Zionista Rising

by Alexa Derman

At a Jewish American media organization, two Gen Z interns compete to rebrand Israel as a #girlboss #progressive #diversity-win via an AI-generated Instagram influencer. Somewhere, a Jewish American playwright is slowly losing her shit as her play is falling apart.

At a Jewish American media organization, two Gen Z interns compete to rebrand Israel as a #girlboss #progressive #diversity-win via an AI-generated Instagram influencer. Somewhere, a Jewish American playwright is slowly losing her shit as her play is falling apart.

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Zionista Rising

Recommended by

  • Premiere Stages: Zionista Rising by Alexa Derman
    “

    Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre company in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize Zionista Rising by Alexa Derman as a Semi-Finalist for the 2024 Premiere Play Festival. Zionista Rising rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 48 Semi-Finalists out of 760 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play's wonderfully complex exploration of Jewish identity, the function of media, and the challenges embedded in personal storytelling. Our congratulations and...

    Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre company in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize Zionista Rising by Alexa Derman as a Semi-Finalist for the 2024 Premiere Play Festival. Zionista Rising rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 48 Semi-Finalists out of 760 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the play's wonderfully complex exploration of Jewish identity, the function of media, and the challenges embedded in personal storytelling. Our congratulations and thanks to Alexa.

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    ”
  • Lisa Buch: Zionista Rising by Alexa Derman
    “

    This play is fire and extremely relevant!! A must-produce!!!

    This play is fire and extremely relevant!! A must-produce!!!

    ”
  • Dani Stoller: Zionista Rising by Alexa Derman
    “

    This play is friggin' brilliant! I was fortunate enough to read the role of Ella for a Jewish Play Project reading in VA and it's just...so good. So smart. So timely. So funny. It's such a great piece of satire with whip-smart dialogue and great roles for a diverse group of actors. Love it.

    This play is friggin' brilliant! I was fortunate enough to read the role of Ella for a Jewish Play Project reading in VA and it's just...so good. So smart. So timely. So funny. It's such a great piece of satire with whip-smart dialogue and great roles for a diverse group of actors. Love it.

    ”

Character Information

  • Ella
    An intern at JewToo.
    college-aged
    White,
    Jewish
    a woman
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • David
    An intern at JewToo. Wears a yarmulke.
    college-aged
    Black,
    Jewish
    a man
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Ava
    Also plays A YOUNG WOMAN, STAFF REPORTER, and FLIGHT ATTENDANT. A fiction.
    20s
    Sephardic or Mizrahi,
    Jewish
    a woman
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Max
    Also plays A COMMENTER, SOMEONE, EIC, ANNOUNCER, and MEGHAN MCCAIN. A gentile.
    40s
    Any
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
  • Liz
    The president of JewToo.
    40s
    White,
    Jewish
    a woman
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Rhonda
    The co-president of JewToo.
    40s
    White,
    Jewish
    a woman
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Workshop, Jewish Plays Project, 2023
  • Workshop, Playwrights Center, 2023
  • Reading, Brown University, 2021

Awards