GOLDEN BOY By Clifford Odets Presented By Ma'ayanot HS School Drama Society, April 7-11

During the heights of COVID-19 in 2020 and then closer to the summer of 2021, these unshakable students gave the performances of a lifetime with their outdoor, completely socially distanced production of Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale in the parking lot of Ma'ayanot and then an inside-BBPAC presentation of The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe by Edward Albee adapted from the novella by Carson McCullers. Previous Ma'ayanot Drama Society/Black Box productions include A Few Good Men, Street Scene, The Grapes Of Wrath, My Aunt's Son Vinny, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Detective Story, and Odet's masterwork Paradise Lost.

Golden Boy is the dramatic, comedic, and poignant story of a young violinist in early-1930's NYC who abruptly gives up a promising musical career for a fleeting chance at boxing stardom with the help of a scheming manager, an unlikely lady-friend, and a bizarre and powerful gangster -- against the wishes of the immigrant father who has placed all hope for the family's future in America in his beloved youngest son.

"The Ma'ayanot Drama Society continues to prove itself as Bergen County's prime example of collaborative educational theater with it's 10th show -- chosen, cast, rehearsed, produced, ultimately presented by this dedicated group of remarkable young artists," explains Director (and Black Box Artistic Director) Matt Okin.

The Drama Society's Student Directors are Naomi Honikman and Tamar Bruk. The Production Stage Manager is Risa Farber, with costumes by Kayla-Rachel Singer, set/props by Leora Tiger, sound by Naava Bodek, and lighting by Naama Davidovics.

The stellar cast, representing all four grades, features Chavi Major, Mya Baitz, Kaylie Schwartz, Ateret Tollinsky, Tamar Bruk, Lila Greengart, Aliza Gans, Miriam Blech, Talia Wallach, Sophie Fine, Eliora Roth, Emme Sragow, Sarah Krohn, and Nessa Gulko, along with Tzipora Klar, Daniella Karp, Aliza Poloner and Tali Fuchs.

The tech/design crew includes: Shani Machlis, Ariella Seltzer, Rachel Kritchevsky, Rosa Marks, Eleaya Jacobs, and Ora Russ-Fishbane.