Hester Street

Joey: Katie Angell
Rabbi and Others/Instrumentalist: Jason Cohen*
Mamie: Eden Epstein*
Jake: Jake Horowitz*
Gitl: Sara Kapner*
Joey Understudy: Alexandra Moore
Joe Peltner: Morgan Morse*
Bernstein: Michael Perrie Jr.*
Mrs. Kavarsky and Others: Dani Stoller*
Rabbi’s Wife and Others/Instrumentalist: Lauren Jeanne Thomas*

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theater, Theater J, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Playwright/Adapter: Sharyn Rothstein
Original Music And Songs: Joel Waggoner
Based on the film by Joan Micklin Silver and Abraham Cahan
Produced in association with Michael Rabinowitz and Ira Deutchman

Director: Oliver Butler^
Associate Director & Choreographer: Nikki Mirza
Scenic Designer: Wilson Chin+
Costume Designer: Frank Labovitz
Lighting Designer: Colin K. Bills+
Projection Designer: Patrick W. Lord
Sound Designer: Justin Schmitz+
Props Designer: Jason Dearing
Casting: Eisenberg Casting, Daryl Eisenberg, CSA
Casting Assistant: Chelsi Kern
Production Stage Manager: Anthony O. Bullock*
Assistant Stage Manager: Rebecca Talisman*
Assistant Stage Manager: Delaney Dunster

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theater, Theater J, and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
+Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
^Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Michele and Allan Berman
James Beller and Christopher Wolf
Myrna Fawcett
James A. Feldman and Natalie Wexler
David and Patricia Fisher
Mindy Gasthalter
Ann Gilbert
Cheryl Gorelick
Meg and John Hauge
Daniel Hirsch and Brenda Gruss
Marion Ein Lewin
Paul and Zena Mason
Jeff Menick
Howard Menaker and Patrick Gossett
Carl and Undine Nash
Mita M. Schaffer and Tina M. Martin
Les Silverman
Richard Solloway
Stuart Sotsky
Manny Strauss and Betsy Karmin
Martha Winter Gross and Robert Tracy

Hester Street tells the story of 19th century Jewish immigrants arriving in New York through the famed Ellis Island. Washington, DC is the fifth most Jewish city in the country today, with almost 300,000 Jews living in the DMV – but without a widely heard Ellis Island-type narrative. This panel, presented with the Capital Jewish Museum and HIAS, illuminates the history of DC’s Jewish immigrants and how they arrived in the DMV, before discussing the issues DC-area immigrants are facing today.

Featured Panelists:

• Jonathan Edelman, Collections Curator at the Capital Jewish Museum
• Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at HIAS

Hester Street is a story of adaptation – it’s a play adapted from a book and film with characters adapting to new countries, cultures, and customs. Yiddish, spoken throughout the play, is a language of adaptation – combining German, Hebrew, and more, to create a sound all of its own – a sound you may not hear too often anymore outside of certain Jewish spaces. Come join Yiddish experts as they respond to the play and dive into questions surrounding adaptation, how Yiddish is used within Hester Street, and what role Yiddish has yet to play in the world around us.

Featured Panelists:

• Dr. Miriam Isaacs, Retired Affiliate Visiting Associate Professor of Yiddish Language and Culture, University of Maryland.
• Dr. Lauren B. Strauss, professor of modern Jewish history, specializing in American Jewish cultural and political history. 

Sponsored by Bob and Helene Schlossberg.