Celebrating 8 Seasons Fall Party
October 21, 2015
THE PROGRAM
Salon Sampler—An excerpt from “My Good, My Bad” – in part underwritten by a micro-grant from Nuroots and The Jewish Federation
Produced by Ronda Spinak
Directed by Susan Morgenstern
Assistant Producer Barbara Koletsky
Associate Producers Susie Yuré, Rose Ziff, Patrick Conde
Musical Summons
Welcome – Lynne Himelstein and Gail Israel, JWT Board Members & Event Chairs
Introduction of Show – Ronda Spinak, JWT Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Salon Sampler—An excerpt from MY GOOD, MY BAD–in part underwritten by a micro-grant from nuroots and The Jewish Federation.
A Jewish Pastry – From “God Plans, and Woman Laughs” — Season 5.
Written by Anna Forward. Performed by Lisa Cirincione and Sean Topps.
Crank House Just Got Crankier
Written by Grace Fetterman. Performed by Matisse Rose, Arva Rose and Mirai Booth-Ong.
The Designated Mourner
Written by Lizzie Shackney. Performed by Mirai Booth-Ong.
Truth In Pictures – From “Stories From the Fringe” — Season 2.
Story by Rabbi Rochelle Tulik, adapted by Ronda Spinak and Rabbi Lynne Appel. Performed by Lisa Cirincione.
Motherly Love
Written by Lili Nanus. Performed by Matisse Rose and Arva Rose.
Father in Me
Written by Paul Versten. Performed by Sean Topps.
I’ll Raise My Voice
Music and Lyrics by Rachel Eskenazi-Gold. Vocals by Mirai Booth-Ong.
Special Guest
Monica Piper performing her piece, “A Shayna Meydele” – Season 2.
Closing Remarks – Lynne Himelstein and Gail Israel
ARTIST BIOS
BARBARA KOLETSKY (Stage Manager/Assistant Producer) has most recently worked on the production side of Jewish Women’s Theatre. Prior to that, for three seasons she was responsible for catering. Now Barbara is thrilled to be moving into stage management for JWT at The Braid. Barbara is also the owner of RSVP Party Planning, where as an experienced party planner she has produced many events, specializing in charitable organizations but with many corporate and private clients as well. Barbara was born in New York and moved to California for a career in marketing and promotions for Polygram Records and Elektra Atlantic Corp. She regularly volunteers at the Grossman Burn Center with her service dog, Rodney.
HOWARD KRUPNICK (Actor) left show business in 1962 and decided to get back into it in 1975. On the big screen, Howard can be seen in Earl’s Your Uncle, Escape from Heavenly Acres, One Hour at the Butterfly, The Rat Pack, Why Do Fools Fall in Love? and Blade. On stage, he played Abe in Beau Jest, Jacob in American Klezmer, Artie in Welcome to the Moon, Momus in the Los Angeles Opera production of La Boheme, Boris in The Fifty-Year-Old Game of Gin Rummy, Mr. Baker in Come Blow Your Horn, God in Evelyn’s Choice, Mordcha in Fiddler on the Roof, Brodsky in Brodsky and the Bandit, Stanley in The Broadway Play, and Professor Lifshitz in Guilt, a one-man show.
JAMES LEVINSON (Technical Director) graduated from Santa Monica High School in 2010. At Allegheny College he acted in two productions, The Cherry Orchard, where he played Yepikhodov, and Servant of Two Masters, where he played Florindo. During his primary education, he appeared in numerous talent shows.
SUSAN MORGENSTERN (Director) began directing in college by staging musical theatre concert readings while co-teaching American Musical Comedy with Tom Lehrer at UC Santa Cruz. She went on to teach and direct at the renowned Stage Door Manor, a performing arts camp in upstate New York. In Los Angeles, for Theatre West, Susan has directed selections from David Ives’ All in the Timing, the musicals Just Too Cool, book by Mary Garripoli, music by Phil Orem, and Saturday Night at Grossinger’s, book by Stephen Cole, music by Claibe Richardson, as well as Barbara Nell Beery’s play, The Socialization of Ruthie Shapiro. At the Falcon Theatre she directed Leap, by Arnold Margolin, Surviving Sex, by David Landsberg, and the hit comedy, The Psychic, by Sam Bobrick. Susan directed Happy Days, a New Musical, book by Garry Marshall, music/lyrics by Paul Williams, at Cabrillo Music Theatre. For the Skylight Theatre, she directed an INKubator series fully staged presentation of Ghost-s, a Musical About a Musical, book by Kincaid Jones, music by Brian Woodbury, as well as an extended-run production of Meryl Cohn’s comedy Reasons to Live. In 2014, Susan began working as a consultant show director at Disneyland Parks and Resorts, Anaheim. She has directed several JWT salon shows, including The Moment You Knew; Sex, Lies, and Virtual Relationships; Untold Stories of Biblical Proportions; and Uncuffed.
