My So Called Jewish Life

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The second annual night of funny, poignant, powerful, and peculiar autobiographical stories about all things Jewish, not-so-Jewish, and wanna-be Jewish feature performances by Emily Yoffe, writer for Slate; Alix Spiegel, reporter for NPR; Karen Sommer Shalett, Editor-in-Chief of DC Magazine; Spencer Ackerman, blogger for Wired, David Litt, speechwriter; Danny Harris, blogger for People’s District;  and host Amy Saidman, Director of SpeakeasyDC. Hear true stories about spiritual warfare, squirrel hunting,  family obsessions and more.

Monday, December 20, 2010
a co-production with Sixth & I Synagogue
at 600 I St, NW Washington, DC
7:30pm. $12. Pre-sales closed, but you can buy tickets at the door.

SixthIonly

SpencerAckerman100px Spencer Ackerman is an American national security reporter and blogger. He began his career at The New Republic and currently writes for Wired magazine’s national security blog, Danger Room.
DannyHarris Danny Harris is the editor of People’s District, a website that tells a people’s history of Washington, DC using the words and portraits of its residents. Since launching People’s District in September 2009, the website has shared the stories of over 350 people, received acclaim by a number of local and national news outlets, and was converted into a curriculum for DC public schools and after-school programs to teach kids about storytelling and DC history.
DavidLitt100px David Litt is a speechwriter living and working in Washington, D.C. His work has appeared in the Onion, McSweeneys.net, and the Huffington Post. Most recently, he directed the District of Columbia’s field program for the Democratic National Committee.
KarenSommerShallet2 Karen Sommer Shalett is the editor-in-chief of DC Magazine, a Washington-area lifestyle glossy covering the region’s top innovators and events. In addition to working as a columnist for The Washington Post’s Style and Sunday Sources sections, Karen has freelanced for Women’s Wear Daily, The Dallas Morning News, and Lucky. In her previous position as a reporter for New Orleans’ Times Picayune, Karen reported on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, concurrently launching an award-winning magazine for the Newhouse-owned newspaper.
AlixSpiegel100px

Alix Spiegel began her career in radio in 1995 as one of the founding producers of the public radio show This American Life. She is currently  a reporter on NPR’s Science Desk and covers psychological research and general human sadness. She has also written for The New Yorker magazine and The New York Times.

EmilyYoffe100px Emily Yoffe writes Slate‘s “Dear Prudence” column, answering question on life, love, overbearing in-laws, and gaseous cubicle mates. She also writes Slate‘s “Human Guinea Pig” column, in which she tries things readers have too much dignity to do themselves (entering the Mrs. America Contest, making her singing debut). She is author of the book What the Dog Did: Tales From a Formerly Reluctant Dog Owner.
saidman Host, Amy Saidman is SpeakeasyDC’s artistic executive director. She has been performing, hosting, teaching, and directing with SpeakeasyDC since 2000 and is a two-time recipient of the artist fellowship award from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanties (most recently for FY2009-10). She has survived Camp Louise, Camp Moshava, Washington Hebrew School, High School in Israel, and Aish haTorah, and still has her Bat Mitzvah poster in her parents basement (you know, the one with all the “mazel tovs” written on it by aunts and uncles you never met).



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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”Steph” src=”http://speakeasydc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Steph.jpg” alt=”Steph” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

<td valign=”top”><span style=”color: #80A20B;”>Stephanie Garibaldi </span>is SpeakeasyDC’s Education Director. She is responsible for coaching all the performers on our open mic and directing the 2009 <em>Sucker for Love Valentine Special</em>.  She is a member of the cast of SpeakeasyDC’s acclaimed Fringe Festival success, <em>Chocolate Jesus</em> and a rising star on local stand-up stages. She has been performing, hosting, directing, teaching with SpeakeasyDC since 2002.</td>

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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”John Kevin Boggs” src=”http://speakeasydc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/KevinBoggsDec.jpg” alt=”John Kevin Boggs” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

<td valign=”top”><span style=”color: #80A20B;”>John Kevin Boggs</span> is a local actor and storyteller, was last seen in <em>Camille </em>by the Washington Shakespeare Company and before that <em>in All That I Will Ever Be</em> at Studio’s 2nd Stage. John Kevin was also in the cast of SpeakeasyDC’s <em>The Sin Show</em>, the top-selling show in the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival, and was born and bred in the epicenter of the storytelling revival–Jonesborough, Tennessee– home of the National Storytelling Festival and the International Storytelling Center.</td>

