THE BROTHERS ABELSON
since 1946

A World Premiere

Written by
Dennis Danziger

Directed by Matthew Leaveitt

Executive Producer: Madge Woods

Producer: Sami Kolko

Scene 1: Thanksgiving just after midnight
Scene 2: Thanksgiving morning
Scene 3: Thanksgiving evening
Scene 4: Sunday morning after Thanksgiving

Starring:
Wendy Hammers
Jonah Robinson*
Rick Zieff

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Madge Woods and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Cast/Production team bios

WENDY HAMMERS (Miriam) For 40 years, Wendy has had the privilege of working as an actor on stage, screen, and television. She played a rattled flight attendant with Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm; and was featured on Oprah as a comic. Wendy toured the country as a stand up for three decades. As an actress, she has played nuns, nudists, psychics, therapists, and borsht belt comediennes. Theatre credits include: Old Jews Telling Jokes (Bunny, National Tour); When We Were Young and Unafraid (Agnes); Grey Nomad (Val, Skylight Theatre). Then, when she turned 54, Wendy was handed the most challenging part of her life – the role of a pancreatic cancer patient. Though it all, Wendy has had her family of friends to carry her through. Tonight’s performance is dedicated to them. Learn more and connect with Wendy here: wendyhammers.com

JONAH ROBINSON* (Benny) is an actor and musician from Los Angeles. He was recently seen on stage at the Fountain Theater in Lifespan of a Fact and in The Civility of Albert Cashier at the Colony Theatre. He has been a proud cast member with The Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Goodspeed Opera House, The Rubicon, and the Kravis Center, amongst many other theaters around the country. Jonah can be found on Peacock’s long running soap opera Days of Our Lives as Dr. Mark Greene, and appeared in Daisy Jones and the Six on Amazon Prime. He received a BFA, in musical theatre from the University of Miami. Thank you Matt, Dennis, Sami and Madge for making this show possible. Thank you Allegory. Love to NPR+ and Birdy. Insta@JonahRRObinson

RICK ZIEFF (Isaac)  is a veteran actor in film, television, stage, and voice-overs. He stars as Richard Nixon in the animated feature FUN WITH DICK AND JOHN and is the voice of Spike the Dog in THE TOM AND JERRY SHOW, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. He is also a busy voice-over coach. Rick has appeared in many films, and is honored that his first film role was portraying civil rights activist Andrew Goodman in MISSISSIPPI BURNING. On television, he recurred on LAW & ORDER, BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 and WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB, as well as guest starred in dozens of other shows. Rick’s stage work includes YIDDLE WITH A FIDDLE both on Broadway and in Los Angeles, the title character in THE MENSCH off-Broadway, and SOPHIE: THE LIFE OF SOPHIE TUCKER at the Jewish Rep. He is currently an Artist-in-Residence with The Braid. Rick is thrilled to be collaborating again with playwright Dennis Danziger. They worked together on the powerful social commentary SHALOM, VIETNAM, and previously on DOUBLE PLAY opposite Wendy Hammers.  Rick is lucky to have two brothers that he considers his best friends. rick@rickzieff.com

* Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Madge Woods and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

DENNIS DANZIGER {Playwright) is the author of the novel, A Short History of a Tall Jew and the memoir, Daddy, The Diary of an Expectant Father. His plays include Almost Men (HB Playwrights Foundation), Pennant Fever (LA Actors Theatre), Double Play (HRC Showcase Theatre), and The Richard Nixon Sex Tapes and Other Presidential Nightmares (a full-length play composed of 12 one-act plays, including Shalom Vietnam (William Inge Theatre Festival), The Richard Nixon Sex Tapes, Trim, and Every Child Left Behind (Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre) and My Three Sons and Waiting for Ivanka (Stella Adler Theatre). TV credits include: Taxi, Kate & Allie, My Sister Sam, The White Shadow, Hometown, and Empire. His essays have appeared in Next Avenue, Shondaland, HuffPo, The Good Men Project, and United Teachers of LA. For 24 years, he taught high school English in the LAUSD, and in 2014, he co-founded with his wife, the writer Amy Friedman, the nonprofit POPS the Club (Pain of the Prison System), providing support for teens whose lives have been impacted by incarceration, detention, and deportation. He and Amy edit annual award-winning anthologies of student writing and artwork published by Out of the Woods Press and are consultants to The Pathfinder Network of Portland, Oregon, which serves system-impacted individuals. Dennis’s novel-in-progress is Can’t Teach This: Based on a True Story I’m Not Allowed to Tell.   

MATTHEW LEAVITT (Director) is an award-winning playwright, director, librettist, and co-artistic director of The 6th Act. Selected directing credits include Hamlet (winner of Best Director of a Play’ Stage Scene LA Award), Legally Brunette (World Premiere – The Garry Marshall Theatre in Los Angeles, 54 Below in NYC), Sonnets From Suburbia (World Premiere – Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 59E59 in NYC, Hollywood ndependent Theatre Festival), Double Play (World Premiere – Stephanie Feury Theatre), The Scorpion and the Frog: a time killer (World Premiere – Hollywood Fringe Festival), Barfly Shakespeare (The 6th Act), Twelfth Night (Village Green Productions), The Taming of the Shrew (Village Green Productions), Arrival (Sci Fest LA) and Goes The Weasel (Ammunition Theatre Company). Playwriting credits include The $5 Shakespeare Company (LA Times Critics’ Choice) and The Boomerang Effect (published by Concord Theatricals), which has enjoyed numerous productions throughout the US and UK. His new play Sukkot recently premiered at The Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles. He has been commissioned twice by LA Opera to write the librettos for two new operas, Orpheus and The Wreck of the Miranda (both collaborations with classical and film composer Nathan Wang). For more information visit www.the6thact.com.

