Performers succeed by trying

Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School’s drama department, the HAFTR Players, presented outstanding performances of the Broadway show “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on March 22 and 23.
With a large and varied cast, this play gave students with many different talents the opportunity to shine. Some HAFTR Players stayed hours after school building beautiful ‘50s style sets, while others spent countless hours learning songs and dances. The amount of hard work put in by the cast: Matthew Goldstein, Aliza Lifshitz, Elliot Fuchs, Justin Lish, Amanda Kornblum, Samantha Lish, Hannah Chaikin, Amanda Kanefsky, Lauren Berlyne, Tani Goldstein, Jacob Hoffman, Sean Bokor, Russell Charnoff, David Ozeri, Jason Geller, Nery Braver, Sammy Gilbert, Alexandra Lumerman, Hannah Mari, Mikayla Fuchs, Jake Levine, Jenna Kaufman, Shannon Kaufmann, Julia Schwartz, Elzie Winiarsky, Mikey Pianko, Jack Winkler, and David Stein, along with makeup artists Rotem Noah, Danielle Noah and Rachel Sarikov; hair stylists Dena Gershkovich and Tamara Heller, ticket sellers Elzie Winiarsky and Jamie Satran, the art director and staff Sara Cherson, Gabriella Lumerman and Jordana Lumerman; student choreographer Jenna Kaufman, Playbill editor Sam Levinson, business manager Lizzie Wallach, stage manager Jake Levine, costume manager Stephany Kisilenko, the backstage/ lighting and sound crew Justin Winkler, Andrew Bokor, Jack Winkler and Sean Bokor, and directors Jennifer Winkler, Briana Feirstein and Andi Koppelman was incredible.
It also couldn’t have happened without the amazing help and support of principals Naomi Lippman and Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen.
“The play was absolutely spectacular!” said junior Katie Glickman. “It was amazing to see my friends on stage after how hard they have all been working.”
The cast was thrilled to see their friends, family and teachers in the audience at both performances. The play genuinely showed HAFTR’s phenomenal school spirit. Being a part of the production was probably one of the best experiences of my life. Everyone in the cast truly became one big family, and I was so happy to be a part of it. I couldn’t be any prouder to call myself a HAFTR Player.