Performance by Sandra Laub
An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare is a cri de coeur from author/performer Sandra Laub, who wrestles with opposing truths: two peoples, one land, too much death on both sides.
She channels characters like Golda Meir and a Palestinian mother of martyrs, to make sense of the insane horror of October 7th. This many-voices solo show dares to ask for peace while grappling with war, whose antecedents and repercussions continue to shape our world.
Hailed as a remarkably balanced and compassionate portrayal, the play respects the facts while standing firmly on personal, humanistic ground.
The play will be followed by a ”talk back” – facilitated discussion (in Hebrew and English) immediately after the show.
Visit the official website for Picking Up Stones
The show is in English (no Hebrew translation)
Show length: 70 min
Playwright: Sandra Laub;
Performer: Sandra Laub;
Producer: Jerry Fischer,
Director: Sara Berg
Sound design: Roger James Kuhns;
Additional music: Gianpierro De Filippo
Photographer: Larry Cotton
Sandra Laub’s New Play Grapples with Israel at War
Southeastern CT, USA – Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare, is Laub’s reaction to the Israel-Hamas war from Day 1 through Day 30. Please review this site for more info and clips of the play.
Audiences have hailed Sandra Laub’s solo play, her reaction to the ongoing war in the Middle East, as
“a remarkable combination of passion, compassion and respect for the facts.” Sandra won the “Artists 4 Artists’ award at the 2024 Providence (RI) Fringe festival, an honor given by fellow performing artists to a show that deserves a wider audience. Her play will be performed at the United Nations for the NGO CSW Committee on The Status of Women, March 17th, 2025. She will appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2025. We seek to bring this program, which includes a facilitated discussion after the show to communities in North America, Israel, and Europe, and are looking for additional venues and funding.
An American Jew, Laub dramatizes a variety of voices and perspectives emerging in the wake of grief, anger, heartache, and fear after the October 7th Hamas attack. Her play questions: Can the world understand and sympathize with two opposing groups of people: Israelis and Palestinians? How can both sides begin to heal from their traumas? How can American Jews, with their deep connection to and love for Israel express concern and criticism from a place of love and support.
Jews and Muslims worldwide face a sharp spike in Antisemitism and Islamophobia. In America, the issue is politicized in the streets and on campus, and the Middle East is re-made as the world watches. Sandra grapples with emotions anyone can recognize in this swirling maelstrom of events.
Short Bio for Sandra
Educator, Performer, Writer BA: Northwestern University; MFA American Conservatory Theater; Off Broadway: The Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park; Dance Theater Workshop, La Mama, Equity Library Theater, WPA Theater; Regional: Theater West; Capitol Rep; Hartford Stage; Touring: “Golda’s Balcony”; original adaptations: “Mrs. Campbell! Mr. Shaw.” “Wild Desires: The Story of Madame Bovary. 40 years of lead roles in classic plays and new work.
Performance by Sandra Laub
An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare is a cri de coeur from author/performer Sandra Laub, who wrestles with opposing truths: two peoples, one land, too much death on both sides.
She channels characters like Golda Meir and a Palestinian mother of martyrs, to make sense of the insane horror of October 7th. This many-voices solo show dares to ask for peace while grappling with war, whose antecedents and repercussions continue to shape our world.
Hailed as a remarkably balanced and compassionate portrayal, the play respects the facts while standing firmly on personal, humanistic ground.
The play will be followed by a ”talk back” – facilitated discussion (in Hebrew and English) immediately after the show.
Visit the official website for Picking Up Stones
The show is in English (no Hebrew translation)
Show length: 70 min
Playwright: Sandra Laub;
Performer: Sandra Laub;
Producer: Jerry Fischer,
Director: Sara Berg
Sound design: Roger James Kuhns;
Additional music: Gianpierro De Filippo
Photographer: Larry Cotton
Sandra Laub’s New Play Grapples with Israel at War
Southeastern CT, USA – Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare, is Laub’s reaction to the Israel-Hamas war from Day 1 through Day 30. Please review this site for more info and clips of the play.
Audiences have hailed Sandra Laub’s solo play, her reaction to the ongoing war in the Middle East, as
“a remarkable combination of passion, compassion and respect for the facts.” Sandra won the “Artists 4 Artists’ award at the 2024 Providence (RI) Fringe festival, an honor given by fellow performing artists to a show that deserves a wider audience. Her play will be performed at the United Nations for the NGO CSW Committee on The Status of Women, March 17th, 2025. She will appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2025. We seek to bring this program, which includes a facilitated discussion after the show to communities in North America, Israel, and Europe, and are looking for additional venues and funding.
An American Jew, Laub dramatizes a variety of voices and perspectives emerging in the wake of grief, anger, heartache, and fear after the October 7th Hamas attack. Her play questions: Can the world understand and sympathize with two opposing groups of people: Israelis and Palestinians? How can both sides begin to heal from their traumas? How can American Jews, with their deep connection to and love for Israel express concern and criticism from a place of love and support.
Jews and Muslims worldwide face a sharp spike in Antisemitism and Islamophobia. In America, the issue is politicized in the streets and on campus, and the Middle East is re-made as the world watches. Sandra grapples with emotions anyone can recognize in this swirling maelstrom of events.
Short Bio for Sandra
Educator, Performer, Writer BA: Northwestern University; MFA American Conservatory Theater; Off Broadway: The Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park; Dance Theater Workshop, La Mama, Equity Library Theater, WPA Theater; Regional: Theater West; Capitol Rep; Hartford Stage; Touring: “Golda’s Balcony”; original adaptations: “Mrs. Campbell! Mr. Shaw.” “Wild Desires: The Story of Madame Bovary. 40 years of lead roles in classic plays and new work.