'Yom Kippur' Begins July 16th

Can those who immigrate to a country ever be as patriotic as those who were born there? And which is stronger, love and loyalty to one's adopted homeland, or to one's own family? Meri Wallace poses these questions in her World Premiere drama YOM KIPPUR, which will begin performances on July 16 at the WorkShop Theater, MainStage Space, located at 312 West 36th Street. Directed by Halina Ujda, the show is part of the Ninth Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival.

Israel, October 6, 1973. Husband and wife Ephraim and Miriam and best friends Yitz and the very pregnant Yael (also married) are preparing to observe the Yom Kippur holiday. Americans all (and artists), the four have long since immigrated to Israel. But despite their seeming happiness, there is a lot of tension present. Ephraim has never gotten over his feelings for Yael, who Yitz stole from him long ago; a fact of which Miriam is all too aware. Yitz is also angry with Ephraim for not enlisting in the Israeli army as he himself has done, calling him a coward. As Yitz points out, "You can't live here and refuse to lift a finger." These issues come even more quickly into focus as air raid sirens announce the beginning of war with Egypt and Syria.

As the days and weeks go by, life changes irrevocably for the foursome. With Yitz off at the front, Yael must struggle to have her baby alone. Meanwhile, Ephraim and Miriam's marriage begins coming apart at the seams, as she can no longer tolerate being the "second choice wife." And Yael must face the arrival of Yitz's long-estranged mother, whom she's never met and who urges her to take the baby back to America where they will be safe. At the same time, Avi, a handsome Army captain, urges Yael to stay in the country that has become her home.

Through it all, Yael, Miriam, Yitz and Ephraim must face their darkest fears as they struggle to make sense of the shambles their lives, hopes and dreams have become.

The cast of YOM KIPPUR features Leah Vanessa Bachar, Gayle Robbins, Orion Delwaterman, Annalisa Loeffler, Shane Jerome, Arela Rivas, Aylam Orian, Evan Sokal and Daniella Rabbani.

A nonfiction author, columnist, television personality and former psychotherapist, Meri Wallace's play "Secrets Women Share" was performed as part of the Eighth Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival in Summer 2007, with www.robertaonthearts.com calling it  "…delightful and insightful production." Meri's show "Marta's Spa ", a ten-minute play, will be produced by Love Creek Productions in June. Her other stage works have been performed at the Arcs and Triumphs Festival, the Accidental Angels Festival, the Hamptons Play Festival, the Brooklyn Play Festival and the Intimates Festival. Her short play "Jennie", which was performed at the Hampton's Play Festival and the Stephen Talkhouse, was published in 2007 in an anthology of short plays for young actors edited by Dr. Roger Ellis. Meri has also been a co-producer of "The Park Plays" in Brooklyn Bridge Park (August 2005), "The Turtle Tattoo" at the Seventh Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival (summer 2006) and "Waves and Beaches," performed at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, NYC and the Southampton Cultural Centre (January 2007).

Halina Ujda won the Best Director Award at the National Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She has directed at DTW, BACA, W.O.W., La MaMa, PS. 122, Dixon Place, American Globe Theatre, Goldberg Theatre, 78th Street Theatre, Westside Theatre, and with the Obie-Winning Peculiar Works Company. She is a member of First Look Theater Company at Tisch/NYU and Lincoln Center Directors Lab. She is a recipient of a Kennedy Center Fellowship and has a scholarship from the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographer's. Halina has been the assistant director to Christopher Ashley and Tony Winner Jack Hofsiss at the Bay Street Theatre. She has an MFA. in Directing from Brooklyn College, an MA in Dance from NYU and is a member of SSDC, Actors' Equity, SAG, and AFTRA.

Howling Moon Cab Company is the producing enterprise of Jonathan and Meri Wallace. Previous productions included the one-act festivals The Park Plays, The Hampton's Plays, the Brooklyn Plays, Intimates, Accidental Angels, Arcs and Triumphs and Earthlings. The company has also produced the full-length works "Secrets Women Share," "The Turtle Tattoo," "Waves and Beaches" and "The Shadow-Pier."

Running through August 2nd YOM KIPPUR will be performed at the WorkShop Theater, MainStage Space, as part of the Ninth Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival. Show times are Wednesday July 16th at 8:30pm, Saturday July 19th at 6pm, Sunday July 20th at 11:30am, Tuesday July 22nd at 8:30pm, Wednesday July 23rd at 8:30pm and Saturday, August 2nd at 12:30pm. Tickets are $18.00, $15.00 for students and seniors. Reservations: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com.  More information on the show can be found at www.howlingmoongcabcompany.com. Information on the Midtown InterNational Theatre

Festival can be found at www.midtownfestival.org.

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