Shir Kaufman To Lead Israeli Artists Project Season Opening Celebration At The Triad Theatre

Another Star from Israel is Taking New York City by Storm. Shir Kaufman, an established Israeli actress and singer, has recently been taking over the theatre scene in New York City both on stage and behind, with her work with Israeli Artists Project - IAP, and the Alliance of Alien Artists.

Shir Kaufman will be leading the Season Opening Celebration of IAP - Israeli Artists Project, TOMORROW at The Triad Theatre, starting at 7pm (doors open 6:30pm).

Last minute tickets: http://bit.ly/IAPSEASONOPENING

Kaufman, who have established an impressive resume in Israel performing in unique and distinguished productions with Israel's leading repertory theatres: Habima National Theatre and the Cameri theatre, alongside international stars such as Shiri Maimon (who recently appeared on Chicago on Broadway), Rona Lee Shimon, Ran Danker and more.

As an established actress, I asked Shir: What is it that made her leave her career in Israel and move to New York?

Shir: "Since I was very young, my biggest dream has been to be the first Israeli Elphaba on Broadway; that's the reason I moved to New York. I wanted to move after the army (there is mandatory enlistment in Israel) in 2011, but back then the dream seemed impossible - New York was too expensive and I was an inexperienced artist whose dreams couldn't fit onto Broadway's stages. But I was certain that I'd persevere. One time, an agent asked me, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Without hesitation, I responded: "New York". Well, after 5 years (actually 6 but who's counting?) I was in New York - dreams do come true. They may take some time, but if you want it badly enough and work hard towards it - it will happen."

About the difference between her career in Israel and her career here, Shir says: "New York is fast paced; the hustle is not bound by time. If you're not 'on it' - you'll miss your opportunity. I know that reality is quite different than New York City's reality. In Israel the theater industry is quite smaller than New York's theater industry - there are about a million actors just in New York City! No small competition. You have to fight hard because everyone's so talented. In Israel, I think eventually you'll land an acting job, but there aren't as many opportunities as you have here. I think if you work hard enough you can succeed anywhere, even if it takes time."

As the theatre industry in New York is such a landmark for every tourist, and such a milestone for every actor, I wanted to ask Shir - if she were to come back to the theatre industry in Israel, what would she bring from her experience in New York?

Shir: "I would definitely take the freedom of art and the open mindedness. Here you don't feel judged. You feel like you can express yourself no matter who you are. The variety of cultures here is huge. People come from all over the world to perform and make it here, and it feels that there is a place for everybody. Also, the stories here are more personal. In Israel we all live the same pain every day, which can connect us. However, it's interesting to hear other people's stories, and what is happening in other countries, what's the conflicts there."

Alongside her performing career, Shir is functioning as an Associate Producer on an organization called IAP - Israeli Artists Project (pronounced YUP), which brings to light the work of Israeli artists who live and work in New York City. About her joining IAP, Shir tells us: "When I graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) I was looking for opportunities in the city. I saw a Facebook post for submissions for IAP. I emailed Yoni Vendriger, the founder, and asked if I could come help with their project. The connection was immediate and a short time after I saw their first staged reading, I was already part of the group. I became an Associate Producer and was involved in IAP production artistically as well as a leading performer. "

Shir's entrepreneurial spirit makes her an extremely unique actress in the industry, as someone who is not only involved as the performer, but often as the creator. I asked her - what kind of project would she like to bring to New York? For which she answered: "I want to write a musical about the Israeli composer Tirzah Attar, who committed suicide when she was only 36 years old. She had a very controversial life and I want to explore more about her. The musical will be in English and Hebrew. In general, I think the goal of IAP is to promote the Israeli art to everyone - Israelis and Americans who want to learn about the Jewish - Israeli culture."

As we don't always think about it, sitting on the other side of the table can often teach us a lot more than doing the work. "I think that to be part of an organization that provides you work as a producer and as a performer can be very useful. You know how the process of casting works and you know there is a lot to consider. Not everything is about your talent, but often about how you present yourself to casting directors, how much effort you put in your resume, cover letter, etc." Shir tells me. "I think basically, you learn to be more professional. I think it's a very important skill to have, especially if you didn't learn it in school."

Shir is also collaborating with the Alliance of Alien Artists, an organization founded to empower and support International Artists who are pursuing a career in the United States.

For the next few seasons of her career, Shir is signed to perform with the Alliance in many upcoming projects. When I asked her "What would you like the Alliance to do in the future to support more International Artists?" she said: "I think there's a lot the Alliance can do - it can create opportunities for artists to perform in their own language, provide information about visas, give advice on the life in New York and in the United States, and create workshops with interesting people from the industry. Who knows, maybe one day the Alliance can create a full length two-act musical that combines different languages and English together."