Ladies and Gentlemen- Gvirotai ve Rabotai...

"Welcome and Bruchim Ha Baim to flight 613 taking off from JFK to Tel Aviv."

So after five sold out shows, loads of Middle Eastern cuisine at the nearby Olive Tree Cafe and endless cups of chamomile tea, I can finally say I have some Nachat.
It's nice to be part of a well received production. We all worked very hard. Lots of laughs, lots of re-writes, lots of last minute changes, lots of bench moving, lots of props lost and then found. Michelle, the stage manager for Sex and the Holy Land said to me in regards to all of the above: "Hey, it's the Fringe" and that put everything in perspective for me. It's not easy working on an original play but knowing that this is a baby taking it's first steps, and we are the ones helping it along is heartwarming. I thought to myself, opening night, "We are going on a ride, it might be a bumpy ride but in the end, we'll get to where we're headed and then we'll all get off"... and you can take that any way you'd like. It's Sex in the Holy Land, after all.

For me there were many memorable moments throughout this production but the highlight of this entire experience happened after our last show on Friday. I came out of the back door of The Players Theatre and there stood my close friends, Mike, Maggie and Jonathan, when and all of a sudden a face came out of the crowd like a forgotten angel. It was Adi Shapira's face; one of my long lost friends from performing arts high school in Israel. I said to her " What are you doing here???" She answered simply: " You sent me a facebook invite, didn't you?". Turns out she and her parents came for a short visit to New York and came to see the show. That moment made everything in my entire acting career worth it. It was the greatest and most touching surprise yet.

So I'd like to thank Adi Shapira for making me smile as well as the wonderful, talented people who made this show happen: Ross Buckley, Michelle Slonim, Ruby Joy, Zack Imbrogno, Adrian Kelly, Lyssa Mandel, Sarah-Doe Osborne, Susan Slatin, Gabriel Sloyer, Melanie Zoey Weinstein (who also wrote and produced) and Goldie Zwiebel.
Noah Aronson, Arthur Peters, Kate Rusek, Michelle Beige, Rachel G. Karp, Robby Sandler and our director Lee Gundersheimer, whom I like to call him Gundershnitzel.

KOL HA KAVOD to everyone!!! And here are some behind the scenes photos for you to enjoy.
















Sivan in the Wailing Wall City

SEX AND THE HOLY LAND SOLD OUT!!!

Opening Night Party for Sex and the Holy Land




So we can all say Mazal Tov Mazal Tov! Sex and the Holy Land was sold out Opening night!



And to Celebrate here is a little Hebrew Glossary put together for the show.

Enjoy!

SABABA:
1) in hebrew it mean, shibby, cool, great, no problem, all-right

Dude I : How was the party? Dude II: sababa
2) means: having fun or "i'm in great mood".it works in Israel.
man 1:how are you doing? man 2:i'm sababa, thank you.
3)Sababa is not just a word but a way of life... it is almost like HAKUNA MATATA... it really is just like "no worries" "it's all good" "cool" "awesome"
ACHI:
a word in Hebrew slang, which means 'my brother'. it is used to refer to a friend who is very close to us.(like BRO in English) it also can be used to refer to a woman with a little change: ahoti.
he: are you coming to the cinema? he1: sure ahi. he: what’s up ahoti? she: I’m great' and you ahi? he: fine as well.
KAPARA:
A word that originate in Arabic, which is highly used in Israeli slang. 1. A word to describe a good person. 2. A calling word used by Eastern people in Israel.
1.Oh, This Moran is a kapara. 2.Kapara! Come here!
ARS:
Ars - ערס (Plural: Arsim - ערסים) The Israeli equivalent of a "chav". Derived from Arabic, in which it means a "pimp", An Ars is usually someone who has a very high temper, and is easily agitated. Will mostly spend money on cheap cars and add various instruments to make them look/sound better (Otherwise known as "Arsmobile"). Although thought to be mainly of Mizrahi origin, there are Arsim of Ashkenazi origin.
Look at this Ars, looks like hes gonna stab anyone touching his arsmobile.
FRECHA:
Refers to an israeli woman or girl from age 11-30+ normally characterized by ginormous hair, insanely tight pants, high-heeled, platform shoes ('stripper heels') and obnoxiously loud. normally travel in packs. will sleep with anything. the female version of arsim.
I just got back from Netanya. That place is swarming with frechot! I used to like hanging out in Jerusalem, but the frechot took over there too.
MA KORE? MA NISHMA?
instead of asking politely "hi, how are you?, one may ask "ma kore?" and than add "gever"(man) or "achoti"(woman).
"ma kore achoti?" what's up sista?
GEVER- GEVER GEVER:
From Hebrew, 'Male Male" (1) A macho man, often used sarcastically (2) A word symbolizing agreement, support (3) Israeli Defense Force minister, Shaul Mofaz
(1) A: I stayed all night finishing up my English Homework! B: You're a real "Gever Gever"! (2) A: I did Matans GF last night! B: opa! Gever Gever!

