Theater J: Edward Albee's Occupant

NOVEMBER 7–DECEMBER 8, 2019

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FROM THEATER J’S LEADERS Dear Friends,

One of our favorite things to do at Theater J is to unearth a script from the archives, put it in the capable hands of DC’s top artists, and give it fresh life. Some “forgotten classics” speak more powerfully today than they did when they were originally penned. From Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass to the forgotten Yiddish play The Jewish Queen Lear (Mirele Efros) and now to Edward Albee’s Occupant, you never know how the past will speak to the present until you invite it back to the stage.

Albee’s Occupant was written toward the end of the master playwright’s career. Originally intended as a vehicle for Anne Bancroft in 2002, the initial production had to be cancelled when Bancroft fell ill with pneumonia. The play was left unproduced until 2008, when it received its premiere in a production starring Mercedes Ruehl. Though it had been written years earlier, it would prove to be the last produced new play of Albee’s, finally on stage a year after the premiere of the last play he penned: Me, Myself & I (2007).

What motivated Albee to write about the Jewish immigrant sculptor Louise Nevelson?

Did Albee, who had been cast aside by the critics in his own field for so many years, feel drawn to this fellow artist who only made her name late in life as she became an acclaimed woman in an otherwise male-dominated field? Or was it the fact that Albee was a passionate art collector and greatly admired Nevelson’s seemingly simple, monochromatic collections of chair legs, driftwood, and other found objects? Or maybe Albee, who as a gay man never felt at home in the unhappy family that he had been adopted into as a child, felt drawn to Nevelson’s flamboyant, anti-family persona. What we do know is that the two artists eventually became friends, and that Albee wrote the introduction to one of the major books about her work. We also know that Albee was a famously reluctant interview subject, cryptic about his work and resentful of anyone being asked to define their art—a theme you’ll see throughout this enigmatic play.

We hope you’ll enjoy exploring this forgotten masterpiece as much as we have enjoyed sharing it. And we hope to see you for more thought-provoking work at Theater J this winter. We start the new year with Sheltered, an astonishing play that examines a refugee crisis and the power (and challenges) of individual action in the face of a global threat.

As with so many Theater J productions, we think it will provide for a lot of great discussion and thought. As always, don’t hesitate to share your ideas with us at adam@theaterj.org or jojo@theaterj.org.

See you in the lobby!

Yours,

Adam Immerwahr Jojo Ruf Artistic Director Managing Director

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THANK YOU TO OUR SEASON SPONSORS Leading Producers Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation Sponsoring Producers Cathy S. Bernard The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Susie and Michael Gelman, The Morningstar Foundation Nancy and Saul Pilchen Revada Foundation of the Logan Family Share Fund The Shubert Foundation Supporting Producers Bruce A. Cohen Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind Melanie and Larry Nussdorf Hank Schlosberg

Patti and Jerry Sowalsky Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein

THANK YOU TO OUR PRODUCTION ANGELS Leading Angels Diane and Arnold Polinger Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins Leshowitz Family Foundation, Terry Singer Sponsoring Angels Patty Abramson* and Les Silverman Michele and Allan Berman Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett

Elaine Reuben, The Timbrel Foundation Bella Rosenberg Judy and Leo Zickler

Supporting Angels Natalie R. Abrams Susan and Dixon Butler Meg and John Hauge

Sandra and Stephen Lachter Paul and Zena Mason

*Of blessed memory This production 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.

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THEATER J

Adam Immerwahr Artistic Director

Jojo Ruf

Managing Director

THE TRISH VRADENBURG STAGE • AARON & CECILE GOLDMAN THEATER MORRIS CAFRITZ CENTER FOR THE ARTS

EDWARD ALBEE'S OCCUPANT November 7 – December 8, 2019

Cast

The Man....................................................................... Jonathan David Martin* Louise Nevelson.......................................................... Susan Rome*

Artistic & Production Team Director Aaron Posner^

Scenic and Costume Design Nephelie Andonyadis+

Lighting Design Jesse Belsky+

Projection Design Devin Kinch

Props Design Pam Weiner

Resident Production Stage Manager Anthony O. Bullock*

Assistant Stage Managers Tyler Metteer, Rebecca Talisman

World premiere originally produced by Signature Theatre Company, New York City James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director Erika Mallin, Executive Director Photo of Louise Nevelson, New York, May 13, 1975.

Photograph by Richard Avedon, © The Richard Avedon Foundation.

Photography, video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association ^Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society +Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 Media Sponsor 5

ABOUT THE ARTISTS Jonathan David Martin (The Man) is thrilled to be back at Theater J where he was formerly the Associate Producer. Acting credits include War Horse (Lincoln Center Theater, original Broadway cast), The Heiress and Junk (Arena Stage), Describe the Night (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company), Loveseat (Venice International Film Festival), National Black Theatre, 59E59 Theaters, Bushwick Starr, Theater Alliance, Two River Theater, Portland Center Stage, Shakespeare Santa Monica, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Empty Space Theatre, NMA Physical Theatre Ensemble, as a founding member of Washington Ensemble Theatre, and as Co-Artistic Director of Smoke & Mirrors Collaborative. TV: “Unforgettable” and “Believe.” Annenberg Fellow for the Arts. MFA: NYU. Susan Rome (Louise Nevelson) has performed at Theater J in Roz and Ray, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Helen Hayes (HH) Award), The Sisters Rosensweig, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide..., The Argument, After the Revolution (HH nomination) among others. Recent credits include Love's Labor's Lost (Folger Theatre), Indecent (Arena Stage, Kansas City Rep, Baltimore Center Stage: HH nomination), The Great Society and All the Way (Arena Stage), The Diary of Anne Frank (Olney Theatre Center), If I Forget and Hand to God (Studio Theatre, HH nominations), and several productions at Baltimore Center Stage. Regional credits include The Substance of Fire (Mark Taper Forum) and The Legacy (Seattle Center Stage).

TV: House of Cards, NYPD Blue, and four seasons as DA Ilene Nathan on The Wire. Films: John Waters’ A Dirty Shame, My One and Only, Fishbowl.

Edward Albee (Playwright, 1928-2016) was born on March 12, 1928, and began writing plays 30 years later. His plays include The Zoo Story (1958), The American Dream (1960), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62, Tony Award), Tiny Alice (1964), A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize; 1996, Tony Award), All Over (1971), Seascape (1974, Pulitzer Prize), The Lady From Dubuque (1977-78), The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981), Finding The Sun (1982), Marriage Play (1986-87), Three Tall Women (1991, Pulitzer Prize), Fragments (1993), The Play About The Baby (1997), The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (2000, 2002 Tony Award), Occupant (2001), Peter and Jerry: Act 1, Homelife; Act 2, The Zoo Story (2004), and Me, Myself and I (2007). Mr. Albee was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980, and in 1996 received the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts. In 2005 he was awarded the special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Aaron Posner (Director) is a playwright, director, teacher, and former artistic director. He’s very pleased to return to Theater J where he previously directed his own plays The Chosen and Life Sucks, as well as Broken Glass, Everything Is Illuminated, and Talley’s Folly. His other adaptations, plays and musicals include The Heal, JQA, Me…Jane: The Dreams & Adventures of Young Jane Goodall, The Gift of Nothing, Stupid Fucking Bird, No Sisters, District Merchants, Who Am I This Time? & Other Conundrums of Love, Cyrano, My Name Is Asher Lev, Sometimes a Great Notion, and more. He has directed more than 150 productions at major regional theaters across the country, is a Distinguished Guest Artist-In-Residence at American University, and has won multiple awards for his work across the country, including six Helen Hayes Awards. He lives outside of Washington DC with his remarkable wife, actress Erin Weaver, and his amazing daughter, Maisie.

