←Recommendations of Cannabis Passover

Is there a God? Is it Alexa? Does it matter? Is "Zionism" bad, good, or misunderstood? Seders are about more than just the Four Questions; they're about the bigger questions that haunt even this contemporary, cannabis-toking family. To pull off an ensemble of this size without compromising each character's unique voice and journey (while funnily and poetically exploring life's biggest mysteries) is nothing short of a coup. The pace and rhythm and structure and imagery are all enviable. You do not have to be Jewish or love/hate jalapenos to love this play--but it wouldn't hurt. Simply fantastic.

Exquisitely-crafted play with regards to characterization, theatricality, and structure! As a theatrical event, the bold and distinctive characters barreled through a raucous and charged Seder at a breakneck pace, punctuated by brilliant tempo shifts. Levitsky-Weitz balanced the irregular rhythms of natural human speech with spare lyrical poetry and bombastic stage images that I won't soon forget. I was amazed at how each character was so distinct in the sizeable ensemble, and the weighty conversations about family, faith, tribalism, Zionism, identities of various kinds, tradition vs. progress, and many other topics were so impeccably executed. Hilarious, dark, electric, magical, awe-inspiring.

Dark and sad like a fish charred in the oven, but also funny in a way that hurts good like fresh jalapeño. This play finds the mystical in our modern pain and elevates us all. These characters get high and spirits sink as ritual becomes unclear and divisions become the new tradition.

The language of this play drunkenly sings along with Bob Marley and by the end, you feel warmed across centuries by the wonder of the burning bush and comforted by the fact that not even Alexa knows the answers to life's deep questions.

Read this play!

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Sofya Levitsky-Weitz and their play Cannabis Passover as a finalist for our 2020 National Playwrights Conference. This particular work emerged from a highly competitive, anonymous, and multi-tiered selection process to become one of 63 finalists out of more than 1,500 submissions. This enthralling piece galvanized the hearts and theatrical imaginations of our reading teams and is fully championed by our offices. We are honored to put our enthusiastic support behind this writer and their ongoing contributions to the American Theater.

This play has humor, tension, absurdity and depth...just as a Passover Seder should.

Just reading this play made me sweat with discomfort. Sofya Levitsky-Weitz expertly captures the tension of family holiday dinners and the interweaving of fantastical elements works so well.