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by Cary Gitter PERUSAL SCRIPT www.stagerights.com THE SABBATH GIRL Copyright © 2020 by Cary Gitter All Rights Reserved All performances and public readings of THE SABBATH GIRL are subject to royalties. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, of all countries covered by the International Copyright Union, of all countries covered by the Pan- American Copyright Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention, and all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights are strictly reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Publication of this play does not necessarily imply that it is available for performance by amateurs or professionals. It is strongly recommended all interested parties apply to Steele Spring Stage Rights for performance rights before starting rehearsals or advertising. No changes shall be made in the play for the purpose of your production without prior written consent. All billing stipulations in your license agreement must be strictly adhered to. No person, firm or entity may receive credit larger or more prominent than that accorded the Author. For all stage performance inquiries, please contact: Steele Spring Stage Rights 3845 Cazador Street Los Angeles, CA 90065 (323) 739-0413 www.stagerights.com Artwork by Muse Graphic Design PRODUCTION APPLICATION Title of Musical/Play Promotional Code __________________ Today’s Date p ORGANIZATION INFORMATION ☐ Check here if you have worked with us before. Name of Producing Organization Contact Name & Title Mailing Address City State Zip Phone Fax Direct Phone for Contact E-mail Website Your theater is: ☐ Regional ☐ Dinner ☐ Community ☐ School ☐ Children’s ☐ Commercial ☐ Other (please specify) Your theater is a member of: ☐ LORT ☐ TCG ☐ AACT ☐ NAMT ☐ NDTA ☐ PACT Your organization is: ☐ Equity (AEA) ☐ Non-Equity Are your actors paid? ☐ Yes ☐ No How did you hear about us? ☐ Online Search ☐ Word of Mouth ☐ Saw a Production ☐ I’m a Past Client ☐Advertisement : ☐ American Theatre ☐ AACT Spotlight ☐ Southern Theatre ☐ Other (please specify) PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE & VENUE INFORMATION Opening Date Closing Date # of performances Seating Capacity Average Audience Size Ticket Price Range Average Ticket Price Date of First Rehearsal (Musical Only) Previous Two Musicals Presented (Musical Only) Royalties Paid for Above Name of Venue Venue Address City State Zip E-mail, Fax or Mail completed form to [email protected] • Fax: (818) 232-9158 Steele Spring Stage Rights • 3845 Cazador Street • Los Angeles, CA 90065 A Royalty Quote/License Agreement will be returned via e-mail within 3-5 business days. Visit www.StageRights.com for more information. The Sabbath Girl had its world premiere at Penguin Rep Theatre (Joe Brancato, Founding Artistic Director; Andrew M. Horn, Executive Director) in Stony Point, New York, on August 2, 2019. It was directed by Joe Brancato. The scenic design was by Christopher and Justin Swader, the costume design was by Gregory Gale, the lighting design was by Todd O. Wren, the sound design was by Matt Otto, the projection design was by Yana Birÿkova, and the stage manager was Michael Palmer. The cast was: Angie .......................... Madison Micucci Sophia ......................... Patricia Mauceri Seth .................................. Jeremy Rishe Blake ..................................... Ty Molbak Rachel ..................... Lauren Singerman The Sabbath Girl opened Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters on February 11, 2020, presented by Penguin Rep Theatre in association with Morton Wolkowitz and Joseph Grosso. The cast was: Angie ....................... Lauren Annunziata Sophia ..................... Angelina Fiordellisi Seth .................................. Jeremy Rishe Blake ..................................... Ty Molbak Rachel ..................... Lauren Singerman CHARACTERS Minimum Casting Requirements: 3F, 2M ANGIE: Female. 30. Italian-American. A gallery curator. Smart, passionate, alone. SOPHIA: Female. 77. Italian-American. Angie’s grandmother. Romantic, magical, funny. SETH: Male. 32. Jewish-American. An Orthodox Jew. A knish maker. Bookish, awkward, lonely, but charming. BLAKE: Male. 31. A hotshot painter. Sexy, arrogant, brooding. RACHEL: Female. 