Nephelie Andonyadis (Scenic Designer and Costume Designer) recently re-located to DC from Southern California and is delighted to be working with Theater J! Recent projects include As You Like It (Public Works/Seattle Rep), The Tempest (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Topdog/Underdog (WSC Avant Bard), Winnie the Pooh (Adventure Theatre), and The Children (Studio Theatre). With Cornerstone Theater Company, where she is an ensemble member, Nephelie has worked in collaboration with communities across California and beyond on A Jordan Downs Illumination, The Cardinal, Magic Fruit, Jason in Eureka, Café Vida, and others. Upcoming: Seize the King (Alliance Theatre) and Compulsion, or the House Behind (Theater J). Her designs have been seen at South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Repertory, SITI Company,

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS Center Theatre Group, and many others. Nephelie has been a professor at the University of Michigan and the University of Redlands. BS from Cornell University’s School of Architecture.

MFA from Yale School of Drama. NEA/TCG Design Fellowship.

Jesse Belsky (Lighting Designer) is delighted to be back at Theater J after designing Actually and Everything Is Illuminated. Recent DC designs include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Ford’s Theatre), The Year of Magical Thinking and JQA (Arena Stage), The Mystery of Love & Sex (Signature Theatre), Henry 4 P1 and A Winter’s Tale (Folger Theatre), The Magic Play (Olney Theatre Center), The Remains (Studio Theatre) and Oslo (Round House Theatre). Regional credits include Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre, Triad Stage, and PlayMakers Repertory Company. Mr. Belsky holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA from Yale School of Drama. He has taught lighting design at Connecticut College and UNC Greensboro. www.jessebelsky.com.

Pam Weiner (Props Designer) is thrilled to be back for a new season with Theater J. Other design credits include the Kennedy Center (She a Gem, The Gift of Nothing, Orphie and the Book of Heroes), Folger Theatre (Richard III), Round House Theatre (Two Trains Running, The Beauty Queen of Leenane). She is the Associate Properties Master at Signature Theatre. BA: University of MD, College Park.

Anthony O. Bullock (Resident Production Stage Manager) is happy be Theater J's new Resident Production Stage Manager having previously worked on The Jewish Queen Lear and Actually last season. DC area credits include Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, and Studio Theatre. Regional credits include McCarter Theatre Center, Barrington Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Passage Theatre, and Shakespeare & Co. NYC: Project Springboard, Classic Stage Company. He toured with The White Snake by Mary Zimmerman in association with The Goodman Theatre, to The Wuzhen Theatre Festival in Wuzhen, China.

Anthony received his BFA from Oklahoma City University. He is on the board of the Stage Managers’ Association as the Eastern Regional Director. Proud member of AEA.

BEYOND THE STAGE

Theater J is dedicated to taking its dialogues beyond the stage, offering public forums which explore the theatrical, cultural, and social elements of our art throughout the year. All events are free and open to everyone. All events and times are subject to change. Please visit theaterj.org for up-to-date announcements.

DATE

DISCUSSION

Sunday, November 17 following 2:00 PM matinee

CREATIVE CONVERSATION: Aaron Posner, director; Susan Rome, actor; Nephelie Andonyadis, scenic and costume designer.

Join members of the show’s creative team as we dig in to the process of bringing Louise Nevelson and her art to life on stage.

Wednesday, November 13 following 7:30 PM performance

Sunday, November 24 following 2:00 PM matinee Sunday, December 1 following 7:30 PM performance

CAST TALK-BACK Q & A with members of the acting company.

SUNDAY SYMPOSIUM: Post-show guests TBA Learn more about Louise Nevelson, her work, and the process of making meaning with art during this discussion with art professionals.

ENDNOTES: An informal gathering following the performance that gives audience members an opportunity to engage in conversation about the play and a glass of wine (provided by the Embassy of Israel).

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Adam Immerwahr (Theater J Artistic Director) has served as the Artistic Director of Theater J since 2015. He has previously served as the Associate Artistic Director at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ, and the Resident Director of Passage Theatre in Trenton, NJ. He has directed in NYC at The Public and Theater Row (both for Summer Play Festival), Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Wild Project, and NYU's Studio Tisch. Internationally, he directed the African premiere of The Convert in Zimbabwe (nominated for the National Arts Medal Award, Zimbabwe’s highest arts award). He has directed and developed work for McCarter Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Woolly Mammoth, Adventure Theater, Luna Stage, Hangar Theatre, Bristol Riverside, Premiere Stages, Playwrights Theatre of NJ, PlayPenn, The National Constitution Center, Philadelphia Artists' Collective, Princeton Summer Theater, Westminster Choir College, Theatre Masters, and Passage Theatre Company. Recipient of a 2008 Drama League Directing Fellowship and the 2010 NJ Theatre Alliance “Applause Award.” Winner of the 2014 Emerging Nonprofit Leader Award presented by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Center for Excellence and the Center for Non-Profits.

Jojo Ruf (Theater J Managing Director) joined Theater J in early 2019 after serving as the Managing Director of The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University for four years. Prior to The Lab, Jojo worked for the National New Play Network for five years and served as the Associate Executive Director for two years. Jojo was the founding Executive and Creative Director of The Welders, a Helen Hayes Award-winning playwrights collective in Washington, DC. She was a Coordinating Producer for the 2015 Women’s Voices Theater Festival, and has worked with Arena Stage, the Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, and the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival. Jojo is in her third year of serving on theatreWashington’s Advisory Board. Most recently, her work has taken her to Cuba, China, Chile, Israel, Poland, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and throughout the UK, among other places. She has her MBA from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

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 www.actorsequity.org.

YIDDISH THEATER LAB

Theater J continues its initiative dedicated to preserving and reviving the forgotten literature of the Yiddish Theater.

UPCOMING READINGS:

THE RED BEADS

By Rinne Groff, based on The Singer of His Sorrows by Osip Dymov, as adapted by Adrian Silver and Rinne Groff from a translation by Adrian Silver, directed by Johanna Gruenhut December 2, 2019 An encore reading of the next draft of a play read last season under the title The Rented Bridegroom.

A HIDDEN CORNER

By Peretz Hirschbein, translated by David S. Lifson, directed by Brendon Fox February 3, 2020 ONE OF THOSE

By Paula Prilutski, adapted and translated by Allen Lewis Rickman, directed by Kevin Place April 6, 2020 Learn about the plays on Theater J’s website. All readings are Pay-What-You-Choose. Advance purchase available at theaterj.org and 202.777.3210.

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IN MEMORY OF PATTY ABRAMSON SEPTEMBER 7, 1944 – AUGUST 24, 2019

Theater J dedicates this production of Edward Albee’s Occupant to the memory of Patty Abramson.

