LIMITED ENGAGEMENT: Season Extra
 

SANDRA BERNHARD'S WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING

By Sandra Bernhard & John Boskovich
Directed by Kenneth Hartung & Sandra Bernhard

September 9-September 28, 2008

An electrifying fusion of satire, cabaret, and sizzling rock 'n' roll, Sandra's diatribe on the state of modern culture still burns bright and smart. With her band, The Rebellious Jezebels, Sandra launches this brand-new version of the show that propelled her into the stratosphere 20 years ago.

“Give the Dame her due, it's invigorating to be in the presence of a True Original.” - The New York Times

 
HONEY BROWN EYES

A World Premiere
By Stefanie Zadravec 
Directed by Jessica Lefkow
Featuring Theater J Artistic Associate In Residence Alexander Strain (Helen Hayes Nomination for Pangs of the Messiah)

October 22-November 30, 2008

Bosnia 1992. In two kitchens, two soldiers recover a little of what they’ve lost during the war. A Serbian paramilitary must face the consequences of his own brutality, while a Bosnian resistance fighter, crippled by the limits of his own courage, seeks refuge with a kindred soul. Unlikely partnerships emerge in this play of horror, humanity, and stunning relevance.

THEODORE BIKEL in SHOLOM ALEICHEM: LAUGHTER THROUGH TEARS

A World Premiere with Music, Story and Song 
Written and performed by
Theodore Bikel
Directed by Derek Goldman

Musical Direction: Tamara Brooks with Merima Kljuco, accordion

December 17, 2008 - January 11, 2009

This great theatrical legend returns to Theater J after his titanic roles in The Disputation and Shylock, to unveil the world premiere of this movingly delivered, beautifully sung show about the pioneering 19th Century author Sholom Aleichem. Told with warmth, humor and a rich catalogue of Yiddish music in a major event not to be missed.   

 “Voices From a Changing Middle East: A Festival”
Performances, panels, and Peace Cafes at Theater J, 6th and I Street Historic Congregation and The National Cathedral, co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel.  

THE ACCIDENT

By Hillel Mitelpunkt
Directed by Sinai Peter
English Language Premiere, translated by David Berkoff

February 4–March 8, 2009

A fatal accident leaves a Chinese foreign worker dead and no one to accept responsibility. Two couples' lives unravel, their indiscretions revealed, as a daughter discovers their hidden secret.  From “Israel's David Mamet,” a brilliant metaphor and biting look at the way we live. Featuring Pangs of the Messiah's Michael Tolaydo.

 LIMITED ENGAGEMENT: Season Extras

DAI (Enough)

Written and performed by Iris Bahr
Originally directed Off-Broadway by Will Pomerantz

January 14-18, 2009

Fresh from its heralded Off-Broadway run, the Israeli-American comic chameleon, Iris Bahr (of Curb Your Enthusiasm) leads us into the colorful world of a Tel Aviv café and the lives of eleven inhabitants from every strata of Israeli society only minutes before a terrible calamity.

 BENEDICTUS 

 Written by Motti Lerner 

 March 14 - 29, 2009

 With the clock ticking down the final 72 hours before a scheduled US
 attack on Iran, two estranged childhood friends, one Jewish and one
 Muslim, agree to a secret meeting in a Benedictine monastery in Rome
 in an attempt to find an alternative to war. 

THE RISE AND FALL OF ANNIE HALL

A World Premiere
By Sam Forman
Directed by Shirley Serotsky

April 16 - May 24, 2009

Henry's a hungry librettist with a great idea and the moxie to pull it off.  But complications ensue as he betrays his loved ones securing the rights to Woody Allen's famous film.  The closer he get to his dreams, the more havoc he wreaks. A hilarious tale about skyscraper ambitions in a celebrity-driven town. Featuring Alexander Strain.

THE SEAGULL ON 16TH STREET

by Anton Chekhov
adapted by Ari Roth, based on a translation by Carol Rocamora
directed by John Vreeke

June 17 - July 19, 2009

Youth is envied, challenged and mortally wounded in this classic by the great Russian master.  Inspired by Louis Malle's Vanya on 42nd Street, our own 16th Street provides the stage for a journey back to the Russian countryside in this tale of love and loss, with laughs and heartbreak. Featuring Alexander Strain, Naomi Jacobson, Jerry Whiddon and J. Fred Shiffman.