Press Release
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.