Moi, A Stand-Up Comedienne? Updated with link to performance

Last night I finally got my chance. In a sense it's like being able to cross something off my "Bucket List." I've always loved to perform, but outside of the classroom, as a teacher, and of course my dancing and talking to groups about Shiloh etc, I don't think I've ever been given a microphone to just be "me."

A couple of months ago, I noticed that the The Women's Performance Community of Jerusalem was looking for women to tell their aliyah stories to celebrate Yom Aliyah, Aliyah Day. So, I bit the bullet and sent in a wacky "audition" recorded as I walked up the hill one night, close to deadline, and I was accepted.

I thought I could just do my usual improv, no real planning, and then they started asking me how long it would take so they could set up the scheduling. Eeks! That brought me back down to earth. So I wrote something up and timed it. It was obvious to me that the "tone and style" would be very much like my Baile Rochel pieces and delivered stand-up. And the end would be a participatory "how to dance while standing in shul."

Of all the friends and family I invited, only one friend could attend, and she told me that if I signalled after each joke she'd be sure to laugh. The totally amazing thing was that from my very first joke, original of course, people began laughing, so I never had to signal her. And most of the women got up for the dancing. And lots of women came up to me afterwards to tell me what a great time they had.

Thanks to the Israel Center for sponsoring the group and super special thanks to the The Women's Performance Community of Jerusalem, Sharon Dobuler Katz, Shifra A-C Penkower, Avital Macales and Bati Katz. Here are some photos sent to me by Sharon Dobuler Katz. Click here and you should be able to see and hear me.