As a board member of the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, Patty was one of the founders of the Theater J Council, a group of individuals who guide and support Theater J leadership and staff in all of theater’s activities. Over her twenty-one years on the Council, Patty’s wisdom and leadership guided several Managing Directors, Artistic Directors, and many staff members through years of growth and successes, of artistic risks and great triumphs. With a voice of both clarity and compromise, she was fiercely loyal, keenly insightful, and always in our corner with guidance and wisdom. In her years as co-chair of the Council’s nominating committee, Patty truly shaped the Theater J Council, attracting and retaining a wise and generous group of Council members to advance Theater J’s efforts and artistry. She believed in the vital importance of a thriving Jewish theater in our nation’s capital. Under her watchful eye, Theater J grew to become the largest and most prominent Jewish theater in the United States. Her vision for who we could become is now a part of our DNA. Patty began her career in advertising before becoming a partner at Hager, Sharp & Abramson, a marketing and communications firm. She went on to create, along with two partners, the Women’s Growth Capital Fund in 1997, which was dedicated to investing in businesses owned by women. Later, Patty co-founded WomensAngels.net, a private investment club of 85 Washington-area women. Together, the Fund and the Network invested nearly $40 million in early and mid-stage women-owned or women-led businesses. She was a proud board member of Georgetown Day School, and a member of the JxJ Council, which supports year-round film and music programming at the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center.

Patty is dearly missed. May her memory be a blessing.

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In 1962, just two years after his first play—The Zoo Story—opened OffBroadway, Edward Albee wrote an essay entitled “Which Theater is the Absurd One?” In it, he describes his response to being told that he was a “member in good standing” of the theater of the absurd.

“I was deeply offended,” he writes, “because I had never heard the term before and I immediately assumed that it applied to the theater uptown – Broadway.”1 He goes on to criticize Broadway for its shallow content and value system based solely on plays’ earning potential. “What, indeed, I thought, could be more absurd than that?”

Albee the Absurd

Fast forward 54 years. By the time of his death in 2016, the three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, recipient of a National Medal of Arts, and winner of a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement had written or adapted 34 plays, 18 of which were produced on the very Broadway with which he was once so unwilling to be associated.2 How did an anti-establishment absurdist of the 1960s become one of the most celebrated American playwrights of the 20th century?

HOW DID AN ANTI-

ESTABLISHMENT ABSURDIST OF THE 1960S BECOME ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED

AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY?

By Ellen Morgan Peltz Theater J Literary Director 10

The theater of the absurd is a theatrical movement that originated in Europe in the 1950s in response to the post-World War II philosophical landscape of existentialism.3 Although scholars point to plays

by Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot), Jean Genet (The Balcony) and Eugene Ionesco (Rhinoceros) as the purest examples of the genre, the theater of the absurd is less of a style and more of an intention to, as Albee put it, “make a man face up to the human condition as it really is.”4

are peppered throughout the majority of Albee’s work.

For Albee, what is “real” is not what is naturalistic, but what is true. “I would submit,” wrote Albee in his 1962 essay, “that the Theater of the Absurd, in the sense that it is truly the contemporary theater, facing as it does man’s condition as it is, is the Realistic theater of our time; and that the supposed Realistic theater…[is] really truly the Theater of the Absurd.”5 Fifty years later, the “realistic theater” Albee criticized so

THE THEATER OF THE ABSURD IS LESS OF A STYLE AND MORE

OF AN INTENTION TO, AS ALBEE PUT IT, “MAKE A MAN FACE UP TO THE HUMAN CONDITION AS IT REALLY IS.”

In other words, there are a variety of theatrical devices and themes that can be classified as absurdist as long as they are being used in service of encouraging audiences to confront reality.

In many plays by absurdist writers – Albee’s included – ideas of time, place, and identity are frequently blurred so that characters are often unsure of who or where they are. Improbable situations and elements of fantasy (an interview with a dead woman, for example, or giant lizards sunbathing on the beach) are combined with utterly realistic characters and dialogue.

Stagecraft is often simple and minimalist, actors break the fourth wall, conflict is buried, dialogue is repeated, humor is iconoclastic, and characters’ motivations are mysterious – all conventions that

harshly no longer holds sway over Broadway. Harold Pinter’s Betrayal is currently enjoying its fourth Broadway production since it premiered in 1980. One block west, the rational world is abandoned almost entirely in Moulin Rouge The Musical, while one block north, founding fathers rap about political and personal struggles in Hamilton.

Modern audiences have developed an appetite for plays that break with reality and make us take a hard look at ourselves in the mirror.

And we have Albee the Absurd to thank for that. _____________________________________

1. Albee, Edward. Stretching My Mind. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2006.

2. The Broadway League. “IBDB.com.” IBDB, https://www.ibdb. com/broadway-cast-staff/edward-albee-5258.

3. By. “Theatre of the Absurd Conventions.” The Drama Teacher, 8 Jan. 2015, https://thedramateacher.com/theatreof-the-absurd-conventions/.

4. Albee, Edward. Stretching My Mind. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2006.

5. Albee, Edward. Stretching My Mind. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2006.

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DEEPEN YOUR IMPACT

As we start this ambitious season, we need you as a partner. 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 our 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 heart and the head, and where we produce art that reminds you of who you are.

WAYS TO GIVE Theater J accepts contributions by mail, phone, on-line, 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 contact Development Coordinator, Tyler Carcy at tyler@theaterj.org or (202) 777-3225.

Bravo

Morgan Stanley is proud to support Theater J. The Bralove Group at Morgan Stanley 7500 Old Georgetown Road 10th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814 301-657-6376 mara.bralove@morganstanley.com https://advisor.morganstanley.com/ the-bralove-group (L to R): Michael Kurlancheek, Financial Advisor; Tara Tucker, Registered Associate; Mara Bralove, CFP,® Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor; Steven Bralove, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP,® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S. © 2019 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

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Corinne Williams, Ticket Office Manager

ONE-STOP SHOP: THE NEW TICKET OFFICE

By Kevin Place, Theater J Associate Producer

Since you’ve made it into the theater, you have surely been to or walked by the new Ticket Office on the first floor. (If not, how did you sneak in here?)

This new space is among the many upgrades in the renovation of the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center (EDCJCC). It will function as the central hub for arts programming in the building and boasts a friendly staff and a new, collaborative approach to ticketing.

For the first time ever, patrons can call one number and purchase tickets for theater, film, and music in any combination. It is a ‘one-stop shop,’ if you will.

Theater J is just one of the thriving arts programs at the EDCJCC, which has long been known for the robust and vibrant Washington Jewish Film Festival and Washington Jewish Music Festival, now combined as part of the multidisciplinary arts Festival, JxJ. JxJ presents year-round film and music programming almost daily in the new state-of-the-art cinema, Cafritz Hall, along with a major three-week festival in May. Check out page 22 to see a list of JxJ’s upcoming film screenings and concerts – we hope to see you there!

To support so many exciting events, the EDCJCC has hired a new staff member: Corinne Williams, who began in August as the Ticket Office Manager. Williams brings a breadth of theater and arts experience to this new collaborative initiative, including previous work with both Theater J and JxJ. She will be a consistent support to patrons with their ticketing needs and is ready and eager to share her insider knowledge of both programs.

“I am extremely excited to be working with both Theater J and JxJ, two programs that I know and love, and to be involved in so much varied arts programming,” say Williams.

“I look forward to greeting patrons from our new location as they enter the building and cannot wait for everyone to meet the other members of the Ticket Office staff.”

With the new staff comes expanded Ticket Office hours: patrons will now be able to reach a ticket agent Monday through Friday between noon and 4:00 PM. Additionally, the Ticket Office will be open one hour before every theater, film, or music event. At that time, patrons can purchase or pick up tickets from the large and accessible three-window space designed to accommodate many attendees simultaneously.

Stop by the Ticket Office to visit Corinne and her staff Monday-Friday between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM or give them a ring at (202) 777-3210!

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Sheltered runs from January 9 – February 2 at Theater J. For tickets, visit theaterj.org or call 202.777.3210.

