Theater J Announces TRAYF

Theater J presents the world premiere of Trayf, a not-quite-kosher buddy comedy about a pair of Chabad-Lubavitcher Jews driving their Mitzvah Tank through the streets of New York City in 1990. By Lindsay Joelle and directed by Derek Goldman, Trayf closes out Theater J's 2017-2018 season from May 30 - June 24, 2018 at Theater J, 1529 16 St., NW, Washington, DC.

In the play, 19 year-old Zalmy leads a double life. By day, he's the rebbe's loyal foot soldier, driving a tricked-out "Mitzvah Tank" through Brooklyn with his best friend Shmuel. By night, he sneaks away from his orthodox community to roller-skate, dance in discos and listen to rock and roll. When he befriends a zealous young man eager to study Judaism, the barrier between Zalmy's two worlds starts to crack-and he must choose once and for all where he belongs. Trayf is the Yiddish word for "non-Kosher" or "forbidden."

Playwright Joelle, a 2016 MFA graduate of New York's Hunter College, where she was mentored by Tina Howe, Sam Hunter and Arthur Kopit, was inspired to explore this story by a friend who was torn between the strict world of Orthodox Judaism and the freedom of the secular world. She listened to his stories and also researched the Chabad-Lubavitcher community in Crown Heights, where she felt very welcome as she questioned rabbis, attended Shabbat dinners, and boarded a Mitzvah Tank.

Joelle hopes that the audience can discover the universality of the stories of the two 19 year-old young men whose friendship is tested as they grow apart and find they have differing belief systems. "Especially now" says Joelle, "I hope that there will be empathy for them and that instead of emphasizing their differences, audiences will embrace their similarities."

Theater J Artistic Director Adam Immerwahr says "With Trayf, Lindsay Joelle does something truly remarkable: she creates a delightful road-trip buddy comedy out of the lives of a pair of Chabad-Lubavitch Jews. This delicious new story joyfully captures the beauty and sacrifice of true friendship. It's a story that's sure to bring warmth to your heart."

Director Derek Goldman, whose directing work has been seen in Washington, DC as well as off-Broadway and at major regional theaters, responds to the "fun and liveliness" of this comedy. He also sees the relevance beyond the particular community and story of friendship: "set in 1990 in Crown Heights, it feels like the world is on the verge of seismic change, even as these two characters are about to change."

Trayf received a developmental production last summer at Penguin Rep Theatre. It is the winner of the 2016 Rita Goldberg Award and a Jewish Plays Project Top 10 finalist. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Theater J has announced its 2018-2019 season, taking place around town while the historic Edlavitch DCJCC undergoes renovation. It will produce four plays:
The Pianist of Willesden Lane at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Family Theater

TICKET PRICE: $39-$69
Purchase online at www.theaterj.org
BOX OFFICE: 202-777-3210 or email theaterj@theaterj.org.
Discounts for groups of 10+.