A Shayna Maidel Staged Reading June 18
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival presents a staged reading, directed by Dianne O’Neill, of the 1984 powerful, poignant, and relevant play A Shayna Maidel, at 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, June 18, at Temple Sinai at 509 Broadway.
The play is Barbara Lebow’s family drama about two sisters reunited after years of separation caused by the World War II Nazi Holocaust.
This play is as important today as it was when it was first performed in 1984, said Phyllis Wang, the Cultural Festival coordinator. It makes connections between past and present, especially because it underscores how vital it is to better comprehend history to best inform our future, she said.
The two sisters, Luisa and Rose, meet in 1946 after a separation of almost 20 years, one who survived the concentration camps and the other brought up in America. Rose has lived in New York for so long she has no memory of her sister Luisa and certainly no understanding of what her sister experienced in those years. It is a deeply personalized study of sisterhood, family, and a crisis of faith.
A $10 donation is requested. Registration required. A hybrid performance may be available at 7 p.m. with sufficient registration. Register at sjca.sjcf@gmail.com. Learn more at: www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org www.saratogasinai.org. es a stop at The Great Hall at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, on Sunday, Oct. 15.
Patel, named as one of Variety’s prestigious “10 Comics To Watch” of 2023, has charted a path from sold out comedy clubs to major theaters. His most recent self-produced special “Lucky Lefty” about his experience having testicular cancer “for three business days” is his third in the past two years.
His first writing job came after Chris Rock saw him perform standup and hired him directly to write for The Academy Awards in 2016 and tour with him. Since then, he has written for “Saturday Night Live,” “A Little Late with Lilly Singh,” The White House Correspondents Dinner, and was a producer for “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”
General on-sale begins on Friday, June 16 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com.