Photo by Matthew Dunnivan

COMING NEXT: SHELTERED AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT ALIX SOBLER

By Ellen Morgan Peltz, Theater J Literary Director Ellen Peltz: Your play, Sheltered, is coming up next at Theater J which is incredibly exciting for a whole host of reasons, but especially because that production will be both your Theater J and your DC theater premiere, right?

Alix Sobler: Well, I did the DC Fringe Festival in 2008, but unless you were one of the 30 people who came to see the show throughout the entire run, I’m new to you. It is definitely my professional DC premiere.

EP: What sort of journey has this play been on to get here?

AS: I started writing this play in 2015 at Columbia while I was doing my MFA. I worked on it in one class with David Henry Hwang and another with Lynn Nottage, so this play has been through the feedback of two of the greatest

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living playwrights. Then it won the Alliance Theatre /Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition in Atlanta, and while there I worked on it with the brilliant director Kimberly Senior, and many other amazing minds.

Then it received a full production as part of Alliance Theatre’s regular season in 2018. It’s also gone through workshops at the Kennedy Center and Roundabout Theatre Company, and it was part of a reading series at South Coast Repertory. So it’s been on quite a journey, this play.

When I was writing it, I thought, “I’m not sure anyone is going to want this period play about American Jews during WWII,” but I was so drawn to the story and so compelled by its relevance that I just had to write it. And then when I started sending it out, the response to it was really overwhelming.

EP: Your plays span an impressive array of genres and theatrical styles, and the worlds you create include all sorts of people - sex workers, bed bugs, princesses, lawyers, even Anne Frank.

Do you feel that there is a common thread running through the body of your work that somehow connects all these disparate stories together?

AS: I’m interested in moral murkiness.

And I think that the larger theme in my play is how ordinary people deal with extraordinary circumstances. I’m really interested in the idea of “the other,” so my plays are often about Jewish people as a stand-in for “the other.”

EP: Sheltered is a play about Jews in America and Vienna in 1939 making a series of very difficult, interconnected decisions. What do you as the playwright hope to gain from Theater J’s production? What do you hope audiences will take away from it?

AS: As a playwright, it’s always really gratifying and important to see a second production. Sometimes a second production feels harder to come by than a first, and so I was just really excited when Adam decided to pick it up for Theater J. In terms of audiences, I just think the play is sadly more and more relevant

I’M INTERESTED IN MORAL MURKINESS. More logistically, my work involves a lot of humor. Even my very serious plays tend to have moments of humor in them. I think that life is very funny, so if you’re reflecting that on stage there’s almost always going to be laughter.

EP: You are an American, but you have created a lot of your work in Canada.

What brought you there?

AS: I met my husband on the Canadian fringe circuit and we lived there for nine years. But the work I do is often about American history, about

every day. I wrote the play in response to the Syrian refugee crisis which remains relevant, but it has suddenly become incredibly applicable to what is happening at our own borders. There are just so many contemporary issues that it speaks to directly. I’m not really trying to educate the audience or tell them how to feel about anything. All I want is for them to ask questions that they weren’t asking before and to maybe take a moment to consider how difficult decisions are when you’re actually in the situation, as opposed to watching it from the outside. Because

I WROTE THE PLAY IN RESPONSE TO THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS WHICH REMAINS RELEVANT, BUT IT HAS SUDDENLY BECOME INCREDIBLY APPLICABLE TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AT OUR OWN BORDERS. American politics. So although I was finding an audience in Canada, I felt like I could reach a wider audience in the United States. I still have relationships with theaters in Canada and I visit often. It has a very special place in my heart.

that’s really what the play is about. It’s about not being able to anticipate all the ways that the choices we make will affect us.

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EDWARD ALBEE’S OCCUPANT STAFF

Assistant Director: Peter Danelski Head Electrician: Alexander Monsell Light Board Programmer: Amanda Kircher Costume Design Assistant: Lisa Parkel Burgess Set Construction: Meaghan Toohey Load-in crew: Matty Griffiths, Jonathan Dahm Robertson, David Higgins Special Thanks: Michael Driggers

EDLAVITCH DCJCC LEADERSHIP & THEATER J STAFF EDLAVITCH DCJCC Chief Executive Officer: Carole R. Zawatsky Chief Financial Officer: Craig Mintz Chief Operating Officer: Bini W. Silver THEATER J STAFF Artistic Director: Adam Immerwahr Managing Director: Jojo Ruf

Associate Producer: Kevin Place Literary Director: Ellen Morgan Peltz Resident Casting Director: Jenna Duncan Commissioned Writers: Drew Lichtenberg, Alix Sobler Artistic Direction Fellow: Johanna Gruenhut

Director of Marketing & Communications: Laurie Levy-Page Director of Patron Experience: Chad Kinsman Development Coordinator: Tyler Carcy Ticket Office Manager: Corinne Williams Technical Director: Tom Howley Production Coordinator: Danny Debner Resident Production Stage Manager: Anthony O. Bullock Head Electrician: Garth Dolan Lead Shop Associate: Ellen Houseknecht Charge Artist: Carolyn Hampton

Arts Ticket Office Associates: Diana Abadi, Charles Aube, Arpan Bhattacharyya, Willette Coleman, Trevor Comeau, Rayna Cook, Carol Jones, Zenia Laws, Katherin Lim, KJ Moran, Kaitlin Pennington, Hadiya Rice, Jill Roos, Mary-Margaret Walsh.

Classes for Theater Lovers The Business of Show Business

Taught by Managing Director, Jojo Ruf 5 sessions, $249 (subscriber price $229) Wednesdays, January 15 – February 12, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM at the Edlavitch DCJCC

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. Details at TheaterJ.org 1616

SAY HELLO TO HIGH STYLE IN DUPONT CIRCLE A neighborhood gem for urban explorers, located minutes from Theater J. • Blocks from Dupont Circle Metro Station • 3,000 square feet of stylish meeting & event space • Fine American fare at Chef Michael Schlow’s The Riggsby THEATER J VISITORS RECEIVE 15% OFF THEIR HOTEL STAY CALL 202-234-3200 TO BOOK 1731 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20009 #THECARLYLEDC | WWW.CARLYLEHOTELDC.COM Subject to availability. Blackout dates may apply.

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THEATER J COUNCIL 2019–2020 COUNCIL Patti Herman, Co-Chair Howard Menaker, Co-Chair

Bob Tracy, Treasurer Ann Gilbert, Secretary

Natalie R. Abrams Patty Abramson* Mara Bralove Bruce A. Cohen Bunny Dwin Mindy Gasthalter Cheryl Gorelick Nancy Firestone Rae Grad

Daniel Kaplan Arlene Klepper Kenneth Krupsky Stephen Lachter Ellen Malasky Meredith Margolis Alfred Munzer Sherry Nevins Saul M. Pilchen

Elaine Reuben Bella Rosenberg Evelyn Sandground Mita M. Schaffer Robert Schlossberg Terry Singer Patty Sowalsky Manny Strauss

HONORARY COUNCIL Michele G. Berman Marion Ein Lewin Paul J. Mason

Hank Schlosberg Trish Vradenburg*

Joan S. Wessel Irene Wurtzel

EDLAVITCH DCJCC 2019–2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Eric Zelenko, Vice President Jill Granader, President Saul Pilchen, Senior Vice President Jonathan Grossman, Treasurer Daniel Hirsch, Vice President Barbara Abramowitz Janet B. Abrams Patty Abramson* Andrew Altman Joseph A. Baldinger Joan Berman Michele G. Berman Jennifer Bradley Kenton Campbell Johanna Chanin Jaclyn Cohen Eva Davis Myrna Fawcett

