FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS To Be Performed Live and On Zoom In May

For the Love of Animals will be presented on Wed, May 14 at 7:30pm and May 18–June 22 in Santa Monica. The production will be presented in person in Los Angeles and Bay Area, and Live on Zoom Worldwide.

Encountering an injured pigeon in her neighborhood, a young woman debates what to do. Maybe she should just “let it be,” like her neighbors tell her. But then she asks herself, “What does the Torah say?” Her answer guides her action and changes the course of her life, and the pigeon's. This is just one of a dozen true Jewish stories that are vividly performed in the new theatre production For the Love of Animals.

These captivating animal stories shed light on the Jewish soul – in ways everyone will resonate with. They include stories by Emmy-winning writer Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City, Modern Family), acclaimed photographer Penny Wolin (whose work has hung in the Smithsonian), 11-time winner of The Moth Mindy Myers, and many more. 

For the Love of Animals is the latest creation of The Braid, the go-to Jewish story company whose pioneering Salon Theatre style has forged a unique blend of storytelling and theatre.
While animals play a key role in these stories, even more so do the humans who love them. In a time of rampant antisemitism, For the Love of Animals shares with the world the best of Jewish values; whether it's the dedication of a dog owner who refuses to give up on her sick furry friend, or the big-heartedness of a camp girl who befriends a horse no one else will. Separated from her beloved parakeet during this year's Los Angeles wildfires, a Pacific Palisades playwright pushes tirelessly to ensure her feathered friend will survive. And, no stranger to prejudice, Black Jewish writer-performer Joshua Reuben Silverstein sees past vampiric myths to become a passionate devotee of bats.

“The love we show our animals reveals a lot about who we are as people,” remarks Ronda Spinak, The Braid's founder and artistic director. “I originally conceived of this show as a love letter to animals. After all, I have a dog, Beau, whose name should have been Mr. Joy because that is what he brings me daily. But as I collected these true stories from the Jewish community, I realized this show has an even more important mission. So many people believe horrible things about the Jewish people. In showing the love in our hearts for even the smallest of creatures, I get to overturn those stereotypes and give the world a real window into the Jewish soul.”

Co-directed by The Braid's producing director Susan Morgenstern and current NEXT+ Artistic Fellow Genevieve Fowler, For the Love of Animals features a talented cast that includes Avalon Greenberg Call, Cherish Monique Duke, Lisa Robins, and Joshua Reuben Silverstein (who performs his own story and several others).