24/6: A Jewish Theatre Company Presents A DOLL HOUSE 3/20

24/6: A Jewish Theater Company and New York's first one dedicated to Sabbath-observant artists, will present A DOLL HOUSE, a radically new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's world-renowned play directed by Ibsen scholar Yoni Oppenheim. The production will play on March 16th at 7:30 pm, March 20th at 9:30 pm and March 23rd at 7:30 pm. at The Tank, 354 West 45th Street (between 8th and 9th). Tickets can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/9726 or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006. On the day of the show, tickets will be available for cash only at the door 30 minutes before the start time of the show.

This production of A DOLL HOUSE has the action reset from Christmas-time, in 19th century Oslo, to the Jewish holiday Purim, in present day New York. Nora, a modern Orthodox housewife is hiding a secret from her banker husband Torvald. Like Queen Esther before her, she risks everything to protect those she loves. As the traditional gender roles are being challenged in the Orthodox world today, from Haredi female entrepreneurs supporting their husbands to the Rabbis of the Modern Orthodox community, can this A DOLL HOUSE withstand the reverberations of a slamming door?

A DOLL HOUSE will star Etta Abramson as Nora, Leor Hackel as Torvald, Miriam Gardin as Linda and Avi Soroka as Krogstadt and Rank.

24/6: A Jewish Theater Company made its debut in December of 2010 with The Sabbath Variations: The Splendor of Space at the Sixth Street Community Synagogue. The Sabbath Variations explored the concept of work, technology, rest and spirituality in six 10-minute pieces, giving a 21st-century spin to the rich Talmudic story of the great mystic, Shimon Bar-Yochai as recounted and interpreted by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in his classic book "The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man." The tale concerned Bar-Yochai who emerged from a cave after more than a decade in hiding, and found himself confounded by the worldly realm. 24/6 drew on this ancient story to create radically new pieces with influences ranging from Samuel Beckett to Lady Gaga. Sabbath Variations: The Splendor of Space was just accepted into The Stage One Theater Festival in Jerusalem, Israel and will play there this coming April.

Created by Yoni Oppenheim, Jesse Freedman and Avi Soroka, 24/6: A Jewish Theater Company is the first of its kind - a professional Jewish theater company and an artistic home for professional Sabbath observant Jewish artists. It aims to provide a space for these artists to create cutting-edge, contemporary work, featuring a talented ensemble of actors, writers, directors, dancers and puppeteers. Through the work, 24/6 seeks to be an articulate and provocative contribution to the greater cultural conversation in New York City and the Jewish world.

Leor Hackel (Torvald). As a youth Leor appeared in the feature films Matilda ("Julius Rottwinkle") and The Secret Life of Girls ("Monte"). His theater credits include performances in Measure for Measure and Julius Caesar (Columbia University); The Lark and The Skin of Our Teeth (Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, LA); The Long Christmas Dinner, Much Ado About Nothing, Tartuffe, and Stage Door (Wildfire Theatre Lab, L.A.), The Dybbuk (Classical Theatre Lab, LA) and The Reunion (Santa Monica Playhouse). He has directed productions of Macbeth, Degas C'est Moi, and The Zoo Story at Columbia University. He is a senior at Columbia University pursuing a B.A. in Psychology.

Etta Abramson (Nora) is a performer and educator. Her original performances include The Consistency of Flour and Fast, which were both directed by 24/6 co-founder, Yoni Oppenheim. Etta is also a featured cabaret singer at The Duplex. Other recent theater credits include: The Eden Trilogy, A Wonderfully Flat Thing, Rivers Current and The Dybbuk at various theatre companies in New York. Etta also teaches students of all ages Jewish texts at Beit Rabban, Drisha Institute and as a private teacher. Etta is also the program coordinator of Storahtelling's Raising the Bar B'nai Mitzvah program. Etta studied classical voice with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada and completed a BA in Theatre from York University. Etta is an alumna of the Arts Fellowship program at Drisha.

Miriam Gardin (Linda) has most recently performed as Carol in Oleanna, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Center Stage Theatre, Jerusalem), and Amalia in She Loves Me (Jerusalem English Speaking Theatre). She produced and directed the world premiere of The Divine Mr. Average in the inaugural Capital Fringe Festival in D.C., and currently serves as development manager at Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City. Miriam holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and an MFA in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College.

Avi Soroka (Krogstadt and Rank, Founder/Co-Artistic Director) is a seasoned Production Stage Manager who loves to dabble in every aspect of the theater. As PSM, NYC: Hee-Haw: It's A Wonderful Li e (Daniel Levin/Nuyorican Poets Cafe) Neil Simon's The Good Doctor (The Bridge Theater Company), From The Top (Workshop Theater), David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago (Minuteman Theater Company), The Unspeakable Act (The Plain Clothes Performance Group), Maggie's Daughters (American Playwrights Theater), The Pajama Game (Narrows Community Theater), God's Favorite, Mister Roberts (Yeshiva College Dramatics Society), The War of the Worlds, Avenge!, A Comedy of Terrors, Hamlet, Godversations, The King and the Condemned (Genesis Repertory) and American Caesar (Mimum Productions). Regional: Generations: The Musical and Soul Searching: A Musical (Black Box Entertainment), Eden's End (Blueberry Pond Ensemble) 36, Neil Simon's Oscar and Felix, Two and Natives (The Arizona Jewish Theater Company). As an actor: Death Takes a Holiday, The Little Foxes (Y.C.D.S.) A Match Made In Heaven, Twist of Faith and Cherry Hill (B.B.E). As a director, he served as Assistant Director on The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Teahouse of the August Moon (Y.C.D.S.) and directed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat (with Yoni Oppenheim) and Peter Shaffer's Black Comedy (QueensCollege).

Yoni Oppenheim (Director, Founder/Co-Artistic Director) directs and dramaturges new and devised work. Director: Evolutionism or Dammit We Took the Shortcut! (Manhattan Rep), Etta Sings for Change (Duplex), The Perfect Human 2009 (The 6th Obstruction) (14th Street Y), Yo Miss!... (LPAC); AD: Dog and Wolf (59E59); To Paint the Earth (NYMF/37Arts); Earthquake Chica (SPF/Theater Row) Dramaturge: HAGGADAH... (Witness Relocation /LaMama). BFA, Drama: NYU-Tisch/PHTS; M. Phil, Ibsen Studies: University of Oslo.

Jesse Freedman (Co-Artistic Director) is a director, performance artist, and teaching artist. New York credits include original ensemble creations The Tehillim Project (Jewish Initiative Grant),Vanity of Vanities, with the Eschatological Theater and 4.48 Psychosis at The NewSchool. As artistic director of Baltimore's Jewish Theatre Workshop from 2006-2008 he directed Isn't it Romantic, Ajax, The Cherry Orchard, Small Acts of Kindness, Bella's Dream, Wit and Fires in the Mirror (With New Yiddish Rep) and Kosher With Salsa. Jesse has performed his solo-magic-show The SpaZZaltooF at the Stamford Center for the Arts, Riverview Arts Center, and La MaMa Experimental Theatre. As a teaching artist, he has performed taught and designed curriculum for JCC's, Siegel College, Limmud UK, Jews For Judaism, Black Box Studios, Jewish Education Center of Cleveland and Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. He has trained with the SITI, Company,Storahtelling (Company Member since 2010) The Living Theater and is a graduate of Eugene Lang College at The New School.

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