David Goldblatt, Assistant Treasurer Benjamin Loewy, Secretary

Brian Gelfand Dina Gold Debra Goldberg Rena Gordon Ellen Kassoff Gray Elise Lefkowitz Julie Lundy Meredith Margolis Sid Moskowitz Alfred Munzer Alyson Myers Melanie Franco Nussdorf Arnold Polinger

Shannon Powers Norm J. Rich Sharon Russ Jonathan Rutenberg Michael Salzberg Janis Schiff Rhea Schwartz Michael Singer Tina Small Cathy Toren Mimi Tygier Diane Abelman Wattenberg Carole R. Zawatsky, ex officio

William Kreisberg John R. Risher, Jr.* Lynn Skolnick Sachs Deborah Ratner Salzberg

Mindy Strelitz Francine Zorn Trachtenberg Robert Tracy Ellen G. Witman

Lois* & Richard* England Susan & Michael Gelman Paula Seigle Goldman Jack Kay* Edward J. Lenkin Arna Meyer Mickelson Norman Pozez

Anne S. Reich* Lee G. Rubenstein David Bruce Smith Daniel Solomon Alan G. Spoon Matthew Watson

FOUNDING DIRECTOR Ginny Edlavitch PRESIDENTS EMERITI Stephen Altman Rose H. Cohen Martha Gross Stephen Kelin VICE PRESIDENT EMERITUS Lee G. Rubenstein AMBASSADORS COUNCIL Esthy & James Adler Diane & Norman Bernstein Joshua Bernstein Heidi* & Max Berry Ann Loeb Bronfman* Ryna & Melvin* Cohen Louie & Ralph Dweck Irwin P. Edlavitch 18

*of blessed memory

ABOUT THEATER J

“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.

A New Play about Trailblazing Women

Jan. 24-Feb. 23, 2020

by Lauren Gunderson directed by Seema Sueko Season Sponsor: Chevron

On Sale Now! www.fords.org

Tickets: (888) 616-0270 Photo of Laura C. Harris by Scott Suchman.

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FRIENDS OF THEATER J Theater J gratefully acknowledges the following donors who have given since October 7, 2018. This list is current as of October 7, 2019.

Leading Producer ($100,000+)

Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation Sponsoring Producer ($25,000–$99,999) Cathy S. Bernard DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

Susie and Michael Gelman, The Morningstar Foundation Nancy and Saul Pilchen

Revada Foundation of the Logan Family Share Fund The Shubert Foundation

Bruce A. Cohen The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation

Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind Melanie and Larry Nussdorf Hank Schlosberg

Patti and Jerry Sowalsky Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein

National Endowment for the Arts James A. Feldman and Natalie Wexler The Robert M. Fisher Memorial Foundation Patti and Mitchell Herman Arlene and Martin Klepper

Marion Ein Lewin Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett The Morgan Fund at the Seattle Foundation Diane and Arnold Polinger Kay Richman and Daniel Kaplan

Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins Helene and Robert Schlossberg Leshowitz Family Foundation, Terry Singer George Wasserman Family Foundation, Inc.

Patty Abramson* and Les Silverman Michele and Allan Berman Bonnie and Louis Cohen Myrna Fawcett Ann and Frank Gilbert Dr. Kenneth and Cheryl Gorelick Fund

Dianne and Herb Lerner Sherry and Louis Nevins Patricia Payne and Nancy Firestone Provisions Catering Elaine Reuben, The Timbrel Foundation Bella Rosenberg

Toni Sharp Alan and Irene Wurtzel Ellen and Bernard Young Judy and Leo Zickler

Natalie R. Abrams Andrea Boyarsky-Maisel and Harvey Maisel Mara Bralove and Ari Fisher Susan and Dixon Butler The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Bunny Dwin

Alan and Shulamit Elsner Lois and Michael Fingerhut Mindy Gasthalter Rae Grad and Manuel Schiffres Meg and John Hauge Kathy Byrnes and John Immerwahr Kenneth and Amy Eisen Krupsky Sandra and Stephen Lachter

Janet Leno and Peter Harrold Ellen and Gary Malasky Tina Martin and Mita M. Schaffer Paul and Zena Mason Jeff Menick Dr. Stuart Sotsky Dr. Kathryn Veal Joan S. Wessel

Johanna Chanin and Randall Levitt Ginny and Irwin Edlavitch Stuart Eizenstat Patricia and David Fisher Jerald M. Goldberg Sherry and Neil Green Martha Winter Gross and Robert Tracy Tamara and Harry Handelsman Linda Lurie Hirsch

Adam Immerwahr Embassy of Israel Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation Liza and Michael Levy Herbert Lichtenstein Ken Ludwig Rona and Allan Mendelsohn Michael Osver

Laney and Michael Oxman Craig Pascal and Victor Shargai Trina and Lee G. Rubenstein Merrill and Mark Shugoll Michael Singer Anthony Tanzi Cathy and Peter Toren Christopher Wolf

Babs and Rabbi A.N. Abramowitz Janet B. Abrams Carolyn Small Alper Beth Barnett Joan and Alan Berman Rise and Carl Cole Claudia de Colstoun and Roberto Werebe John Edelmann Dr. Fred and Ellen Ende Michelle and Glenn Engelmann Meg and Samuel Flax Benno Gerson

Jill and Robert Granader Bonnie and Alan Hammerschlag Elizabeth Hodes Melissa and David Hurwitz Barry Kropf Sandra and Arnold Leibowitz Winton Eaheart Matthews, Jr. Dorothy Moss and Lawrence Meyer Donald and Lynne Myers Carl and Undine Nash Vali Tschirgi and Adam Nemzer Samantha Nolan and Randall Speck Geraldine Fogel Pilzer

Bruce Rashbaum Mr. William Roberts June and Marvin Rogul Cathy and Marc Scheineson Ruth Seif Michelle Sender Peggy and David Shiffrin Tina and Albert Small, Jr. Jonathan D. Strum Deborah Tannen and Michael Macovski Stanley Tempchin Estelle R. Vernon

Supporting Producer ($18,000–$24,999)

Leading Angels ($10,000–$17,999)

Sponsoring Angels ($6,000–$9,999)

Supporting Angels ($3,000–$5,999)

Enthusiasts ($1,000–$2,999)

Admirers ($500–$999)

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FRIENDS OF THEATER J Devotees ($100 - $499)

Anonymous (4) Susan and Alan Apter Carole and Matthew Ash Andrew Axelrad Linda A. Baumann Michael Bayer Mona and Mark Berch Debby Berlyne and Danny Bachman Sharon Bernier Elaine and Richard Binder Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch and Stuart Bloch Goldie Blumenstyk Diane Boehr Vicki and Joel Breman Ellen and Lee Burstyn Wallace Chandler Edward and Ruth Cogen Nathan Collins Dave Connick Beverly and Melvin Cook Belle Negrin Davis Joseph Digangi Alison Drucker and Tom Holzman Paula Durbin Paula Durbin Rachel and Steven Eidelman Gayle Engel Evelyn and Barry Epstein Lois Fields Lawrence M. Franks Suzan and Barry Friedman Kit Gage and Steven Metalitz Ellen Kramarow and Jared Garelick Stuart Glickman Karen and Lester Goldberg Debra Goldberg and Seth Waxman Susan Sachs Goldman Paula Seigle Goldman Dr. Jesse Goodman Roberta and Morton Goren

