The Jewish Plays Project (JPP), led by Artistic Director David Winitsky, proudly announces that The Last Yiddish Speaker by Deborah Zoe Laufer has won the 13th National Jewish Playwriting Contest. This magical-realist dystopia, set in a fictional future where the January 6 insurrection succeeded, was chosen by over 100 artists and 800 audience members from the Bay Area, Boston, Houston, Chicago, Fairfax, Hartford, Tel Aviv, and New York City from over 320 submissions from 30 states and five countries.
The Last Yiddish Speaker explores safety, language, food, history, tradition, and what it takes to resist. In a post-insurrection America, an ancient Yiddish-speaking woman is left on Hannah and Paul’s doorstep with a note that says “It’s your turn to hide her.” Will they protect her or save themselves?
The author, Deborah Zoe Laufer, is an award-winning playwright and Julliard graduate from Mount Kisco, NY. She is an accomplished playwright whose works often delve into thought-provoking themes. Laufer expressed gratitude for the support and community provided by the JPP, noting the play’s relevance to current societal anxieties and the importance of vibrant Jewish stories.
Part of The Festival of New Jewish Plays running Thursday, August 15 through Saturday, August 17
Produced by Berkshire Theatre Group, Jewish Plays Project and plays2gather
The transformative power of the performing arts is able to illuminate, instill hope and nurture empathy. Teaming up with the esteemed Jewish Plays Project (JPP) and plays2gather (p2g), we present an immersive three-day experience celebrating the depth and diversity of Jewish theatre from near and far