Aaron Davidman

Aaron Davidman is a playwright, actor, director and producer. He is drawn to stories of ethnic history and cultural complexity that challenge our assumptions of the “other”. He served as Artistic Director of Traveling Jewish Theatre from 2002-2011 where he wrote, directed, performed in and produced dozens of original plays reflecting Jewish identity and experience.

​His new film, AMERICAN SOLITAIRE, tackles the thorny topic of guns in America, through the lens of a U.S. soldier trying to make sense of civilian life. The project plans to begin production in 2023.

His play WRESTLING JERUSALEM, commissioned by Theatre J and supported in part by the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, received its world premiere at Intersection for the Arts in San Francisco in 2014 to critical acclaim and has since toured North America to numerous venues including the Guthrie Theatre, Mosaic Theater of DC and Off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters. The play has been made into a feature film directed by Dylan Kussman and starring Mr. Davidman.

Mr. Davidman received the 2016 TIKKUN Award for the compassionate multiple perspectives presented in his play WRESTLING JERUSALEM. The award celebrates him as “a supreme teacher of empathy, a first step toward the reconciliation of Israelis and Palestinians for which much of the world yearns.” He was a recipient of the New Generations Fellowship from Theatre Communications Group and the Duke and Mellon Foundations, and has developed collaborations throughout the U.S. with leaders in the field of the American Theatre and Jewish Culture.

Davidman designed the post-performance and post-screening facilitated conversation program for WRESTLING JERUSALEM which brings people of different backgrounds into dialogue with one another. These peace-building conversations have been held following nearly every one of the more than 160 performances of WRESTLING JERUSALEM where more than 16,000 people have seen the play and participated in facilitated dialogue. For the past two years Davidman has been working with Google, presenting WRESTLING JERUSALEM for leadership trainings on “complexity and collaboration,” followed by discussions that look to apply multiple-perspective taking into the workplace of these influential international executives. He is considered a thought-leader concerning multiple-perspective taking with both his embodiment of his written material in WRESTLING JERUSALEM and with his experience talking with people from a wide range of backgrounds about the Israel/Palestine conflict, polarization and the importance of staying curious about the “other”.

Among many works at Traveling Jewish Theatre he conceived, co-wrote and directed the international collaboration BLOOD RELATIVE about the Israeli-Palestinian story; co-wrote and performed in GOD’S DONKEY; originated the role of Momik Neuman in SEE UNDER: LOVE, based on the David Grossman novel; and directed DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Davidman’s other work includes directing the world premiere of THIS WORLD IN A WOMAN’S HANDS by Marcus Gardley and the world premiere of Gardley’s LOVE IS A DREAM HOUSE IN LORIN, both at Shotgun Players, and the world premiere of Gardley’s THE ROAD WEEPS, THE WELL RUNS DRY at Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska.

Davidman received his theatrical training at Carnegie Mellon University, earned a BA from the University of Michigan and an MFA in creative writing/playwriting from San Francisco State University.