2008/2009 Debut Party

ARTIST BIOS

SUSAN GRACE (Older Alter Ego in Jewish Roots) was most recently seen in the hit film You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and on TV in the Emmy winning series, Mad Men.

RABBI MIRIYAM GLAZER (Blessing) is Prof. of Literature at American Jewish University, her newest book is Psalms of the Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to their Beauty, Power & Meaning.

RABBI LYNNE KERN (Blessing) is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and is a poet and writer who has been published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies worldwide. She teaches classes for women in synagogues and is currently working on a Jewish Memoir. As a pulpit rabbi, she created innovative women’s programming focused on excavating the women’s voice in Torah, and the creation of ritual and spiritual writing. Currently, she is working on a documentary about women rabbis, and an accompanying theater piece. She is also in the process of writing two books.

JOY KRAUTHAMMER is an artist, poet, sound healer and passionate percussionist usually seen with a timbrel in her hand. She performs regularly with Cindy Paley at Lev Eisha at Adat Shalom, and N’Shama Minyan at Valley Beth Shalom.

VALERIE LANDSBURG (Elena in Jewish Roots) has been a guest star on dozens of TV shows and movies. Two recent ones are Nip/Tuck and The Unit. The show she is indelibly linked with is Fame where she played most memorably the feisty dynamo Doris Schwartz.

ANNIKA MARKS (Marilyn, Seen and Not Seen) appeared in The Last Seder at Greenway, Pipeman on the Moon at Hudson, and Early Decision at Edgemar. She was featured in the Julia Robert’s film Mona Lisa Smile and she co-wrote and produced Me, You, a Bag and Bamboo which premiered at the Nashville Film Festival in April.

SUSAN MERSON (Rahel), reading from her new novel Dreaming in Daylight (on Amazon), is a longtime theatre professional with acting credits on Broadway, Off , Off Off Bway, regional theatre, TV and film. She teaches playwriting at Cal State Fullerton and her play, Bounty of Lace (a commission of the Jewish Women’s Theatre Project) will be done at the Halcyon/ALcyone Theatre Festival this summer in Chicago. The Marriage Suite is slated for a possible September production at Theatricum Botanicum.

CINDY PALEY brings the joys of Jewish music to teachers, students and families through her many performances and recordings as well as her work as Music Educator at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino where she has served since 1977.

ALLA RUBIN (Leningrad 1942 and Retired) writes both poetry and short stories. Her book of poems, Don’t Include Me in Salvation, was published in 2008. She is also a D.D.S., an acupuncturist, and a dancer.

ELLEN SANDLER (Director) was nominated for an Emmy for her work as a writer /producer on Everybody Loves Raymond. She has directed theatre productions at The Mark Taper Forum, LA; The McCarter Theatre, Princeton NJ; and in NY at HB Playwrights Theatre, The Public Theatre and Ensemble Studio Theatre.

CAROL SCHLANGER (Author, Redemption Song) is an award-winning playwright, actress and performer. She is an Obie (Off- Broadway) and Humanitas (Television) nominee, a recipient of Los Angeles Dramalogue Critics’ award for both performance and writing (Theatre) and placed 1st in 2007 Alliance of Los Angles Play-wrights’ monologue slam. She is currently at work on Far Out a creative non-fiction work chronicling her years on an Oregon commune.

RONDA SPINAK (Producing Artistic Director) holds an MBA from UCLA and two degrees from Stanford. She has penned plays (produced in festivals from Ashland, Or. to Dayton, Ohio), written for the Emmy Award winning children’s show, Rugrats, authored a book (Probodx: The Path to True Fitness, HarperCollins publisher) as well as written poems, short stories and yet to be produced screenplays.

THE PROGRAM

Musical Summons – Joy Krauthammer
Sukkot Blessing – Rabbi Miriyam Glazer
Our Mission & Program – Ellen & Ronda

At-Homes Salon Theatre Sampler

Rahel
Written and read by Susan Merson

Ale Shvester (We Are All Sisters)
Sung by Cindy Paley

Redemption Song
Written and read by Carol Schlanger

Leningrad 1942 and Retired
Written and read by Alla Rubin

Hine Ma Tov
Cindy Paley and Joy Krauthammer

Jewish Roots
Written by Ellen Sandler
Cast: Valerie Landsburg, Susan Grace, Annika Marks

Closing Remarks – Ronda & Ellen

Closing Blessing – Rabbi Lynne Kern

Hallelu
Cindy Paley and Joy Krauthammer

GALLERY

Producing Artistic Director Ronda Spinak introducing the Company

Cheri Morgan, homeowner & hostess

Cindy Paley rehearsing with Rabbi Lynne Kern

Joy Krauthammer

Poet Alla Rubin reads from a book of her poetry

Award-winning performer Carol Schlanger

Actors performing “Jewish Roots” by Ellen Sandler

Rabbi Lynne Kern, board member, offers a farewell blessing

Audience enjoys the last song

Women spontaneously gather, linking arms at the end of the debut party.