{"id":378739,"date":"2025-10-01T17:43:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T17:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=378739"},"modified":"2025-10-01T17:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T17:43:28","slug":"voices-festival-productions-announces-november-4-cast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2025\/10\/01\/voices-festival-productions-announces-november-4-cast\/","title":{"rendered":"Voices Festival Productions announces ‘November 4’ cast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Voices Festival Productions<\/a> (VFP) announces full casting for its world premiere production of November 4<\/em>, <\/strong>an urgent, timely musical play about a political assassination that changed the course of history. A work revealing the polarized heart of a country that once stood on the brink of a momentous peace treaty, the production anchors VFP\u2019s internationally acclaimed Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival, now in its 25th year, this season devoted to exploring How We Got Here <\/strong>| Where We Go Next.<\/strong> November 4<\/em> runs November 12-December 7<\/strong> in Spooky Action Theater\u2019s performance space at the Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St NW, Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The 5-person November 4<\/em> ensemble is headed up by Broadway & TV veteran,<\/strong> Mitch Greenberg <\/strong>(Bartlett Sher\u2019s production of Fiddler on The Roof<\/em>, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, ThreePenny Opera<\/em> starring Sting at DC\u2019s National Theatre before coming to Broadway, along with episodes of Law & Order, Kate & Allie <\/em>and others) who plays the 73-year-old Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin<\/strong>, felled by his countryman, 25-year-old Israeli law student and right-wing ideologue, Yigal Amir<\/strong> (played by Helen Hayes Award nominee, Noah Mutterperl<\/strong> (national tour of Tina \u2013 The Tina Turner Musical;<\/em> and the Arena Stage production of Age of Innocence). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024 Helen Hayes Award winner,<\/strong> Nicole Halmos<\/strong> (for her role in The Cake<\/em> at Prologue Theatre and NextStop Theatre, and ensemble  member at the OBIE Award winning Target Margin Theatre Company) plays Leah Rabin<\/strong>, the prime minister\u2019s wife, as well as Shoshi, a close advisor who steps into the present to reflect on the traumatic changes that have befallen her country since Rabin\u2019s assassination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Daileader<\/strong> (Paper Dolls<\/em> at Mosaic; Treasure Island<\/em> at Synetic) plays Haggai Amir<\/strong>, the assassin\u2019s older brother, among other roles; and Emma Wallach<\/strong> (This Play Isn\u2019t About Brian <\/em>at the Kennedy Center, and Tiny Lights <\/em>at Theater J)plays Prime Minister Rabin\u2019s granddaughter, Noa Rabin<\/strong> as well as Yigal Amir\u2019s love interest Shalhevet, who steps forward in time to reflect on the damage of the assassin\u2019s actions \u2013 and her own complicity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director Alexandra Aron<\/strong> (Founding Artistic Director of Remote Theatre Project) returns to DC after staging Grey Rock<\/em> at The Kennedy Center and Imagining Madoff<\/em> at Theater J.  Other new play directing credits for Aron include The Mulberry Tree<\/em> at La MaMa Theatre and the OBIE winning King of the Jews <\/em>at HERE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assiduously researched and told with an up-to-the-minute frame of reference, November 4<\/em> explores the personal and political landscape of 1995 for Rabin in 19 stylistically ambitious songs. The musical collision-course between the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister and the Talmud-quoting law student takes us to the final month of Rabin\u2019s life, ping-ponging between his office and family, and the world of his assassin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions build to the rousing peace rally in Kings of Israel Square, on November 4, 1995, when a crowd of over 100,000 sang \u201cShir L\u2019Shalom\u201d<\/em> (Song of Peace) together with the often-gruff war-hero-turned-peace-making prime minister, only moments before he was gunned down.  That murder derailed a peace process and changed history forever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musical co-creators Danny Paller<\/strong> (Jerusalem-based composer of The Geography Of Night<\/em> and Eli The Fanatic<\/em>) and Myra Noveck<\/strong> (25-year veteran of the NYTimes Jerusalem bureau and prolific screenwriter) are keen to have their work performed in the US as they reflect on the play\u2019s message during dark times: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIsrael must reclaim its identity not just as a nation of military resilience, but as a people capable of moral imagination and political courage. We need to bring statesmanship back. The play November 4<\/em> reminds us of this imperative; how this can \u2013 and must \u2013 be done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The production boasts VFP\u2019s top-flight, all union (United Scenic Artists) design team with OBIE Award winning set designer Lauren Helpern<\/strong> working with costume designer Deborah Caney<\/strong>, Helen Hayes Award (HHA) winning lighting designer Alberto Segarra<\/strong>, HHA nominee for sound design Justin Schmitz<\/strong>, properties designer Chelsea Dean<\/strong>, and choreographer Amber Mayberry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of its overall Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival, VFP Founding Artistic Producing Partner, Ari Roth<\/strong> and Artistic Producing Partner A. Lorraine Robinson<\/strong> have programmed two additional workshop presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the close of November 4<\/em>, the festival continues with Palestinian actress\/author Najla Said <\/strong>(daughter of Edward Said) and Jewish-American performance artist Judith Sloan<\/strong> performing their new work-in-progress, Imperfect Allies: Children Of Opposite Sides<\/em><\/strong>, running December 11-14<\/strong> and directed by Suzanne Agins<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through performance, memories, dialogue, images, poetry, and humor, Sloan and Said explore how their Jewish-American and Palestinian-American histories have shaped them and compel them forward. They come together as colleagues and friends in this soul-breaking moment to find tangible ways to have increasingly difficult conversations while steadfastly denouncing Israel\u2019s obliteration of Gaza.  These two women take a journey \u2014 often a bumpy road \u2014 in a collaboration that challenges even the strongest relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performances will be followed with an opportunity for audience members to practice the art of listening to one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Festival concludes with the English language workshop premiere adaptation of\u00a0Colum McCann\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a02020 National Book Award winning \u201cApeirogon\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0about the inspiring relationship between\u00a0Rami Elkhanan\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Bassam Aramin<\/strong>\u00a0who each lost daughters to terror, then remade their lives to be at the center of Arab-Israeli peace building efforts. Running\u00a0January 8-11, 2026<\/strong>, Israeli creatives work with American actors on Avner Ben-Amos\u2019 adaptation. They will be directed by\u00a0Sinai Peter<\/strong>,\u00a0who first staged the world premiere at the Jaffa Theatre in Israel this September, and returns to DC to direct his seventh\u00a0production for the Middle East Festival.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like November 4<\/em><\/strong>, Imperfect Allies: Children Of Opposite Sides <\/em><\/strong>and Apeirogon: Rami & Bassam<\/em> <\/strong>will both be presented at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th Street NW, Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with all VFP productions, curated discussions will follow most performances. A full lineup of discussants and themes will be posted on VFP\u2019s website and social media platforms this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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