Episode #23: Monica Piper in Not That Jewish

Happy Hannukah! Emmy Award-winning comedy writer and comedian Monica Piper (bio below) joins Lisa and Maureen for a very special holiday episode of the JWT Podcast, giving listeners a tantalizing preview of her incredible one woman show, Not That Jewish, now playing at The Braid in Santa Monica after a triumphant run Off Broadway. Ever wonder what it means to have a Jewish heart? Or how about how did Monica go from English teacher to award-winning comedy writer/performer/producer? Have a listen and find out…

Click here for more info on Not That Jewish

MONICA PIPER was a Campfire Girl … in the Bronx.  “You sense your life isn’t normal when you’re sitting on the D train with a bag of marshmallows and a twig.”

Monica began her career as a high school English teacher. While finding it rewarding, she had to move on. “I couldn’t handle the money and prestige.” Realizing her passion was making people laugh, she studied improv with Second City in Chicago and performed with the Wing and Papaya Juice in San Francisco. She then went solo as a stand-up and soon became one of Showtime Network’s Comedy All Stars. It wasn’t long before she landed her own Cable Ace Award–winning Showtime special, No, Monica, Just You, and was nominated for an American Comedy Award as one of the top five female comedians in the country. Monica was recruited by Ms. Barr herself to write on Roseanne, after which she went on to write for Mad About You and Veronica’s Closet

Monica was now a mother, and sitcom hours meant too much time away from her son, so she turned to animation. After writing for the adult cult favorite Duckman, she became head writer of the #1 children’s animated series Rugrats, for which she won an Emmy. She then developed and wrote series for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network.

Monica returned to her first love, performing. As a stand-up, she headlines fundraising events for organizations including the City of Hope, the Jewish Federation, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Brandeis Committee, and the Premiere Oncology Foundation, as well as Jewish groups nationwide. 

Monica also works in the corporate world as a motivational comedian. As a breast cancer survivor, she inspires audiences everywhere to lose the stress and Find the Funny in their personal and professional lives.

An artist-in-residence with Jewish Women’s Theatre, Monica performs original pieces for their At-Homes Salon Theatre Series and is eternally grateful to JWT and Gail Solo for commissioning her critically acclaimed one-woman play, Not That Jewish, which earned an LA Drama Critics Circle nomination for Best Solo Performance of 2015. Monica is thrilled to bring Not That Jewish back to LA after its hit seven-month run off-Broadway.

Monica recently enjoyed playing the role of Bess Myerson in Barra Grant’s Miss America’s Ugly Daughter at the Broad Stage Edye Theater in Santa Monica.

Monica lives in Santa Monica with her dog, cat, and son, Jake, whom she loves and adores “almost every day.”

Episode #23: Monica Piper in Not That Jewish2019-02-19T19:15:53-08:00

Episode #19: Sacred Resistance Update with Vicki Juditz and Ronda Spinak

On this week’s episode, Andrew sits down with the incredible storyteller Vicki Juditz, creator and star of the now OVATION RECOMMENDED Sacred Resistance, as well as JWT’s Artistic Director Ronda Spinak. They chat about the latest extension of dates for the show (Must close October 7th!) and discuss the amazing, heartwarming and surprising reactions that audiences are having to this show. PLUS a special preview clip from a performance! Have a listen and don’t forget to grab your tickets:

Sacred Resistance Credits:
Written and Performed by Vicki Juditz
Directed by Susan Morgenstern
Produced by Ronda Spinak 
Lighting Designer Ernest McDaniel
Stage Manager  Michelle A. Prudente
Associate Producers Susie Yuré & Rose Ziff
Artistic Associate Daphna Shull

Sacred Resistance was made possible with generous gifts from Annette & Leonard Shapiro and from Gail Solo.

For more info on Sacred Resistance, click here.

Episode #19: Sacred Resistance Update with Vicki Juditz and Ronda Spinak2019-02-19T19:20:05-08:00

Episode #13: Sacred Resistance with Vicki Juditz

On this episode, Lisa and Maureen are back to chat with Vicki Juditz (see bio below), the writer and star of JWT’s next show, Sacred Resistance. They are also joined by JWT’s Producing Director (as well as the show’s director) Susan Morgenstern (see bio below), who has worked with Vicki to craft this riveting, humorous and poetic performance that compels us to ask the question, “What am I doing to make the world a better place?” Join us to hear how Vicki’s unconventional path to Judaism might be just the thing that inspires audiences to repair the world…VICKI JUDITZ Best known in LA for her one-woman show Teshuvah, Return about her journey to Judaism, Vicki has performed her original stories at theaters and festivals across the country, including the National Storytelling Festival and the Aspen LAFF Festival.  Her story Boca aired on KCRW’s UnFictional and Swing Dancing was featured in an episode of The Moth Radio Hour.  On TV, she has played comic roles on Coach, Everybody Loves Raymond, and My Name is Earl. This coming year Vicki will be performing at the Sierra Storytelling Festival in Northern California and with Storytelling Arts of Indiana in Indianapolis.

SUSAN MORGENSTERN 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 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; and 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.  She directed an extended-run production of Meryl Cohn’s comedy Reasons to Live at the Skylight Theatre.  In 2014, Susan began working as a consultant show director at Disneyland Parks and Resorts, Anaheim.  She has directed numerous JWT salon shows, and now happily holds a position as JWT’s Producing Director.

Episode #13: Sacred Resistance with Vicki Juditz2019-02-20T09:50:12-08:00