The Braid To Premiere Stage Adaptation of ON BEING JEWISH NOW

The Braid will present the world premiere stage adaptation of ON BEING JEWISH NOW, based on the bestselling anthology edited by Zibby Owens. The production will open March 22 in Torrance, California before touring to additional cities and offering live online performances.

Developed by The Braid, a nonprofit theatre company known for dramatizing real Jewish stories, the production adapts essays from Owens’ anthology to explore the experiences of American Jews in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and amid a rise in global antisemitism. The performance transforms personal essays into an ensemble theatrical presentation that blends storytelling with staged readings.

“It is a struggle being Jewish now,” Owens said. “Every Jewish person I know has had to redefine what it means given the rapidly shifting landscape around us. This show and the book are intimate reflections which somehow then become universal. We're all questioning. Let's question and explore together. Let's double down on hope. Let's investigate the impact of rising hatred. Let's unite. Celebrate. Shine.”

The anthology spent 27 weeks on the USA Today Bestseller list and features essays by a wide range of Jewish writers and public figures. The stage production dramatizes selections from the book, presenting stories that range from reflections on identity to moments of humor, grief, and connection.

“Our goal is to give voice to the unscripted interior lives of American Jews in this moment,” said Ronda Spinak, Founder and Artistic Director of The Braid. “In bringing Zibby's acclaimed book to the stage, I hope the Jewish community feels seen, and in doing so, be a unifying force in a deeply divided world.”

The production uses minimal staging, with a small ensemble performing multiple roles while portraying the stories’ narrators and settings, which range from Cambridge, Massachusetts and Dallas to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and the world of social media.

The dramatized stories include essays by Joanna Rakoff, Mark Feuerstein, Rabbi Sharon Brous, and Zibby Owens, as well as contributions from Jeanne Blasberg, David Christopher Kaufman, Keren Blankfeld, Courtney Sheinmel, Rebecca Raphael, Alison Hammer, Jeremy Garelick, and Elizabeth L. Silver.

The production is directed by The Braid’s producing director Susan Morgenstern and features actors Abbe Meryl Feder, Karen Macarah, Benmio McCrea, and AJ Meijer. The literary adaptation team also includes Lisa Kenner Grissom and Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum.

Performances will begin with a world premiere on Sunday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m. in Torrance, California, followed by a Southern California run through April 23. Additional Bay Area performances are scheduled for April 11 at 7:30 p.m. and April 12 at 2:00 p.m. The production will also offer live online performances via Zoom on April 16 at 4:00 p.m. PT and April 19 at 11:00 a.m. PT.