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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”Amy Couchoud” src=”/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Coosh5.jpg” alt=”Amy Couchoud” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

<td valign=”top”><span style=”color: #80A20B;”>Amy Couchoud</span> has been active in the Washington, DC arts community for the past 10 years, having worked at the Studio Theatre, Studio Theatre Secondstage, Folger Shakespeare Library and Arena Stage.  Before joining SpeakeasyDC, she was a faculty member of the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory and co-directed three plays for Studio Theatre Secondstage. Her SpeakeasyDC directing credits include <em>Chocolate Jesus </em>and <em>The Sin Show</em> (co-director).</td>

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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”Meredith Maslich” src=”http://speakeasydc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Meredith.jpg” alt=”Meredith Maslich” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

<td valign=”top”><span style=”color: #80A20B;”>Meredith Maslich</span> has been a storyteller, teacher and coach with SpeakeasyDC since 2006. A favorite on the open mic, she is also part of <em>The Sin Show</em> cast and performed in the 2008 Big Read. Behind the scenes, Meredith volunteers on SpeakeasyDC’s board of directors. With her Masters in organizational development and experience as a fundraising consultant, she brings valued experience to our corporate trainings.</td>

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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”Vijai Nathan” src=”http://speakeasydc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/VijaiNathan.jpg” alt=”Vijai Nathan” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

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<div>Maryland native <span style=”color: #80A20B;”>Vijai Nathan</span> is comedian, storyteller and solo-performer. She’s performed at the Smithsonian’s Freer, The Montreal International Comedy Festival, South Africa’s International Comedy Festival. TV appearances include ABC, NBC, PBS, the BBC and Oxygen Network. She tours with her solo shows, <em>Good Girls Don’t, But Indian Girls Do, </em>and<em> McGoddess: Big Macs, Karma &amp; the American Dream.</em></div></td>

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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”Joseph Price” src=”http://speakeasydc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/JosephPrice.jpg” alt=”Joseph Price” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

<td valign=”top”><span style=”color: #80A20B;”>Joseph Price </span>has told stories on the SpeakeasyDC  stage about brawling over garter belts, streaking, and shopping for online prostitutes. He most recently appeared in <em>The Sin Show</em> as Pride. He is the author of several plays including <em>This Digital Life: Basic Instructions for Coping with the 21st Century</em>, produced as part of the 2007 Capital Fringe Festival.</td>

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<td width=”90″ valign=”top”><img title=”Amy Saidman” src=”http://speakeasydc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Amy-hosting-0907.jpg” alt=”Amy Saidman” width=”90″ height=”90″ /></td>

<td valign=”top”><span style=”color: #80A20B;”>Amy Saidman </span>is SpeakeasyDC’s artistic executive director. She co-directed the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival’s top-selling show <em>The Sin Show</em>, 2009′s <em>Mommie Dearest Mother’s Day Special</em>, and is in the cast of <em>Chocolate Jesus</em>. She has been performing, hosting, teaching, and directing with SpeakeasyDC since 2000 and is a two-time recipient of the artist fellowship award from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanties (most recently for FY2009-10).</td>

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4 Responses to "My So Called Jewish Life"

1 Joel commented on December 3rd, 2010 at 11:42 am

I think this looks like great fun; we could as the Robinson’s to join us-maybe to to Matchbox after; I know its a Monday night, but its xmas week-what do you think?

2 Nightlife Agenda: Holiday happy hours and Bell Biv Devoe | Half/You Articles commented on December 14th, 2010 at 11:41 pm

[...] Alix Spiegal, national security reporter Spencer Ackerman and four others. Tickets are $12, and advance purchase is [...]

3 Nightlife Agenda: Holiday happy hours and Bell Biv Devoe | ukGRADUATE commented on December 15th, 2010 at 2:40 am

[...] Alix Spiegal, national security reporter Spencer Ackerman and four others. Tickets are $12, and advance purchase is [...]

4 Featured DC Entertainer: Adam Ruben — Gather the Jews commented on June 29th, 2011 at 1:15 am

[...] particular theme.  For example, there’s a group called Speakeasy DC that put up a show called ‘My So-Called Jewish Life.’  They found people to tell ten minute stories with Judaism in the theme.  As I was developing [...]

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