I KID YOU NOSH!

Jun 18, 2023 - Jun 22, 2023 | Studio

Written and Directed by Adina Katz
Musical Direction by Nick Burgess
Inspired by stories and songs from the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre Community



A new DWYT original production!
At a lively cast party in Montreal, Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre actors reminisce about the good times and perform delicious numbers inspired by nostalgia and anecdotes about their favourite foods.

I Kid You Nosh!  is an original multilingual musical comedy, inspired by true stories from the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre community. It’s all topped with a medley of known songs and a dash of vignettes related to the joy of Ashkenazi Jewish foods and its ties to culture, family, memories, and being together. 

Our DWYT players are talented performers, but their true characters really shine after the curtains close, and it’s time to sing, dance, kibitz, and schmooze it up. The production will be in Yiddish, English, and a sprinkle of French, Hebrew, and Ladino to taste.

With English supertitles. 

DWYT’S NOTE
When the curtain comes down on the last show, the DWYT doesn’t go home... we party!!! I Kid You Nosh!, brilliantly conceived, written and directed by Adina Katz, gives the audience a peek into the beloved theatre tradition of a cast party. Fasten your seatbelts and loosen your pant belts as we shmooze, eat, sing and reminisce about food in Yiddish, English, French, Hebrew and Ladino. This show will warm your heart and make your stomach growl. Enjoy!

A NOTE FROM THE WRITER/DIRECTOR
Tradition. Family. Togetherness. Comfort. History. Memories. Moments. Laughter. Love…

These are some of the themes that immediately crossed my mind when the Segal Centre invited me to create a new show using published songs about Jewish foods, in combination with original text I would write, inspired by our beloved Yiddish Theatre community.

It seemed obvious to me to set this show at one of our closing night get togethers, a.k.a. a cast party where anyone who’s ever been in a Yiddish theatre show is invited. We typically laugh, sing, reminisce, rejoice, and of course, have a nosh; this platform was a perfect way to plate our lively and delectable content.

Being together always feels special- which it is, though, the feelings of being connected to a community is not entirely unique. Whether it is a shared culture, history, hobby, set of values, or even simply a group of friends who have known each other for a while, the bonding and comfort we find by being together can provide a deep sense of belonging and strength, not to mention, fun! We don’t have to be blood-related to be family.

Our foods are like another member of our family: we love having them at our table, and sometimes feel a little sick if we spend too much time with them. I kid, I kid… we want more! When it comes to Jewish cuisine, Montreal bagels and smoked meat are some of our stars. These foods that were brought here by Jewish immigrants, are now part of this city’s famous flavour. You also can’t imagine celebrating a Jewish holiday without traditional dishes either- okay fine, maybe not Yom Kippur, but I digress… Many of these Jewish dishes are objectively delicious (yes I can say that), and some might be considered strange, but understanding why they exist in the first place and why we continue to make them, provides the context and meaning which makes them even more palatable.

Speaking of Montreal’s rich heritage, we feel very grateful for The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre; it is loved and cherished by the community’s performers, audience members, and even late night restaurant staff who hosted our post-rehearsal-refuelling sessions. Okay, maybe we wore the latter out and sometimes overstayed our welcome, but I’m sure we brought some entertainment nevertheless.

Though the recipe for this production specifically includes Jewish foods, music, skits, and heritage through the eyes of our Yiddish Theatre members and their nostalgia, I hope that a play where people are enjoying one another’s company while savouring comfort food and warm memories, is something that will resonate with any audience member and elicit uplifting feelings.

Thank you to our audience for joining us, and continuing to support our cherished theatre, where it is always our goal to connect with you through our voices, through our songs, and through our stories. Thank you to our tremendous team at the Segal Centre and to our DWYT volunteers on and off stage, for your time, commitment, talents, and passion for our art and culture.

