“adam Baum And The Jew Movie” Comedy/drama Opens This Month At The Michael-ann Russell Jcc

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 02, 2009 -
“Adam Baum and the Jew Movie” by Daniel Goldfarb and directed by David Zabel, the second production of the 2009/10 season of the Jewish Cultural Arts Theatre (J-CAT) of the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center/Sanford L. Ziff Campus, will be presented from October 21-November 1, in the JCC’s J-CAT theatre, 18900 NE 25th Avnenue, North Miami Beach.

The play, a comedic drama that touches on the subject of racism and prejudice, in 1946 Hollywood, California, where Jewish movie mogul, Sam Baum, prepares to give notes to non-Jewish screenwriter, Garfield Hampson, on his screenplay about anti-Semitism.   Time is of the essence since Zanuck at Fox has his own “Jew Movie” – “Gentleman’s Agreement” – and it is the belief that America can only take one.  Furthermore, Sam Baum tells the non-Jewish Hampson that the script that he has prepared is too Jewish, having been written “as a Jew, and not as a Gentile.”

Cast in the show are Daniel Steinlauf as Samuel Baum, Jonathan Yunger as Garfield Hampson, and David Ben-Arie and Blake Mars (who are double cast) for the role of Adam Baum, Sam’s son, who is preparing to become a Bar Mitzvah. According to Yunger, “The character who I play, Garfield Hampson, is a writer who is way ahead of his time.  He’s fed up with screwball comedies and wants to write something with a message.  So he takes the leap, which in those days was risky.  Risky for his career and the message he was going for.  After all, he was a gentile writing a Jewish script in 1946.”

“Adam Baum and the Jew Movie” will open with a wine and cheese reception on Wednesday night, October 21, at 7 pm.  Other production dates and times are:
Thursdays, October 22 and 29, 7:30 pm      Saturdays, October 24 and 31, 9 pm
Sundays, October 25 and November 1, 2 pm      Tuesday, October 27, 7:30 pm
Tickets for Opening Night are $36; for all other performances $27-front row seating/ $20-general admission/$12-seniors and students.  All seats are reserved.  Tickets may be purchased on-line at www.jcctheatre.com or by phone at 1-866-811-4111.

The Jewish Cultural Arts Theatre (J-CAT) is the community theatre program of the MAR-JCC’s Rabbi Norman Mussman Cultural Arts Department.  Initially launched two years ago, primarily as an after school theatre program for middle and high school age youth, the J-CAT program has assimilated under its umbrella the MAR-JCC’s adult community theatre company, Actors In The Gym.  This season, J-CAT youth and adult, will present a total of six productions, in addition to providing acting classes and workshops.  

For further information about “Adam Baum and the Jewish Movie” or about J-CAT’s theatre season, call Lillian Andron, J-CAT’s Educational Director, at 305-932-4200, ext. 130