On June 12, 2025 the Playwright/Actress Sandra Laub arrived in Israel to begin our 7-venue, 12-day tour of Israel.  The war with Iran started on June 13. Israel was closed down for the duration of the Iran war and the tour had to be canceled. Sandy tried to perform the play in the bomb shelter of her hotel, but missile alerts prevented it. Sandy did present the play once, at her cousin’s kibbutz, Yakum. After leaving Israel via Jordan and Egypt, Sandy reached Edinburgh and had a very successful run at the Fringe Festival in early August. She rewrote her play to accommodate recent history, including the hostages return and the current,  fragile ceasefire.

We are now booked for a May tour in 14 venues in Israel, including three prestigious theaters: Tzavta in Tel Aviv, Jaffa Theater, and The Khan in Jerusalem. We will perform at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa. In addition, we will appear in three Arab cities in Israel, one city on the West Bank, and in Jewish cities, synagogues, and communities throughout the country. We will also perform at the main Jewish cultural center in London, JW3, on our way back to America after the Israel tour. The London booking is thanks to JW3 memberwho saw the Fringe performance andarranged for the London performance.

Picking Up Stones  will also appear in New York City as part of the Midtown International Theater Festival for six performances at the American Theater for Actors, June 19-28. A sixteen-venue tour will require significantly more funds than we have raised for the planned seven-venue June ’25  tour. Alas, there were expenses for the canceled 2025 tour and the second planning trip. We need to raise at least $27,000 to make this significant tour a reality. The expenses include accommodations, theater fees, equipment rental, sound and light technicians, and a van to transport us, our set, and equipment.

Please give as much as you can.  Donors of $5,000 will be listed as major underwriters; donors of $2,500 will be listed as producers, and donors of $1,000 will be listed as co-producers. All donors will be listed in the Playbills distributed in Israel, London, and New York.

With much appreciation and thanks,

Jerry Fischer, Producer, Picking up Stones

Please mail checks, made out to The Garde Arts Center, with a memo

on the check noting Picking Up Stones, and a short cover note

designating the gift, to: The Garde, 325 State Street, New London, CT

06385. Kindly let me know so I can track and ensure proper accounting.

The Garde will send you a tax donation acknowledgement letter.