Joshua Harmon's BAD JEWS Begins at Desert Ensemble Theatre Today

Desert Ensemble Theatre concludes its fifth season with the critically acclaimed Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon. A 2013 Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, Bad Jews has attracted sold-out audiences throughout multiple U.S. productions and a very successful run in London's West End. Company Artistic Director Rosemary Mallett directs; Eve Fromberg is Assistant Director.

The night after their grandfather's funeral, three cousins engage in a verbal (and sometimes physical) battle. In one corner is Daphna Feygenbam, a "Real Jew" who is volatile, self-assured and unbending. In the other is her equally stubborn cousin Liam, a secular and entitled young man, who has his "shiksa" girlfriend, Melody, in tow. Stuck in the middle is Liam's brother, Jonah, who tries to stay out of the fray. When Liam stakes claim to their grandfather's Chai necklace, a vicious and hilarious brawl over family, faith and legacy ensues. "A combative meditation on contemporary American Judaism, and funnier than anything you'll find at the J.C.C." - The New Yorker

The cast includes Jordana Simone Pepper, Sean Timothy Brown, Cameron Shingler and Kyrsten Watt.

Bad Jews plays for two weekends: beginning today, April 8-10 and April 15-17, Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. The production is at the Pearl McManus Theater in the Palm Springs Woman's Club at 314 S. Cahuilla Road. Tickets are $20 and are now on sale via www.DETCTheatre.org, or by calling 760-565-2476 to reserve and pay at the door.