Jody Green and Edward Max Dr. Larrie and Joyce Greenberg Shoshana and Peter Grove Susan and Allen Hanenbaum Nancy and John Harris Stephen Hellman Carole and John Hirschmann Dr. Kenneth Ingber Andrew Isen Helene and Allan Kahan Anonymous Lori and Hal Kassoff Ellen Kassoff Gray and Todd Gray Keaton Family Faith and Jim Kirk Denise Kishel Kenneth Kramer William Kreisberg Lisa Kurlantzick and Elliot Susseles Joy Lerner and Stephen Kelin Patricia and Randall Lewis Diane Liff and Georgia Korn Nancy Limprecht and Rick Haines Bonnie S. Loeb Arleen Enid Lustig Barbara and Steven Mandel Louis Mazawey Libby and Ronald Merrill Caroline Mindel Melanie and Rene Moreno Gayle Novig Marc Okrand Gail Paster Ms. Judith Peres Trudy and Gary Peterson Roberta Pieczenik Dr. Robert Pollin Jessica Pollner Drs. Dena and Jerry Puskin Barbara Rappaport Rabbi Fred N. Reiner and Susan Liss

Sonya and Daniel Resnick Catherine Ribnick Rhoda Ritzenberg and Ken Heitner Susan Rome Mark L. Rosenberg Steven M. Rosenberg and Stewart C. Low III Linda Rosenzweig and Sandy Bieber Anonymous Froma Sandler Amy E. Schaffer Gena Schoen and Rik Edwards Rita and Steven Schwartz Linda Segal Rachel and Rabbi Ethan Seidel Gladys Sharnoff-Temkin and Aaron Temkin Sylvia Shenk and Yori Aharoni Beverly and Harlan Sherwat Ann-Louise and Stuart Silver Joan and Irwin Singer Robert Snyder Linda M. Solomon Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt Myrna Teck Gladys Sharnoff Tempkin Grace Terpstra Judith and Lester Turner Drs. Marion and Michael Usher Roslyn and Paul Weinstein Andrea and Stephen Weiswasser Valerie and John Wheeler Rosa D. Wiener T. Michael Wight Gregory Williams Adam Winkleman Muriel D. Wolf Carrie Wolfe and Mark Greenwood Julie and David Zalkind Margot Zimmerman *of blessed memory

CELEBRATE CHANUKAH WITH THE EDLAVITCH DCJCC Programs for families and individuals of all ages.

Visit edcjcc.org/holidays to learn more and register.

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JxJ

WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL WASHINGTON JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Presented in the new state-of-the-art Cafritz Hall!

JxJDC.ORG

FULL CINEMA: NEW MOVIES PLAYING NEARLY EVERY NIGHT! November 1 – 14

FIG TREE

US THEATRICAL PREMIERE A Jewish teenager works to keep her boyfriend from being drafted in the Ethiopian Civil War. November 10 – 11

BACK TO THE FATHERLAND

Gil is from Israel, Kat from Austria; Gil is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Kat the granddaughter of a Nazi officer. They have been friends for over a decade.

Sundays, through November 17

JEWISH IDENTITY THROUGH FILM

Screenings and Dialogues led by Professor Amitai Etzioni November 10, 3:00 PM – Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem November 17, 3:00 PM – Exodus (first half only) Tuesday, November 12, 7:30 PM

THE SONG OF NAMES

François Girard (The Red Violin) delivers with another musical epic featuring performances from Tim Roth and Clive Owen.

November 15 – 23

40 YEARS OF FILMMAKING: AN AVIVA KEMPNER RETROSPECTIVE

Celebrating 40 years of filmmaking from master documentarian Aviva Kemper.

November 29 – December 5

SYNONYMS

In the latest from Nadav Lapid, a young Israeli man absconds to Paris to flee his nationality, aided by his trusty French-Hebrew dictionary.

Wednesday, December 11, 8:00 PM

SETH KIBEL & THE KLEZTET: TRIBUTE TO BENNY GOODMAN AND ARTIE SHAW

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Come relive the Swing era! Kibel brings their music back to life — with his clarinet, with his band, and with informative and entertaining historical anecdotes.

Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME.

Support the arts and culture programs of the Edlavitch DCJCC for generations to come by purchasing a seat in Cafritz Hall or the Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater.

Seats can be dedicated in honor or memory of family and friends.

MUSIC For more information contact Emily Jillson, Director of Marketing and Development, at 202-777-3231 or emilyj@edcjcc.org.

Cafritz Hall

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EDLAVITCH DCJCC DONORS The Edlavitch DCJCC wishes to thank the donors below, whose total program and Annual Fund contributions during the 2019 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019) enabled us to serve the community.**

$100,000+

Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Susie and Michael Gelman, The Morningstar Foundation

Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities DC Government

The Dweck Family The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation Melanie and Larry Nussdorf Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family

Foundation Revada Foundation of the Logan Family Share Fund

Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation Susie and Kenton Campbell Ginny and Irwin Edlavitch

Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch Carolyn June Kaplan* Nancy and Saul M. Pilchen Deborah and Michael Salzberg

The Schoenbaum Family Foundation, Inc. United Jewish Endowment Fund

Anonymous Jamie and Joseph A. Baldinger Suevia and Rudolph B. Behrend Fund Cathy S. Bernard Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation Rose and Robert Cohen Lois and Richard England Family Foundation

James A. Feldman and Natalie Wexler Rena and Michael Gordon Shelley and Allan Holt The Kay Family Foundation The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation, Inc. Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Stuart S. Kurlander and David L. Martin

Marion Ein Lewin Linda and Sid Moskowitz Diane and Arnold Polinger Hank Schlosberg Rhea Schwartz and Paul Wolff The Abe & Kathryn Selsky Foundation Patti and Jerry Sowalsky George Wasserman Family Foundation, Inc.

Patty Abramson* and Les Silverman Esthy and James Adler Michele and Allan Berman Lisa and Josh Bernstein Bruce A. Cohen Stuart Eizenstat Jill and Robert Granader Amy Weinberg and Norbert Hornstein Impact1890

Kay Richman and Daniel Kaplan Arlene and Martin Klepper Elise and Marc Lefkowitz Leshowitz Family Foundation Randall Levitt and Johanna Chanin Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett The Morgan Fund at the Seattle Foundation Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi and Victor

Mizrahi Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind National Endowment for the Arts Melinda Bieber and Norman Pozez Elaine Reuben Charles E. Smith Family Foundation Judith and Robert Snyder Martha Winter Gross and Robert Tracy

The Family of H. Max & Josephine F. Ammerman and Andrew Ammerman Carol and Gary Berman Bonnie and Louis Cohen Marcy and Neil Cohen, Ryna Cohen Creative Print Group Scott Eric Dreyer and Ellen Clare Gillespie Dreyer Embassy of Israel Myrna Fawcett Federal Emergency Management Agency Lois and Michael Fingerhut Shelly and Joe Galli Gilbane Building Company

Dina Gold Debra Goldberg and Seth Waxman Goldblatt Martin Pozen LLP Alexander Greenbaum Erwin Gudelsky Patti and Mitchell Herman Susy and Thomas Kahn Joy Lerner and Stephen Kelin Dianne and Herb Lerner Liza and Michael Levy Amy and Alan Meltzer Sherry and Louis Nevins Patricia Payne and Nancy Firestone Perkins Eastman Sara C. Cohen and Norm J. Rich

