THEATER and THEOLOGY

On December 19th, 2023, Theater and Theology and J-Town Playhouse present a lightly staged and sung reading of Joshua Daniel Hershfield's RISE! This is a pilot for a future Israeli production of the musical, which is based on the story of the female couriers who planned the ghetto revolt. Many story elements and themes will resonate very strongly with Israeli audiences during this time of war. The musical was also presented in Tel Aviv, on November 30th: https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-israel-at-war-rock-musical-on-holocaust-resisters-to-test-run-in-tel-aviv/

December 19, 2023, 19:30

at

Melabev, Derech Bet Lehem 152

From the Times of Israel article:

"For half a decade, Joshua Hershfield collected accounts of Jewish women who served as couriers in the war against the Nazis, which he crafted into his award-winning rock musical, RISE!

"Against the backdrop of the October 7th massacres perpetrated by Hamas, which saw 1,200 dead and some 240 taken hostage to Gaza, the show’s themes of individual resilience and combating genocidal hatred are 'incredibly timely,' said Hershfield."

Aviella Trapido, creative director of J-Town Playhouse, and Yael Valier and John Krug, creative director and production designer of Theater and Theology decided to present a reading of this play now as a way to process some of our current collective experiences and feelings through the Arts. The differences between a world in which the State of Israel exists and one in which it doesn't are huge. These underpin the differences in the ways we are able to react to terror and anti-Semitism -- but the murderousness of our attackers and the spirit and values of our nation remain constant.

The playwright and composer will be interested in the audience's perception of RISE! with a view to tweaking it for future productions. He will accompany the cast on electric guitar for the reading. Aviella and Yael are joined by nine other veteran English-speaking actors in this venture. Tickets are a nominal 22 NIS to cover the cost of the evening.

Joshua Hershfield is an American/Canadian/Israeli actor, writer, singer, and musician. He studied at Berklee College of Music, Antioch College, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He holds a Master's degree in Holocaust Studies from Haifa University where he was an Azrieli Foundation Scholar.