SEX AND THE HOLY LAND is the tale of Lili’s plunge into a stereotype-shattering sexploration of Israel. Her two best friends and a string of Middle Eastern men lead Lili out of slavery from the Greek Chorus of Jewish Mothers in her mind. It is a coming of age comedy about liberation, religion, and love.

Written by Melanie Zoey Weinstein
Directed by Lee Gundersheimer

Featuring Adam Gerber, Sivan Hadari, Zack Imbrogno, Ruby Joy, Adrian Kelly, Lyssa Mandel, Sarah-Doe Osborne,* Susan Slatin, Michelle Slonim, Gabriel Sloyer, Melanie Zoey Weinstein, Goldie Zwiebel*

SoHo Playhouse
15 Vandam Street
New York, NY 10013
Take the C, E to Spring or 1 to Houston

Friday, September 11 at 7pm
Saturday, September 12 at 2pm
Saturday, September 12 at 10:30pm
Sunday, September 13 at 8:30pm
Tuesday, September 22 at 8pm

Composition and Music Direction by Noah Aronson
Set, Sound, and Lighting Design by Arthur Peters
Costume Design by Kate Rusek
Stage Management by Michelle Beige

Produced by Rachel G Karp and Melanie Zoey Weinstein.

An Equity Approved Showcase
*These actors are appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rachel G. Karp / 973-902-6074 / sexandtheholyland@gmail.com

Happy Belly Productions presents
SEX AND THE HOLY LAND
What they didn’t teach you in Hebrew school

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC)
A production of The Present Company

Saturday, 8/15 at 8:15pm
Monday, 8/17 at 8:45pm
Thursday, 8/20 at 10:30pm
Monday, 8/24 at 5:15pm
Friday, 8/28 at 2:00pm

The Players Theatre
115 MacDougal Street
FringeNYC Venue #8
Take the A, B, C, D, E, F, V to West 4th

Tickets: $15, go to www.FringeNYC.org

(New York, NY- July 30, 2009) – Happy Belly Productions is proud to present the WORLD PREMIERE of SEX AND THE HOLY LAND at the 13th annual New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC). Written by Melanie Zoey Weinstein, SEX AND THE HOLY LAND is based on Melanie’s own journey of sexual and spiritual awakening in Israel.

SEX AND THE HOLY LAND is the tale of Lili’s plunge into a stereotype-shattering sexploration of Israel. Her two best friends and a string of Middle Eastern men lead Lili out of enslavement by the Greek Chorus of Jewish Mothers ruling in her mind. It is a coming of age comedy about liberation, religion, and love.

Marking 23-year-old playwright Melanie Zoey Weinstein’s New York debut, SEX AND THE HOLY LAND was inspired by Weinstein’s study abroad experience in Tel Aviv in Spring 2007, following the Second Lebanon War. “It was a time of disillusionment and questioning for myself and many of my friends,” said Weinstein. “We were experiencing Israel for the first time as adults outside of the Jewish institutions in which we were raised.” Weinstein’s questioning coupled with an impulse to create a fresh comedic piece about Israel resulted in SEX AND THE HOLY LAND, which had its first public reading in the University of Miami Black Box Theater. “The energy of the audience was outrageous—I knew that this play had to go further than college. I needed to bring it to New York and, some day, to Israel, too,” said Weinstein.

SEX AND THE HOLY LAND features Ross Buckley, Ruby Joy, Sivan Hadari, Zack Imbrogno, Adrian Kelly, Lyssa Mandel, Sarah-Doe Osborne*, Susan Slatin, Michelle Slonim, Gabriel Sloyer, Melanie Zoey Weinstein, and Goldie Zwiebel*.

Direction by Lee Gundersheimer, Music Direction and Original Music by Noah Aronson, Production Design by Arthur Peters, Costume Design by Kate Rusek, and Stage Management by Michelle Beige. Produced by Rachel G. Karp, Robby Sandler, and Melanie Zoey Weinstein.

An Equity Approved Showcase.
*These actors are appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

Sex and the Holy Land Press Release.pdf

For press reservations, please email sexandtheholyland@gmail.com.

