who we are
Founded in 2011 and led by Artistic Director Aaron Henne, theatre dybbuk is comprised of a group of theatre artists, scholars, and nonprofit leaders. Meet the artists and staff on our people page.
what we do
In an era of short-form videos and social media, immediate response is often encouraged over mindful engagement. theatre dybbuk seeks to be a counter-cultural force by fostering a thoughtful relationship with the complexities present in our world. Through our work, we ask people to consider the various forces at play at any given moment in history and the ways in which art and other examples of cultural production can be vessels for the beliefs and prejudices of the times in which they are created.
Through our projects and programs, we operate in six primary ways:
PROJECTS
1) full length theatrical productions
These shows are at the center of our activities and represent the most complete expression of our mission and approach. Conceived by Artistic Director Aaron Henne and developed with our artists over 1-3 years per project, they each combine multidisciplinary performance with deep research to investigate how issues of identity, power, and marginalization intersect with a given society's choices.These productions incorporate incisive scholarship, lyrical language, stylized movement, and visceral metaphors to create expressionistic, singularly theatrical experiences which typically premiere in Los Angeles before touring to other areas. You can learn more about our process for creating these works on our in development page.
2) performance art presentations and lecture-based events
These are developed over a shorter period and are presented throughout the year, reaching audiences in diverse settings (such as museums, universities, and other places of learning). They take two primary forms:
• Our installation-style performance events use repetition and heightened theatrical structures in surprising and emotionally resonant ways.
• Our Illuminated Lectures combine talks from experts and scholars with performed readings and live music. Recordings of most Illuminated Lectures can be found on our podcast, The Dybbukast.
PROGRAMS
3) workshops for artists and scholars
Through these workshops, we educate artists and others on how to use theatre dybbuk's creation techniques to explore challenging and complicated topics in theatrically inventive ways.
4) professional development sessions and consultation services
These opportunities help nonprofit and business professionals and lay leaders communicate and collaborate most effectively. Using the principles of theatre, they help participants deepen their relationships to the nuanced needs of their colleagues and constituents, enabling them to have the most meaningful impact on those they serve.
5) community focused storytelling events
Our One Community, Many Stories program involves personal narrative writing seminars and performed readings that are designed to allow those who attend to listen to and learn from each other's insights. Often the stories that are told reveal aspects of a community that are present but may not be fully seen.
6) residencies
Our residencies bring together elements of both our projects and programs for partners in a wide variety of geographic regions. These week-long experiences allow us to interact with a vast array of communities and to address shared points of curiosity.
The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad presented during a San Diego residency in 2023 – photo by Taso Papadakis
mission and vision
theatre dybbuk creates provocative performances and innovative educational encounters that explore Jewish thought to illuminate universal human experience.
We envision a world where people challenge themselves to revel in the complexity of our shared humanity.
Artistic Director Aaron Henne leading a workshop at the Jewish Futures Arts + Culture Salon in Toronto – photo by Shay Markowitz
beginnings
Founded in 2011, theatre dybbuk's inaugural production, cave…a dance for lilith (co-produced with LA Contemporary Dance Company), opened on November 9, 2012 at Diavolo in The Brewery Art Colony.
You can find a list of all of our past productions (as well as upcoming ones) on our projects page.
cave...a dance for lilith – photo by Taso Papadakis
where we create
While we've presented our work in communities across North America, we make it in our home city of Los Angeles, California. We gratefully acknowledge the Chumash and Tongva (Gabrielino) peoples, on whose ancestral homelands we create and develop our work, as well as the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make Los Angeles their home today. We’d also like to acknowledge that no community in the United States exists separately from the complicated reality of our country's history of colonialism, slavery, and exploited labor.
exagoge rehearsal at Temple Israel of Hollywood – photo by Taso Papadakis
equity, diversity, and inclusion
theatre dybbuk believes that the creation of impactful artistic work includes collaborators from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who together form a community which encourages experimentation, innovation, and deep investigation.
theatre dybbuk is committed to:
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developing and presenting work, inspired by Jewish cultural perspectives and experiences, that is informed by the power of the diverse voices in our community of artists. This work explores issues connected to identity, belonging, and power in our world throughout history and today.
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engaging in an ensemble development process that employs artists from a wide range of backgrounds and with intersecting identities. The resulting productions are intended to reflect this multiplicity in their interests and explorations.
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consistently offering a portion of our work for no- or low-cost to the public. This allows for access to high-quality, challenging performances for people from a wide variety of economic situations.
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presenting work in partnership with other institutions, including museums, cultural organizations, and public initiatives. This creates opportunities for us to lead and co-lead from a space where inquiry meets collaboration, engaging a large cross section of community members.
lost tribes presented at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) – photo by Taso Papadakis
watch, listen, and read more
Peruse an archive of articles about our work and interviews with and essays written by our artistic director.
Watch and listen to interviews with our artists and collaborators and short films that explore themes in our work.
contact
If you are interested in finding out more about how we work and opportunities for collaboration, please email us at: info@theatredybbuk.org.
theatre dybbuk is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.