DAY 4

A Red letter day!  This morning, Lesley, Eric and I met with Sharron Topper-Amitai, the local schlicah.  She's Director of the Israel Center, sponsored by the Jewish Federation.  She and her family are here from Israel for a 2-year stint.  She had read the script - and she explained so many of the little nuances for us.  She said that Eric looked perfect for the part - just like a novelist from Tel Aviv!  She told us more about the haredi, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and gave us insight into Israeli culture.  What a treat!  She absolutely glowed when she talked about Shabbat there - the peaceful calm that starts settling in on Friday afternoon, the smell of chicken soup everywhere......
She also gave us some great posters for the lobby. And large photos of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv - the contrast is striking!  They're less than an hour apart: Jerusalem with its ancient, sandstone, humble buildings - and then there's Tel Aviv with its imposing, tall skyscrapers - (Sharron said they think of Tel Aviv as a little Manhattan).
We had just a 3-hour rehearsal tonight since we used 2 hours in the morning.  Finally, we were up on our feet.  Karla and Ariana had taped out the rehearsal stage to simulate the actual set.  It always looks smaller than I imagined.  It works in this room, but what about the big stage....?  that we won't really know until the 18th or 19th when we load in the set and move in.
Eric and Lesley are off book for this part - what a joy!  Without the burden of a script in their hands, they're free to move about, gesture, even use some of the rehearsal props.  We worked the opening 6 pages in great detail - and it looks great! 
We're putting our first ever banner sign on the New Times website - wonder if anyone will notice us - would be a new market for us.
And so it goes
Janet