Picking Up Stones

Picking Up Stones:

An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare

A One Woman Play
Written and performed by Sandra Laub

An American Jew, Laub dramatizes a variety of voices and perspectives emerging in the wake of grief, anger, heartache, and fear after the October 7th Hamas attack. Her play questions:  Can the world understand and sympathize with two opposing groups of people: Israelis and Palestinians?  How can both sides begin to heal from their traumas?  How can American Jews, with their deep connection to and love for Israel express concern and criticism from a place of love and support.

Jews and Muslims worldwide face a sharp spike in Antisemitism and Islamophobia. In America, the issue is politicized in the streets and on campus, and the Middle East is re-made as the world watches. Sandra grapples with emotions anyone can recognize in this swirling maelstrom of events.

Audiences have hailed Sandra Laub’s solo play, her reaction to the ongoing war in the Middle East, as “a remarkable combination of passion, compassion and respect for the facts.”  Sandra won the “Artists 4 Artists’ award at the 2024 Providence (RI) Fringe festival, an honor given by fellow performing artists to a show that deserves a wider audience. Her play will be performed at the United Nations for the  NGO CSW Committee on The Status of Women, March 17, 2025. She will appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2025. We seek to bring this program, which includes a facilitated discussion after the show to communities in North America, Israel, and Europe, and are looking for additional venues and funding.