The Koffler Centre of the Arts today announced public programs and final casting for the Toronto premiere of Joshua Harmon’s Bad Jews. Julia Vally joins the cast in the role of Melody for this “exhilaratingly abrasive” play exploring family, faith, and legacy as seen through the eyes of its Millennial protagonists (Daily Telegraph). Tickets for Bad Jews are available online at kofflerarts.org or by phone at 647-925-0643.

Bursting with crisp, fast-paced dialogue, Bad Jews is “delicious, nasty fun” (New York Post) that is as thought-provoking and poignant as it is viciously funny. After the death of their beloved grandfather, three twentysomething cousins gather in a cramped Manhattan apartment and fight over a precious family heirloom, learning there is much more at stake than who gets what.

In one corner is Daphna Feygenbam (Rebecca Applebaum), a “real Jew” who is volatile, self-assured, and unbending. In the other is her equally stubborn cousin Liam (Kristopher Turner), a secular and entitled young man who has his “shiksa” girlfriend, Melody (Julia Vally), in tow. Stuck in the middle is Liam’s brother, Jonah (Daniel Krantz), who tries to stay out of the fray. When Liam stakes claim to a pendant their grandfather carried through the Holocaust, a fierce and hilarious brawl ensues.

“If you’re a young Jewish person who’s engaged at all with your religion, you’ve met people from all sides of the spectrum. You’ve met people who are incredibly invested in it, and people who are incredibly dismissive of it, and everything in between. Those are things I’ve been around,” said Joshua Harmon in a New York Times interview about Bad Jews.

Premiered in New York in 2012, Bad Jews has become one of the most produced plays in the United States and is one of the most frequently produced plays in the world, earning critical acclaim from London to Sydney.

“The richness of the play is in the flamboyant vitriol of the language and the dysfunctional gusto of the characters.” — LA Times

“[In] Joshua Harmon’s strikingly perceptive comedy with claws, Daphna is one of the most memorable characters to come down the pike in some time.” — Backstage

“Equal parts brains and brawl, Joshua Harmon’s play isn’t a textbook comedy of hostility, but a smart, divisive conversation starter.” —New York Post

“Superlative…scaldingly funny” — Daily Telegraph

“Delectably savage humor” — The New York Times

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Post-Show Talkbacks

Following each of the ten performances, the Koffler presents audience talkbacks hosted by Koffler Salon host Nick Hutcheson, and writer and cultural historian Eric Beck Rubin, together with members of the Bad Jews cast and creative team. These post-performance conversations will explore audience reaction to questions raised in the play, including how the characters relate to their own personal heritage and history.

Life in Orchestra

Director Michèle Lonsdale-Smith leads the cast of Bad Jews alongside other actors in Life in Orchestra, a live one-hour theatrical installation that will be open to the public in the Koffler Gallery. Inspired by the legendary Lee Strasberg’s Relaxation technique, this drama process uses all five senses to prepare the actors and encourage them to approach their work with complete vulnerability and authenticity. For the audience, this behind-the-scenes experience is often visceral and profoundly moving. Life in Orchestra will be presented on Saturday, May 27th, 5 PM; Thursday, June 1, 6 PM; Friday, June 2, 6 PM; and Saturday, June 3, 5 PM.

BAD JEWS PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Thursday, May 25, 2017: 8 PM Preview

Friday, May 26, 2017: 8 PM Opening Night

Saturday, May 27, 2017: 2 PM matinee & 8 PM evening

Sunday, May 28, 2017: 2 PM

Thursday, June 1, 2017: 8 PM

Friday, June 2, 2017: 8 PM

Saturday, June 3, 2017: 2 PM & 8 PM

Sunday, June 4, 2017: 2 PM

Ticket prices: $30 adult | $25 youth/senior/arts worker