by Joel Rippel
American Jewish World
Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Last year, Miriam Schwartz played the most challenging role of her acting career — Dr. Ruth Westheimer in the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company’s production of Becoming Dr. Ruth.

Schwartz’s latest role is just as daunting. Schwartz will star in DAI (enough), the award-winning play by Israeli-American performance artist Iris Bahr. Schwartz will perform all 11 characters in the play, which takes place in a Tel Aviv café before a bombing.

“Dr. Ruth was scary, in part, because that was a one-woman show,” said Schwartz, “and it was a character outside of what I have been cast for. In this show, DAI, it’s that (scary), 11 times over. One woman, Iris Bahr, wrote all of these characters – men, women, old, young, American, Palestinian, Israeli.”

DAI (enough), which kicks off the MJTC’s 2016-2017 season and will run at the Highland Park Community Center Theater from Aug. 17 to Aug. 31, is Schwartz’s fifth production for the MJTC. The Seattle native, who got strong reviews for her performance in Becoming Dr. Ruth, has also appeared in MJTC’s Bad Jews, Handle With Care and Jericho.

DAI (enough) began rehearsals in the last week of July. Schwartz started her work on memorizing the roles about a month before rehearsal began.

“I’m really excited to watch this come together,” said Schwartz, at the start of the second week of rehearsal. “I really enjoy working with Warren Bowles, the director. I feel so safe under his direction.”

Schwartz and Bowles previously worked together in the MJTC production of Jericho.

Schwartz, 26, moved to the Twin Cities in 2008 to study in the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program, where she earned her B.F.A. degree.

Schwartz’s theater credits include Gabriel (Walking Shadow Theatre Company), Cinephilia(7th House Theater), Homegrown, The Hollow (Workhaus Collective), Born Yesterday(Gurthrie Theater), and The Brutes (Theatre Forever). Schwartz has also had roles in Uncle Vanya, In Game or Real, and several roles in Clandestino.

Schwartz’s TV credits include The Sealed Orders of Liv Ullman, a documentary in the HBO Masterclass series and in the PBS series, Biz Kid$.

Bowles, who has more than 40 years experience as an actor and director, has previously directed MJTC’s productions of The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Jericho and Photograph 51.

DAI’s production team includes Liz Josheff Busa (costume design), Jennifer Cha (stage manager), Paul Epton (lighting design), Michael Hoover (scenic design) and Anita Kelling (sound design).

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DAI (enough) kicks off the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company’s2016-17 season on Aug. 17 and will run through Aug. 31.

The upcoming season will include performances of Aunt Raini (Oct. 29 to Nov. 20), The Magic Dreidels (Dec. 6 to Dec. 21), The Whipping Man (Feb. 4 to Feb. 26) and We Are the Levinsons (April 22 to May 14).

All performances will be held in the theater of Highland Park Community Center, 1978 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul.

Individual tickets went on sale Aug. 1. For ticket information visit mnjewishtheatre.org or call 651-647-4315.