The Melting Pot Theatre Company production of OY!
OY!
a comedy by Rich Orloff
(3 m., 2 w.)
“Good laughs. Highly entertaining. From some of these sketches you could kvell.”
The New York Times
OY! is a collection of 12 (but for you, 13) short comedies. OY! is a comic tribute to all things Jewish and all things human. Although each sketch uses a story to illuminate the meaning of a Yiddish word, the comedy of OY! has entertained audiences of all backgrounds (and many of its sketches have been performed to acclaim at such short play festivals as Summer Shorts in Miami and Shadowbox Cabaret in Ohio). OY! can be performed by an ensemble cast of three men and two women on a simple set.
Originally produced by Melting Pot Theatre Company in New York, OY! has since been produced by Public Theatre of South Florida, Chicago Jewish Theatre, Jewish Ensemble Theatre (Detroit), Theatre Ariel (Philadelphia), Sarasota Jewish Theater, Center Theater (Washington, D.C.), Jewish Theatre of Bulgaria, and elsewhere.
The plays include:
WORD PLAY - A non-Jewish employee joins a Jewish company and fears he won’t fit in. His boss and co-workers offer him an education. (5 either)
Read an excerpt.
The Summer Shorts production of EVE AND ADAM: THE UNTOLD STORY
EVE AND ADAM: THE UNTOLD STORY - God is a woman, and Eve is made first, in this rib-tickling comedy. (2 w., 1 m., 1 either)
Read an excerpt.
GOOD NEWS FROM ALBERT, from the Center Theatre Company production of OY!
(photo by Lisa Helfert)
GOOD NEWS FROM ALBERT - Although Einstein has just won the Nobel Prize, his mother is preoccupied that he looks like a slob. (1 m., 1 w.)
Read an excerpt.
STEVIE GOLDSTEIN FACES THE DAY OF ATONEMENT UNPREPARED - Stevie’s parents face a problem not found in any parenting book: What do you do when your son tells you he hasn’t sinned all year? (2 m., 1 w.)
Read an excerpt.
The SCF-Studio 84 Production of CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?
(photo by Tom Oostveen)
CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED? - Such a trial! The Human Being wants a divorce from God and takes him to court. (2 w., 1 m., 1 either)
Read an excerpt.
OY, from the Center Theatre Company production of OY!
(photo by Lisa Helfert)
OY - In this tribute to the most colorful of all Yiddish words, three men in a steam room have a vibrant interaction with each other and life - using only the word “oy”. (3 m.)
Read an excerpt.
MURRAY, LEO AND SOL REWRITE THE CRIMINAL CODE, from the Chicago Jewish Theatre production of OY!
(photo by Brian LeTraunik)
MURRAY, LEO AND SOL REWRITE THE CRIMINAL CODE - Such scholars! The three men in the steam room explore the concept of justice. (3 m.)
Read an excerpt.
A TROLLEY NAMED TSURIS, from the Chicago Jewish Theatre production of OY!
(photo by Brian LeTraunik)
A TROLLEY NAMED TSURIS - In this hilarious parody of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Stella and Stanley get a new neighbor who keeps poking her nose into their business. (2 w., 1 m.)
Read an excerpt.
CLOSE CALL - At KvetchRadio, everybody complains – but the host won’t tolerate complaints about him! (3 m., 1 w.)
Read an excerpt.
IS LUST KOSHER, from the Center Theatre Company production of OY!
(photo by Lisa Helfert)
IS LUST KOSHER? - A Kosher couple discovers an imaginative way to arouse each other. (1 m., 1 w.)
Read an excerpt.
COME LIGHT THE MENORAH - On Chanukah, an observant woman learns her sister is a lesbian – and dating a shikse! When produced in New York’s Unity Fest, Off-Off Broadway Review called it “the strongest piece of the evening... pure magic onstage.” (2 w.)
Read an excerpt.
LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS, from the Public Theatre of South Florida production of OY!
(photo by Steven Shires)
LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS - Moments before birth, a child has second-thoughts about leaving the womb. But the team getting her ready won’t be stopped! (5 either)
Read an excerpt.
Bonus play: WHAT MAKES A MAN? - Will creating an artificial man solve the problems of a 29 year-old loser still living at home? (When do things ever work out according to plan?) (3 m., 2 w.)
Read an excerpt.
OY! is published and licensed by Playscripts, Inc. To read lengthier excerpts, order books, or obtain performance rights, visit Rich's page at Playscripts.com.
