THE BROTHERS ABELSON SINCE 1946 Opens in February at Electric Lodge
Performances run from January 31- March 2, 2025.
The world premiere engagement of a new comedy-drama, The Brothers Abelson Since 1946, written by Dennis Danziger, will play Electric Lodge from January 31- March 2, 2025. Opening night is scheduled for February 1st. The production is directed by Matthew Leavitt and produced by Sami Kolko. with Executive Producer Madge Woods.
Twenty-six-year-old cartoonist Benny Abelson faces a life-changing decision when he visits his family in Texas for Thanksgiving, 1977. At first his dad's nervous breakdown and his mom's decision to walk out on her husband of 35 years elicit Benny's wit and our laughter. Benny prepares to hightail it back to NYC, but as family secrets erupt, the Abelsons open a window for all of us onto the staggering heartbreak of keeping secrets.
Dennis Danziger, playwright's previous plays include Almost Men, Pennant Fever, Double Play, and The Richard Nixon Sex Tapes and Other Presidential Nightmares. He has also written for episodic television (Taxi, Kate and Allie, Hometown, Empire, My Sister Sam, The White Shadow) two books (The Short History of a Tall Jew and Daddy, The Diary of an Expectant Father), and dozens of essays (including Chasing Kobe Bryant).
Matthew Leavitt directs. His previous directing credits include Legally Brunette, Sonnets from Suburbia, Double Play, Goes the Weasel, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, and much more. Also a playwright, his works include Sukkot, The Boomerang Effect,, and The $5 Shakespeare Company.
The cast of The Brothers Abelson Since 1946 includes Rick Zieff as family patriarch Isaac Abelson. The Emmy nominated actor has a long list of TV credits (Law & Order, Women's Murder Club, Beverly Hills 90210, more) as well as a distinguished stage career (Yiddle with a Fiddle, The Mensch, Sophie: The Life of Sophie Tucker, and Dennis Danziger's Double Play and Shalom Vietnam.)
Abelson matriarch Miriam is portrayed by Wendy Hammers. Well-known for her many years as a touring comedian, her stage credits include Old Jews Telling Jokes, When We Were Young and Unafraid, Grey Nomad, Good as Gold, Double Play, and her critically acclaimed solo piece, Ripe.
Jonah Robinson plays Benny Abelson. A graduate of the University of Miami, Jonah recently appeared on stage in The Lifespan of a Fact (The Fountain Theater) and The Civility of Albert Cashier (The Colony Theater). His recent television appearances include roles on Daisy Jones and the Six and Days of Our Lives.
The Brothers Abelson Since 1946 will be performed at Electric Lodge in Venice, America's first solar-powered theatre.
The Brothers Abelson Since 1946 is a quintessential American immigrant story. It's the tale of a Jewish World War II veteran whose aspirations to build a successful life for his family and for generations to follow appears poised to fail when his focus on comfort and safety nearly quashes the possibility of love. Maybe it's your story, too.
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