A Jewish Joke, a solo comedy based on Hollywood blackisting, will be peformed here. (Eric Woolsey photo)
The Bunbury Theatre Company opens its 32nd season in October with A Jewish Joke, a play by by Phil Johnson and Marni Freedman.
Done in partnership with ShPIel Performing Identity of Chicago, A Jewish Joke is about a curmudgeonly Jewish comedy screenwriter from MGM who comes up against the Communist blacklist in 1950’s Hollywood. He must now make the biggest decision of his life.
Loaded with stories about the great era of Jewish humor, this solo comedy shows one small man facing the tough American events of the mid-20th century.
The production will open Off Broadway after its Louisville Premiere, according to a Bunbury Theatre release.
The play, which was hailed by the Times of San Diego as a production that “should be seen by every American,” A Jewish Joke is part of a long-term collaborative effort betweeen Bunbury and ShPIel. David Chack, artistic director of the ShPIeL and professor of dramatic arts at The Theatre School at DePaul University, and Juergen K. Tossmann, producing artistic director of the Bunbury, expect to hold workshops and one other production with a Jewish thread – The Green Book – during the season.
The play opens on Thursday, October 4, and will run for 12 performances throughout the month. For tickets and showtimes, visit the BunburyTheatre box office at 502-585-5306 or visit louisvilletickets.com/organizations/bunbury-theatre-company. Prices range from $10 for students under 25, to $19 for seniors over 62, and $22 for general admission. All performances will be in the Henry Clay Theatre on the third floor of the Henry Clay Building.