Actors Heidi Mendez, Kimberly Green, and Rozana Rastegar. (Photo by David Chiu)
LOS ANGELES: The Braid has announced that they are opening a new physical venue that will house a new independent Jewish theatre with the aim of cultivating artists and audiences and exploring identity and community in a safe, creative environment. The theatre opens on Dec. 14 and launches its new season in January 2025.
“I love stories,” said founder and artistic director Ronda Spinak in a statement. “They entertain, educate, inspire, and move us to action. They’re a portal to human connection. And right now, we need Jewish stories more than ever.”
The Braid’s grand opening on Dec. 14 will be a reprisal run of Monica Piper’s show Not That Jewish, which ran for 16 months in L.A. before its Off-Broadway opening at New World Stages. The following month, the theatre’s inaugural season will feature three original shows drawn from diverse contemporary Jewish life: Traveler’s Prayer (Jewish travel stories), Two Faiths, One Love (interfaith families), and For the Love of Animals (Jewish connections with animals). The season will also include thematically connected art exhibitions, culinary arts experiences, immersive storytelling experiences for young professionals, and classes for middle and high school students. The Braid also plans to debut new one-person shows by an observant Uruguayan Jewish musician and a Black Jewish comedian exploring fatherhood.
The Braid is inviting writers to submit autobiographical stories that are carefully curated and woven together into original shows reflecting the variety of contemporary Jewish life. They aim to produce shows devoted to various Jewish communities, as well as shows exploring everything from Jewish food to values. The new space will be offered as a place for community partners and artists to rent for their own events, as well as include livestreaming capabilities to reach communities around the world.
Founded in 2004, the Braid is dedicated to creating, curating, producing, and preserving stories grounded in Jewish culture and experience. As of 2023, they have a budget of approximately $700,000.
