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Production Dates
Synopsis
Two marriages have seemingly little in common: Esther and Schmuli are Orthodox Jews navigating strictly defined rules and roles, while Sophie and Abe are secular and free to make their own choices. But both couples are growing apart as they strive to balance their individual identities with the families they’ve created. As Esther tests the boundaries of her personal freedom, Abe falls into a correspondence with a movie star that will shake the foundations of his marriage and career. Anna Ziegler’s funny, moving, and thoughtful play asks if following one’s truth is worth it, no matter the cost.
“As perfect a piece of theater as I’ve seen in many years. The script by Anna Ziegler is a revelation, touching on family truths, marriage, and personal histories…” – DC Theatre Scene
Cast
Jade Cash (Esther) is pumped to be making her NJT debut! You might have seen her around before; recent credits include Am I Dangerous? with Contraband Theatre Company and Madam with Fly North Theatricals. When she’s not on stage, she’s making the best coffee you’ve ever had; ask her, she’ll tell you.
Wendy Renée Greenwood (Sophie) is delighted to return to the NJT stage, where she previously appeared as Sarah in Time Stands Still. Her professional credits include work with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Upstream Theater, Max & Louie, SATE, STLAS, Mustard Seed, Insight, Prism, and St. Louis Shakespeare. Endless love and thanks to LB, Potato, GG, and the incredible cast, crew, and creative team.
Bryce A. Miller (Schmuli) is thrilled to be back at NJT after appearing last season in Trayf (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nomination). Recent credits include Stellaluna with The Rep’s Imaginary Theatre Company, and work with Moonstone Theatre (The Nerd, Theatre Circle Nomination), Upstream Theatre, The Black Rep, Metro Theatre Company, and many more! Bryce holds a BFA in Acting from Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory. All of the thanks to Rebekah and Robert for this incredible opportunity, and to the entire cast and production team. Up next: Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies with The Riverside Theatre Project in Hermann! As always, for Mom and Dad.
Joel Moses (Abe) is excited to return to NJT after appearing earlier this season in The Heidi Chronicles. Other NJT credits: Laughter on the 23rd Floor, All My Sons. He is a multiple St. Louis Theater Circle Award recipient for his work in Brontë Sister House Party (SATE) and The Christians (West End Players). St. Louis credits: the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Albion, and the Midnight Company. Regional: First Folio Theatre, 16th Street Theater, Theatre Y, and the Organic Theater Company in Chicago. Joel received his MFA in Acting from Northern Illinois University and studied abroad at the Moscow Art Theatre.
Maggie Wininger (Julia Cheever) is happy to be making her NJT debut. She’s worked with Albion, TWSTL, WEPG, among others. She’s received Circle Awards for Educating Rita (WEPG), A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur (TWSTL), and Molly Sweeny (Albion). She’s thankful for the abundant support and love from her family.
Production Team
Tony Anselmo (Electrics Supervisor) loves regularly hanging lights for NJT. In the past, he designed the lights for NJT’s production of I Now Pronounce. Tony works with many local theatre companies and some learning institutions to create art, usually through the medium of lighting. Past favorite designs include The Year of the Bicycle from Upstream Theater and Souvenir from Max and Louie Productions.
Kathryn Ballard (Production Stage Manager) was most recently with NJT stage managing The Heidi Chronicles. Previous productions with NJT include All My Sons, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and The How and The Why. Locally, she has worked with Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, STAGES St. Louis, The Rep, ITC, Historyonics, KETC/Channel 9, MUNY 1st Stage, and The Black Rep. Regional credits include the Barter Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Horse Cave Theatre, Nebraska Theatre Caravan, and Beuna Vista Productions.
Michelle Friedman Siler (Costume Designer) has been designing costumes for NJT since 2001, productions including Cabaret, First Date, Trayf, Red, We All Fall Down, All My Sons, Into the Woods, The Immigrant (St. Louis Theatre Circle Award Nominee), Broadway Bound, Brighton Beach Memoirs (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee) and The Whipping Man. Recent credits include The Rose Tattoo, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire for the Tennessee Williams Festival (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee), The Sound Inside (Moonstone Theatre), Hamlet, The Tempest, The Heir Apparent (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee) for St. Louis Shakespeare, Into the Breeches (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee) Shakespeare in the Streets: Winds of Change for the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Life is a Dream (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee), Bitter Fruit, A Human Being Died That Night for Upstream Theater, Blithe Spirit (St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominee) and Waiting for Godot for St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Michele was named “Best St. Louis Costume Designer” in the 2016 Post-Dispatch GO! List and was named a 2022 “Unsung Hero” by the St. Louis Jewish Light.
