TRAYF Comes to New Jewish Theatre Next Month

New Jewish Theatre will present Trayf by Lindsay Joelle. Running Thursday, September 12 through Sunday, September 29, performances will take place in the J’s Wool Studio Theatre. Trayf had its World Premiere at Theatre J in in Washington D.C. in 2018, and this is its first production in St. Louis.

Trayf tells the story of best friends Schmuly and Zalmy, who live in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn Chabad community in the 1990s. They have just received their own “Mitzvah tank,” an RV that they use to travel around New York to perform mitzvot, or good deeds. While doing this, they meet Jonathan, a young man on a journey of his own after losing his father, and discovering he had unknown Jewish heritage. As Jonathan becomes enamored with the Orthodox Jewish faith, Zalmy expands his secular knowledge through Jonathan and begins to yearn for life beyond the boundaries of his tight-knit community. This road-trip bromance is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don't quite fit in, and the faith and friends that see us through.

Trayf will be directed by Aaron Sparks, who previously directed 2020’s My Name is Asher Lev at the New Jewish Theatre. Spencer Sickmann will portray Johnathan, making his return to the New Jewish Theatre after his performance also in My Name is Asher Lev (2020). Bryce Miller as Schmuly will be making his New Jewish Theatre debut alongside Jacob Schmidt as Zalmy. Annie Zigman (Leah, Johnathan’s girlfriend) is also making her way back the New Jewish Theatre after her performance in Laughter on the 23rd Floor in 2022.

Sparks’ design team includes Lily Tomasic as Set Designer, who is making her New Jewish Theatre debut. Kareem Deanes will act as Sound Designer coordinating with Michael Sullivan as Lighting Designer. Once again, the New Jewish Theatre welcomes back Michele Friedman Siler (The Immigrant, STL Circle Nominated) as our incredible resident Costume Designer.

 

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