MADGE WOODS (Executive Producer) is a woman who loves to help her friends. Over the years, that is precisely what she has done in myriad ways, supporting some with artistic endeavors—one-person shows, musicals, and publishing endeavors; Madge has been instrumental in supporting her friends in getting nonprofits off the ground (and beyond); and she supports folks in ways to numerous to list. Madge is delighted to have the opportunity to produce a play written by her friend Dennis Danziger. Months ago, Dennis invited Madge to hear a reading of The Brothers Abelson, a casual affair. The moment the reading began, Madge was hooked. She laughed, she cried, she gasped. Later that night, unable to sleep, she decided The Brothers Abelson Since 1946 needed to be on stage because she wanted everyone to have an opportunity to see it. This is the first full-length production Madge has produced—though likely not the last. She knows that everyone can identify with a family struggling, and she promises you all a moving and memorable evening with The Abelson Family.

SAMI KOLKO (Producer) has a diverse background spanning film, television, and theatre. This year, three of her short films were showcased at prestigious festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, LA Shorts International Film Festival, and HollyShorts. In 2018, she produced the critically acclaimed production of Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies, a poignant drama that delves into the emotional complexities of war journalism.  She is currently in pre-production on two feature films, further expanding her creative portfolio. Sami is thrilled to return to the theatre world as part of the team producing the world premiere of The Brothers Abelson since 1946 by Dennis Danziger.

ANDY ZICARI (Stage Manager), is proud to come from the nation’s second-largest theatre district in Cleveland, Andy  got started managing stages at Oberlin College and Conservatory. After dozens of productions in Ohio, he has transplanted to Portland Oregon, but is beyond thrilled to make his west-coast debut here in the City of Angles! Andy is infinitely grateful to the Electric Lodge team and especially Dennis; as well as to his boyfriend and cat for letting him be away from home for so long.

JANE HAMOR (Props Master/Set Dress) Originally from Los Angeles and a recent MFA graduate from the Scenic Design program at CalArts. As a trained dancer, Jane brings instinctual knowledge of choreography and movement into her designs to create kinetic spaces that fuse the audience, performer, and architecture into a unified experience. Jane enjoys designing for various performance mediums; including theater, film, dance, and site-specific installation. Select credits include: UCSB School of Dance, CalArts Schools of Dance, Theater, Music and Film, Heidi Ducker Dance Festival, The Lobero Theater, Human Resources, The Zephyr Theatre, The Loft Ensemble, Stella Adler Theater, Hollywood Fringe Festival and USC School of Cinematic Arts.

DAVID OFFNER (Scenic Design) received his MFA from CalArts, and a BFA from the University of Florida. Some of his credits include, Famous (Ovation Nominee) at the 11:11 (Dir. Michael Leoni), 4:48 Psychosis (Ovation Nominee) at Son Of Semele (Dir. Matthew McCray), Beth Henley’s Laugh at LMU (Dir. Dana Resnick), Bad Jews at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble (Dir. Dana Resnick), Tartuffe at LMU (Dir. Katharine Noon), The Ghost Road’s Super Duper (Dir. Katharine Noon), Ken Roht’s Same-O, A 99cent Show (Dir. Ken Roht), Four Chords and A Gun (Dir. Jessica Hanna) at Bootleg Theater.

W. ALEJANDRO MELENDEZ (Lighting Designer) is an LA-based Latiné lighting designer working in theatre and opera. Recent credits include a disability-affirmative production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Phamaly Theatre Company at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the world premiere of Stockade for Local Theatre Company. Alejandro was recognized as an Emerging Creative at USITT 2024 and holds an MFA in Experience Design & Production from CalArts. To connect with Alejandro and see more of his work find him on Instagram @wamelendez.

NICK NEIDORF ( Sound Designer/Original Music) has been the resident sound designer for The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Co. since 2010, working on virtually all of their productions since then. Highlights of his work with the Porters include Troilus & Cressida, Pericles, Cymbeline, and Henry IV, Pts. 1 & 2. He is grateful for all of you supporting live theater.

HANNAH SCHATZLE (Costume Designer) is a costume designer and stylist working in various mediums. She trained at NYU Tisch and in the apprentice program at the Santa Fe Opera. Her most recent credits include assistant costume designer on Josh Safdie’s feature Marty Supreme, and costume designer on the short film “Ghost Walker” directed by Abraham Amkpa. Other credits include work as a costume buyer on the upcoming feature History of Sound, and the FX series Clipped and as a styling assistant on music videos for artists Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé and Kacey Musgraves. This is her third time designing costumes for a play by Dennis Danziger.

KENNY BARELA (Graphic Designer) is a creative director based in Los Angeles. He grew up in Santa Fe, which has influenced his love for art and design. He has spent 20 years as a graphic designer, artist, creative director, and his true love is being a dog dad to his two pups, Mika and Banjo.

The Playwright wishes to thank:

For your generous support and wisdom:

The dramaturges – Peter Flood and the late Mark T. Kemble at Actors Studio West, and in memory of beloved mentor and friend, David Assael

The actors – Kevin Brian, Jason Downs, Ellen Sue Gerstein, Dor Gvirtsman, Cathy Ladman, Shelley Phillips, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Kate Zentall

The writers and directors – Amy Friedman, Matthew Leavitt, Roland Tec, Mick Thyer, and Ann Hearn Tobolowsky

Friend and executive producer – Madge Woods

Dr. Joel Shapiro, Kent Jenkins, and Matthew Tennant of the Electric Lodge

And especially to the actor Richard Fancy whose years of readings, questions, and challenges led me to dig to make this play better, and deeper.