TRAYF by Lindsay Joelle

Orthodox teens and lifelong best friends Zalmy and Shmuel are intent on saving the world, one mitzvah at a time. But when a curious outsider draws Zalmy into the forbidden secular pleasures of 1990s New York City, Shmuel must do everything in his power to keep their dreams intact or risk losing his friend forever. This road-trip bromance is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal...
Orthodox teens and lifelong best friends Zalmy and Shmuel are intent on saving the world, one mitzvah at a time. But when a curious outsider draws Zalmy into the forbidden secular pleasures of 1990s New York City, Shmuel must do everything in his power to keep their dreams intact or risk losing his friend forever. This road-trip bromance is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don't quite fit in, and the faith and friends that see us through.
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

TRAYF

Recommended by

  • David Winitsky:
    26 Oct. 2022
    “ We often get plays that look at observant Jews trying to get out of their restrictive community. Lindsay gives us someone with good reasons to want to get in. That’s the kind of new version of an old story that I love. ”
  • Benjamin Benne:
    4 Mar. 2022
    “ I read this hilarious play years ago but getting to (finally) see it on the Geffen stage, it has bloomed even further into one of the most beautiful plays I've gotten to experience. The characters' desires run so deep. The dialogue is stunning. The scenes are economic and precise. And the reversals hit hard. The exploration of faith is profound and the (rare) depictions of male friendship are the most tender and moving I've ever seen. ”
  • Michael Cotey:
    15 Sep. 2021
    “ Joelle's characters are so funny, so completely realized and so real. Full of heart and love. The great success of your play is that it taps into the universal through the specific. The specific experience of Zalmy and Shmuel’s devotion to the Rebbe will only be shared by a minority but the obsession of two passionate teenagers, the trials and tribulations of finding yourself in the world, the strains of friendship as new people enter a tightly defined dynamic or when a someone you love begins to change – these are all things an audience can relate to. Excellent work! ”
View all 12 recommendations

ZALMY: Male. 18. Chasidic Jew. Eager, curious, hungry for life.
SHMUEL: Male, 18. Chasidic Jew. Loyal, earnest, hungry for love.
JONATHAN: Male, late 20s. A potential convert to orthodoxy. Charismatic, impulsive, hungry for purpose.
LEAH: Female, late 20s. Secular Jew living in Manhattan. All of the above.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    The Criterion Theater, London
    ,
    2022
  • Reading
    ,
    Hunter Playwrights Festival (dir. May Adrales)
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Sabes JCC, MN (dir. Addie Gorlin)
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    Penguin Rep Theatre (dir. Celine Rosenthal)
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    JCC of Northern Virginia (dir. David Winitsky)
    ,
    2016
  • Reading
    ,
    The Lark (roundtable)
    ,
    2015

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Six Points Theater
    ,
    2023
  • Professional
    ,
    The Geffen Playhouse
    ,
    2022
  • Professional
    ,
    Penguin Rep
    ,
    2017

Awards

Nomination: Best Writing
,
LA Critics Circle
,
2022
Nomination: Best Writing
,
Robby Awards
,
2022
Finalist
,
Blue Ink Playwriting Award
,
American Blues Theater
,
2017
Finalist
,
JPP Top 10
,
Jewish Plays Project
,
2016
Finalist
,
Jaw Festival
,
Portland Center Stage
,
2016
Winner
,
Rita Goldberg Award
,
Hunter
,
2016