Generations

ARTIST BIOS

BARBARA NEEL BEERY (Author, On the Same Wavelength)

BARBARA NEEL BEERY (Author, On the Same Wavelength) Is an award-winning, published playwright whose works have appeared locally, regionally, New York and London. Her drama, The Socialization of Ruthie Shapiro recently produced in Theatre West Fest, was awarded Women in Theatre’s New Play Grant and included in Woodstock’s Women Speak Festival. Other honors: AFI’s Film Historian Grant, LA Playwrights at Mark Taper Forum. Her essay, On The Same Wavelength (which she dedicates to her mother, Nell Kaufman) is published in the anthology, Around And About LA.

SHIRA FOX (Poems, Sugar Spoon, Kitchen as Destination; Songs, Distant Melody, Family)

SHIRA FOX (Poems, Sugar Spoon, Kitchen as Destination; Songs, Distant Melody, Family) is the daughter of two Los Angeles Cantors. Shira has served as Cantor of Temple Rodeph Shalom and at Temple Beth El. Her theatrical credits include lead roles in Lil Abner and Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She is an alumnus of Brandeis University, and currently acts as Bnai Mitzvah Teacher and Program Coordinator at Kehillat Israel, Reconstructionist Congregation.

RABBI MIRIYAM GLAZER (Blessing)

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.

ILENE GRAFF (Mama, A Rainbow)

ILENE GRAFF (Mama, A Rainbow) Grammy nominated for her CD, Baby’s Broadway Lullabies, is best known as the mom on the TV comedy, Mr. Belvedere. She has starred in numerous musical comedies on Broadway and co-stars with Glenn Close in the new film version of South Pacific. She is a life member of Hadassah and her late mother Judy was a long-serving president of her local chapter.

RABBI LYNNE KERN (Generational Commentary about Grandmothers, Mothers, Children, and the Whole Mischpocha)

RABBI LYNNE KERN (Generational Commentary about Grandmothers, Mothers, Children, and the Whole Mischpocha) 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.

MARLENE ADLER MARKS (Author, Ellis Island, My Mother’s Refrigerator)

MARLENE ADLER MARKS (Author, Ellis Island, My Mother’s Refrigerator) was a nationally syndicated columnist based in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, where she was managing editor for more than a decade. She authored several books including A Woman’s Voice from which her pieces performed this evening were adapted.

SUSAN MERSON (Dreaming in Daylight)

SUSAN MERSON (Dreaming in Daylight), 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.

ARVA ROSE (Monologue, Eliis Island; Songs Rozhinkes mit Mandlen, Family)

ARVA ROSE (Monologue, Eliis Island; Songs Rozhinkes mit Mandlen, Family) has guest starred on numerous television series including Hill Street Blues, LA Law, Cheers, Night Court, and Beverly Hills 90210. She is the MC of all the events for the California Institute of Yiddish Culture and Language.

ALAN DUNCAN ROSS (Musical Director)

ALAN DUNCAN ROSS (Musical Director) is an author of several books, but also composer in his own right having worked on Broadway, for rock bands and as composer in residence for the Joffrey Ballet under Gerald Arpino.

ELLEN SANDLER (Director)

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.

ARLENE SCHINDLER (Author, Ode to Joy)

ARLENE SCHINDLER (Author, Ode to Joy) originated the comedy review column for The New York Post, featuring show reviews and profiles of comedy club headliners. She was AOL’s Love-on-Line Relationship Guru doling out answers to America’s lovelorn. A former contributing editor for WOMAN Magazine and Playgirl, her writing credits include publications such as Daily Variety, The Los Angeles Times, and Creative Screenwriting. Currently she appears in Los Angeles performing segments from her book Performance Anxiety a raucous romp through the hidden sex lives of today’s “mature” woman.

CAROL SCHLANGER (Author, Redemption Song)

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)

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.

ANDREA WAGNER (Director, On the Same Wavelength)

ANDREA WAGNER (Director, On the Same Wavelength) holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts. She has taught theatre on both the high school and college level and directed and designed for community theatres.

CAMERON VAN HOY (Waiter, Seen and Not Seen)

CAMERON VAN HOY (Waiter, Seen and Not Seen) Cameron studied at New York’s’ prestigious Laguardia High School for the Arts and Performing Arts (Fame). There he saturated himself in his craft, studying drama and performing in the theater. He starred in a number of theatrical productions including the New York City Operas Les Miserables. His passion for film led him back to Los Angeles to continue an education in film making at the Art Institute of Los Angeles. Cameron Starred in “David and Fatima,” a movie about a young Palestinian girl and Jewish Boy who fall in love in Jerusalem. Cameron had supporting and co-starring roles in soon to be released films like “End of the Line,” “Love Hurts” and TV’s “The Sarraha Connor Chronicals.”

KATE ZENTALL (Sara, Seen and Not Seen)

KATE ZENTALL (Sara, Seen and Not Seen) has appeared at the Public Theater and Carnegie Hall in NYC, and the Mark Taper in LA. She has also been seen in numerous TV series, MOWs, and films.