaters in DC; to produce work at a scope beyond what we can achieve inside our own building; and to stretch our image of who we are and who we can be. We will continue our deep engagement with meaningful issues and bring you a theater of passion, politics and joy.

And this year we take a major step in sharing the rich Jewish tradition embodied in the Yiddish theater.

In addition to the four plays that Theater J will produce, we are delighted to be able to offer you three exciting “add-ons” to our subscription ticket package. These are productions of sister DC theaters that will supplement your Theater J theater-going.

Details are in the following pages.

As we move from one terrific venue to the next, you are the constant.

We look forward to having you join us as a Theater J ticket package purchaser for what will be a remarkable season. We are confident that the art we have selected this season will enrich your life.

As always, if you have any questions at all, please email our box office at theaterj@theaterj.org.

See you in the lobby.

THER MOR

Yours, Adam Immerwahr Artistic Director

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Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg Managing Director

YOUR ITINERARY FOR THE 2018-2019 SEASON

SON KE OTHER

Build your own subscription package, as you join us on a unique theatrical journey across the city. The Edlavitch DCJCC will be under renovation during the 2018-2019 season, so Theater J is excited to produce plays in four other beautiful venues in DC. Get fantastic subscriber benefits (see pages 10-11), like unlimited exchanges, when you choose:

OUND WN

RE'S RE!

PACKAGES

FLEX PASSES

3-play Subscription

6 Ticket Flex Pass

4-play Subscription

8 Ticket Flex Pass

to see the exciting shows in Theater J's 2018-2019 season:

THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE

TALLEY’S FOLLY

at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

ACTUALLY

at Arena Stage

at GALA Hispanic Theatre

THE JEWISH QUEEN LEAR at Georgetown University

Read about them all on pages 4-7.

Then, add on tickets to any of the productions below, presented by three of our peer theaters. You get preferential seating at a special price, before single tickets go on sale to the public.

INDECENT produced by Arena Stage

OSLO produced by Round House Theatre at the Lansburgh Theatre

DESCRIBE THE NIGHT produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Read about them all on pages 8-9.

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SEPTEMBER 12 – 30, 2018

THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE Based on the book The Children of Willesden Lane

By Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen Adapted and directed by Hershey Felder

Set in Vienna in 1938 and London during the Blitzkrieg, The Pianist of Willesden Lane tells the true and inspiring story of Lisa Jura, a young Jewish pianist whose dream of making her concert debut at the storied Musikverein concert hall is dashed by the onset of World War II. Despite devastating personal loss, her music enables Jura to endure and pursue her dreams.

Performed by Jura’s daughter, Grammy®-nominated pianist Mona Golabek, The Pianist of Willesden Lane combines enthralling story telling with breathtaking live performances of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and more.

“This elegant, heartfelt solo show…is an arresting, deeply affecting triumph.”

–The Los Angeles Times MON

POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS

■ CREATIVE CONVERSATION ■ CAST TALKBACK

■ SUNDAY SYMPOSIUM

10 17

SEPTEMB ER

TUE

WED

11 18 25 7:30 PM

FRI

SAT

12

13

14

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

8:00 PM

20

21

19

7:30 PM

24

THU

26

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

8:00 PM

27

28

7:30 PM

8:00 PM

SUN

15

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

22

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

29

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

16

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

23

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

30

2:00 PM

At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Family Theater 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC

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Park in the garage under the Kennedy Center (2700 F Street, NW). Details at theaterj.org.

OCTOBER 17 – NOVEMBER 18, 2018

ACTUALLY

By Anna Ziegler Directed by Johanna Gruenhut

Tom and Amber, freshmen at Princeton University, seem to be on the same page about where their relationship is heading, until suddenly they aren’t.

What begins as a casual hook up turns into a Title IX hearing in which both students have everything to lose.

Tackling the highly charged topic of sexual consent, this provocative new play

by Anna Ziegler (Photograph 51 ) investigates the intersection of gender and race in campus politics today, offering a nuanced and psychologically rich portrait of a generation. Featuring Sylvia Kates and Jaysen Wright.

“Gripping. Beautifully rendered and complex… destined to trigger discussion.” –The Los Angeles Times POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS

■ CREATIVE CONVERSATION ■ CAST TALKBACK

■ SUNDAY SYMPOSIUM

MON

TUE

OCT 22

OPENING

OC TOBER – N OVEMBER WED

16 23

7:30 PM

29 5 12

30 6 13

THU

17

PWYC PREVIEW

7:30 PM

FRI

18

PREVIEW

19 26

7:30 PM

24

25

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

31

NOV 1

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

SAT

SUN

20

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

2

7:30 PM

27

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

3

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

7

8

9

10

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

8:00 PM

8:00 PM

15

16

14

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

7:30 PM

17 8:00 PM

21

PREVIEW

7:30 PM

28

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

4

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

11

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

18

2:00 PM

At Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle 1101 6th Street, SW, Washington, DC

Park in Arena Stage’s underground lot (1101 6th Street, SW). Details at theaterj.org.

