SpeakEasy Stage to Present BAD JEWS, 10/24-11/29

From October 24 through November 29, 2014, SpeakEasy Stage Company will present the New England premiere of BAD JEWS, a seriously smart comedy about family, faith, and legacy, written by Joshua Harmon.

A 2014 Nominee for Best Off-Broadway play, BAD JEWS tells the story of two cousins who wage war over a coveted family heirloom after the death of their beloved grandfather. At odds are Daphna Feygenbaum, an aggressively devout young woman who wears her Jewishness like a righteous badge of honor; and her cousin Liam Haber, an equally opinionated young man who has spent much of his life distancing himself from his cultural traditions. When the combatants are forced to spend the night in close quarters, the result is a wickedly funny brawl over religion and culture.

BAD JEWS is the work of playwright Joshua Harmon, who has had his plays produced and developed by Hangar Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ars Nova, The Lark, The O'Neill, and Actor's Express, where he was the 2010-2011 National New Play Network Playwright-in-Residence. Mr. Harmon has won fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. He is a graduate of Northwestern, holds an MFA from Carnegie Mellon, and is currently in the Playwrights Program at Juilliard.

Rebecca Bradshaw will make her SpeakEasy directing debut with BAD JEWS. Ms. Bradshaw's local directing credits include A Feeble Mind (Brown Box Theatre Project), Othello (Studio 7 Productions), scenes from Cosi Fan Tutte, The Magic Flute, and Turn of the Screw (New England Conservatory's Undergraduate Opera Studio), Inner Serendippiness (Boston Playwright's Platform - Best Direction), and the Boston Theatre Marathon.

The cast features Gillian Mariner Gordon, Alex Marz, Alison McCartan, and Victor Shopov.

The design team is Eric Levenson (scenic), Tyler D. Kinney (costumes), Chris Bocchiaro (lighting), Edward Young (sound), and Kat Nakaji (props). Tareena D. Wimbish is the Production Stage Manager.

BAD JEWS will run for six weeks, from October 24 through November 29, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston's South End. Ticket prices range from $25-$61, with discounts for students, seniors, and persons age 25 and under. For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com.

About the Author: JOSHUA HARMON (Playwright). BAD JEWS premiered last fall at Roundabout Underground (Outer Critics Circle Nominations: Best Play, John Gassner Award). His plays have also been produced and developed by Hangar Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ars Nova, The Lark, The O'Neill, and Actor's Express, where he was the 2010-2011 National New Play Network Playwright-in-Residence. He has won fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. Mr. Harmon is a graduate of Northwestern (BA) and Carnegie Mellon (MFA). He is currently in the Playwrights Program at Juilliard and under commission from Roundabout and Lincoln Center Theater.

About the Artistic Team:

REBECCA BRADSHAW (Director) has previously directed A Feeble Mind (Brown Box Theatre Project), Othello (Studio 7 Productions), scenes from Cosi Fan Tutte, The Magic Flute, and Turn of the Screw (New England Conservatory's Undergraduate Opera Studio), Inner Serendippiness (Boston Playwright's Platform - Best Direction), and for the Boston Theatre Marathon. Rebecca is a local producer and currently also serves as Wax Wings Productions' casting director. Rebecca has a BA from Emerson College in Theatre Studies.

About the Cast:

GILLIAN MARINER GORDON (Melody) is delighted to make her SpeakEasy debut. Previous performances include Donnie Darko (American Repertory Theater), A Christmas Carol (Belle, North Shore Music Theatre), These Seven Sicknesses (Antigone, Suffolk University's Modern Theatre), Singin' in the Rain (Kathy), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel) and The Sound of Music (Liesl, IRNE nomination, Reagle Music Theatre). Gillian has also performed at Wheelock Family Theatre, Stoneham Theatre and the Boston Theater Marathon.

ALEX MARZ (Jonah) is pleased to make his SpeakEasy debut with Bad Jews. Previous roles include Chris in Becky's New Car (Lyric Stage), Macbeth (Brown Box Theatre Project), Romeo in R and J (Boston Theater Company), and Posthumous in Cymbeline (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company). Alex has appeared on stage and trained at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and Williamstown Theatre Festival. He is a recent graduate of Connecticut College - Go Camels - holding dual degrees in Theater and American Studies.

ALISON McCARTAN (Daphna) is thrilled to return to SpeakEasy having previously appeared in The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet - replacement) Other credits: National Tour: Shrek the Musical (Fairy Godmother/Fiona u/s) Regional: A Chorus Line (Maggie) at Weston Playhouse; Steel Magnolias (Shelby), 42nd Street (Anytime Annie) at The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum; Next to Normal (Natalie) at Hangar Theatre. Proud graduate of The Boston Conservatory!

VICTOR SHOPOV (Liam) is making his SpeakEasy debut. Other credits include Bent, The Normal Heart (Boston My Theatre Award, Best Actor; IRNE Award, Best Play), Punk Rock (Elliot Norton Award, Outstanding Production), A Bright New Boise, Enron (IRNE Award, Best Actor), and Farragut North (Zeitgeist Stage Company); Death of a Salesman, 33 Variations, and The Temperamentals (Lyric Stage Company); Indiscreet Discretion (Fort Point Theatre Channel); Hideous Progeny and The Mistakes Madeline Made (Holland Productions); The Country Club (Happy Medium Theatre); Macbeth (Gurnet Theatre Project); and The Heidi Chronicles (Longwood Players). He holds degrees from Emerson College and Northeastern University. victorshopov.com

Pictured: The cast of the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of BAD JEWS. Clockwise from top left: Alison McCartan, Alex Marz, Gillian Mariner Gordon, and Victor Shopov. Photo by Justin Saglio.