Historic Theatre Season Breaks New Ground For Jewish Culture & Brings New Voices To The Stage

The Braid's 16th season promises to be history-making! With a very Jewish season that will resonate with everyone, this go-to Jewish story company offers three shows you won't want to miss. These hilarious and heartbreaking true stories, brought to life with powerful stage performances, offer a unique authenticity through The Braid's revolutionary Salon theatre style. A landmark moment in Jewish culture, this season brings people together to discover our shared humanity through the art of storytelling. It will feature stories by acclaimed writers such as Rob Eshman (Senior Contributing Editor of The Forward), André Aciman (author of Call Me By Your Name) and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Central Synagogue in New York City.

I Loved Jew, I Loved Jew Not, opens in January with a new angle on antisemitism. Offering private and deeply personal memories of antisemitism and allies of the Jewish people, this show tackles an urgent topic for our times. With a decade and a half of landmark Jewish theatre on their roster, there is no one better than The Braid to address this pressing issue. 
This show reveals the reality of antisemitism to the world, showing how hate is a universal problem, while offering hope and inspiration as well. True stories of friends and allies of the Jewish people are the good news we desperately need. As such, this show is not just for Jews — Jewish patrons, bring your non-Jewish friends! You don't have to be Jewish to love this show. This is the moment in modern history to speak out against hate in general and antisemitism in particular, and this is the show to do it. I Loved Jew, I Loved Jew Not offers something all too rare these days: unabashed Jewish pride. It tackles a serious topic with humor, joy, and triumph – it is not to be missed.

The Braid opens the much-anticipated Yearning to Breathe Free in March, looking at immigration through a Jewish lens. As inspirational as the Statue of Liberty, these true stories of coming to America will leave audiences cheering. In a time of bitter division, these stories bring us together and this show gives us back the American Dream. You don't have to be an immigrant to connect with these stories — although anyone with a family story of coming to America will feel kinship. 

With hilarious and heartbreaking stories from across the globe, Yearning to Breathe Free offers love for America when we need it most. See America through fresh eyes and be inspired by the people who worked hard to come here. From Ellis Island to HIAS efforts in Ukraine, these stories have always been at the heart of the Jewish experience. 
One can say that the “wandering Jew” finds modern expression in these powerful stories.

But at its heart, this is a show about home — old homes, new homes, and the homes we make along life's journeys. For anyone experiencing transition, this show will resonate. And if you care about the way immigrants are depicted in America, this show will be a breath of fresh air. In these stories of coming to America, we see America with fresh eyes… and in the immigrant's love for America, we can rekindle our own. It's a must-see experience for any theatre-lover!

In celebration of the combination of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish-American Heritage Month, May brings the third show in The Braid's important season of new shows. In a vibrant partnership with The LUNAR Collective, the only organization by and for Asian Jews, The Braid is making history: the first theatre show ever to explore the true stories of Asian Jews. But What Do I Do with All This Heritage? is a show for everyone who is Jewish and _____ — in fact, it's a show for anyone who has different sides to themselves, a mixed heritage. 

While intermarriage has historically been a deep concern of many Jewish people, these Asian Jews embrace their Judaism proudly, in ways that will inspire everyone. Every patron will leave with pride in their heritage, no matter what it is. And to anyone concerned about the Jewish future, you'll come away feeling that Judaism is safe in the hands of this multicultural next generation. And that's true for Asian heritages as well. This show offers a fascinating dive into both Asian and Jewish cultures. And it's the perfect show for Asian-Americans who aren't Jewish to learn more about Jewish culture and identify with these universal stories. 

Steeped in a love for tradition while exemplifying the best of the American melting pot, these are stories you won't experience anywhere else. And for anyone concerned about diversity in the arts, there's no better way to show up for Jews of Color and to stand against Asian hate. Asian Jews will feel immense pride and connection seeing their stories on stage. But you don't have to be an Asian Jew to love this show — full of laughter and tears, it speaks to universal dreams of honoring your heritage while being uniquely you. This show honors The Braid's long tradition of diversity on stage, including its signature hit show, True Colors. In fact, it can be said that if you enjoyed True Colors, you'll love this show! Don't miss it!

Under the expert direction of Susan Morgenstern, The Braid's Producing Director, supremely skilled actors bring these true stories to life with genuine authenticity. In synagogues across Los Angeles and live on Zoom worldwide, this season brings Jewish culture to everyone with stories at the heart of contemporary Jewish life. January, March, May — mark these months in your calendar and get tickets early!

By tackling antisemitism and showing the world allies of the Jewish people, by showing the Jewish side of seeking the American Dream in ways that will speak to everyone, by being the first theatre show about the Asian Jewish experience even as it makes everyone love their heritage, this isn't just theatre — it's a once-in-a-lifetime event. It's also a season of shows that deeply honors the Jewish social justice tradition and it fights antisemitism by showcasing the vibrant reality of the Jewish experience, in ways that you don't have to be Jewish to thoroughly enjoy. Don't lose out on a chance to see these historic shows!

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