Sarasota Jewish Theatre Presents Being Somebody – Growing up Brooklyn, a Father/Daughter Tale

September 18, 2024 | Sarasota

Sarasota Jewish Theatre (SJT) is pleased to present its season opener, “Being Somebody – Growing up Brooklyn, A Father/Daughter Tale,” on October 19 at 7:30 p.m. and October 20 at 1:30 p.m. This hilarious, coming-of-age journey will take the stage at The Players Centre Studio 1130 at the Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. To purchase tickets ($30), visit ThePlayers.org or call 941-365-2494. For more information, visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org.

“Being Somebody – Growing up Brooklyn, a Father/Daughter Tale” (October 19 at 7:30 p.m. and October 20 at 1:30 p.m.) is a funny, hope-filled show starring Dr. Howard Mase, an 88-year-old psychologist, and his singer/playwright/actor daughter Marla Mase. Through masterful storytelling, music, and song, the talented duo travels back in time to their formative years. Howard brings to life what it was like growing up as a skinny Jewish kid in Brooklyn’s post-war gleam of the 1940s, while Marla sings about holding fast to dreams and explores her femininity in the gritty disco era of the 1970s. Together, they take the audience on an emotionally charged, hilarious, coming-of-age journey that touches on universal themes.

“’Being Somebody’ came to me at a point when I wasn’t sure what was next. My wife of 64 years had just died, Marla and I were sitting shiva, and acting coach Elizabeth Browning came to pay her respects,” Dr. Mase confided. “Marla suggested that I read some of the stories that I’d written that had been hidden away for more than 35 years.” He mused, “It was like ‘Being Somebody’ was born out of death.”

The father/daughter duo spent most of 2023 writing, rehearsing, and performing the play, which made its New York City debut at TADA Theater, then went on to Off-Broadway’s AMT Theatre and Theatre Row.

Marla is known for her gutsy, raw performance style and is regarded by her peers and fans as a musical pioneer. Along with tours in China, Europe, and the U.S. over the years, Marla received a Messenger of Peace Award from the Friends of the UN for her visionary work as a songwriter and performer.

The season continues with Jeff Baron’s “Visiting Mr. Green” from January 29-February 9, a screening of “The Catskills – The Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt” documentary film on February 3, and “Lost in Yonkers” by Neil Simon from March 19-30. Joshua Harmon’s “Bad Jews,” which runs from April 30-May 11, closes the season.

For more information, visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.org. To purchase tickets to the performances at The Players Centre Studio 1130, visit ThePlayers.org or call 941-365-2494.