LILI NANUS (Writer) is a third-year student at Mount Saint Mary’s University, majoring in psychology. Her piece, “Motherly Love,” is based on one of many conversations she has had through the years with her eccentric Jewish mother, Susan, a writer and a rabbi. Born in Russia and adopted when 11 months old, she has a complex relationship with her Jewish and Russian backgrounds. This is her first attempt at writing and she is honored to have her piece included in this show. Lili is currently no longer on OK Cupid but intends to return sometime in the future.
MONICA PIPER (Writer/Performer) is an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer and stand-up comic. She has written for the sit-coms Roseanne, Mad About You, and Veronica’s Closet and was head writer of the #1 children’s animated series Rugrats. She starred in her own Showtime Network comedy special, No, Monica, … Just You and was nominated by the American Comedy Awards as one of the top five female comedians in the country. Monica performs for Jewish organizations around the country and is proud to be an artist-in-residence with the acclaimed Jewish Women’s Theatre in Los Angeles. Monica is currently starring in her solo show, Not That Jewish At The Braid in Santa Monica.
ARVA ROSE (Actor) has been a member of Jewish Women’s Theater since before the beginning! She is proud to be an artist-in-residence who believes deeply in JWT’s mission. Long ago and far away a young actress named Arva Holt performed at the American Stage Festival (Miracle Worker: Annie Sullivan, Streetcar: Stella, The Apple Tree: Passionaella, Front Page: Molly Malloy); The Theater Company of Boston (Night Dispatcher: Pamela); American Jewish Theater (Awake and Sing: Bessie Berger); The Hartman Theater (Streetcar: Eunice); Hudson Guild Theater (House of Blue Leaves: Bunny); Geva Theatre (Front Page: Molly Malloy); The Barrow Theater (Detective Story: Shoplifter). TV: As The World Turns, Inmates: A Love Story. Co-star: Nightcourt, Cheers, LA Law, Hill Street Blues, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Helltown. Locally, Arva was most recently seen at the Electric Lodge (Crossing Delancey: Bobbie) and the Edgemar Theater (Surviving Mama: Mama).
MATISSE ROSE (Actor) is newly graduated from Boston University with a BFA in theater arts. She created and starred in her play, An Introduction to Heat Transfer. Theater: Alice (the Duchess), directed/written by Stevan Sater and Duncan Sheik; The Penelopiad (Telemachus), the Wimberly Theater, Chicago (Roxie Hart); Hairspray (Amber). TV/Film: Tyrant (Alison); Beware the Night (Jerry Bruckheimer Films). Matisse studies with the Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade.
LIZZIE SHACKNEY (Writer) A Pittsburgh native, Lizzie is a junior at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. She studies psychology, political science, and writing, and she is especially interested in discussing power structures, privilege, discrimination, and diversity. Someday she will have a career, and it will most likely involve supporting children in one way or another. She does not like to be asked what she wants to be when she grows up and prefers to be asked what she wants to do next. She is obsessed with New York Times crossword puzzles (typically only Monday through Wednesday), running, coffee, storytelling, and ice cream.
RONDA SPINAK (Producer) created and produces JWT’s At-Homes Salon Theatre Series, now in its eighth season. She has curated more than 24 original Jewish-themed salon shows for JWT, as well as adapted many of the pieces performed. She graduated from Stanford University, and holds degrees from UCLA (MBA) and USC (Masters in professional writing). Ronda’s plays include Stories from the Fringe and festival-winner Oscar Wilde’s Wife, a favorite at the Ashland New Play Festival and Dayton’s FutureFest. She has written for the Emmy Award-winning children’s show Rugrats and authored the critically acclaimed nonfiction book ProBodX: Proper Body Exercise (HarperCollins, publisher). Ronda is on the board of the Association for Jewish Theatres and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She feels blessed to be working with the many talented and inspiring women who give so generously to Jewish Women’s Theatre.