35. Jewish-American. An Orthodox Jew. Seth’s sister and partner in the knish business. Overbearing but well meaning, traditional, a yenta. SETTING Now. Summer. New York City. APPROXIMATE RUNNING TIME 80 minutes. AUTHOR’S NOTES NOTE ON THE TERM SHABBOS GOY Shabbos goy [SHOB-iss goy] is a Yiddish term for a “Sabbath Gentile,” or a non-Jew who is asked by Jews to perform tasks that are forbidden to them on the Sabbath, e.g., operating elevators, turning lights on and off, using appliances, heating up food, etc. Famous one-time Shabbos goys include Colin Powell, Martin Scorsese, Harry Truman, and Elvis Presley, who all helped out Jewish neighbors when they were young. Colin Powell even learned to speak Yiddish. NOTE ON ORTHODOX JUDAISM The characters of Seth and Rachel are observant Orthodox Jews. This isn’t to be confused with Hasidic or ultra-Orthodox Judaism. Seth doesn’t wear all black or have a beard or sidelocks. He looks basically modern, except he dresses a bit formally and wears a yarmulke. Rachel dresses modestly and wears a head covering. They observe the Sabbath, keep kosher, attend synagogue, and socialize mostly with fellow Orthodox Jews, but otherwise they appear and talk like young, contemporary Americans. What sets them apart are their private religious beliefs and practices. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I’m grateful to Joe Brancato, Andrew Horn, and everyone at Penguin Rep Theatre; the casts, creative team, and crew of The Sabbath Girl; Morton Wolkowitz and Joseph Grosso; the staff of 59E59 Theaters; David Winitsky and the Jewish Plays Project; Mark Orsini and Bonnie Davis at Bret Adams, Ltd.; Courtney Conwell and Michael Claassen at Writ Large; Jacob Schiff and Jiah Shin at CAA; Colette Robert; Dan Winerman; Jason Liebman; Leah Gitter; Virginia Gitter; Doug and Susie VanArsdalen; and Meghan VanArsdalen. For my mother, Virginia Gitter, and in memory of my father, Sidney Gitter “Three things have a faint savor of the world to come: Sabbath, the sun, and love.” Talmud, Berakhot THE SABBATH GIRL – PERUSAL SCRIPT 1 1. AIR CONDITIONING FRIDAY NIGHT. ANGIE, 30, and her grandmother SOPHIA, 77, at Angie’s new apartment on the Upper West Side. It’s hot. SOPHIA: Angie! ANGIE: Nonna! What do you think of my new place?! SOPHIA: I think it’s… very nice. ANGIE: But… SOPHIA: Well, maybe it could use a little pizzazz. ANGIE: Nonna, I just moved in— SOPHIA: I know! And I can help you decorate. Get some color in here. ANGIE: That would be wonderful. SOPHIA: What are you paying? ANGIE: You don’t wanna know. SOPHIA: So… it’s just you in here? ANGIE: Yeah, it’s a one-bedroom. SOPHIA: A little lonely, no? ANGIE: No! It’s what I want! No more roommates. At age thirty. In this city, that’s like a heroic accomplishment. SOPHIA: Okay, have it your way. ANGIE: Thank you, I will. SOPHIA: It’s awfully quiet, though. How about some music? ANGIE: Nonna, it’s ninety degrees. I think it’s too hot for dancing— SOPHIA: Angie, darling, it’s never too hot for dancing. So how’s everything? How’s your job? ANGIE: It’s great, actually. SOPHIA: What are they calling you now? ANGIE: Head curator. I’m head curator of the gallery. SOPHIA: “Angie Mastrantoni, head curator.” I like the sound of that. ANGIE: So do I. SOPHIA: And how’s your social life? ANGIE: Nope! SOPHIA: Nope? ANGIE: We’re not doing that right now! SOPHIA: Doing what? Since when can’t a grandmother ask her beloved, brilliant, beautiful granddaughter about her social life? THE SABBATH GIRL – PERUSAL SCRIPT 2 ANGIE: Nonna— SOPHIA: Yes, my darling? ANGIE: It’s 2020. SOPHIA: My God, it is. ANGIE: A woman’s worth isn’t determined by whether or not she’s in a relationship. SOPHIA: I didn’t say it was. I just want you to be happy. ANGIE: I am happy. I’m busy. SOPHIA: “Happy” and “busy” are not the same thing. ANGIE: For me maybe they are! I mean I’ve got so much going on at the gallery right now. Shows to plan. Artists I’m excited about. And they trust my eye. They trust me to see what’s new, what’s interesting. And then I get to share it with the world. That’s what I love. That’s what makes me happy. SOPHIA: Okay, but can I tell you something? ANGIE: I feel a Nonna aria coming on. SOPHIA: That’s right. ANGIE: All right, let’s hear it. SOPHIA: When I was young— nineteen or twenty— I thought I was doing fine. I had my job at Macy’s. I had my girlfriends. I went out dancing all the time. ANGIE: Roseland. SOPHIA: Roseland. You got it. But when I came home at night— you know, I was still living with my parents in Bensonhurst then— I’d look out the window at the moon, and it felt like… my life was a movie without a soundtrack. No music. Something was missing. And then I met Nonno that day at Coney Island, and suddenly there was music. And it lasted for forty years, until he died. That’s what having another person in your life does for you. ANGIE: I hear you, Nonna— SOPHIA: It doesn’t matter if it’s 1960 or 2020. We all need someone to dance through life with. ANGIE: That’s not actually true, /but— SOPHIA: You never feel that silence at night? ANGIE: When I get home at night, I check my email, eat a bowl of cornflakes, and pass out. SOPHIA: Sounds magical. ANGIE: Oh, and also, pretty much every guy in the city is an asshole in one way or another, so that’s an additional factor.