Theatre

Upcoming Productions

4 Special Showcase Performances!

April 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th

Survivors, Written by Wendy Kout, is a play about young people and how they survived the Holocaust.  Based on real people, the show  examines hatred and prejudice of all types. Suitable for grades eight through twelve, college and adult audiences, this play is both a warning and a wake-up call for the present and the future. 

These 4 performances are a showcase for the production which hopes to tour to locations within the Chicago area.

The touring production will be especially appropriate for schools, synagogues, churches, and community groups.

Held at City Lit Theater

1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave. 

Chicago, IL 60660 

Meet the Cast

  • Nathan Kabara

    Nathan Kabara is honored to be making his Arts Judaica debut in Survivors. He has always had a passion for telling Jewish stories, and he is extremely grateful to tell such an important story alongside his boyfriend Jacob. Nathan is a proud graduate of Roosevelt University. Recent credits: Fiddler on the Roof (Drury Lane, Beef and Boards), Annie (Milton Theatre), Dragons Love Tacos (Northbrook Theatre), Newsies, Hairspray (Skylight Music Theatre), You Can’t Take It With You, Ella Enchanted (First Stage). Special thanks to his friends and family who have always supported him. @nathan.kabara

  • Lila Rutishauser

    Lila Rutishauser is a recent transplant to Chicago after graduating from Smith College in ‘24. They were honored to be part of the 2024 Protégé cohort at Shattered Globe Theatre. Lila is an actor, poet, and cognitive science enthusiast, and they are deeply grateful to be performing with Arts Judaica in Survivors

  • Shaina Summerville

    Shaina Summerville is thrilled to get to bring this important work to life. You may have seen Shaina onstage at numerous Chicago area theatres including Williams Street Repertory, Citadel Theatre, Brightside Theatre, Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, Three Brothers Theatre, Improv Playhouse, Big Noise Theatre, and Three Cat Productions, among others. She also spent a summer as part of IMPACT Children’s Theatre in New Hampshire. When not onstage, Shaina can be found narrating audiobooks, with 200+ titles to her name. Much love and gratitude to Nate and my parents for their endless love and support.

  • Rachel Fox

    Rachel Fox is a recent graduate of Roosevelt University, where she received her BFA in Acting. Her recent credits include 'Olivia' in Twelfth Night, ‘Ruth’ in a staged reading of Jane: Abortion and the Underground, and ‘Christie’ in from here to utopia. She dedicates her performance to her grandfather, Max Steinmetz, who was the only one of his family to survive the camps at age eighteen and lived a happy and peaceful life until he passed away at the age of ninety-six in 2021. Follow her on Instagram @rachelsfox or check out her website rachel-fox.com

  • Zach Kunde

    Zach Kunde: with a genuine passion for entertaining and performing, Zach Kunde earned his BFA in theater performance from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. A familiar face to Chicagoland; you may have seen him on stage at Music Theatre Works, Invictus, St Sebastian, Oil Lamp, City Lit, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, or Citadel. Learn more at @Zach_The_Actor or www.ZachKunde.com

  • Jacob Simon

    Jacob Simon is a Deerfield native with a passion for telling Jewish stories onstage. He has spent the better part of his early twenties performing in various productions of Fiddler On The Roof, including the Broadway National Tour and the recent production at The Drury Lane Theatre, directed by Elizabeth Margolius. This summer, he’ll return to Anatevka once more as Perchik at Music Theatre Works. When he’s not doing Fiddler, Jacob enjoys developing new works like Penelope, Or How The Odyssey Was Really Written at The York Theatre Company Off-Broadway, Surviving The Rosenthals at New York Theatre Festival, and Paper Brigade, a queer/Jewish musical currently in development. Today, Jacob is humbled to tell this important story and to share the stage with his boyfriend Nathan. Thanks to Elayne and the folks at Arts Judaica!

Contact us.

If you would like to work with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out!