Jessica feder-birnbaum

I am a playwright, author and theatre artist. My plays have had readings, workshops and productions in New York, regionally, overseas and on ZOOM. My plays and other writings appear in print and on-line. Readings/productions: Coronavirus One Minute Play Festival (Queens Theatre, NYC), The Director’s Workshop Theatre of Western Springs (Illinois), Bechdel Group’s 9th Overnight Writing Challenge (NYC), Clutch Productions EmpowerHER Reading Series (Primary Stages Studios NYC), Burning Coal Theatre (Raleigh NC), 5 Minute Jewish Play Festival Second Prize recipient; Lawrence Family JCC (San Diego). Code Red Plays #Enough - Atlanta/Boulder. I enjoy collaborating with and creating original theatre pieces with artists of all ages and experience levels. Member: Dramatists Guild. Honor Roll! Full Circle Cohort Clutch Productions. League of Professional Theatre Women. AJT. P.A.G.E.S Playwriting Group. 

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA:
Website: https://www.jessicafeder-birnbaum.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.federbirnbaum
Instagram: @jessicafederbirnbaum

MORE ABOUT ME:
The play that changed my life was "Fiddler on the Roof" I first saw it on Broadway when I was eight years old. It affirmed all the tales of shtetl life told to me by my Russian grandmother. Being one of the only Jews in a largely Christian neighborhood, I related to both the anti-Semitism displayed by the Cossacks and the ways in which the Jewish characters navigated the system while upholding their faith and traditions. As one of several daughters, and one whose only connection to my murdered relatives were faded pictures in worn photo albums, it was deeply gratifying to see what felt like my family's story on stage. The music, the lyrics, the dialogue and the sets mesmerized and have long resided within me. I have the entire cast album memorized. It was profoundly moving to see Fiddler On The Roof, In Yiddish so many years later with my younger family members. 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON:
I have two full lengths in development: "NO FEE," About a NYC real estate agent who runs for city council during the TRUMP administration, and struggles to balance her career, marriage, and political aspirations. "FAIR HOUSING" is about a Black woman who faces discrimination when she tries to rent an apartment in White Plains NY in 1970. I have also begun a project turning personal anecdotes from a wide range of people into 10 minute plays. 

KEYWORDS:
​Jewish, Muslim, Family, Political, People of Color, Equality, Comedy, Social Justice, Historical, Young Audiences, Food, Pandemic, Multi-Generational, Me-Too, Gun Control, Docu-Drama, ZOOM, Dramedy, Immersive