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DECEMBER 7 – 30, 2018

TALLEY'S FOLLY

By Lanford Wilson Directed by Aaron Posner

This Pulitzer Prize-winning romantic comedy is a poignant valentine to unlikely love. On a moonlit night in 1944 Missouri, middle-aged Jewish accountant Matt Freidman has only one chance to win the heart of Sally Talley, a 31-yearold ‘old maid’ from a bigoted Protestant family. After a lifetime of believing they’ll never truly belong in the world around them, Matt and Sally reawaken one another to love, ultimately finding that they do belong – together.

Talley’s Folly is a funny and heart-warming theatrical duet.

Featuring Erin Weaver.

"Mr. Wilson is one of our most gifted playwrights…

Talley’s Folly is a play to savor and cheer." –The New York Times POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS

■ CREATIVE CONVERSATION ■ CAST TALKBACK

■ SUNDAY SYMPOSIUM

MON

DECEM BER

TUE

WED

4 10

OPENING

11

7:30 PM

17 24

18 25

THU

5

FRI

6

12

13

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

19

20

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

7:30 PM

26

27

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

7:30 PM

SAT

7

PWYC PREVIEW

SUN

8

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

8:00 PM

14

15 8:00 PM

21 28

22

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

29

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

At GALA Hispanic Theatre

3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

6

Park for $4 at Tivoli Square Colonial Parking.

Details at theaterj.org.

9

PREVIEW

7:30 PM

16

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

23

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

30

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

MARCH 13 – APRIL 7, 2019

THE JEWISH QUEEN LEAR Jacob Gordin’s Mirele Efros English translation by Nahma Sandrow Directed by Adam Immerwahr

If it's not one thing, it's your mother! Written in 1898, Gordin’s story of power and pride revolves around Mirele Efros, a wealthy widow and clever business woman who wants to find a good wife for her son. When her children turn against her, Mirele experiences a fall of Shakespearean proportions.

Wildly successful in its time, Gordin’s masterpiece of the Yiddish theater shines in a scintillating new English translation, produced in partnership with Georgetown University's Theater and Performance Studies Program.

Featuring Valerie Leonard, Tonya Beckman, Sasha Olinick, Sue Jin Song, and Frank X. “Unquestionably the representative play of Yiddish Theater.”

–Haaretz POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS

■ CREATIVE CONVERSATION

MON

MARCH – AP RIL

TUE

MAR 11 18

OPENING

WED

12 19

7:30 PM

25

■ CAST TALKBACK

26

■ SUNDAY SYMPOSIUM

APR

1

2

THU

13

PWYC PREVIEW

7:30 PM

FRI

14

SAT

15

PREVIEW

SUN

16

PREVIEW

8:00 PM

8:00 PM

7:30 PM

21

7:30 PM

22

23

27

28

29

20

12:00 PM 7:30 PM

7:30 PM

3

4

7:30 PM

7:30 PM

5

8:00 PM

30

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

6

2:00 PM 8:00 PM

17

PREVIEW

7:30 PM

24

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

31

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

7

2:00 PM 7:30 PM

At Georgetown University's Davis Performing Arts Center, in the Gonda Theatre Located near the main gates at 37th and O Streets, NW, Washington, DC

Visitor parking at 3611 Canal Road, NW, in the Southwest Garage. Details at theaterj.org.

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Purchase your subscription ticket package or your flex pass and then add one, two, or all three plays at peer DC theaters. You'll get a special price before single tickets go on sale to the general public, plus free exchanges!

INDECENT

By Paula Vogel Produced by Arena Stage November 23 – December 30, 2018 The controversial 1923 Broadway debut of the Yiddish drama God of Vengeance inspired this award-winning behind-the-scenes story of the courageous artists who risked their careers and lives to perform a work deemed “indecent.” This Tony Award-winning intimate and enchanting play filled with music and dance is a testament to the transformative power of art that is timelier than ever before.

Arena Stage’s underground lot (1101 6th Street, SW).

OSLO

By J.T. Rogers Produced by Round House Theatre at the Lansburgh Theatre April 24 – May 19, 2019 In 1993, an audacious husband-and-wife team of Norwegian bureaucrats assembled would-be diplomats from the Middle East to negotiate peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Operating in secrecy and challenged by political tensions, these unofficial peacemakers must rely on the surprising personal bonds they have forged if they want to succeed.

Colonial Parking under the Lansburgh building (450 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004).

DESCRIBE THE NIGHT

By Rajiv Joseph Produced by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company May 27 – June 23, 2019 In 1920, Russian Jewish writer Isaac Babel starts a diary while wandering the countryside with the Red Cavalry. In 2010, after the crash of an aircraft carrying the Polish president, his diary is discovered among the wreckage.

What did Babel write, and why does it matter so much to one ruthless KGB agent destined to become one of the most powerful figures in the world?

Clara Barton Interpark Garage (616 E Street, NW).

