Three years ago, Theater J—the largest and most well-known Jewish Theater in the country, based right in the District—launched its Yiddish Theater Lab in an effort to preserve and revive the forgotten literature of Yiddish theater.
That goal has been accomplished through workshops and on-stage performances in the past, and now as the global pandemic continues to spread, staff of Theater J have shifted upcoming performances to online readings. This month, you can get your performing arts fix with Zoom-based readings of Miriam and One of Those, both of which focus on strong female characters.
Miriam is a freely adapted play by Alix Sobler, a writer and performer from New York who has one several awards for her work. The play, set to be livestreamed on Sunday, June 7 at 5 p.m., surrounds a Russian immigrant and sex worker named Miriam who makes unlikely friendships when seeking refuge from a mysterious experience. The cast includes Theater J performers Felicia Curry, Dane Figueroa Edidi and Kimberly Gilbert.
The second play, One of Those, was first written by Paula Prilutski in the late 1800s in her home of Warsaw, Poland. Today, director, playwright and actor Allen Lewis Rickman (who has worked on award-winning television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among others) has adapted the original work to appeal to all audiences. The story, set to be read on Thursday, June 18 at 5:30 p.m., is all about a woman named Judith who rebels against her father and winds up surviving on her own in the world.
For those who are unable to watch the readings live, both shows will be available to stream for three days following the initial performance date.
While the stages of Theater J will remain closed until October, the staff is still keeping loyal art lovers entertained. For more upcoming events, readings and information about the Yiddish Theater Lab, click here.
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