Bella Rosenberg Lynn and John Sachs Ruth and Samuel Salzberg Family Foundation Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins Janis and Philip Schiff Deborah Harmon and Robert Seder Craig Pascal and Victor Shargai Tina and Albert Small, Jr. David Bruce Smith Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt Cathy and Peter Toren Irene and Alan Wurtzel Ellen and Bernard Young Judy and Leo Zickler

Babs and Rabbi A.N. Abramowitz Janet B. Abrams Monica and Gavin Abrams Natalie R. Abrams Amy and Stephen Altman Grace and Morton Bender Joan and Alan Berman Andrea Boyarsky-Maisel and Harvey Maisel Mara Bralove and Ari Fisher Bronfman E.L. Rothschild

Nancy Taylor Bubes and Alan Bubes Susan and Dixon Butler Cornerstone Research, Inc. Bunny Dwin Jonathan Edelman Alan and Shulamit Elsner Mindy Gasthalter Jenny and Brian Gelfand Ann and Frank Gilbert Susan Sachs Goldman Meg and John Hauge

Kathy Byrnes and John Immerwahr Linda Klein Charitable Lead Trust Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation William Kreisberg Kenneth and Amy Eisen Krupsky Marvin Kuperstein Sandra and Stephen Lachter Janet Leno and Peter Harrold Joan Bialek and Louis Levitt, MD Ellen and Gary Malasky Jeff Menick

$50,000 - $99,999

$25,000 - $49,999

$15,000 - $24,999

$10,000 - $14,999

$5,000 - $9,999

$2,500 - $4,999

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*of blessed memory

EDLAVITCH DCJCC DONORS Alyson Myers Joan and Barry Rosenthal Trina and Lee G. Rubenstein Debra and Jonathan Rutenberg Mita M. Schaffer and Tina Martin Rae Grad and Manuel Schiffres Sanford Schwartz/The Schwartz Family Chaim Schwartz Foundation

Barbara Silverstein Michael Singer Richard Solloway Dr. Stuart Sotsky Katherine and Thomas Sullivan Tabard Corporation Dr. Kathryn Veal Matthew Watson

Diane Abelman Wattenberg Judith Weintraub Joan S. Wessel Eric Zelenko Margot Zimmerman Rory and Shelton Zuckerman

Adas Israel Congregation Clement and Sandra Alpert Designated Endowment Fund Ms. Dava Berkman Linda Lipsett and Jules Bernstein Max Berry Jane Gottesman and Geoffrey Biddle Lynn and Wolf Blitzer Ron Kaplan and Yoni Bock Deborah and Charles Both Anita Wolke and Ken Brooks Anne and Howard Clemons Cyna and Paul Cohen Jacqueline and Edward Cohen Stanley Cohen Patricia Alper Cohn and David Cohn Nadine Cohodas CORTJET - Bruce and Lisa Cort Eva Davis and Justin Kramer DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment Toby Dershowitz John Edelmann Patricia and David Fisher Meg and Samuel Flax Linda and Jay Freedman Edith and Michael Gelfand Morgan and Josh Genderson German Embassy Elizabeth R. Polsky and Samuel S. Glass Marilyn and Michael Glosserman Jerald M. Goldberg Dr. Kenneth and Cheryl Gorelick Fund Lois and Hadar Granader

Michelle and Jonathan Grossman Tamara and Harry Handelsman Linda Lurie Hirsch Margery and Joseph Hoffman Adam Immerwahr Rachel Gooze and Scott Kaplan The S. Kann Sons Company Foundation, Inc Irene and Lou Katz Aviva Kempner Lise Van Susteren and Jonathan Kempner Belman Klein Associates, Ltd. Bette and William Kramer Anita Lampel and Daniel Metlay Chani and Steven Laufer Roselin Atzwanger and Edward Lenkin Herbert Lichtenstein Susan Liss and Rabbi Fred Reiner Johannah and Jeremiah Lowin Ken Ludwig Meredith Margolis and Gary Goodweather Ellen and Ken Marks Zena and Paul J. Mason Jerry D. McPike Rona and Allan Mendelsohn Joy Midman Dorothy Moss and Lawrence Meyer Carl and Undine Nash Gayle and Steven Neufeld Jackie and Franklin Paulson Deborah and Juan Prawda Connie and Roger Pumphrey

Ratner Family Foundation Renay and Bill Regardie Jessica Reimelt and David Greengrass Carol Risher Susan Wedlan and Harold Rosen Mimi Tygier and Robert Rubin Jerry Shechtman Merrill and Mark Shugoll Deborah Tannen and Michael Macovski Anthony Tanzi Stanley Tempchin Deborah Topcik Les and Lori Ulanow United Way of the National Capital Area United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey WAEPA Caryn and Steven Wechsler Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman Christopher Wolf Carole R. Zawatsky

$1,000 - $2,499

Susan Wedlan and Harold Rosen Jerry Shechtman Merrill and Mark Shugoll Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt Anthony Tanzi Deborah Topcik Cathy and Peter Toren WAEPA Caryn and Steven Wechsler Helene Weisz and Richard Lieberman Christopher Wolf

Lead support of 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.

All of the programs at the Edlavitch DCJCC are supported in part by a generous gift from the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. **Donation levels reflect total contributions made to the Edlavitch DCJCC between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Due to space limitations, only donors of $1,000 or more are listed. The Edlavitch DCJCC would like to thank all of our donors for the important impact they have on our work.

With the support of 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.

Consider a tax-deductible contribution to the EDCJCC today.

WAYS TO GIVE:

MAIL: Edlavitch DCJCC 1529 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

PHONE: 202.777.3240 EMAIL: development@edcjcc.org ONLINE: edcjcc.org/donate

OTHER: Contact us for details regarding stock and wire transfers, matching gifts, Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #54775), or planned giving.

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN DONORS

The Edlavitch DCJCC wishes to thank the following donors who have contributed to the ongoing Capital Campaign. Together, we will provide thriving, dynamic, and relevant Jewish experiences for the Washington, DC community for generations to come. $6,500,000

Ginny and Irwin Edlavitch $1,000,000 - $4,999,999

The Morningstar Foundation Charles E. Smith Family Foundation, Robert O. and Arlene R. Kogod Family Foundation, and David Bruce Smith Foundation

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Nussdorf Family Foundation

$250,000 - $999,999

Diane and Arnold Polinger The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation George Vradenburg Francine Zorn Trachtenberg and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg

The Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation

Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch Deborah and Michael Salzberg Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation Rose H. and Robert L. Cohen

Dweck Philanthropy The Kay Family Foundation, Inc. Share Fund Tina and Albert Small, Jr. The Laszlo N. Tauber Family Foundation

Esthy and James Adler DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Linda and Sid Moskowitz

Susie and Kenton Campbell Jill and Robert Granader Alan and Amy Meltzer Lisa and Josh Bernstein Marcy and Neil Cohen, Ryna Cohen

Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation Sarah and Bernard Gewirz Stuart S. Kurlander and David L. Martin Alfred Munzer and Joel Wind

Jamie and Joseph A. Baldinger Michele and Allan Berman Marilyn and Michael Glosserman Martha Winter Gross and Robert L. Tracy Carolyn June Kaplan*

Stephen Kelin and Joy Lerner Meredith Margolis and Gary Goodweather Nancy and Saul M. Pilchen Judith and Robert Snyder

Mindy Strelitz and Andrew Cornblatt and Family Carolyn and Bill Wolfe

Debbie Goldberg and Seth Waxman Cathy S. Bernard Johanna Chanin and Randall Levitt The Honorable Ann Brown and Don Brown Bruce A. Cohen The Duber Family

