Ithaca College Hillel Presents RYE BREAD, A Virtual Reading To Benefit The Anti-Defamation League

Ithaca, NEW YORK, (February 2021) Ithaca College Hillel and Kyle Friedman (Ithaca College '23) present a fundraiser reading of Rye Bread, a new play written by Audrey Lang (Ithaca College '20, Pride Plays) and directed by Britt Berke (The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals). The cast includes Emily Chester (Ithaca College '18, The Magic School Bus National Tour) as Rye; Daniel Bailin (Pure Off-Broadway) as Rye's fellow intern Dan; Lauren Pisano (Pocket Universe's Juliet + Romeo) as Tessa, Rye's cousin and boss; Stacey Harris (Broadway's Bells Are Ringing) and Liz Samuel (The Week Of with Adam Sandler) as Rye's moms, Dr. Kate and Rabbi Rachel; and Shawn K. Jain (NNPN Rolling World Premiere of Heartland) as Nick Kyrgios. Rafidi (Stage Management Apprentice, The Juilliard School) is the stage manager.

Rye (short for Riley) is a precocious sort-of high school graduate, trying to find meaning and purpose in the summer internship she's been forced to do to make up the credit for her failed Econ class. But what meaning and purpose is there really to an office with rats running around, a not-really-nice boss who happens to be her cousin, and the other intern who won't let Rye so much as sit down at the computer? Rye's moms "Dr. Kate" and "Rabbi Rachel" want her to stick it out, but she's not sure that even a goal as important as graduating high school can get her through this summer.

Rye Bread streams live on February 10th at 6pm EST, via YouTube and Zoom. Following the performance, the cast and creative team will take part in a talkback about Jewish identity and theatre. Watch on Ithaca College Hillel's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH3BDwwhBZGmgPntVvBsE2g

Kyle Friedman received grant money from Ithaca College Hillel and Stand With Us International in January 2020 to create events that promote Jewish ideals and build community. Nothing sparks more connection than theatre. The online reading of Rye Bread will raise money to benefit the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

As a part of this unique process, Ithaca College students will have the opportunity to log onto the Zoom rehearsals and observe the cast and creative team working on the piece. Both those within the Ithaca College community and outside of it are invited to attend the live stream of the show and the talkback.

Audrey Lang (she/her/hers) is a lesbian Jewish playwright born and raised in New York City. Her play You Have To Promise appeared in the 2020 Pride Plays. She is currently a member of Original Idiots' inaugural cohort of The Generator, where she is developing her play Birdie and Cait and the Book of Life - also recently developed in The Workshop Theater's Fall 2020 Intensive. Audrey is also a member of Eden Theater Company's Spring 2021 Playwrights Lab. Other plays include Rye Bread, Lily Ineffable, Balancé, Dear Anna, and alex getting better. Audrey has been a finalist for American Stage's 21st Century Voices New Play Festival and a semi-finalist for The Civilians' R&D Group, Jewish Plays Project's Jewish Playwriting Contest, and Play-Makers Spokane's Women Are Funny Prize. Audrey is a proud member of Ring of Keys, a 2020 Theatremacher with the Alliance for Jewish Theatre, and an associate member of the Dramatists Guild. She was a 2017 resident at SPACE on Ryder Farm and is an alumna of the MCC Theater Youth Company Playwriting Lab. B.A. Theatre Studies, Ithaca College. www.audreyglang.com

Britt Berke is a Jewish NYC-based director and theatre developer. Recent directing: Round Room (Origin Theatre 1st Irish Festival, Best Director Nomination), Pancake Day (November Theatre, American Premiere), Are You Still? (PLAYDATE Theatre's Virtual Festival), Liberian Girl in Brooklyn (Mabou Mines SUITE/Space), Promenade in Concert (The Public Theatre's Fornes Marathon). Britt is an alumna of the MTC Directing Fellowship, 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and the SDC & NAMT Observerships. She is currently a Finalist of The Civilians R&D Group and a Teaching Artist with NCo Creations and PLAYDATE Theatre. Britt is the Co-Founder and Director of November Theatre, a transatlantic theatre collective that tells stories of love, friendship, and identity. SDC Associate Member. BA, Barnard College. www.brittberke.com.

Kyle Friedman just finished the Bo Nitzor interactive student film festival - highlighting student filmmakers resilience during the covid pandemic. The festival was held on a website in conjunction with a zoom call and featured twenty short films from different student filmmakers around the United States who recently combated with covid restriction to create their art. With the second half of the grant money, he is excited to bring people together for this production of Rye Bread.

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