This spring, representatives from a number of Jerusalem’s English speaking theater companies met to discuss ways to create a stronger connection between production companies and participants in the Jerusalem English theater scene. JET meetings have been going on for over a year and a half and will be continued on a regular basis.

Beth Steinberg and Ira Skop of Theater in the Rough proposed that each company should have a turn at leading meetings and present topics that are important to them. The intention is to do this on a rotation basis. Theater in the Rough demonstrated new ways to organize JET processes and shows in the community through analytics and charts.

One obstacle many companies and participants face are scheduling conflicts. While some conflicts are inevitable, those at the meeting discussed ways scheduling can be facilitated through the use of a shared calendar to edit or add events. This will enable greater visibility into potential conflicts concerning auditions, rehearsals and performances and can make scheduling easier for everyone involved in productions. There is already a public calendar that is available for viewing on the website and is updated by JET administrators. The private calendar is intended to allow companies to share information before it goes public. JET representatives stressed that they will not move anything from the private to the public calendar without the permission from the individual companies.

Once the information about shows and scheduling is shared, JET will be better able to spread the word about individual shows on the JET website and on the Facebook page. The meeting included proposals to create more efficient communication between the companies through monthly emails and possibly a WhatsApp group.

Finally, all attendees of the meeting agreed with the idea of having a community picnic in June or July at Bloomfield gardens. All of those already in the community and those wishing to get involved are invited. At the picnic, companies will have the opportunity to present themselves and allow those who attend to become better acquainted with English speaking theater in Jerusalem.