Lois and Richard England Family Foundation Rena and Michael Gordon William M. Kreisberg Jeff Menick John and Lynn Sachs Rhea S. Schwartz and Paul Martin Wolff

Deborah Harmon and Robert Seder Susan Wedlan and Harold Rosen Carole R. Zawatsky Eric Zelenko Jenny and Brian Gelfand, Edith and Michael Gelfand Elise and Marc Lefkowitz

Babs and Rabbi A.N. Abramowitz Patty Abramson* and Les Silverman Abby and Andrew Cherner Myrna L. Fawcett Dina Gold Dr. Kenneth and Cheryl Gorelick Fund Michelle and Jonathan Grossman Beverly and Stuart Halpert

Harman Family Foundation Arlene and Martin Klepper Marion Ein Lewin Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett DC Minyan The Ratner Family Foundation Rae Ringel and Amos Hochstein Michael Singer

The Lynn Shapiro Snyder and Jeffrey M. Snyder Family Foundation Inc. Cathy and Peter Toren Matthew Watson Diane Abelman Wattenberg Rory and Shelton Zuckerman

Janet B. Abrams Patricia Alper-Cohn and David Cohn Carolyn Small Alper Steve and Amy Altman Bunny Dwin Ellen Exelbert Ann and Frank Gilbert Jerald and Debbie Greenspan Patti and Mitchell Herman

Bette O. Kramer Donor Advised Fund of Richmond Jewish Foundation Sandra and Stephen Lachter Dianne and Herb Lerner Liza and Michael Levy Benjamin and Saskia Loewy Rona and Allan Mendelsohn The Pokempner-Levine Family Kathy and Thomas Raffa Elaine Reuben

Norm Rich and Sara Cohen Carol Risher Jim and Trisha Ritzenberg Trina and Lee G. Rubenstein Sharon H. Russ and David S. Rubin Debra and Jonathan Rutenberg Evelyn Sandground and Bill Perkins Shirley and Albert H. Small Mary and James Speyer

$100,000 - $249,999

$50,000 - $99,999

$20,000 - $49,999

$10,000 - $19,999

$5,000 - $9,999

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN DONORS $1,000 - $4,999

Grace and Morton Bender Joan and Alan Berman Jennifer Bradley Mara Bralove and Ari Fisher Nadine Cohodas Eva Davis and Justin Kramer Michelle and Glenn Engelmann Lois and Michael Fingerhut Morgan and Josh Genderson David and Amanda Goldblatt Renata Hesse and Josh Soven

Emily and Kyle Jillson Adina and Bryan Kanefield Aviva Kempner Bill and Norma Kline Tiefel Martha Kahn and Simeon M. Kriesberg Kenneth and Amy Eisen Krupsky Johannah and Jeremiah Lowin Ellen and Gary Malasky Zena and Paul Mason Paula V. McMartin Alyson Myers

Glenna and David Osnos Shannon and William Powers Renay and Bill Regardie Elliot Schnitzer Leshowitz Family Foundation/Terry Singer Drs. Marion and Michael Usher Joan S. Wessel Ellen Witman Margot and Paul Zimmerman Fund

Martin Akerman DeAndre M. Anderson Anonymous Mike and Lissa Barry Gabriela Bebchick Toby Berman and Philip Gilbert Berman Beth Helman and Peleg Tal Victor Block and Phyllis Hockman Michael S. Bogdanow Elka and Sidney Booth Arlene A. Brown Sally Buckman Timothy Christensen and Walter Ochinko Jeffrey Jorge Cohen Neil W. Cohen Keith Cohen Rosemary M. De Rosa Toby Dershowitz Brad and Debbie Dockser Roslyn Eisner Stuart Eizenstat Dr. Stanley C. and Ronna Foster Rabbi Karen Fox Stuart Glickman David Goldstein

Paula Enyart Goodman and Randolph M. Goodman David Gooze Roberta and Morton Goren Lisie and Michael Gottdenker Dr. and Mrs. Neil and Sherry Green Gail E. Ross and Peter M. Haas Tamara and Harry Handelsman Steven Kaffen Eileen Kane Alma and Sid Kaplan Ellen Kassoff Gray and Todd Gray Charles Kelly Gladys Kessler Lynn and Morris Kletzkin Audrey and Wayne Kliman Susan J. Kline Phyllis H. Kline Barry Kropf Dr. Darryl Lefcoe Sandra and Arnold Leibowitz Laurie and Len Lipton Jane and Robert Loeffler Grant, Janice, and William Logan Nadya and Vladmir Lumelsky Stewart Manela

Susan Mann Sandy and Howard Marks Hannah and Brian Meister Gail Neer Sherry and Louis Nevins Mary L. Pope Allison and Daniel Rabin Nancy and Sam Raskin Nancy and Herbert A. Rosenthal Linda Rosenzweig and Sandy Bieber Mita M. Schaffer and Tina Martin Marissa Schlaifer Wendy Schumacher Nell and Ed Shapiro Marshall Soltz Patti and Jerry Sowalsky Jeffrey Stein Leah and Bill Steinberg Merna Wagshal Stern and Melvin Stern Harriett Stonehill John Tolleris Jennifer and Jonathan Weinberg Neil Cohen and Paul Wolfson Juliet Wurr Katharine Zambon

Under $1,000

*Of blessed memory

List as of October 23, 2019

PHOTOS: • Page 3: Adam Immerwahr, and Jojo Ruf. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.

• Page 4: Jaysen Wright and Sylvia Kates in Actually by Anna Ziegler. Photo by C. Stanley Photography. Valerie Leonard in The Jewish Queen Lear, Jacob Gordin’s Mirele Efros, English translation by Nahma Sandrow. Mona Golabek in 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. Photo courtesy of Hershey Felder Presents. John Taylor Phillips and Erin Weaver in Talley’s Folly by Lanford Wilson. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.

• Page 15: Ofra Daniel in Love Sick. Photo: Cheshiredave Creative • Page 19: Naomi Jacobson in Becoming Dr. Ruth by Mark St. Germain. Photo by Teresa Wood. Daven Ralston and Billy Finn in Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated. Adapted by Simon Block. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.

Illustrations by Donald Ely.

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Get 36% off the regular ticket price with the code Lucky36.

Offer expires December 8, so don’t delay!

Directed by Adam Immerwahr JANUARY 9 – FEBRUARY 2, 2020

ORDINARY PEOPLE IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES

It is 1939, and Hitler’s assault on Europe has begun. Though much of the world has turned its back on the Jews of Europe, Evelyn and Leonard Kirsch suspect that the menace is real. What begins as a night of cocktails and conversation becomes a tense negotiation of politics, morality, and survival – and the stakes are life and death.

theaterj.org | 202.777.3210

THEATER J’S BENEFIT performance Monday, November 18 at 6:30 PM

At the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center Join us for an unforgettable night, featuring a special musical performance of After Anatevka: a Novel Based on “Fiddler on the Roof ” written and performed by Grammy-nominated artist and author Alexandra Silber.

Rising star Silber, who has performed leading roles to enormous acclaim on Broadway and the West End, imagines what happens to Sholem Alecheim’s beloved characters of Fiddler on the Roof after they step off stage. With new songs composed by some of the top rising talent in musical theater today, performed by the extraordinarily gifted Silber, this evening promises to be something to sing about.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THEATERJ.ORG/BENEFIT

© Jeff Sciortino