Love and Licenses: Stars from Soaps and Broadway Unite to Benefit Israel

Artists 4 Israel, Inc. (A4I) presents an Off Broadway Benefit featuring Soap Opera and Broadway stars to raise funds for project benefitting children in Israel. The benefit will take place January 6. Charlotte Cohn who debuted in La Boheme on Broadway and Jason Odell Williams from One Life to Live are starring in At A Loss, one of two plays premiering at A4I's Off Broadway Benefit, Love and Licenses. At A Loss follows a cross-border love affair from Israel to the United States over three generations.

Discussing gay marriage and cross-border affairs, Love and Licenses is poised to shock with its honest and unapologetic portrayal of love under restrictions. In this Off Broadway production, Israel is on trial. Tempering the visceral, raw emotion with complex subtleties and nuance, however, Love and Licenses premieres two plays that offer no easy critique. Neither the critic nor the supporter of Israel will find succor for long as the plays offer insightful and thought-provoking reviews of a complex situation. And, that is what theater should do - evoke dialogue and create joyous discomfort.

Te Busco tells the story of a young man destined to be the next matriarch of his family. At A Loss begins with a missing corpse and ends with a beautiful love story for those who believe in fate, albeit two generations delayed. Both are being shown for the first time on stage in their completeness. The freshness of the plays is ably handled by a talented and veteran cast and two senior directors with an eye for detail.

Hosted by Artists 4 Israel, this is a bold move for a young organization to seek such a respected Off Broadway theater to host its inaugural production. However, A4I has already attempted to understand and share the complexities of Israel through graffiti, street art and fashion and proven successful.

"Beautifully Effective, Shockingly Creative"

The benefit runs on Wednesday, January 6 at 8PM. For more information, please visit www.artists4israel.org and www.loveandlicenses.com

Artists 4 Israel is a community of creative individuals working together in an ongoing, collaborative project expressing Israel's right to exist in peace and security.