THE BEN HECHT SHOW

THE BEN HECHT SHOW – live theatrical performance

                  Ben Hecht tells you everything you need to know about show business,

                 Jews and anti-Semites. 

                With jokes.

Sat., Jan. 23 – 7:30 pm –  post-show reception with Mr. Sherman available

Sun., Jan. 24 – 2:00 pm

At the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center – 122 E. Culver St. in Phoenix

602-241-7870 – www.azjhs.org

The Ben Hecht Show, a theatrical production written and performed by James Sherman, will be presented at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E Culver St in Phoenix, on January 23 and 24. The 80 minute show, set in 1943, chronicles the views and musings of the iconic Ben Hecht, the versatile journalist, playwright, novelist and Oscar-winning screenwriter.

James Sherman’s name is familiar to theatre-goers in the Valley as a talented playwright who scripted such plays as “Beau Jest,” “Jest a Second,” “The God of Isaac,” Romance in D,” “Door to Door” and many others.  All of these plays and others of his were produced by the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, and currently the Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert is producing “Beau Jest” for its second time. Sherman  will participate in a post-show discussion there after the Jan. 22 performance.

“I’ve known Jim since 1991, when AJTC chose to produce “Beau Jest,” and we’ve been friends ever since,” says Janet Arnold, former Producer at AJTC and current Board Member of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society. “When AzJHS told me they’d like to do some more cultural programming, I had just learned about Jim’s latest adventure and knew it would be a perfect match.” Arnold will be producing the show for the Arizona Jewish Historical Society.

The Ben Hecht Show deals with Hecht’s illustrious career as a Chicago journalist in the 20s and as a NY playwright and Hollywood screenwriter in the 30s and 40s, but is most concerned with Hecht’s growing awareness of anti-Semitism and his support of Zionism in the 1940s. After having considered himself only an “American” for most of his life, Hecht was suddenly spurred to activism as a Jew by the situation in Europe.

Sherman, who resides in Chicago, was an actor even before he became a playwright, with a theatre degree from Illinois State University and an MFA from Brandeis University. He began his professional career as a writer and performer with The Second City in Chicago. Since 1985, he has had thirteen plays premier at the Tony Award-winning Victor Gardens Theater in Chicago.

Sherman currently teaches Playwriting and Improvisation at Columbia College of Chicago and DePaul University.   He has performed The Ben Hecht Show to rave reviews in both Chicago and Los Angeles.

Performances will be at 7:30 pm on Saturday, January 23 and 2 pm on Sunday, January 24 at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E Culver St. in Phoenix.  Tickets are available for $20 for members of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, $25 for the general public. A special Sponsor package is available for Saturday night at $180, which includes 2 reserved seats and a post-show wine and cheese reception with Mr. Sherman.  Tickets can be purchased at azjhs.org or by calling 602-241-7870.

Beau Jest, one of Sherman’s earliest and most beloved comedies, is playing at the Hale Centre Theatre at 50 W Page Ave. in Gilbert from Dec. 31-Feb. 13. There are performances on New Year’s Eve at both 6 pm and 9:30 pm. Tickets are available at haletheatrearizona.com or at 480-497-1181.

The Arizona Jewish Historical Society, located in the restored building of Phoenix’s first synagogue, was established to preserve the rich heritage of Arizona’s Jewish communities and promote awareness of our  state’s diverse history.  AzJHS educates the public on Jewish contributions to both Arizona and American life. The Ben Hecht Show is being presented in part through a generous grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix.

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