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90 minutes, 7 actors, 3 playwrights, and ONE WINNER—we need your
votes and voice to choose! We are also invited to schmooze with the cast during the
reception on the terrace.
"If we don't pick this play, what are we even doing here? It's
got everything we want from a contemporary Jewish conversation," says
past Silicon Valley producer Neil Tuch.
Which
of these three selected writers will you choose to win? Get your
tickets and choose a winner...
Birdie and Cait and the Book of Life by Audrey Lang (New York, NY)
When Birdie's mother dies, she embarks on a quest to find the Book
of Life. But can she pull off her miracle by Yom Kippur?
"Hearing my play aloud and having the opportunity to discuss it with a room of Jewish artists and thinkers as part of this year's Jewish Plays Project process was such a gift. I've wondered often if Birdie and Cait and the Book of Life has a home, as a play so firmly rooted in what it means to be Jewish, and what it means to experience change and grief through a Jewish lens. The JPP Lab made me feel excited about continuing to develop this play and determined that there is a home for Jewish stories and characters."
Vienna, Vienna, Vienna by Carey Perloff (San Francisco, CA)
Three generations of Jewish women compete for attention, reckon with the past, struggle with their futures, and eat cake, as the eldest—once a wartime refugee—returns to Vienna to accept an award.
"It was fascinating to be given the chance to collaborate with both a "theater dramaturg" and a "Jewish dramaturg" in developing my play. They complemented each other beautifully and cracked open the world of the play in
such imaginative ways. As a finalist for JPP, I've loved being part of a cohort of writers exploring the many facets of Jewish identity at a fairly perilous moment in our history—it’s been a joy and we've felt so well taken care of."
Zionista Rising by Alexa Derman (Providence, RI)
Two interns at a Jewish publication struggle with their latest assignment: rebranding Zionism as progressive, #girlboss and Gen Z via Instagram. A playwright struggles, too.
"I am so grateful for the validation and support of the Jewish Plays Project. Too often the only Jewish stories we see onstage are conventional naturalistic dramas; my play is raucous and unruly! I'm proud to be part of the
Jewish theatrical tradition of playing with form and challenging audiences, and it means the world that an institution like JPP is also invested in bold Jewish storytelling."
Join the Jewish Plays Project and the Silicon Valley Community Readers Panel (Producers: Deborah Radin, Susan Sims, Ellice Papp and Lauren Berman) for this one-of-a-kind event that leads the country in setting the direction for the future of new Jewish theater.
The Jewish Playwriting Contest seeks to discover, highlight and nurture contemporary Jewish drama by engaging with artistic and Jewish communities throughout the English-speaking world. The contest has received and vetted over 1,800 plays by 1,000 writers in 34 states and 10 countries. The JPP has actively developed 55 of those plays, 36 of which have gone on to production in cities across the globe, including New York, Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv, playing for more than 100,000 audience members.
Fun fact: JPP is very proud that one of the plays that won our contest at the JCC, In Every Generation by Ali Viterbi, is coming to Theaterworks Silicon Valley in January 2023!
The JPP has featured some of the best artists working in New York, including writers David Hein and Irene Sankoff (Come from Away), Jonathan Caren (Rise on Netflix), and Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band); directors Marc Bruni (Beautiful), Daniella Topol (Rattlestick Theater AD) and Tamilla Woodard (Yale Drama School); and actors Andrew Polk (The Band's Visit), Gus Birney (Dickinson on AppleTV+), Ronald Guttman (Mad Men, Hunters), Kirrilee Berger (Amazon's Just Add Magic), and Obie and Drama Desk nominee Marcia Jean Kurtz.
About David Winitsky, Founder and Executive Artistic Director
David Winitsky is the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of the Jewish Plays Project, the nation's leading development house for contemporary Jewish theater. Since founding the JPP, he has been a Storahtelling/LabShul Maven, a 2014–17 UpStart National Fellow, a 2013 LABA Artist Fellow, and a 2011 PresenTense New York City Fellow. Currently, he is a Fellow at UJA's Institute for Jewish Executive Leadership at Columbia Business School.
For more information about the Jewish Plays Project, click here.
For more info about this event, contact [email protected].
Monday, May 15
7:00–8:30 PM
Freidenrich Conference Center (Bldg F) 4th Floor
$18 Suggested Donation
Contact: Michelle Shabtai | [email protected]
*Free parking is available at the venue at the entrance on Fabian Way
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