On a personal note, it has been a pleasure being a member of this community. My involvement dates back only twenty years ago; I feel like it’s just the beginning. It is a great honour to contribute to this company’s body of artistic work, and I am grateful for the opportunity to cook up this new creation. I hope you savour every morsel, I Kid You Nosh!

Adina Katz



CAST (in alphabetical order)
Yaffa – Salomé Assor
Devora – Cheryl Blum
Miri – Maia Cooper
Aliyah – Mia Cooperman
Sari – Kinneret Finegold
Ronny – Billy Finkelstein
Ruthy – Keila Finkelstein
Gili – Dan Goldstein
Neta – Eliane Goldstein
Reuben – Jonathan Goldstein
Rose – Michelle Heisler
Ari – Barry Kaufman
Marcy – Betty Kis Marer
Micah – Bram Lackman-Mincoff
Tovah – Jodi Lackman
Sheyndy – Bronna Levy
Berl – Burney Lieberman
Esther – Chana Orenstein
Noah – David Peterman
“Hardy Har” Harry – Jack (Yankel) Rudnicki
Rivke – Tzina Schulman
Chaim – Sam Stein
Sunky – Stan Unger

 

CREATIVE TEAM 
Director – Adina Katz
Musical Director – Nick Burgess
Choreographer – Debora Friedmann
Stage Manager – Jeremy Pinchuk
Assistant Stage Manager – Abi Sanie
Apprentice Stage Managers – Orion Hausknost & Samuel Hockenstein
Yiddish Language Diction Coaches – Bronna Levy, Jeremy Pinchuk & Sam Stein
Dramaturg and Yiddish Script Consultant – Bronna Levy

 

 



BAND
Band Leader / Keyboard – Nick Burgess
Bass – Mike De Masi
Drums – Parker Bert

 

TECHNICAL TEAM

Head Technician, Studio & Head of Lighting – Natalie Demmon
Sound Operator & Mixer – Jeremy Barrs
Supertitle Operator – Veronica Schnitzer
Costume Designer – Louise Bourret
Set-Up and Strike Crew – Evan Brown, Catherine Sargent, Steve Schön, Shawn Stroud

 

SPECIAL THANKS
Barbara Seal, C.M., Efim Chorny and the volunteers of the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre Archives



CAST


Salome Assor

Salome Assor

Yaffa

Cheryl Blum

Cheryl Blum

Devora

Maia Cooper

Maia Cooper

Miri

Mia Cooperman

Mia Cooperman

Aliyah

Kinneret Finegold

Kinneret Finegold

Sari

Billy Finkelstein

Billy Finkelstein

Ronny

Keila Finkelstein

Keila Finkelstein

Ruthy

Dan Goldstein

Dan Goldstein

Gili

Eliane Goldstein

Eliane Goldstein

Neta

Jonathan Goldstein

Jonathan Goldstein

Reuben

Michelle Heisler

Michelle Heisler

Rose

Barry Kaufman

Barry Kaufman

Ari

Betty Kis Marer

Betty Kis Marer

Marcy

Bram Lackman-Mincoff

Bram Lackman-Mincoff

Micah

Jodi Lackman

Jodi Lackman

Tovah

Bronna Levy

Bronna Levy

Sheyndy

Burney Lieberman

Burney Lieberman

Berl

Chana Orenstein

Chana Orenstein

Esther

David Peterman

David Peterman

Noah

Jack (Yankel) Rudnicki

Jack (Yankel) Rudnicki

“Hardy Har” Harry

Tzina Schulman

Tzina Schulman

Rivke

Sam Stein

Sam Stein

Chaim

Stan Unger

Stan Unger

Sunky

CREATIVE TEAM


Adina Katz

Adina Katz

Playwright & Director

Nick Burgess

Nick Burgess

Musical Direction

Debora Friedmann

Debora Friedmann

Choreographer

Jeremy Pinchuk

Jeremy Pinchuk

Stage Manager

Abi Sanie

Abi Sanie

Assistant Stage Manager