The Wannabe Jew follows young Hayden Adams from the heralding angels of his conception, “Your son will bridge the gap between your people and the new tribe of the land!” through his father’s WASP commandments, “Thou shalt press down thy feelings” to his bread-breaking with the new tribe, “going out for Chinese with the Kaufmans,” and ultimately to his search for his Jewish identity…as a Presbyterian. Coming from a buttoned-up, white-bread family, Hayden discovers his true essence through his Jewish friends and their families, who enjoy life to the fullest, who speak out when they disagree, who are in touch with their feelings, and who welcome him warmly into their community. The Wannabe Jew is a funny and touching love letter to Judaism.

History of The Wannabe Jew

The Wannabe Jew was born in my kitchen on 102nd St. in New York. My grad school classmate and then roommate Liz Maher had formed a theatre company, The Beggar’s Group, and she was looking for a short piece to precede the main play with her upcoming production. I’d been writing for years, and now Liz was providing me with the ideal opportunity: write something, show up, and perform it. All the details of theatre rental, box office, lighting, etc. were taken care of.

I immediately said Yes! And then I had to figure out what I was going to do onstage for fifteen minutes.

So I began writing…and what emerged was a theme that had been on my mind for years: why is a Presbyterian kid like me so intrigued and fascinated and enamored of Judaism? The main event of the piece was the Yom Kippur Break-Fast I hosted while at the University of Delaware. The Wannabe Jew was such a big hit, that I knew I was on to something. Gentiles have been fascinated with Jews and Jewish religion and Jewish culture, probably since there have been Jews and Gentiles. I discovered that many people share a similar story.

I developed the piece further, writing furiously while acting in plays, which led to readings at New Jersey Shakespeare Festival and Indiana Repertory Theatre. I’ve had great help and guidance from directors Lane Savadove, Art Manke, and Jessica Kubzansky. At one point, The Wannabe Jew had another actor, as well: the talented Andrew Shulman.

I’m currently writing The Wannabe Jew screenplay.

To date, The Wannabe Jew has played:

The Producers’ Club, New York City H.E.R.E., PSNBC (NBC’s Development space), New York City University of Delaware, Hartshorn Theatre, Newark, DE Congregation Or Ami, Lafayette Hill, PA The Coast Playhouse, West Hollywood, CA The Hudson Mainstage, Hollywood, CA

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