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TICKET PACKAGE ADD-ONS PEAK: $75.00 Saturday at 2:00 PM Saturday at 8:00 PM Sunday at 2:00 PM NON-PEAK: $59.00 Wednesday at 7:30 PM Thursday at 8:00 PM Friday at 8:00 PM

PEAK: $65.00 Saturday at 2:00 PM Saturday at 8:00 PM Sunday at 2:00 PM NON-PEAK: $55.00 Wednesday at 7:30 PM Thursday at 7:30 PM Friday at 8:00 PM

PEAK: $58.00 Saturday at 3:00 PM Saturday at 8:00 PM Sunday at 2:00 PM NON-PEAK: $50.00 Wednesday at 7:30 PM Thursday at 7:30 PM Friday at 8:00 PM

LEAD SUPPORT FOR THE EDLAVITCH DCJCC IS PROVIDED BY

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Ginny and Irwin Edlavitch; Susie and Michael Gelman, The Morningstar Foundation; Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert O. and Arlene R. Kogod Family Foundation; Nussdorf Family Foundation; The Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; Charles E. Smith Family Foundation; and the David Bruce Smith Foundation.

Theater J’s 2018–2019 Season is funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Pianist of Willesden Lane is supported in part by the Arthur Tracy “The Street Singer” Endowment Fund which honors the legacy of renowned singer and entertainer Arthur Tracy and from the Fisher Family Foundation Visiting Artist Fund.

EDLAVITCH DCJCC Jill Granader, President Carole R. Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer Craig Mintz, Chief Financial Officer Bini W. Silver, Chief Operating Officer THEATER J Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg, Managing Director 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. CFC #54775 Illustrations by Donald Ely

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Big Benefits for Joining Theater J Around Town!

Package Purchasers get the Lowest Prices AND the Best Seats Benefits for 3- and 4-play ticket package buyers: • • • •

• Free refills (on plays!)* Up to 30% off the regular price • Show insurance* The best seats in every venue • One free guest ticket* Unlimited exchanges • Invitation to kick-off event No handling fees at Theater J in August

*subject to availability

TICKET PACKAGES

4 PLAYS

3 PLAYS

WEEKEND PRIME Saturday 2:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 PM Sunday 2:00 PM

$224.00

$180.00

7:30 SAVINGS Wednesday 7:30 PM, Thursday 7:30 PM Sunday 7:30 PM

$168.00

$135.00

WEEKDAY MATINEE

$124.00

$102.00

$199.00ˆ

$148.00ˆ

$112.00ˆ

$162.00ˆ

$123.00ˆ

$90.00ˆ

ˆwith eligible discount: Edlavitch DCJCC Member, Military Personnel/Veteran, or Senior (65+)

Benefits for 6- or 8-ticket flex pass buyers: • • • • •

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Up to 30% off the regular price Maximum flexibility in picking your shows Unlimited exchanges No handling fees Invitation to kick-off event at Theater J in August

FLEX PASSES

8 TICKET

6 TICKET

Redeem your tickets for any performance to the following plays: The Pianist of Willesden Lane, Actually, Talley’s Folly, and The Jewish Queen Lear

$320.00

$270.00

ABOUT THEATER J

"The nation’s most prominent Jewish theater” —American Theatre Magazine

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, inter-cultural 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 theatergoing experiences.

Visit theaterj.org or email the box office at theaterj@theaterj.org for information and to purchase.

Single tickets go on sale July 15.

PHOTOS (PAGE 2-3, L-R): Adam Immerwahr (Greg Kendall-Ball for The Washington Post); Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg; Caroline Clay in THE CHRISTIANS by Lucas Hnath ( C. Stanley Photography); Daven Ralston, Billy Finn in EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED by Jonathan Safran Foer, Adapted by Simon Block (C. Stanley Photography); Susan Rome, Tom Story in ROZ AND RAY by Karen Hartman (C. Stanley Photography); Justin Weaks, Michael Russotto in THE CHRISTIANS (C. Stanley Photography).

PHOTOS (PAGES 10-11, L-R): Shayna Blass, Zack Powell, Julie-Ann Elliott in THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO by Alfred Uhry (Teresa Castracane); Naomi Jacobson in BECOMING DR. RUTH

by Mark St. Germain (Teresa Wood); Andrés C. Talero, Desiree Marie Velez, Brigid Cleary in SOTTO VOCE by Nilo Cruz (C. Stanley Photography); Alex Alferov, Nancy Robinette in EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED by Jonathan Safran Foer, adapted by Simon Block (C. Stanley Photography).

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1529 SIXTEENTH STREET, NW WASHINGTON, DC 20036

JOIN US FOR A SEASON UNLIKE ANY OTHER In 2018-2019, Theater J will produce four stunning plays at: • The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

• Arena Stage

• GALA Hispanic Theatre • Georgetown University

GET YOUR TICKET PACKAGE TODAY!

Join us for the 2018-2019 season and get the best seats in the 2019-2020 season!

THEATERJ.ORG