CAN I REALLY DATE A GUY WHO WEARS A YARMULKE? Comes To MITF 7/17

Marc L. Bailin and Holson Productions, in association with The Midtown International Theatre Festival present the world premier of Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke? by Amy Holson-Schwartz. Directed by Jay Falzone, this new romantic comedy tells the story of Eleanor (Catherine LeFrere), a smart, savvy, New Yorker, whose secular brand of Judaism might include the occasional latke and but definitely does not include God. Aaron (Jason Liebman) is Dr. Right - He's got the brains, the looks, the wit... But wait! He's also got a serious case of religion. Can Eleanor see past his yarmulke to find love? Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke? is a love story. It's a story of identity. It's about who you are versus who you can be.

Playwright Holson-Schwartz was inspired to write Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke? upon her return from a Birthright trip. "The trip really made me think, not just about Israel, but about my relationship to Judaism in general. The experience was filled with contradictions." Holson-Schwartz goes on to say "So I created characters that embody different experiences of Judaism and wondered if they could co-exist." Add some love and romance and a host of colorful characters and you've got a charming and thoughtful play which is laugh-out-loud funny. Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke? also stars Jessica Smollins, Ryan Wood, Bonnie Corso, and David Licht.
Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears a Yarmulke? was developed as part of the 2009 TRU Voices Play Reading Series and the Festival Arts Dinner Table Reading Series. Holson Productions is the producer of the long-running The News in Revue (5 Emmy Awards), the critically acclaimed Bush Wars, and Parenting 101. Marc L. Bailin is a seasoned entertainment attorney, movie producer, and entrepreneur.

Performances will be July 17th at 7:00, July 22nd at 7:00, July 25th at 2:00, July 26th at 7:00, and July 30th at 8:00 at The Beckett at Theatre Row. Tickets are $18 (plus $1.50 restoration fee) and are available at the box office or online at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival's 2010 Season runs from July 12 - August 1, 2010 at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street, NYC; the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; and the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor. Tickets are $18 ($15 for Short Subjects). Tickets for shows at the June Havoc Theatre, the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, the Main Stage Theater, and the Jewel Box Theater are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at 866-811-4111. Tickets for shows at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row are available at www.ticketcentral.com or by phone at 212-279-4200.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival, now in its eleventh year, celebrates the diversity of theatre. The MITF welcomes theatrical storytelling across a broad spectrum of genres, forms, identities, cultures, and appetites. The MITF seeks to nurture these new ideas, perspectives, and stories on its stages, with an eye set on guiding these productions toward future success and longevity. The festival, traditionally held in summer, represents a fantastic, often paradoxical, adventurous and intriguing cross-section of the forefront of the theatre world. The MITF proudly hosts production companies from across the country and around the globe, uniting talent in one of the biggest theatre capitals in the world.

Mr. Chatterton created the MITF, a Midtown alternative to other theatre festivals, in 2000 as a way to present the finest off-off Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety. In 2008, the Festival added two 99-seat theatres and inaugurated the Commercial Division for upwardly mobile shows with commercial ambitions. The MITF's artistic emphasis is on the script itself and therefore the Festival requests minimal production values.
For more information, visit www.midtownfestival.org.

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