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Times Square International Theater Festival to Debut Play by ‘Isramerica’ Actress Sivan Hadari

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“1,934 Days,” an original play  created by  Sivan Hadari – founder of Isramerica, a non-profit company that supports diverse Israeli and Jewish artists in New York – will debut at the Times Square International Theater Festival on January 18th, 21st and 22nd  at the Roy Arias Theatres & Studios located at 300 W. 43rd Street.  “This is an incredible opportunity and a very big honor,” says Hadari. “Out of hundreds of plays submitted from all over the world, 1,934 Days was one of only 15 productions selected for the Times Square International Theater Festival.”
“1,934 Days,” directed and co-created by Charlotte Cohn, is an ensemble piece revolving around themes of longing and hope. The play will be performed by a group of fifteen actors from diverse countries, including Israel, Japan, China, Kurgistan, France, Singapore, and the Philippines. Each actor will share a personal monologue that deals with longing, unrequited love, separation, heart-break, mourning, divorce, adoption, religion and faith. The actors will draw inspiration from the song ‘Not Over You,’ by Gavin DeGraw and the story of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was held captive in Gaza for 1,934 days.
“This play will explore the human emotion and rationale behind about the idea of longing, fear and uncertainty, as experienced by people of all ages, religions and from different parts of the world,” says Hadari,  who created “1,934 Days” after experiencing her own personal loss.  “My hope is that the audience will connect to each of these individual stories as well as be inspired, moved and changed by them.”
An actress, singer, producer and television host, the Brooklyn-born Hadari attended Yeshiva of Flatbush as a child. Subsequently setting her sights on a career in show business, she moved to Israel, where she studied at the prestigious Alon High School for Performing Arts and the Bet Zvi Conservatory. Hadari was a member of the Masach Rishon Israeli Theatre Company and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Her NY credits include Manhattan Lavender, My Pal Bette, and the International WOW Theatre Company’s RECONSTRUCTION. She has produced commercials for the Israeli Network Channel here in New York, and in 2010 alone, served as co-producer of the shows NO EXIT, SABRA, A Daughter of Israel, World Extravaganza, J-SLAM: Jewish Storytelling at its Best, and ISRAFEST – an Israeli Music Festival featuring Israeli-American bands in collaboration with Rami Kleinstein. Her one woman show, The Emancipation of the Sassy Jewish Woman, won the award for Best Solo Debut at The United Solo Festival at Theatre Row, Off-Broadway. Hadari is currently an onsite reporter, covering the Jewish cultural scene in New York City for Shalom TV.
Hadari credits her theatrical training in Israel for serving as a strong influence on her work. “The communal creative process is much stronger there,” she relates, “because when a group of artists prepares for a production, each person has something to say on the topic at hand.” And she has found the experience of working on her newest play to be particularly intense. “The actors performing in ‘1,934 Days’ have each brought in their own true life experiences to expound on,” Hadari reveals, “and that can be scary to work with.” According to Hadari, the idea for “1,934 Days” came to her when she was watching news reports about Shalit’s release. “That event made me wonder – What if I was stuck in an endless emotional state like Gilad was?” she says. “Would I just continue to long for it to end, or would I accept it as is? The play explores the emotions of that type of dilemma.”  
The multi-talented actress and producer would jump at the opportunity to take “1,934 Days” to theater festivals and audiences across the country and even worldwide, given that this is the first play produced by Isramerica to go beyond the Israeli perspective per se and have an international point of view. And the theater is clearly dear to Hadari’s heart and soul. “As a stage actor, the immediate connection that I get with an audience is so profound,” she enthuses. “I just love the storytelling aspect of live theater.”
“1,934 Days” will be playing at the Times Square International Theater Festival for a limited engagement on Wednesday, January 18th and Saturday, January 21st at 10P.M., with a final performance on Sunday, January 22nd at 6 P.M. Ticket prices are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. They can be purchased at www.smarttix.com.

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