Special thanks to everyone who has helped support the show!

Larry and Bev Weinstein

Arlene and Hillel Karp

Aunt Lois, Uncle Ira, Nola & Michael
Al and Adele Zagofsky

Dr. Iris Drelich
Mark and Jane Shemtob

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper
Sandra Rudnitzky
Hailey Berkowitz
The Medford Family
Ilana and Paul Fishbein
Mark and Shoshana Blum
Lauren and Barry Ginsberg, Brooke and Steven, and Jonathan
Fran & Ephraim Karpel
Roana Ratner
Mr. and Mrs. Rehaut
The Doctors Mayor

ADAM GERBER (Mendel the Chassid). Graduate of The George Washington University and The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Adam is the Jewish son of two Brooklyn-raised Yiddishkite parents. Thrilled to join the wonderful cast of Sex and the Holy Land, Adam would like to give a special thanks to Zack, Melanie, his Stella family and of course “The Zoo Pack,” for their trust, love and support.

SIVAN HADARI (Israeli Third Woman) is an Isramerican. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Israel. Training includes: Alon High School for Performing Arts, Bet Zvi Conservatory, Masach Rishon Israeli Theatre Company and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Past productions: The Vagina Monologues, Manhattan Lavender, Quiet on the Set & My Pal Bette. Sivan is thrilled to be a part of Sex and the Holy Land and would like to thank her family for being so SABABA.

ZACK IMBROGNO (Eyal). NYU grad Zack Imbrogno is proud to make Sex and the Holy Land his debut performance with the Fringe Festival. He would like to thank his outstanding director, cast, and crew, as well as his family and friends for their unending support.

RUBY JOY (Chaya) graduated from NYU this past May where she performed in The Libertine, Icarus of Ohio, Right You Are . . ., The House of Yes, and King John. She is so excited and thankful to be a part of the amazing SatHL team debuting in the Fringe! Love love love to the family.

ADRIAN KELLY (Middle Eastern Man) is a New York actor who began acting his sophomore year of college in Jewish Community Theater while at school in Arizona. After his return to New York he kept it up while working in a handful of stage productions. He is currently studying at The Studio (formerly The Sally Johnson Studio).

LYSSA MANDEL (Ensemble) was most recently seen in the Old Vic New Voices Cabaret at The Public Theater. She is a student at the Maggie Flanigan Studio and has worked on staff and as an actor with LAByrinth Theater Company and Reverie Productions. She also designs one-of-a-kind and custom jewelry: NoSoapRadio.etsy.com.

SARAH-DOE OSBORNE* (Or). NY: Four Dogs and a Bone (CSV Center); Fair Game (Lion: Theater Row); A Love Letter to Odysseus (UNDER St Marks) and Him (Walkerspace). Chicago: Lettice and Lovage (Court Theater); 500 Years, 500 Miles (ATC Festival) and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (University Theater). See www.sarahdoe.com for more information.

SUSAN SLATIN (Jewish Mother 3). After 33 years as a special education teacher, Susan entered “show business.” She had supporting roles in 5 indie feature films including one shot in India, numerous short films, and some off-off Broadway theatre productions. When Susan is not acting you can find her dancing–jazz and tap. She is the proud grandmother of five.

MICHELLE SLONIM (Jewish Mother 2) is a comedic character actress and a teaching artist with Urban Arts Partnership. She was the originating lead actress in the Florida Off-Broadway production of Jewtopia. She has performed at The Williamstown Theater Festival, The Henry Street Settlement, and in various web-shows for Conde Naste, Comedy Central, and HBO. www.michelleslonim.com

GABRIEL SLOYER (Dan The Man) trained with Gardzienice Company in Poland and The Moscow Art Theater. At Yale University, Gabriel appeared as Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, and Eddie in Fool for Love. Gabriel is the recipient of the Stephen Hoenig Actors Award and the Seymour Lustman prize in the arts.

MELANIE ZOEY WEINSTEIN (Lili) graduated magna cum laude from University of Miami in 2008 with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing. Since graduating, Melanie has studied acting at Maggie Flanigan Studio. Past credits include Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is her New York debut.

