// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Birthright say to Play? "You're my right match".
| Birthright | |
|---|---|
 2025 Miami New Drama premiere poster | |
| Original language | English |
| Written by | Jonathan Spector |
| Characters | Chaya Izzy Noah Alona Emerson Lev Deborah |
| Genre | Drama |
| Premiere | |
| Date | April 3, 2025 |
| Place | Miami New Drama |
Birthright is a dramatic stage play by American playwright Jonathan Spector which premiered at Miami New Drama in 2025 and Off-Broadway in 2026 at MCC Theatre. The play follows six friends on a birthright trip to Israel and explores generational fractures within beliefs of American Jews.
Plot
[edit source]The play has three acts, which each taking place in a different time period in relation to the group's birthright trip to Israel.[1]
Act one begins in 2006 with six young friends, Chaya, Izzy, Noah, Alona, Emerson and Lev, reuniting after getting back from their free birthright trip to Israel as a chosen family, or mishpucha. Alona has begun dating an IDF soldier and considers moving to the country permanently, which sparks a moral debate within the group.[2]
Act two is set eight years later in 2014, as the group convenes again at Chaya's home the day before Alona's marriage to her Israeli fiancé. With the group's relationships having changed, disagreements form about Alona's new husband's background and Zionism.[3]
The final act takes place in 2024, one year after the October 7 attacks, as the group discusses digital discourse and politics, and eventually discussing whether or not mispucha can supersede such disagreements.[4]
Production history
[edit source]2025 Miami premiere
[edit source]The play made its world premiere in 2025 at Miami New Drama after artistic director Michel Hausmann pitched the concept to playwright Jonathan Spector in 2023, who initially derided the idea. Following the October 7 attacks, Spector began writing the play based on the range of politics and beliefs of Jewish people in response through 20 real-life interviews. The first reading at Miami New Drama was reportedly five hours long, before being trimmed to three.[5]
The production ran from April 3 to 27, 2025, directed by Teddy Bergman, starring Dani Stoller as Chaya, Arielle Goldman as Izzy, Stephen Stocking as Noah, Krystal Millie Valdes as Alona, Danny Capote as Emerson, Hale Appleman as Lev and Irene Adjan as Deborah.[6] The production received positive reviews, with ArtBurst Miami lauding the "smart dialogue" and the "universally relatability".[7]
2026 Off-Broadway production
[edit source]The play premiered Off-Broadway at MCC Theatre in 2026,[8] opening June 29 and scheduled to run through August 23, after two extensions due to high demand.[9] The production is directed by Teddy Bergman of Miami New Drama and stars Zoë Winters as Chaya, Molly Bernard as Izzy, Eli Gelb as Noah, Molly Ranson as Alona, Nate Mann as Emerson, Hale Appleman as Lev and Liz Larsen as Deborah.[10][11] Despite being announced in the role of Izzy, Abbi Jacobson departed the show before previews began on June 16, 2026.[12]
The production received mostly positive reviews, with The New York Times calling it a "a thrillingly constructed drama"[13] and The Wrap praising it as "the best new play of the year (so far)."[14] TheatreMania criticized the production for playing it safe, noting it "settles for less than it should."[15]
Cast and characters
[edit source]| Character | Miami 2025[16] | Off-Broadway 2026[17] |
|---|---|---|
| Chaya | Dani Stoller | Zoë Winters |
| Izzy | Arielle Goldman | Molly Bernard |
| Noah | Stephen Stocking | Eli Gelb |
| Alona | Krystal Millie Valdes | Molly Ranson |
| Emerson | Danny Capote | Nate Mann |
| Lev | Hale Appleman | |
| Deborah | Irene Adjan | Liz Larsen |
References
[edit source]- ↑ "Birthright – MCC Theater". MCC Theater. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "'Birthright' Off-Broadway Review: A Profound Exploration of Judaism and Friendship". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Birthright Theatre Review: Giant Broadway". The New Yorker. July 20, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "The Play, and the Playwright, and the Playwrights Foundation". The Forward. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "At Over 3 Hours and Spanning 18 Years, Jonathan Spector's Birthright Is a Modern Jewish Epic". Playbill. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Birthright – Miami New Drama". Miami New Drama. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Review: Miami New Drama's 'Birthright' Is Full of Character Amid Plenty of Complexity". Artburst Miami. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Birthright Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "BIRTHRIGHT Extends Through Late August at MCC Theater". BroadwayWorld. July 9, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Birthright – MCC Theater". MCC Theater. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Review: Birthright Is a Safe, Three-and-a-Half-Hour Play About Israel, Palestine, and Fractured Friendships". TheaterMania. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ Logan Culwell-Block (June 5, 2026). "Abbi Jacobson Departs Off-Broadway's Birthright; MCC Theater Pushes Start". Playbill. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/theater/birthright-review-israel-spector.html
- ↑ https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/theater/birthright-off-broadway-review/
- ↑ "Review: Birthright Is a Safe, Three-and-a-Half-Hour Play About Israel, Palestine, and Fractured Friendships". TheaterMania. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Birthright – Miami New Drama". Miami New Drama. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Birthright – MCC Theater". MCC Theater. Retrieved July 24, 2026.