In An Orem Shtibele
SEGAL ACADEMY presents
YAYA'S
production of

Adapted by Michelle Heisler
Based on the book It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach
THURSDAY, JUNE 9 and FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022
SYNOPSIS
When poor, unfortunate Motl can no longer endure his cramped, noisy, impoverished existence, he seeks out the wisdom of Rabbi Elimeylekh, who instructs him to do some very strange things. Chaos reigns as Motl and his family try in vain to follow their rabbi’s instructions. But things may not be as quite bad as they seem. Based on the children’s story, It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zamech, In an Orem Shtibele is a story about perspective. Through Motl, we learn that even when life seems unbearable, we need to reflect on all the ways it could be worse. If we shift our thinking we can concretely change our experience of the world for the better.
WELCOME NOTE
To say we are beyond excited to be back on stage is an understatement! The year did not come without its extreme challenges, but we all rose to the occasion and can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on. Art Education is even more vital during these challenging times: it helps reinforce how important teamwork and community is, it helps develop a variety of social skills, it helps children take risks and gently pushes them outside their comfort zones. We truly hope you have seen a positive change in your children over the course of this year. Our raison d’être at the Academy is to nurture the love of Arts for the next generation, strengthen our students sense of self-worth and to enjoy the countless benefits in expressing themselves through performance.
We want to thank you, the parents, for accommodating our rehearsal schedules and helping your children prepare. We could not have done it without you! We have been working tirelessly all year to bring these shows to you and look forward to enjoying many more entertaining occasions together in the future.
Enjoy the show!
Liana Wiener, Director of the Academy
CREATIVE TEAM
Director
MICHELLE HEISLER
Musical Director
KYLA SMITH
Class Assistant
MEGAN FISHER
Production Assistant
ANNA CHUPRUN
CAST
(in alphabetical order)
Narrator
ABIGAIL BENMERGUI
Khanele
CLARA BENMERGUI
Motl
LILY BRENDER-HACHÉ
Shoshana, Tzipi (The Goat)
RUBY CALE
Hendl (An Ox), Fayvish (The Horse)
ARIELLA DAHAN
Freydl, Dudl (A Chicken)
HADAR FINEGOLD
Rabbi Elimeylekh
JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN
Hudl (A Chicken), Mendl (An Ox)
TALIA GOLDSTEIN
Perl
MYRIAM HOLLANDER
Bubbe Bryna
TZINA SCHULMAN
PRODUCTION TEAM
Costume Designer and Dresser
ELISABETH DE MEDEIROS
Costume Assistant
RACHEL QUINTERO FAIA
Head Technician, Studio & Head of Lighting
NATALIE DEMMON
Head of Sound
EVAN BROWN
Head Carpenter
STEVE SCHÖN
Head Scenic Painter
WILLIAM PATRICK
Head of Props
RACHEL-ANNE GERMINARIO
Set-Up and Strike Crew
GORDON BARNETT, LETICIA CHICOINE, MILES KEILY-BAXTER & DAVID PALUCH
SEGAL CENTRE TEAM
Artistic & Executive Director
LISA RUBIN
Director of the Academy
LIANA WIENER
Director of Development
JESSICA YAFFE
Associate Producer
PAUL BRIAN IMPERIAL
Wardrobe Coordinator
ELISABETH DE MEDEIROS