GOLDIE ZWIEBEL* (Jewish Mother 1). Halie in Buried Child by Sam Shepard, Sadie Cohen in The Lower East Side Project, Sylvia Minkoff in The Bronx Balmers, Charlotta in The Cherry Orchard, Marfa / Anna in The Power Of Darkness, therapist in the Quisnos “Intervention” commercial (Comedy Central), Heady Hopper in Casper the Ghost (France), Frederica (jewelry designer) SNBC & QVC. Writer, Voice Over artist, SFX makeup artist.

NOAH ARONSON (Music Director and Composer) is a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music where he studied Jazz Composition. Since graduating, his musical pursuits have varied from composing for the NYU Musical Theatre workshop to writing television jingles. He has also written extensively in the Jewish music medium and much of his liturgical music can be heard in synagogues across the country. He is thrilled to be a part of this production and thanks his family and friends for all of their support.

MICHELLE BEIGE (Production Stage Manager) is a recent graduate of the UMiami stage management program, where she worked on many productions–including a workshop of Pride and Prejudice the Musical with Mark Lamos. Her professional credits include stage manager for Theatre on the Hill and world premiere of Alcibiades the Athenian in NYC.

LEE GUNDERSHEIMER (Director) is a writer, actor, director, and teacher based in NYC. He directed the world premiere of the OBIE-winning Three Seconds in the Key by Deb Margolin at P.S. 122 and her play Why Cleaning Fails at HERE and Dixon Place, where he also co-wrote (with Rae C. Wright) and directed The Moon in Vain. He is the author of many plays including Pas De Deux, winner of Best New American Play on Theatre Row, and Incommunicado, which opened the 1998 New Federal Theatre season and was nominated for three AUDELCO awards.

RACHEL G KARP (Producer) is a rising senior at Columbia University, majoring in Dramatic and Theatre Arts with a concentration in directing. She has previously produced A New Brain at Columbia and has served two producing internships, one at Scott Sanders Productions and one at The Play Company. She has also interned at The Public Theater, Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, and The Tank. This fall she will AD a Columbia production of Bat Boy, and in the spring she will direct Edward Bond’s Chair for her senior thesis.

ARTHUR PETERS (Production Design) was born and raised in Kansas and now lives in NYC working as a technologist and theater technician. He became interested in theater at the young age of 11 and has acted, designed, and crewed numerous shows since. His overall focus, however, is computer technologies including everything from live video projections for theater to computer programming theory.

KATE RUSEK (Costume Design) is an artist and designer born in Columbus, OH and currently resides in New York City. As a sculptor she has exhibited work in several galleries throughout south Florida including Art Basel Miami. Her design credits include several productions at the Jerry Herman Ring Theater and The New York International Fringe Festival 2008. Her costume and accessory production work has been seen on Broadway and in regional theater as well as international circus and skating tours.

MELANIE ZOEY WEINSTEIN (Writer/Producer) wrote Sex and the Holy Land at University of Miami in 2008. It is her first complete play. Dedicated to Beverly. Thank you Larry, Joshua Z and TTF. Thanks to my co-producers, Lee, and the SatHL cast.

*These actors are appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

So you can know our actors and director that much better:

Adam Gerber (Mendel the Chassid)

Sivan Hadari (Israeli Third Woman)

Zack Imbrogno (Eyal)

Ruby Joy (Chaya)

Adrian Kelly (Middle Eastern Man)

Lyssa Mandel (Ensemble)

Sarah-Doe Osborne (Or)

Susan Slatin (Jewish Mother 3)

Michelle Slonim (Jewish Mother 2)

Gabriel Sloyer (Dan the Man)

Melanie Zoey Weinstein (Lili)

Goldie Zwiebel (Jewish Mother 1)

Lee Gundersheimer (Director)

Sex and the Holy Land is rehearsing at Space On White!

81 White Street
www.spaceonwhite.com

Space on White exists to provide a comfortable environment where actors, musicians, singer/songwriters, directors, composers, dancers and creative inhabitants of New York City can better themselves as artists privately and peacefully as a family.