Sarasota Jewish Theatre moves closer to being ensemble driven

There's been a lot of bad news in this year's arts community. Canceled and postponed performances, multimillion damage to venues, vital fundraisers put on hold.

That made the news even sweeter when Sarasota Jewish Theatre learned Nov. 13 that its May production of "The Immigrant" has been nominated for best play in BroadwayWorld's 2024 regional theater awards.

Directed by Gus Kaikkonen, Mark Harelik’s “The Immigrant” tells the story of a Russian-Jewish newcomer who makes his way in a devout Christian community in Texas. 

"For a fledgling regional theatre in our fourth season (and only our second season on our own) this is a stunning, wonderful tribute to Gus's inspired direction," said SJT Artistic Director Carole Kleinberg in an email. 

Kleinberg cited "powerful performances" by "Immigrant" cast members Michael Raver, Vicky Daignault, Chris Caswell and Noa Friedman.

For its 2024-25 season, the five-year-old theater company is focusing on stories of humanity and healing. "Tikkun Olam," a Hebrew phrase meaning "healing (or repairing) the world," is part of SJT's five-pronged mission.

Photo by Emily Leinfuss

During a recent interview, Kleinberg relayed how a patron recently called her up and said, "There's no way you can accomplish Tikkun Olam. It's too big a role." 

Her reply? “A little Tikkun Olam is better than none at all.”

While SJT's upcoming productions are all very different, each speaks to a shared humanity, partly because they all touch on family, says Kleinberg.

 “We carefully curate the plays to align with some aspect of our expressed purpose of interconnection with the community and the Jewish values of generosity, justice and compassion. I always try to find a balance — old and new, comedy and drama — reflecting some specific element of Jewish life,” she explains.

"Being Somebody — Growing Up Brooklyn, a Father/Daughter Tale" kicked off SJT's 2024-25 season on Oct. 19-20. Like other theater companies who perform in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, SJT was spared some of the disruptions of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

The company's first show of 2025 will be a newly revised "Visiting Mr. Green." Playwright Jeff Baron has updated the beloved play, first performed in 1996 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, to reflect the impact of the pandemic. 

"Visiting Mr. Green" follows an elderly widower and a young man assigned to check in on him as part of community service. Initially hostile, the meetings between the two characters lead to an unexpected friendship and emotional healing. 

The play “is about knocking down barriers, seeing beyond stereotypes, giving and accepting help, and the remarkable healing that unexpected friendship can provide," Kleinberg says. "Visiting Mr. Green" runs Jan. 29 through Feb. 9.

Next up will be Pulitzer prize-winner Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers," a play Kleinberg says she has waited nearly 35 years to direct. The clock started ticking when she first saw the play in 1991.

The coming-of-age play about two brothers left with their strict grandmother and a disabled aunt after their mother's death, runs from March 19-30. “I think 'Lost in Yonkers' is Neil Simon's most important play. It is not a bunch of snappy one-liners, but a deep dive into a 1940s Jewish family,” she says. 

Closing the SJT season is "Bad Jews" by Joshua Harmon. Paradoxically, the show — first performed in 2012 at the Roundabout Underground in New York City —is an exploration of what it means to be a “good Jew.” 

After their grandfather’s death, three adult grandchildren spar over who most deserves the gold pendant he carried with him throughout the Holocaust. “The ending will provide an unexpected and awe-inspiring answer to the question,” Kleinberg teases. "Bad Jews" runs from April 30 to May 22.

Reflecting on her company's history, Kleinberg says she feels hopeful despite fiscal and space challenges. “Budget matters are big, and space matters because we are limited. We can’t do large-scale productions where we are now," she says. 

All of Sarasota Jewish Theatre’s shows are staged at The Players Centre in The Crossings at Siesta Key, which seats only about 125 people.

Still, the BroadwayWorld nomination for "The Immigrant" provides Kleinberg with encouragement toward her long-term goal of creating an ensemble-style theater. 

“Some of the actors from last season are coming back, and you’ll see the same actors in multiple plays, portraying vastly different roles," she says. "It’s great fun for the audience to witness the artistry and the challenge the actors face as they bring these different characters to life."

For example, New York actor Raver, a veteran of "The Immigrant," will play a gangster-style uncle in "Bad Jews." Also in that show, Josephine Phoenix plays a “super ballsy Jewish broad.” Phoenix switches gears entirely to play the disabled aunt in "Lost in Yonkers." Both productions will be directed by "Immigrant" director Kaikkonen.