Jewish Repertory Theatre Presents THE LAST SEDER By Jennifer Maisel

The Jewish Repertory Theater is proud to present a reading of Jennifer Maisel's "The Last Seder", Monday, March 18, 7-9 pm at the Maxine and Robert Seller Theater, located inside the Jewish Community Center at 2640 North Forest Road, Amherst. "The Last Seder" is the first of a two-part reading series directed by Adam Yellen, actor and member of the JRT's advisory committee.

"We've been exploring plays that would normally not be produced by the JRT because of cast size or other limitations," says Yellen, a SUNY New Paltz theater graduate who has become a permanent feature on Buffalo's stages, most recently in "Three Muskeeters" at 710 Main and "Golden Boy" at the Irish Classical Theatre Company. "The Last Seder will feature an impressive mix of actors, many of whom have never appeared on the JRT stage."

The award winning, "The Last Seder" tells the story of a Jewish family returning home one last time to celebrate Passover before the house is sold and the family patriarch is moved to a facility because he is struggling with Alzheimer's disease. This heartbreaking, yet wildly funny play, a timely exploration of love, loss, and the struggles of modern Jewish families, will be presented a few weeks before Passover which takes place April 19-27. A discussion of the play and its themes will follow the reading.

"The Last Seder" premiered off-Broadway in 2013 by Rosalind Productions after productions around the country, including Chicago and Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times review included: "Jennifer Maisel's episodic allegory about the final Passover observance by a clan at the crossroads of dealing with Alzheimer's approaches its tear-jerking aims with delicate precision and punch."

A graduate of Cornell University, Maisel received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She is a member of Playwrights Union, Playwrights Ink, The Dog Ear Playwrights Collective (www.dogear.org), and Circle Rising; the latter was formed out of Paula Vogel's "boot-camp" at ASK Theatre Projects in Los Angeles.

The Jewish Repertory Theatre's production of "The Last Seder" will be a free event, with donations encouraged to help support the theatre. Reservations are recommended. To reserve your seats call 716-688-4114, ext. 335 or email jrt@jccbuffalo.org

The Jewish Repertory Theatre of Western New York is a program of the JCC of Greater Buffalo.

All productions take place in The Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre, JCC Benderson Family Building at 2640 North Forest Road, Amherst, NY. For more information on JRT, productions, dates and tickets, visit www.jewishrepertorytheatre.com. Tickets are available at 716-650-7626, through Showclix at 1-888-718-4253 (Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm EST) or at either JCC reception desk.

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