SOF HAD DERECH- END OF THE WAY:
A phrase used to describe an experience or event that was extremely exciting. Usually used by youngsters. Comes from Hebrew: "Sof Haderech"
Someone: How was the trip to Spain last week. You: It was really fun, what can I tell you, End of the Way.

YALLA:
1) A very popular term originating from Arabic meaning "Hurry up" or "Come on". 2) Can also be used as "all right" in some cases (usually while coming to a mutual agreement). 3) Pronunciation: the Y is said like any other Y. the two A's are pronounced like the letter 'U' in the word "Blunt". The L's are prolonged and are said by placing the tip of the tongue on the middle of the roof of your mouth (Like the French 'L').
1) Yalla let's go we're late! 2) Yalla bye.
Mother!
WALLA:
An Arab word (used alot in israel al well) representing a sense of wonder. Most of the times it is used as a question.
person A: I saw your mother last night Person B: Realy? Person A: I saw your mother last night. Person B: Walla?

Peace Out,

Sivan in the Sababa City

SEX IN THE JERUSALEM POST

So SEX IN THE HOLY LAND was featured in the Jerusalem Post. Here is the article for you courtesy of a little function I like to call: "COPY & PASTE". Enjoy.

Showing Off Their Fringe By NATHAN BURSTEIN

More than a decade into its history, the New York Fringe Festival boasts a name that is by now an anachronism. Filling more than 75,000 seats at some 200 performances, the Fringe Festival, kicking off Friday, has become a central part of the Big Apple's summer theater season, and this year offers a varied selection of Jewish- and Israel-themed productions.

STARS AND STRIPES. 'Sex and the Holy Land' follows a trio of young Jewish Americans as they travel through Israel.Photo: Courtesy of Joshua Z Weinstein
For playwrights and also actors, the festival's name is a misnomer: involvement in a Fringe production has become a significant achievement.
That was certainly the feeling for one of the festival's younger playwrights, Melanie Zoey Weinstein, who will present her debut comedy, Sex and the Holy Land, five times at the Players Theatre, beginning August 15.

"I was screaming my head off," the 23-year-old says of the moment she learned her show had been accepted. "My doorman almost called 911."
Described by Weinstein as a coming-of-age story "largely inspired" by her own visits to Israel, Sex and the Holy Land is, as its name suggests, one of the more irreverent of the Jewish-themed plays on the schedule. Following a trio of young Jewish Americans as they travel through Israel, the show sets its tone during an early scene on a flight to Tel Aviv, when a pair of Arab and Jewish characters get into an argument in the line for the bathroom. ("I was here first," the Jewish character informs her fellow Semite.)

A sex romp that explores issues of identity, recent Jewish history and cultural differences between Israelis and Americans, the production received its initial reading last year at the University of Miami, where Weinstein submitted the script as her senior thesis in theater arts and creative writing. But the play's roots stretch back much further, Weinstein says, noting that many of its characters were drawn from study programs she completed in Israel in high school and college, and even from trips dating back earlier. "I feel like I've been writing this my whole life," she says.

Come see the show!!! Opening this Saturday!

Fringe Festival's"Sex and the Holy Land"

Preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nS2uyUWO4Q

Saturday, 8/15 at 8:15pm

Monday, 8/17 at 8:45pm

Thursday, 8/20 at 10:30pm

Monday, 8/24 at 5:15pm

Friday, 8/28 at 2:00pm

The Players Theatre

115 MacDougal Street

FringeNYC Venue #8

http://www.fringenyc.org/

TTYL,

Sivan in the Fringey City

SEX AND THE HOLY LAND

This great, new original play written by Melanie Weinstein- SEX AND THE HOLY LAND, will be featured in the Fringe Festival this August. I have the pleasure of playing six different characters including an Israeli Defence Force Commander ( Mefakedet), a Russian whore, a beggar at the wailing wall, a flight attendant on El- Al and I even sing a little in Hebrew! It's a great play full of beautiful moments that will have you craving for some hummus flavored potato chips and a good cold shower..if you know what I mean...

So here is a little teaser you can enjoy!





Happy Belly Productions presents
SEX AND THE HOLY LAND
The New York International Fringe Festival –
FringeNYC

SEX AND THE HOLY LAND is the tale of Lili’s plunge into a stereotype-shattering sexploration of Israel. Her two best friends and a string of Middle Eastern men lead Lili out of slavery from the Greek Chorus of Jewish Mothers living in her mind. It is a coming of age comedy about liberation, religion, and love.

CAST: Ross Buckley, Ruby Joy, Sivan Hadari, Zack Imbrogno, Adrian Kelly, Lyssa Mandel, Sarah-Doe Osborne,* Susan Slatin, Michelle Slonim, Gabriel Sloyer, Melanie Zoey Weinstein, Goldie Zwiebel*

Performance Dates:
8/15 @ 8:15,
8/17 @ 8:45,
8/20 @ 10:30,
8/24 @ 5:15,
8/28 @ 2

The Players Theatre
115 MacDougal Street
FringeNYC Venue #8
Take the A, B, C, D, E, F, V
to West 4th

Tickets: $15, visit http://www.fringenyc.org/



See you there,

Sivan in the Sex and the Holy Land city