Theatermaker Bio

‍Rebecca is an internationally recognized theater-maker, playwright, actress, and singer. For the first part of her artistic life she immersed herself in the creation of new Jewish theater. Today, her focus lies in telling the earth and humanity's stories at this unprecedented time in planetary history, through the lens of Jewish wisdom and ancestors. Her boldly theatrical works of ecological/Jewish performance include Endlings, a new musical in development uplifting the last of every species, and Clown. Mench. Table, an adult clown show in development wrestling with how the hell to eat ethically in this broken world.

Raised in the theater and in Jewish learning and community, Rebecca began her professional life as an ordained cantor and educator in synagogues across the NY area, and simultaneously as a theater-maker. During this time, she became an impassioned scholar, performer and preserver of little known European Jewish cabaret between the wars. With the success of her off-Broadway show, Kleynkunst!, Rebecca left her synagogue role in order to devote herself to creating, touring, and teaching. 

Highlights from Rebecca’s career include the bilingual show, Metropolis, which premiered to sold-out houses in Paris; Cities of Light, which has been presented in theaters, synagogues, and alternative performing arts venues around the world, including productions in Paris, Chicago, Evanston IL, and Jerusalem; and Ringing True, which was commissioned by Miami Theater Center in January. The Miami Herald called Ringing True “a mystical and intimate night of theater” and Rebecca's performance "a tour de force."

As an actor, Rebecca has performed at such prestigious venues as Victory Gardens (Chicago), Lincoln Center, Theater J (Washington DC), London Jewish Cultural Center, Chicago Dramatists, Metropolitan Room (NYC), American Jewish University (Los Angeles), Piven Theater (Chicago), Martef Theatre (Jerusalem), and Segal Centre (Montreal.) 

In the realm of ecological-Jewish performance, Rebecca has worked as an actor, theater-maker, producer, artistic director, and educator. She has trained and been mentored by Chantal Bilodeau, founder of Climate Change Theater Action, and has participated in Chantal's climate artist incubator in NYC. Rebecca repeatedly produced and acted in Climate Change Theater Action performances throughout the city of Chicago. She served on the selection committee for Adamah's Shmita Arts Project awards, and — with generous funding from the Covenant Foundation - launched the Jewish Climate Artists for CA Incubator at Coastal Roots Farm, where Rebecca also works. In that capacity, she also creates and produces the Farm's yearly Regenerate! Eco-Performance Fest, in collaboration with San Diego's premier Jewish arts festival, JFEST. Finally, Rebecca is a certified climate coach which imbues her theatre creations with particular sensitivity to audience resistance and yearnings.

‍Rebecca has trained extensively in theater devising, Michael Checkov acting technique, singing, physical theater, clowning, Linklater technique, yoga, and Meisner technique. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she was also ordained as a cantor. Rebecca is a proud member of the American Conference of Cantors, the Cantors' Assembly, the Association for Jewish Theater, the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and ROI, an international network of social entrepreneurs. In addition to her work as a theater artist, Rebecca proudly works as the Director of Jewish Life at Coastal Roots Farm in San Diego, where she listen to and shares the stories of the land every day. 

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