Emma Glose (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at NJT! She is a theatre artist who graduated from Saint Louis University. She has previously worked with St. Louis Actors Studio, NJT, ERA, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, SATE, and Tennessee Williams Festival Saint Louis in multiple capacities. Thank you for supporting live theatre!
Reiko Huggman (Scenic Design) (She/Her/Hers) is excited to be participating in The Wanderers and get to collaborate and support the work of talented artists. Reiko Huffman currently works as an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she instructs both graduate and undergraduate students in their theatrical design studies. Upcoming credits include Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville at NJT, The Mountaintop at The Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, and an adaptation of Richard III with Shakespeare in the Streets in East St. Louis.
Jack Kalan (Electrician) is a local Lighting Designer as well as an Actor and Fight Choreographer who strives to tell truthful stories on and off the stage. Jack has been working lighting events for over a decade and is thrilled to be a part of helping this production come to life! He has worked all over the STL area and beyond, working with companies like Leverage Dance Co., Resilience Dance Co., The Fringe Festival STL, Art’s Mission Oak-Cliff (Dallas), Moody Performance Hall (Dallas), and more. Check him out on Instagram for the latest updates. @JackKalan
Jayson Lawshee (Lighting Designer)
Paige Martin Reynolds (Dramaturg) (she/her), an interdisciplinary theatre artist, is honored to be this production’s dramaturg! For over a decade, Paige supervised the Dramaturgy Internship Program she established for Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Other regional dramaturgy credits include: Hamlet, Henry V, and Macbeth (Arkansas Repertory Theatre). Favorite performance credits include: The Winter’s Tale, Hamlet, King Lear, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Vinegar Tom, A Streetcar Named Desire, Murder on the Nile, and Footloose. Paige holds a PhD (specializing in Shakespeare), is a professor at the University of Central Arkansas, and is the author of Performing Shakespeare’s Women: Playing Dead (Bloomsbury Arden, 2019).
Katie Orr (Props Supervisor) is a designer, painter, theatre-marketing aficionado, and graduate from Stephens College. As a theatre advocate and native St. Louisan, it’s her passion to highlight local theatre. Though she is a designer/technician for many companies in the St. Louis community, she now resides full-time as the Technical Director for DaySpring Arts & Education. Some design credits include: Into the Woods (NJT), Spells of the Sea (Metro Theatre Company), Proof (Moonstone Theater Company), Forgottonia (Fly North Theatricals), Newsies (Missouri Baptist University). www.katiemicorr.com
Abby Pastorello (Wardrobe Supervisor) is the current resident Costume Designer for STLCC, Meramec Theatre. She wants to thank her friends for their endless love and support in pursuing her passion. Favorite past credits for design include: Legally Blonde (Ignite Theatre Company), Wizard of Oz (Cor Jesu Academy), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Boeing Boeing, (KTG), James and the Giant Peach, Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, The Glass Menagerie, (STLCC), Suddenly Last Summer (TWFSTL), The Man Who Came To Dinner (AFL Winner for Outstanding Costume Design). You can stay up to date with Abby’s career @abby_pastorello_designs
Robert Quinlan (Director) is thrilled to return to NJT, where he directed Into the Woods (Saint Louis Theatre Circle Award, Best Director of a Musical). He is the Artistic Director of Illinois Shakespeare Festival, where he recently directed The Importance of Being Earnest and Twelfth Night. He heads the MFA Directing Program at Illinois State University.
Sabria S. (Board Operator) is ecstatic to be back working at the J! Favorite credits from NJT include Cabaret, Trayf, RED, and First Date! Over the past 4 years, Sabria has worked as a theater technician and designer throughout the St. Louis area. She graduated magna cum laude from SIUE with a BA in Theatre Design/Technology and Philosophy. Portfolio: sabrialx.com
Cameron Tesson (Paint Charge)
Amanda Werre (Sound Design) is excited to be back at NJT after designing All My Sons & First Date last season. Her work has been heard at companies including Moonstone Theatre Company, The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, Center of Creative Arts, Max and Louie Productions, The St. Louis Zoo, Kitchen Theatre Company, Metro Theatre Company, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Cider Mill Playhouse, Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Great Lakes Theatre. Amanda is sound design faculty at Sargent Conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri.