Student Matinee Series Crossing Delancey Study Guide Created by Hiram High School Language Arts Class of Ms. Karlie Clifton As part of the Alliance Theatre Institute’s Dramaturgy by Students Under the guidance of Teaching Artist Rachel Jones Crossing Delancey produced by the Alliance Theatre at MJCC of Atlanta Page 1 of 21 Table of Contents Photo of Crossing Delancey set design for the Alliance Theatre production Set design by Kat Conley Preparing Students for the Performance 3 Artist Bios 4 Character List 10 Synopsis 11 Yiddish Dictionary 12 Bubbie’s Song Translated 14 The Lower East Side of Manhattan 15 Food Carts in NYC 16 Food in the Jewish Culture 17 Manhattan, NY 18 Red Buttons 19 Classroom Discussion Questions & Writing Prompts 20 Manhattan, NY (printable) 21 Crossing Delancey produced by the Alliance Theatre at MJCC of Atlanta Page 2 of 21 Preparing Students for the Performance Discuss the story Before you come to the show, consider using the pre-show discussion prompts (pg. 20) to prime the students with various themes and ideas that they will encounter when they view the play. There are also a few historical resources which may be helpful in providing context for the play (pgs. 14-19). OTHER QUESTIONS Does the theater have a dress code? What is the typical attire? Don’t stress about your dress. In most cases, school dress codes will also represent appropriate attire for visiting the theater. Note that all of our facilities are air conditioned/heated for your comfort — consider layering. How can I know if a particular show will be appropriate for my students? Information regarding content disclaimers and recommended ages for Crossing Delancey may be found by viewing the production page on our website. Can I use my phone/tablet/laptop during a performance? No — using devices with screens (and particularly ones that also make sounds) disrupts the cast and other patrons. (They are very visible from the stage!) The best thing to do in order to avoid distracting others is to make sure your device is powered off before entering the theater. However, we absolutely hope that you text/tweet/Facebook everyone you know after the performance to let them know what a great time you had here! What if I'm late? If you already have your tickets, please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the show. If your tickets are being held at the Box Office or you need to purchase tickets, we recommend arriving at least 30 minutes prior to the show. After the performance has begun, it may not be possible to seat you in your assigned seat. If there is an appropriate pause in the production, we will do our best to seat you toward the back of the theater in order to avoid disrupting the performance. You will be able to watch the show from a monitor in the lobby until we can sneak you in. However, please note that some productions simply will not accommodate late seating. Theatre Etiquette: 1. Do not talk during the show. You can hear the actors, and they can hear you. 2. Unwrap all gum and candy wrappers before the performance begins or during intermission. 3. Avoid wearing strong perfumes or cologne — some patrons may be allergic. 4. No photography of any kind is allowed inside the theater. Crossing Delancey produced by the Alliance Theatre at MJCC of Atlanta Page 3 of 21 Artists Writer Susan Sandler (Playwright) is a playwright, screenwriter, teacher and mentor. Screenplays include the Golden Goble-nominated “Crossing Delancey” and “Friends At Last” as well as projects for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, TNT, Columbia Pictures, Jersey Films and Interscope. Her work for the stage has been produced in New York and at major theatres across the country and world. Plays include Crossing Delancey, Under the Bed, The Renovation, The Moaner, If I Were A Train, Hokey-Pokey, The Find, The Burial Society, The Lovely Just So and Kinfolks and Mountain Music. Member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, HB Playwrights Foundation and Writers Guild of America. Sandler’s work is published by Smith & Kraus, Vintage Press and Samuel French. Her plays have been produced for “Playing on Air: Great American Short Plays with Great American Actors” on Public Radio and related podcasts. Currently directing & producing a documentary film on comedian Julia Scotti. Sandler is on the faculty of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in The Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. She has passionately guided NYU’s Fusion Film Festival since its inception, celebrating the work of women behind the camera and mentoring the next generation of female change-makers in film, television and new media. Performers Andrew Benator (Sam) Alliance: Troubadour, Disgraced, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Vera Stark, Good People, August: Osage County, Eurydice, Tennis In Nablus, A Christmas Carol. Atlanta: Between Riverside And Crazy, RACE (True Colors Theatre), Seminar, Becky Shaw (Actor’s Express), Freud’s Last Session (Theatrical Outfit), The Tempest (Georgia Shakespeare), Women In Jeopardy, Boeing Boeing (Aurora Theatre). Off-Broadway: Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight, Valparaiso, Flu Season. Regional: Hartford TheaterWorks, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Sacramento’s B St. Theater, San Jose Rep, San Francisco’s Magic Theater. Film & TV: The Founder, Million Dollar Arm, Last of Robin Hood, “Stranger Things,” “Being Mary Jane,” “House of Payne.” 2016 Lunt- Fontanne Fellowship recipient. www.andrewbenator.com Joanna Daniels (Hannah) An Atlanta native, Joanna is thrilled to be home, and in this production with these talented folks! Chicago: Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy (Broadway Playhouse & National Tour). LA: Becky’s New Car, When They Speak of Rita, Happy End, A Delicate Balance, (Pacific Resident Theatre), Valsetz, The Foreigner (Pasadena Playhouse), Sketch Comedy (ACME). NYC: On the Verge, What the Butler Saw, The Roadblock (Uta Hagen). TV: “Mad About You,” “HBO Sketchpad,” “Mad TV,” “Wings,” “Home Improvement,” “Coach,” “Ellen,” “Home Team,” “Crystal Empire.” Film: Perfect Game, Something Wild, Jerry Maguire, Doublewide. Training: B.F.A. Acting (FSU), Uta Hagen (NYC), RADA (London). Crossing Delancey produced by the Alliance Theatre at MJCC of Atlanta Page 4 of 21 Artists, cont. Sochi Fried (Izzy) is thrilled to be making her Alliance debut. She grew up in New York City and Ottawa, Canada, and is currently based in Toronto. Recent stage credits include Blood Weddings (Modern Times/ Aluna Theatre, Dora Award nomination), The Queen's Conjuror (Circlesnake), Up The Garden Path (Obsidian Theatre) and King John (Shakespeare Bash'd, MyTheatre Award nomination). TV/Film: “Condor,” “The Girlfriend Experience,” “Murdoch Mysteries,” The Drawer Boy, Loretta’s Flowers and Leila. Training: Ryerson University Theatre School and The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She was named one of NOW Magazine's Top 10 Theatre Artists of 2015. Daniel Thomas May (Tyler) is a native of Atlanta, where he successfully juggles performances in film, television, stage and audiobook narration. A professional stage actor for more than 20 years with credits at the Alliance Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Georgia Shakespeare, Chicago Shakespeare, Actor's Express and Synchronicity Theatre, Daniel is now most often recognized as Allen on AMC's “The Walking Dead.” Film and television: “Nashville,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Being Mary Jane,” “Powers,” Killing Reagan, “The Vampire Diaries” and others. Daniel also has over 200 credits as an audiobook narrator, among them his Audie Award-nominated performance for CJ Cherryh's ongoing Foreigner science fiction series of novels. Mary Lynn Owen (Bubbie) is delighted to revisit Crossing Delancey after playing the role of Izzy in a Theatrical Outfit production in 1992. Past productions at the Alliance: Medea, Elliot: A Soldier’s Fugue and A Christmas Carol. Atlanta credits: Wit and 4,000 Miles (Aurora Theatre), Kimberly Akimbo and Six Degrees of Separation (Actor’s Express), The Glass Menagerie (Georgia Shakespeare Festival), Third (Horizon Theatre), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Georgia Ensemble Theatre), The Little Foxes (Theatre in the Square). Faculty member of Emory University’s Theatre Studies Department, two-time Suzi Award winner for Lead and Supporting Actress, recipient of the Alliance Theatre’s Reiser Lab Grant for her play Knead. Shannon McCarren (U/S Izzy) is delighted to be understudying her first role at the Alliance Theatre! Shannon's credits include Steel Magnolias (Theatre Raleigh), Grease, The Secret Garden, The Snow Queen, The Sleepy Hollow Experience, Evita, Carousel, A Streetcar Named Desire (Serenbe Playhouse). Shannon graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Theater, and was a member of the 2015-2016 Serenbe Playhouse Apprentice Company. She extends gratitude to the Alliance Theatre for this unique opportunity, and to her family, friends, and fellow artists for their endless love and inspiration. Crossing Delancey produced by the Alliance Theatre at MJCC of Atlanta Page 5 of 21 Artists, cont. Pat Bell (U/S Bubbie) is delighted to return to the Alliance, having previously understudied roles here for Frame 312, Bluish, Doubt and August: Osage County. Her most recent on stage includes The Miracle Worker (Gypsy Theatre), Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and The Unexpected Guest (OnStage Atlanta) and The Crucible (Atlanta Shakespeare Co. at the Shakespeare Tavern). She is also a Standardized Patient for the Emory School of Medicine. Love and hugs to Lily and Melody from Nana! Suzanne Jordan Roush (U/S Hannah) is delighted to be part of this lovely production. Suzanne joined the Atlanta theatre community back in 1986, when she moved to Atlanta to be a member of the Alliance Theatre Acting Intern program. Since then, she has been seen on stages at the Alliance Children’s Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Marietta Theatre in the Square, GA Shakespeare Tavern, GA Shakespeare Festival, Jewish Theatre of the South, GA Ensemble, and Theatrical Outfit.