SETTLEMENTS

by Seth Rozin

When the resident theatre at a Jewish Community Center commissions a new play about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a half-Jewish/half-Jordanian playwright, the Center finds itself pulled in several directions. One of the Center’s major donors, the Center’s Board President, the theatre’s Artistic Director and the playwright each fight for a different outcome, while the Center’s Executive Director tries to...

When the resident theatre at a Jewish Community Center commissions a new play about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a half-Jewish/half-Jordanian playwright, the Center finds itself pulled in several directions. One of the Center’s major donors, the Center’s Board President, the theatre’s Artistic Director and the playwright each fight for a different outcome, while the Center’s Executive Director tries to keep the institution from falling off its foundation. In these polarized times when extreme voices on the left and the right threaten to pull America one way or the other, SETTLEMENTS examines the difficult balancing act of holding onto the center.

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SETTLEMENTS

Recommended by

  • David Winitsky: SETTLEMENTS by Seth Rozin
    “

    This is going to sound hyperbolic, but I truly think if the American Jewish community can figure out how to talk about Israel, then the whole country can recover from disabling partisanship. That's how important Seth's play is; it's world peace.

    This is going to sound hyperbolic, but I truly think if the American Jewish community can figure out how to talk about Israel, then the whole country can recover from disabling partisanship. That's how important Seth's play is; it's world peace.

    ”
  • Emma Goldman-Sherman: SETTLEMENTS by Seth Rozin
    “

    As a playwright who lived this experience with a play that I wrote based on my travels in Gaza and the West Bank of Palestine during the first Intifada (now a period piece), I find SETTLEMENTS to be spot on, pitch perfect in exposing the corporate realities of most American theatres. Rozin writes with compassion - the characters are never 1-dimensional - and humor that helps these realities go down even as he breaks our hearts and reminds us of the limits of our art.

    As a playwright who lived this experience with a play that I wrote based on my travels in Gaza and the West Bank of Palestine during the first Intifada (now a period piece), I find SETTLEMENTS to be spot on, pitch perfect in exposing the corporate realities of most American theatres. Rozin writes with compassion - the characters are never 1-dimensional - and humor that helps these realities go down even as he breaks our hearts and reminds us of the limits of our art.

    ”
  • Cheryl Bear: SETTLEMENTS by Seth Rozin
    “

    Art and politics is a tale as old as time yet we're often more silent than we should be on it if we ever want to help change it. Terrific!

    Art and politics is a tale as old as time yet we're often more silent than we should be on it if we ever want to help change it. Terrific!

    ”
View all 7 recommendations

Character Information

Individual roles, no doubling.
  • NOAH
    Artistic director of a professional Jewish theatre. Brash and brilliant. A born provocateur.
    40s
    Jewish
    a cis Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • JUDITH
    Executive Director of a Jewish Community Center. Grounded, wise, exceedingly pragmatic.
    50s
    Jewish
    a cis Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • YASMINE
    An early career playwright. Whip smart and not afraid to ruffle feathers. From privilege, but recently discovering their political identity
    Late 20s-early 30s
    Half-Jordanian/half-Jewish
    non-binary female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • MARIAN
    President of the Board of the Jewish Community Center. A smart and savvy socialite who is very status conscious.
    60s
    Jewish
    a cis Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • CESAR
    A retired opthalmologist and philanthropist. Dignified and cultured, with a strong sense of purpose.
    70s
    Jewish
    a cis Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, Alliance for Jewish Theatre, 2021
  • Reading, Palm Beach Dramaworks, 2020
  • Reading, New Jersey Repertory Theatre, 2020
  • Reading, Quarantine Players, 2020

Production History

  • Professional, InterAct Theatre Company, 2022

Awards

  • Alliance for Jewish Theatre Conference
    Alliance for Jewish Theatre
    Finalist
    2021
  • 2020 Jewish Playwriting Contest
    Jewish Plays Project
    Finalist
    2020