Past Productions
Women In Theater's past productions include: Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, Modern Jewish Family (an original musical based on vignettes written by mothers, daughters, sisters, friends about the trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows of living a modern Jewish life), Untangled (a fun, family friendly musical inspired by Disney's Tangled) , our original musical Raquela: The Birth of Israel, Andrew Lloyd Weber's Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and our latest production of Fiddler on The Roof.
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Fiddler on the Roof 2018
Fiddler on the Roof, a Broadway classic, tells the universal and timeless story of family, community and of course tradition. Though we at WIT are able to connect on a personal level because many of our ancestors actually lived the story of Fiddler, he story surpasses the bounds of Eastern European Jewry and rests in the heart of anyone who has experienced family, love and loss,
and the challenge of holding steadfastly to the old and familiar while allowing new and sometimes frightening ideas to enter our lives.
In order to fully connect with our characters and our understanding of the time period, our staff and actors were encouraged to delve into their own families’ histories and traditions. We found connections we did not know existed, and united in our understanding of our shared past and present. We also created our own traditions booklet (which is available for perusal by clicking on the Traditions Book on our home page), detailing our families’ histories, complete with personal anecdotes and pictures. It was a rewarding experience to learn, share and connect while embracing our characters through a deeper understanding of their reality.
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Fiddler on the Roof performed January 11th, 18th, 31st, and February 1st 2018
Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 2017
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s exciting musical explores the complexities and intrigue of the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers. In producing and performing this musical, our vision at WIT was reinforced with the ideas that dreaming big and following through can lead to life changing realities.
The humoristic look at sibling rivalry, the heartwarming reunification of parent and child and the adventurous and intriguing story of rags to riches and slave to savior all told according to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s brilliant music and lyrics was entertaining and inspiring to all.
Our simultaneous educational program allowed our staff and participants to internalize the story of Joseph and his brothers on personal and national levels. We looked closely at the geography of the Biblical land of Israel and how these places translate to our literal present-day backyards. We delved into understanding of the Hebrew texts in parallel with modern Hebrew and studied how our language is effected by Biblical language. Our olim and sabras walked away with a newfound understanding of the story of Joseph which further contributed to our portrayal of the characters in the musical.
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Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat performed January 10th, 19th, 22nd, 2017
Raquela: The Birth of Israel 2015
"We have the responsibility to make sure that never again will our independence be destroyed and never again will the Jew become homeless and defenseless." -Menachem Begin
Our musical is a chance to raise our voices and tell the story of our journey from being victims to victory. Please join our mission (and show solidarity with Israel) ensuring that we never forget our united heritage.
Raquela: The Birth of Israel is a new Musical based on the life of a ninth-generation Jerusalemite, Raquela Prywes (nee Levy). The musical follows the story of Raquela from the years prior to WWII up through the establishment of the State of Israel. Raquela came of age as Israel came of age.
A nurse and later a midwife, Raquela courageously helped deliver babies of Holocaust survivors in the Atlit detention camp as well as the detention camp in Cyprus. Her redemptive labor, helped mend the tattered dreams of the survivors. The play juxtaposes the new immigrants struggle for survival and renewal with Raquela’s desire to assist others and make a difference.
Through music, pathos and inspiration, Raquela’s story is intended to empower women to take action in their own lives and effect the lives of those they encounter. In the face of adversity, Raquela’s quest prompts a new generation to use their voice and talent to influence, advance and improve the world around them. Raquela’s life reminds the audience that the choices we make can bring life and joy into this world and even help give birth to an entire nation.
Raquela: The Birth of Israel performed December 23rd-24th, 2015.
Untangled 2013
Modiin's Women In Theater presented the musical Untangled - a modern take on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel.
The coinciding journeys of fun loving characters add up to an entertaining, “hair-raising”, musical adventure.
“This is a story of a young girl intent on achieving her dreams,” says director Pnina Fredman-Schechter. “Fittingly, our theatre group’s goal is to give talented women and youth the opportunity to utilize their talents and fulfill their artistic dreams.
"It was absolutely amazingly wonderful. I am so happy I went and so happy you did one in [Jerusalem]! Pls pass on to whomever would want to hear feedback that it was so impressive and I loved every minute!"
Dear WIT-
I want to take this opportunity to say thank you for the wonderful experience that you gave [my daughter]. It was an incredible journey that gave her so much, she loved every moment of being part of the production.
I took my girls to two of the plays and it is so wonderful to see the talent that each and every one of you and the cast possesses. We look forward to many more productions – albeit none of you can think about that the day after.
Modern Jewish Family 2012
To create this production - WIT (Women in Theatre) began with a blank page and a desire to create a theatre performance about the roles that we play offstage-in our real lives. Over the course of a few meetings, infused with improvisations and giddy discussions, the women in our group wrote monologues and scenes about our daily existence. We edited the written work and then we added music and songs that reflected the themes of our devised play.
We performed this initial set of vignettes, called "To Life" as a fundraiser for
Hadassa women. It was very well received and everyone – performers as well as the audience – was eager for more.
As a result, Pnina, Tamar and Ninoska began to further edit the vignettes, add new ideas and flesh out the characters. A second, full production of “To Life” was performed in Chashmonaim as a fundraiser for AMIT women.
Finally, the decision was made to change the vignette style and turn the material into an actual play about a “Modern Jewish Family”. The play was performed in Raanana and Beit Shemesh. Audiences laughed and cried as they experienced art imitating life.
"I laugh so hard, I felt as if you had hidden cameras in my house... that's my life up there on stage!"
To Life 2011
“To Life” is a collection of original monologues, dialogues and scenes written by our cast. The play was a blend of engaging, funny, challenging and whimsical experiences that are all apart of life.
"To Life" was a celebration of the ever evolving roles that women play in our daily lives as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and nurturers.
"To Life" was presented in collaboration and support of AMIT Women. AMIT and WIT share the goal of realizing individual potential as a means of improving society.
“To Life!" Where everyone is a storyteller and every story is a window into the extraordinary spirit of women's lives.
"I came out tonight to support my local Women In Theater I DID NOT expect to have enjoyed the performance as much as i did, I felt like I was at a great off-broadway show."
Into the Woods 2009
Into the Woods, by Steven Sondheim, was the first full scale production staged by Women in Theater. Fittingly our first production was about wish fulfillment and taking action. Early in the play the baker's wife commands "if you know what you want, then you go and you find it and you get it". Life however is never as simple as that, so for those who struggle to get what they need the play answers "no one is alone". Through this production, we challenged our audience to use their strengths, set goals and improve their world.