Cygnet Theatre to Stage Hit Comedy BAD JEWS This January

January brings BAD JEWS to the Cygnet stage - a fierce, biting comedy about family, faith and what you choose to believe, when you're chosen.

Rob Lutfy, Associate Artistic Director, directs this Off-Broadway hit featuring the savage humor of Juilliard trained and award-winning playwright Joshua Harmon. The third most-produced play of 2015 follows the trials and tribulations of an Upper West Side family in a verbal battle royale over a family heirloom.

Bad Jews premiered in October 2013 at Roundabout's Black Box Theatre as part of the Roundabout Underground season. The initial run sold out and subsequently transferred to the bigger Laura Pels Theatre. The New York Times praised the play as the best comedy of the season.

Lutfy has cast Jewish actors to ensure authenticity and truthfulness. "There is a specific and very unique quality to the Jewish family dynamic and I wanted ensure believability in the way that families like this argue and grapple with religion and cultural identity."

Playing the self assured "Super Jew" Daphna Feygenbaum is Yale and American Conservatory Theatre trained, New York actor Danielle Frimer. New to San Diego audiences, Danielle is an actor, writer, and teacher based in Brooklyn who considers herself a "medium Jew."

Los Angeles based Josh Odsess-Rubin returns to Cygnet after appearing as Gabriel Law/AnDrew Price in 2016's When the Rain Stops Falling. Also Yale-trained, he recently made his LA debut in The Imaginary Invalid at A Noise Within and starred in The Comedy of Errors at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. According to Josh, "In a traditional sense, I'm a 'Bad Jew' in that I almost never go to temple, I don't fast or keep kosher. But I like to think I'm an 'Okay Jew' in that I try to live my life by some key ideas like the golden rule, and Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept of healing the world."

Rounding out the cast are San Diego based actors Katie Sapper and Tom Zohar.Saper returns to Cygnet after appearing in The Rocky Horror Show last season. Locally, she has performed at Moonnlight Stage Productions, La Jolla Playhouse, Lamb's Players, San Diego Rep and Diversionary. Katie has also been a storyteller at Cygnet Theatre and a teaching artist at North Coast Rep, San Diego Junior Theatre, Canyon Crest Academy, and The Old Globe. Sapper, who grew up in La Mesa, claims to be ""Good Jew ally".

Zohar, who grew up in Israel, is a regular on area stages appearing at Diversionary (recipient of Patté Award for Outstanding Performance for YANK!), Backyard Renaissance, La Jolla Playhouse, New Village Arts, Lamb's Players, North Coast Rep and Moonlight Stage Productions. According to Zohar, "Good Jew/Bad Jew? Who knows? Technically some might say I'm a Bad Jew because I don't keep kosher or observe the high holidays, I am not religious and I migrated away from the holy land when I was very young. But I am also a proponent of Jewish culture, I speak proudly on being a Jew and I am proud of my heritage."

Performances are January 12 - February 12 at Cygnet Theatre in Old Town. Show times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm and 7:00pm.

For more information regarding tickets (prices start at $36), contact the box office at 619-337-1525 or visit www.cygnettheatre.com. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office located at 4040 Twiggs Street. Discounts are available for previews, students, active-duty military, seniors and groups of 10 or more. Children 12 and under receive half-off tickets with each paid adult.

CYGNETURE EVENTS:

Social Media Night: January 20

Theater on Tap & Friday Forum w/cast: January 27

Out Night, LGBT: January 25

Wine Tasting Night: February 2

Cygnet Theatre Company produces a year-round season of professional Off-Broadway-style theatre as well as thought-provoking and engaging educational programming. Cygnet is committed to maintaining high standards of artistic and fiscal integrity, and serves more than 40,000 patrons annually from San Diego and beyond. Cygnet performs its mainstage productions at the state-of-the-Art Theatre in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. An active member of the San Diego community, Cygnet has outreach programs serving tens of thousands of students and community members annually.

Believing in the power of theatre to startle the soul, ignite debate and embrace the diversity of the community it serves, Cygnet Theatre Company is fearlessly committed to the dissection, examination and celebration of the human story through the medium of live theatre.

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