MJTC Announces 2018 / 2019 Season

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) is pleased to announce its 24th season of staging stories about Jewish history and culture with themes universal to people of all backgrounds. MJTC is led by Producing Artistic Director Barbara Brooks.

What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen, August 18 - August 30, 2018

Alice, an infertile Jewish woman in her forties, discovers a hard lump in her abdomen. After months of tests, a doctor finally determines that she is pregnant. Based upon true events and the book hailed by Oprah as "darkly hilarious...an unexpected bundle of joy," this heartfelt journey through a high-risk pregnancy and the American healthcare system is told with honesty and humor. In this solo production, Kim Kivens (MJTC productions include Natasha and the Coat, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Church & State) will play nearly 40 different characters. To be directed by Jennie Ward.

The Last Schwartz by Deborah Zoe Laufer, October 20 - November 11, 2018

On the anniversary of their father's death, three brothers and their sister return to the family estate for the unveiling memorial service. Grounded in painful pasts, this wacky comedy/drama explores Jewish identity and the question of cultural continuity within family dynamics. To be directed by MJTC's Ivey-winning director of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Warren C. Bowles.

The Chanukah Guest by Jenna Zark, based off the book by Eric Kimmel, December 2 - 18, 2018

A return of the MJTC commission that was a sold-out hit, this hilarious and endearing tale tells the story of Bubba Brayna, making latkes for the first night of Chanukah, when the smell from her kitchen brings an unexpected and very hungry visitor! Perfect for the whole family! To be directed by Craig Johnson.

Actually by Anna Ziegler, February 16 - March 10, 2019

Two Princeton students- a Jewish girl and an African American guy- must recount their intimate evening together to a university panel charged with assessing whether sexual assault took place. This bold new play explores uncomfortable realities concerning consent and social norms today. MJTC welcomes back Miriam Schwartz (Natasha and the Coat, Church & State, Dai, Bad Jews, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Handle with Care) and JuCoby Johnson (The Whipping Man) for this edgy new work by the writer of Photograph 51. Director TBA.0

Shul a World Premiere by Sheldon Wolf, April 27 - May 19, 2019

The remaining congregants of an old synagogue must decide what to do with their dilapidated building with holes in the roof. Should they try to keep the congregation going, sell the building, or share it with members of the Sikh community? This funny, charming, and endearing new work explores what it means to be Jewish for different generations while touching on themes of religious tradition, gentrification, and poverty. To be directed by Robert Dorfman, in his directorial debut.

All performances are held in the theater of Highland Park Community Center at 1978 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116. Season subscriptions are now on sale.

To order, call (651)647-4315 or visit www.mnjewishtheatre.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.