[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre interview with Abel Horwitz on his world premiere solo show at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, “KOSHER SALT.“
Tackling one of the oldest forms of prejudice, Horwitz will solve antisemitism in a brisk 45 minutes! You’re welcome.
What gave you the inspiration to write and produce “Kosher Salt”:
The story is not a happy one. On October 7th, 2023 I opened a show I had co-written and produced. The show took two years to develop, and October 7th was the date I’d circled in my calendar for those two years as opening night. All my attention and energy was focused on that date. So, when I checked my phone that day and saw the headline on NY Times of what was happening in Israel, I had no choice but to put my phone in my pocket and shove any emotion deep down.
This worked for a while: I had the show to focus on. I could acknowledge what was happening in the Middle East without putting too much attention on it. But of course, pain has to go somewhere, and for me it went into excessive drinking and picking fights with my friends and loved ones.
Towards the end of our run, I went to see a production of “Indecent,” written by Paula Vogel. “Indecent” tells the story of “God of Vengeance,” a show written by Sholem Asch that opened on Broadway in 1923. It was the first lesbian kiss in Broadway history, and as soon as the two actors kissed onstage the police arrested them and shut the play down for obscenity. “God of Vengeance” began as a Yiddish theater production, and “Indecent” is filled with the Yiddish language and Jewish culture. I wept throughout the show. A deep, cleansing cry. It was clear to me that something wasn’t “right.”
After that, I signed up to travel to Israel and volunteer on farms. I flew to Tel Aviv on January 1, 2024, and spent two weeks in Israel picking grapefruits, oranges, and whatever else I could. I sobered up, and I refocused.
When I came back from that trip I started working on “KOSHER SALT.”
Did you experience antisemitism while growing up?
Yes. I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I grew up around very few Jews and I felt very much an outsider. I experienced both direct antisemitism (such as being called “Christ killer” to my face) and indirect antisemitism (people discussing not wanting to be “Jewed down” on a price) throughout my childhood and young adulthood.
Of course, this is all surface-level stuff. The true seed of “KOSHER SALT” is the murder of my relative, Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, at the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018. The murderer was fueled by the conspiracy theory that Jews are breeding out the white population of the United States with immigrants (“The Jews will not replace us!”) The shock and trauma of that is a wound that will never heal.
How does “Kosher Salt” through comedy help shed light on antisemitism?
I’m talking about a very difficult subject, and my intention when writing the show was to make it as silly as possible. I really lean into the ridiculousness of the anti-Jewish stereotypes and spend a lot of the show dancing around the stage as a shapeshifting lizard from outer space. I do this as a commentary on the conspiracy theory that Jews are…well…shapeshifting lizards from outer space. I’m trying to make the experience fun before I hit the audience with the heavy stuff.
What will people take away from their theatrical experience regarding this controversial/political situation which didn’t start on October 7, 2023?
My hope is that from this show people take away the realization that there are real consequences to the anti-Jewish memes you see online.
I made a choice early on in the development of the show to not directly address the current situation in the Middle East. For starters, I’m not qualified to host a geopolitical lecture on the historical facts of what’s happening there right now. And also, I felt it was more important to shine a light on the rise of antisemitic hate speech since 2016, as well as the alarming fact that 1 out of 5 high school students in the United States thinks the Holocaust didn’t happen.
I chose to center the show on my own personal experiences rather than current events.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
It has been an incredible honor to bring this show to life. I’ve been a part of the Zombie Joe’s community since I first walked through the door thirteen years ago. It’s a place I feel safe in, and as a director, Zombie Joe has pushed me further than I thought I could possibly go with this show. I’m excited for people to see it. It’s a fun romp through a serious subject.
Tickets:
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/zombiejoes/4552
What:
Abel Horwitz’s solo show “Kosher Salt”
When:
April 5 – April 20
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:30pm
Where:
4850 Lankershim Blvd., NoHo Arts District, CA 91601