A big giant obscenely massive gratitude parade is in order for the cast of Nice Jewish Boy. Thank you-- every single one of you-- for the absolute abundance of enthusiasm, perseverance, dedication and love you have brought to this production, from table read to closing. Your work is evident, your commitment is evident; your care for these characters is evident, and I could not have asked for a better-suited set of souls to originate these newborn roles. Nice Jewish Boy is a delicate dance between hullaballoo and heartbreak, and you have executed this balance with truly impressive ease. You are all treasures. Thank you for infecting me with an incurable attachment to the new works process, for bringing my words to life so compassionately, and for allowing me to refine my directing acumen in your presence. Boots mama slay.
To my badass production team, Andy, Josh, Tess, Ben: thank you for putting up with my logistic idealism with such grace. None of this could've been accomplished without your vision, efficiency and determination, and I am so grateful to have benefited and learned from your infinite talents and skillsets throughout this process.
River, my dear dramaturg: what a refreshing voice you are. Thank you for digging into this process with me in every new draft, for catching things I never could, and for believing in Nice Jewish Boy to begin with. You are sunshine.
Benjamin Ballmer: thank you for a lot of things; most pertinently, for frantically opening a Word doc in the middle of Liz's Marla audition and typing "WHAT IF NAOMI IS A SOCK PUPPET." And, of course, thank you for helping to bring that wackadoo idea to such effective fruition. You are love, light and chaos.
To the unparalleled DJ Gray: thank you for your grounding presence week after week, for your consistently effective notes, and for having enough faith in this project to sign on in the first place. You inspire me to push myself for greatness as a director and in every aspect of my theatrical career. Truly, thank you millions and trillions.
Andy: you are quite possibly the most versatile, adaptable person I know. Thank you for always being on your game, for truly holding the show's best interests at heart, and for showing up day after day as an encouraging and thoroughly collaborative presence. You exemplify everything I love about making theatre. New rapper/drag/general name pitch: Mx. Prop-Master Boots 3000. I'll make you a little hat and everything.
Devin: you signed on so late in the game so eager to help, and I could not be more grateful. You are quite literally the reason this show makes physical sense. Your spirit is unparalleled and anyone would be lucky to work with you.
My dear parents: thank you for helping me transport rugs, Manichewitz, yarmulkes and various Passover parphernalia of all origins and iterations. Thank you for putting up with me through my every caricaturized state throughout the rewrites and production process and for having faith in me every step of the way. I love you dearly and couldn't have done this without your support.
Nick Johnson, my love: thank you for documenting this process in its fledgling steps. It is because of your creativity and drive that I will have bits of this dear project to look back on, and I can't thank you enough.
Lovely lovely friends not directly involved in this production: thank you for showing up. Thank you for believing in it. Thank you for letting me scribble down your most quotable lines. You ground me and I love you for it.
And to the titular Nice Jewish Boy, Gabriel Martin Armstrong: you were the seed and the first drop of water for this madness, and I am so lucky to call you my dear friend and collaborator. Thank you for inspiring Ben in text and in spirit, and for imbuing him with every last morsel of your heart, wit, ambition and humor. Your brain belongs in the Louvre. I love you.
