- Get tickets for storytelling extravaganza HOMECOMING/GIFTED live at The J March 16
- Starring B’ham’s own Rebecca Rothman
- Sign up for complimentary babysitting by March 12
- Look for JJ’s Sandwich Shop parked outside
- Other show tour dates are March 12 in Atlanta and April 17 in Chicago
- Dara Kosberg will also run a free creative workshop in partnership with CJFS: “Honoring and Channeling Loss and Adversity” (March 15, 3 p.m.)
An evening of storytelling is coming to the Levite JCC on Monday, March 16, 6-8 p.m., when two poignant solo performances will share the stage. HOMECOMING, written and performed by Dara Kosberg, and GIFTED, by Birmingham’s own Rebecca Rothman, bring together humor, vulnerability, and deeply personal storytelling. Though each show stands on its own, the two performers’ shared sensibilities and their real-life friendship create a special kind of dialogue.
The two first met in 2024 at a women’s comedy festival in Los Angeles, where they were randomly scheduled on the same lineup. The connection was immediate. “When I saw her perform I knew we would become fast friends,” Rebecca says. “We share a similar sense of humor — authentic, quirky, and deeply personal.”
Sign up for complimentary babysitting by March 12
Going solo
GIFTED is based on a big mystery in Rebecca’s family. She knew the story behind what she had uncovered had legs, and once she started performing stand-up — along with her lifelong affinity for telling humorous stories — she knew this was a saga she wanted to recount onstage. “But since I barely knew how to write and perform five minutes of jokes, my own solo show seemed decades away,” she recalls.
She signed up for a solo show workshop with actor and director Iris Bahr (best known for her role as Rachel Heineman on Curb Your Enthusiasm). Then an invitation to perform in Bahr’s Neurotica Festival last fall jump-started Rebecca’s deeply personal project.
“It took about four months to write the whole thing and then another three months of working with Iris, who directed the original performance, to get it stage-ready,” Rebecca recalls. “And the next thing I knew, I was debuting a sold-out solo show in the East Village! It was wild.”
The finished production allows Rebecca to be herself while telling personal, quirky stories in what she likens to a one-woman play. And performing alongside Dara continues to inspire her work. “Watching her in action inspires me to write and perform at a higher level,” Rebecca says. “She is an utterly captivating performer.”
She’s especially excited about bringing her own work to Pizitz Auditorium. “It’s really meaningful to look out in the audience and see my own community,” she says. And for the first time, she’s going to include a brief Q&A session after her performance.
“Despite the show’s name, not everyone will see my particular situation as a gift,” Rebecca says. “But I hope the show encourages people to be willing to say yes to new opportunities and experiences. People have told me that hearing what I went through was helpful to them, so I hope the show helps people feel hopeful and open-minded.”
Dara will be the featured storyteller at the Rebecca-hosted Sunday Story Seven in Crestwood on March 15 at 7 p.m. (plus Nashville singer/songwriter Caitlin Cannon). Anyone who buys a Levite JCC ticket can use code LJCCSHOW for a free ticket to the Crestwood show.