Ellen Pober Rittberg's Me Too Thriller SABBATH ELEVATOR Takes Flight In The JOCUNDA FESTIVAL'S Virtual Play Reading

Playwright Ellen Pober Rittberg has never gotten stuck in an elevator, but she was intrigued by the idea of setting a play in a hotel elevator on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year. [Sabbath elevators stop at every floor automatically.] So she wrote a play. A zoom play reading of what she describes as a Me Too thriller, will be performed Sunday, November 8th at 8PM EST by JOCUNDA FESTIVAL, directed by the Festival's artistic director, Van Dirk Fisher.

The cast includes: MONIQUE LUKENS (TV credits include: Guest Star on Lone Star Justice, Investigation Discovery) as Julie, TYLER MAURO (TV credits include: Guest Star on Rizzoli and Isles, TNT), as Ralph, CASEY FANOUS (Theatre credits include: Diana Goodman in Next To Normal, Sousa Bandshell and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Shining Studios) as Laura and DAVE EAGLESTON (Theatre credits include: Marcellus Washburn in Music Man, Arts & Culture Center St John's) as the Voice of an Elderly Person and the Narrator.

To obtain tickets in advance go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vRBK9WcaQbmQrtNgZLMyIA

Tickets are $15.00 to benefit Riant Theatre. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

And while Rittberg is not an Orthodox Jew, she says she did spend some time years ago at her grandmother's kosher hotel in Miami where there was such an elevator.

Rittberg says the play requires no knowledge of Jewish law. Two strangers, a man and a woman, are in the sabbath elevator that isn't moving and may or may not be malfunctioning. Something extreme happens. At a certain point, the elevator opens on a landing and a feisty teenager in a wheelchair. enters. And something else happens, and all bets are off as to the outcome.

The former award-winning journalist and retired attorney describes Sabbath Elevator as an exploration of issues of empowerment, morality and the choices women have or do not have when in a confined or isolated space with a man. Or, as her main character Julie says to the younger woman, [h]ow many times have you gotten into an elevator and had your heart in your throat because some creepy guy is giving you the hairy eyeball?" To which the teenage girl replies, "Duh."

There will be a TALK BACK afterwards with the Playwright, Director and Cast. Van Dirk Fisher, Founder & Artistic Director of the Riant Theatre and producer of the JOCUNDA MUSIC, FILM & THEATRE FESTIVAL will be the moderator.

To learn more about the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL click here.

To submit your play for consideration for the Play Reading Series click here.

To make a DONATION to the JOCUNDA FESTIVAL click here.