"Our country was founded in large part by immigrants, and they helped pave the way
for all Americans to live in a country that values liberty and freedom. The greatness of our country stems from its diversity."
Diane Watson
California Congresswoman
The fast-paced 80-minute program was written by and stars Emmy award-winning veteran Boston performer Ron Jones and award-winning actor Larry Jay Tish, “The Black Jew Dialogues” combines sketch comedy, improv, interactive video, and audience participation to take you on a hysterical and poignant journey through many of our closest held beliefs (and misbeliefs). The performers play a myriad of characters with numerous costume changes.
Praise
We got a fantastic crowd 200+ on Friday night which was great!
"One of the best programs I have ever witnessed." Chad Kee Assoc. Dir. of Student Leadership Catholic University
A great part of the shows success has been that it deals with sensitive
and complicated issues in a unique and engaging way. Unlike most lecture-
style programs the show was written as a theatre piece, but as it toured
around the US and UK, Jones and Tish were regularly being asked to bring the
show to colleges by students and staff alike. "We have done scores of
theatre shows and will continue to, but the energy of the students is off
the scale. We love them!" says Jones.
“Sparked the most real, honest, and productive conversation I have ever had in my undergraduate experience." Elizabeth Genovese Stud. Programmer Boston College
“Amazing!” LSU
This fast paced comedy not only sheds light on complicated issues in a
way that resonates with students, but also gives them the opportunity to
engage in a open and mature exchange of ideas with their peers as well as
the performers. "The discussions we have had on the college campuses have
been totally inspiring" says Tish of the events, "Sometimes they have to
stop us because they need to close the building!"
“The show was an enormous hit!” Ankita Rakhe Asst. Dir. of Intercultural and Diversity Trinity University
“Warm hearted, funny, yet sharp and insightful!” Prof. Larry Goldblum University of Massachusetts
“The Black Jew Dialogues” is the perfect show to address a multitude of
topics that every campus has to deal with. It offers a huge bang for your
programming buck. It is comedic edutainment with real content.
The success of the show has prompted the development of The Black Jew Dialogues Curriculum, which has been highly praised by the educators who have used it. Its focus is on the commonality that all Americans share including hatred, bigotry, and bias.
The Black Jew Dialogues also offers individual workshops that delve much deeper into a range of topics.
“Brave Theatre!” Boston College
“Hilarious, eye opening, and jaw dropping!” Tiago Machado Bryant University Multicultural Student Union, President '08-'09
RON JONES has been an actor, director, and trainer developing socially relevant theatre for over twenty years. He has been a classroom teacher, as well as an artist in residence in over a dozen communities across Massachusetts. He developed theatrical programming across a range of issues (smoking, teen pregnancy, self-esteem, anexorea, etc.) for Worcester Children's' Theatre, Girls Inc., The Junior League of Boston, and Destination Imagination to name a few. In 1992 Mr. Jones Co-founded “Urban Improv”; a theatre organization which uses Improvisation to help young people deal with real life issues in a safe environment. They partnered with the Boston Public Schools and have worked with thousands of young people over the years. The program gained national recognition and in 2000 received a Hamilton Fish Foundation grant as one of the 5 best programs in the country with a focus on violence prevention. In 2002 Urban Improv won an EMMY Award for Best Children's Programming for the television program "re:Action." The effectiveness of Urban Improv program as a violence prevention program for elementary school students has been recognized by the Office of Justice and Delinquency Prevention in their Model Program guide.
Mr. Jones has also been called upon to generate educational and entertaining systems for corporate clients such as Ocean Spray, Stax Interactive Consultants, Pitney-Bowes, and Ham on Rye Technologies, Target Blue, McDonalds, Harvard University's Executive MBA Program, and The American Bar Association.
The success of the show has prompted the development of a PRE/POST SHOW QUESTIONAIRE designed to help carry on the issues and ideas that are brought up in the performance. Additionally, The Black Jew Dialogues can provide a STUDY GUIDE for in class curriculum support, which has been highly praised by the educators who have used it. Its focus is on the commonality that all Americans share including hatred, bigotry, and bias. The Black Jew Dialogues also offers individual workshops that delve much deeper into a range of topics. (See link above.)
LARRY JAY TISH is an educator, actor, writer, and improv performer. He is a founding member of StageCoach Improv, and has facilitated training workshops for Reebok, COMCAST, Harvard Business School, The American Bar Association, The International Academy of Collaboration Professionals (IACP), Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, The New Law Center, State of Maine, Wentworth Institute of Technology, among others.
He currently teaches how science and football coincide on “How'd They Do That?”, a weekly segment on ABC's Totally Patriots. Larry taught school groups from around New England about gravity in the Boston Museum of Science Planetarium show Gravity Rules and has educated medical students from Harvard, Tufts, MIT, and UMASS on patient communication as a standardized patient educator.
Larry was a freelance copywriter for over ten years in Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, a Senior Copywriter at the Larkin Group, and wrote travel for Vacation Coach. He has published fiction, poetry, travel, and has produced his critically acclaimed one-man show Everything Hurts. Larry continues to mentor young actors and writers throughout New England and when he's off the road he works in TV, radio, and film throughout the Northeast.
RON JONES has been an actor, director, and trainer developing socially relevant theatre for over twenty years. He has been a classroom teacher, as well as an artist in residence in over a dozen communities across Massachusetts. He developed theatrical programming across a range of issues (smoking, teen pregnancy, self-esteem, anexorea, etc.) for Worcester Children's' Theatre, Girls Inc., The Junior League of Boston, and Destination Imagination to name a few. In 1992 Mr. Jones Co-founded “Urban Improv”; a theatre organization which uses Improvisation to help young people deal with real life issues in a safe environment. They partnered with the Boston Public Schools and have worked with thousands of young people over the years. The program gained national recognition and in 2000 received a Hamilton Fish Foundation grant as one of the 5 best programs in the country with a focus on violence prevention. In 2002 Urban Improv won an EMMY Award for Best Children's Programming for the television program "re:Action." The effectiveness of Urban Improv program as a violence prevention program for elementary school students has been recognized by the Office of Justice and Delinquency Prevention in their Model Program guide.
LARRY JAY TISH is an educator, actor, writer, and improv performer. He is a founding member of StageCoach Improv, and has facilitated training workshops for Reebok, COMCAST, Harvard Business School, The American Bar Association, The International Academy of Collaboration Professionals (IACP), Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, The New Law Center, State of Maine, Wentworth Institute of Technology, among others.