The Snowflake Theory, a riotous comedy by Louisville playwright Nancy Gall-Clayton, will be the centerpiece of the 2008 Beyond the Borscht Belt: A Jewish Theatre Festival, to take place October 26 and 27th, 2008. Beyond the Borscht Belt celebrates Jewish arts and community in Columbus, which is literally "beyond the Borscht Belt" of traditional Jewish entertainment centered in New York's Catskill Mountains.
The 2008 Festival coincides with, and honors, the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the Gallery Players of the Jewish Community Center, the oldest Jewish community theatre group in Central Ohio.
Marge has had an epiphany. Her adult children will never do what she hopes (get married, produce grandchildren, finish college, be normal), so she's decided to concentrate on her own journey, starting with smashing her melamine kosher dishes. But they won't break. To her surprise, her children, like her, have just headed in new directions. Rachel, age 40, has been inseminated with Jewish sperm and joined the peace movement. Clark, age 33, is changing majors yet again and may actually graduate from college, thanks to a non-Jewish girlfriend whose hair color changes frequently. Marge seeks advice from the new rabbi, whom she impresses with her vocabulary and a gravity-defying Jell-O creation. A happy ending for all makes this exploration of family relationships and faith even more satisfying.
Jello Bridge (2002) by Scott Christensen, scottdesignworks.com
Readings will take place on Sunday, October 26th, at the Jewish Community Center, and on Monday, October 27th, at the Ohio State University Hillel Foundation. Playwright Nancy Gall-Clayton will be present, and will discuss the play with audience members following both performances. To learn more about the writer, visit www.nancygallclayton.net
A gelatin sculpture contest will celebrate the reading. Chef Lana Covel of The New Standard has volunteered to help cooks explore the wonders of jello sculpture construction. It’s hoped that Franklin County-area women’s clubs will be interested in celebrating this traditional form of culinary expression.
Casting information about the readings will be posted early in the fall.
Other events in addition to the readings will be announced soon!
