Category: Raise Your Spirits

Beit Hillel Theater Workshop, Crossroads Theater Shed, Encore, Israel Musicals, Raise Your Spirits, Starcatcher, Theater And Theology, theater in the rough, Theatre Zion, Year Review

Year in Review 2023-2024

JET

This year, while many focused on our nation’s challenges, some of us turned to the theater. After October 7th, uncertainty led to the postponement of various projects, leaving us to ponder what performances would be appropriate. Yet, our community proved resilient, just like our nation, with numerous successful productions emerging starting in January.

Highlights from this year include:

  • The Last Night of Florence produced by J-Town Playhouse, with performances in January and September 
  • Miracle on South Division Street produced by Theater and Theology
  • A delightful “Gilbert and Sullivan Evening” produced by J-Town Playhouse
  • The Value of Names by Theatre Zion
  • Fame by Beit Hillel Theater Workshop
  • “An Evening with Tennessee Williams” by Rhinoceros Productions
  • Patience by Encore
  • How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying by LOGON
  • “People Will Say We’re in Love”, a musical evening produced by J-Town Playhouse
  • A youth production of Twelfth Night, by Theater in the Rough and JELLY, in June
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Israel Musicals
  • Alice By Heart by Starcatcher, who usually perform in March but moved to July and switched their show due to the war
  • The Women’s Performance Community of Jerusalem ran two highly successful events and donated all proceeds to the OU Israel Women’s Giving Circle, which supports displaced families and family members of enlisted soldiers:
    • An evening of comic relief with the acclaimed “ABSOLUTe Improv” comedy trio, where we gave ourselves and one another permission to laugh, and reaped the perhaps unexpected benefits of coming together in support of our brothers and sisters in need.
    • ⁠A screening of the film “WHISPER FREEDOM: The Soviet Jewry Struggle,” including some timely inspirational remarks on the unfortunately still-relevant theme of “Let My People Go!”
  • “Young Playwrights and Performers Festivals” produced by Crossroads Theater Shed in  February and in August
  • As You Like It by Theater in the Rough, and a youth production of Hamlet by their teen intensive, both in August
  • “Carousel Open Stage” produced by Rhinoceros Productions and Starcatcher featuring stand-up comedians and short plays in June
  • “Jerusalem Improv Comedy Extravaganza” produced by Two Wild and Crazy Jews, also featuring The Olam Hafooch Improv Troupe, in August

Despite the challenges, humor and theater have thrived. We have cried, laughed, loved, and come together to create and celebrate the performing arts.

Founded during the rise of the Intifada in 2001, Raise Your Spirits Theater has been a testament to our community’s strength. The infrastructure of our theater community has flourished, evident in the variety of projects this year. Theater and the arts are an important way to come together, especially in times of crisis and hardship, and a way to collectively process our hopes and fears.

As we look ahead, may we witness the return of our people, a renewed sense of unity in our nation, and a vibrant theater scene in the coming year.

CBDB Productions, Community, Crossroads Theater Shed, Encore, Israel Musicals, Raise Your Spirits, Starcatcher, Theater And Theology, Theatre Zion, Year Review

Year in Review: 2022-2023

JET

And another year is coming to a close while another is just beginning. The Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana, is celebrated to welcome a new year for new opportunities and to reflect on our past accomplishments and mishaps. Our Jerusalem English Theater community has had theatrical productions and projects in this past year which are behind us and many more to look forward to. There were many successes and new projects being introduced. Looking forward to sharing with you the amazing year we had while bringing in the new year.

The theatrical year started in December of 2022 with Rhinoceros Productions first ever production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. What a way to start out the year with a new company showcasing its first production. Raise Your Spirits put on a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which was actually an encore of their first ever production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And on Hanukkah Beit Hillel Theater Workshop produced Oliver!

In January Encore! Produced Hello Dolly, a classic while Israel Musicals produced The Four, an original work.

Then in February we had two straight play productions of Hard Love by Theatre Zion and My Name is Asher Lev by CBDB Productions.

In March we returned to some musicals with Starcatcher’s Into the Woods and a visit from our neighbor down south with LOGON’s Wizard of Oz.

We also saw another Young Playwrights and Performers Festival by Crossroads Theater Shed which featured 7 original youth plays including some musical numbers and improvisations.

April introduced us to a reprise of The Blessing of A Broken Heart by Theater and Theology and in June we had a reprise of The Four by Israel Musicals, an original musical Wandering Stars by Encore and a special evening of improvisation of Thursday Night Live by Crossroads Theater Shed.

Also in June an amazing project was started called Carousel – An Open Stage, where people were able to showcase their talent and original work. It was created by Rhinoceros Productions with Starcatcher in collaboration with The Incubator Theater

In August we had our usual staple of Theater in the Rough’s Shakespeare: In Motion with Julius Caesar: in Motion and introducing a Chorus into the fray. Along with Shakespeare we had many youth projects including Theater in the Rough’s Shakespeare Camp with a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Young Playwrights and Performers Summer Festival with 6 original plays and improvisations by Crossroads Theater Shed as well as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which was produced by Encore.

Starcatcher with Incubator Theater had a special evening of concert and comedy called Make Em Laugh that was part of the Comedy Festival in Jerusalem.

And right before we enter into the new year, Rhinoceros Productions started another great project of Dramatic Readings in conjunction with Baka Community Council.

Special shout out to the JELLY theater camp and Danny Freedman’s super amazing architect final project which showcased our community and showed what kind of home space we could share. We also had our Annual JET Picnic in June which was a great chance to see all the people involved in theater and hear about what is coming up. 

On that note usually this is a time when we have auditions and people are preparing for shows. So break a leg to all those in rehearsals or preparing for an audition. Auditions for Addams Family by Starcatcher, a reading of The Chair by Theater and Theology, a production of A Night in Florence by J-Town Playhouse, Fame by Beit Hillel Theater Workshop, and Miracle on South Division Street by Theater and Theology coming soon to Jerusalem. 

Whew, what a year it has been. On to 2023-2024 Theater Season and Shana Tovah!