April 30 - May 22, 2016

By Joshua Harmon
Directed by Hayley Finn

Individual Producers
Larry and Honey Zelle

Producers Circle
Ann Wynia

Conflicts over family, faith and identity explode in this edgy, new comedy. Crammed in a Manhattan apartment the night after their grandfather’s funeral, two cousins face off in a battle to inherit a family heirloom. First in the ring – college senior Daphna, who oozes “Super Jew” from her upcoming rabbinical studies to her Israeli boyfriend. Her opponent is Liam, a secular and entitled grad student who arrives with shiksa girlfriend Melody in tow. Shoving Liam’s younger brother Jonah into the impossible position of peacemaker, the rivals argue and try to outwit each other to an unexpected end.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund; and by a grant from Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s Opportunity Fund.

Doorways Programs for Bad Jews

CLE: Rules of Inheritance | Sunday, May 1

In this continuing legal education seminar, a featured panel of experts will discuss issues around inheritance, interweaving the perspectives of civil law, Jewish law and tradition, and the impact on families themselves. Panelists include attorneys Steve Brand and Marshall Tanick, marriage and family therapist Beth Johnson, and Rabbi Alan Shavit-Lonstein, founding Director of By the Rivers, a multi-faith life cycle + learning center. Moderated by attorney Phil Goldman following the 1:00 p.m. performance. (1 CLE credit applied for; must attend performance and CLE for credit). 

Family Slam | Tuesday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Got family drama? Tell your story of family rivalry and strife to our guest judges in 5 minutes or less and win fun prizes. Sign up / enjoy free nosh from Common Roots Cafe at 6:30 p.m., story slam at 7:00 p.m. Slots for slammers are limited so arrive early!

20s & 30s Night | Thursday, May 12

Young and Jewish? Call for your discounted ticket to Bad Jews—just $15—and stay after the show to mingle with the cast. 20s & 30s Night at MJTC is made possible by support from the Frankel and Hurwitz Family and the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul, with thanks to participating community partner Beth Jacob Congregation.

Meet the Cast

Michael Hanna (Liam Haber) appears at MJTC for the first time. He is currently playing Romeo in Park Square Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet. His most recent theater credits include Collide Theatrical (Dracula), Workhaus Collective (The Reagan Years), Illusion Theater (Yussel the Muscle), Guthrie Theater (My Fair Lady, Born Yesterday, Those Who Favor Fire), and Mixed Blood Theatre (Stars and Stripes).  He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program.

Adelin Phelps (Melody) makes her debut at MJTC. She most recently appeared in Watermelon Hill at History Theatre. Other credits include Theater Latté Da (Lullaby),  Theatre Forever (The Nature Crown, The King is Dead), Dark & Stormy Productions (The Drunken City), Park Square Theatre (King Lear), Illusion Theater/Transatlantic Love Affair (Ballad of the Pale Fisherman, Red Resurrected, These Old Shoes, Ash Land), and Walking Shadow Theatre Company (Compleat Female Stage Beauty). She holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Coe College.

Miriam Schwartz (Daphna Feygenbaum) was previously seen in Becoming Dr. Ruth, Jericho, and Handle With Care. Other theater credits include Walking Shadow Theatre Company (Gabriel), 7th House Theater (Cinephillia), Workhaus Collective (Homegrown, The Hollow), Guthrie Theater (Born Yesterday), and Theatre Forever (The Brutes), as well as roles including Sonya in Uncle Vanya, Jenny in In Game or Real, and multiple roles in Clandestino. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program.

Michael Torsch (Jonah Haber) returns to MJTC, after appearing in The Twenty-Seventh Man, Jericho and New Jerusalem. He is a co-founder of Sheep Theater. He has also worked with Cromulent Shakespeare Company, Workhouse Collective, and is currently directing the Hennepin County Library's 2016 Northern Spark submission, Night Library. He will appear this July in George at Bedlam Lowertown. 

Meet the Artists

Hayley Finn (Director) is Associate Artistic Director at the Playwrights’ Center. She directed Rose, The History of Invulnerability, Compulsion or the House Behind, The Last Word..., Handle With Care, and The Gospel According to Jerry at MJTC. Other theaters she has directed at include Cherry Lane Theatre, History Theatre, New Dramatists, The O’Neill, The Public, Vineyard Theatre, Walker Art Center, Workhaus Collective, and Nine Gates Festival-Prague. She has assistant directed Tony Award-winning productions, is a recipient of the Ruth Easton Fellowship, Drama League Fellowship, TCG New Generations Future Leader grant, and received her B.A. and M.A. from Brown University.

Michael Hoover (Scenic Design) returns to MJTC, having designed The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, The Twenty-Seventh Man, Jericho and Stars of David. Michael designs sets locally for many theaters, including Juno and the Paycock (co-designer) and Choir Boy at Guthrie Theater. Other stage design credits include Park Square Theatre, History Theatre, Theater Latté Da, and Torch Theater. In addition to his freelance career as a scenic designer, Michael is on staff as the Lead Scenic Artist at the Guthrie Theater.

Liz Josheff Busa (Costume Design) has previously designed for MJTC in The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Jericho and Stars of David. As well as being a freelance designer, she is a Red Eye Theater company member where she has collaborated on over 40 productions.  Her theater work includes costume, set, and projection design. In addition, she has designed for film and television, and has worked in arts education as a teaching artist.

Paul Epton (Lighting Design) discovered theater lighting at Carleton College and was an award-winning designer in Detroit. Since moving to Minneapolis, he’s designed regularly for MJTC (over 50 shows, including Stars of David, My Name is Asher Lev, The Triangle Factory Fire Project, Old Wicked Songs), Mixed Blood Theatre (In the Time of the Butterflies, Ruined), Off-Leash Area (Maggie’s Brain, Psst!), Torch Theater (Turn of the Screw, Dancing at Lughnasa), and Day Trippers, among others. 

Andrew Lee Dolan (Sound Design) most recently sound designed at Red Eye Theater for The Slow Motion Carnival and My Life is All But Over. His design work has been featured at Bank of Ireland Theatre, Town Hall Theatre, Galway Arts Centre, and the Múscailt Arts Festival in Galway, Ireland as well as The Mütter Museum (Philadelphia, PA), Fairfield University (Connecticut), and Bryant Lake Bowl locally. He has been a guest artist in sound and performance at Fairfield University and Century College. 

Robert J. Smith (Properties Design) has designed props for MJTC’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, The Chanukah Guest, Jericho and New Jerusalem. He's designed props for 21 shows at Theatre in the Round, most recently for Fahrenheit 451, Black Coffee and Treasure Island, and stage-managed 3 shows. Other local credits include Gray Space, Starting Gate,  Tedious Brief Productions and Walking Shadow Theatre Company. In Salt Lake City, he was resident stage manager for the Children's Theater at Promised Valley Playhouse. Robert has a degree in radio and TV broadcasting.

Samson Perry (Stage Manager) makes his stage managing debut at MJTC with Bad Jews. He has previously stage managed Theatre Unbound’s production of The How and the Why, as well as Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s A Midwinter Night’s Revel and was the Assistant Stage Manager for their Ivey Award-winning production of Compleat Female Stage Beauty.