Staff Report
The Jewish Women’s Theatre (JWT) will present “The Accidental Activist,” an evening of inspiration, tears, laughter and valuable life lessons, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Grand Room at Industrial Eats, 181 Industrial Way in Buellton.
Dining options will be available at Industrial Eats before and after the show.
Organizers say that the brand new, original show brings audiences untold stories of spunk, pluck, bravery and just plain guts — and you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy what they call a timely and important show that delivers heart and humor.
During “The Accidental Activist,” audiences will meet Elaine, a young mother who discovers her adopted son is autistic and starts a nonprofit to help kids. They will also meet Libby, a 94-year-old who wasn’t too elderly to lead her fellow tenants to fight back against their greedy landlord; and Janet, whose vegetarian protest led to the loss of her community, which was built around chicken soup.
Other stories focus on a 9/11 survivor’s precarious journey through life and a mother’s determination to ignite a fire of social justice in her young daughter, who would rather have stayed in bed than march against global warming.
One of the characters, a lawyer working against human trafficking, suffers a life-threatening blow as a result of her work. Rather than shy away from her cause, she considers her attack to be a gift.
“Have you ever received a gift, disguised as a whisper, a random act, a kindness, an insult, a bump on the road that jostled your plans and shook you at your core?” she asks.
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, JWT’s salon theatre of original dramatic shows, each written to a specific theme, displays the diverse and eclectic community of writers, artists and creators who comprise L.A.’s Jewish women’s community. Learn more about JWT at www.jewishwomenstheatre.org.
Tickets are available for $35 ($25 for students) at www.syvjc.org. For more information, contact the Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community at thesyvjc@gmail.com or 805-693-4243.
