When Molly Bernard was first sent the script for Birthright, she knew it would take some time to get through — the play clocks in at more than three hours long, which meant hundreds of pages in PDF form. She was in London with her wife and daughter and figured she’d carve out some time to read it on the Tube. It wound up taking over her entire day.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she tells Bustle before a Wednesday night performance. “I read it, and then the second I finished it, I read it again.”
Written by Jonathan Spector (Eureka Day) and playing Off-Broadway at MCC Theater, Birthright is a sprawling and emotionally complex story following a group of six Jewish American friends over a span of 18 years as they navigate adulthood and their increasingly complicated relationships with one another, their Jewish identities, and their feelings about Israel. As the title implies, the group bonds on a Birthright trip to Israel in 2006, when they’re in their early 20s. By the time the story ends, it’s 2024, the friends are about 40, and the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 and the ensuing war fracture their already strained ties.
Bernard, who has starred in shows like Younger and made her Broadway debut in 2024 in the play Cult of Love, was taken by the play’s scope, and one character in particular: Izzy, who becomes the group’s most outspoken critic of Israel, leading to a wrenching confrontation with her childhood friend Chaya (Succession’s Zoe Winters). “I was so moved that I was going to be in a play where a character like Izzy exists,” she recalls.
On the anxiety (and freedom) of learning lines under pressure
We were on our third or fourth day of tech when I was asked to step in for Abbi, and then I had to tuck away in a hole for eight days. We would rehearse from 10 to 6, and I would get to the theater at 9 and leave at like midnight, and I would just study, study, study. Then we went right into previews. I think in the first preview I called for a line a couple times, and then from then on, I didn’t really need to, which was crazy.
Now that we’re a few weeks in, I’m beginning to really play the part in a way that feels unique to me that’s about more than just lines — but they were memorized in panic, so that’s also there. As each performance goes on, the goal that I’m setting for myself is to strip away some of that panic and find the presence. I have a kind of abandon on stage that I’ve never had because of the timeline — my brain actually can’t comprehend it, so I’m just flying. On nights when I can really bird’s-eye view it, it’s amazing.
On playing Izzy over an 18-year span
It’s crazy to do a three-hour-long play, but it’s a gift because by the time we get to Act Three, I’m playing a character that I’ve had 20 years of knowing, and the audience has 20 years of context. It’s actually the superpower of the play, and I think partially why the acting is so great, because we get to inhabit all of these different eras of these people. Because yes, the play is about the politics of Israel and Palestine, absolutely. But really, it’s about how these people are talking about it, and the way that they’re talking about it is in the friendship dynamics. That’s the real God-is-in-the-details of it all.
On audiences seeing themselves in the Birthright characters
These characters are chosen family. Judaism is about debate and conversation and kvetching — and also fighting for justice, and paying attention. “Making [the play] about friends who are also family” gives the audience the opportunity to put themselves in these characters’ positions. It’s cathartic. You’re learning, and you’re also seeing yourself in these exact situations. Everyone that has seen the play that I sit down with and have a glass of wine after, or chat with in the lobby, they’re like, “I have had some of those exact conversations with my mom, or with my brother, or with my friends, my friends from Jewish day camp.”
On finding time for family
I have a 3-and-a-half-year-old. On my one day off each week, I pick her up from school early, and we have a mommy Monday. This past Monday, we went to the carousel [in DUMBO, Brooklyn], and we rode it seven times.
Creating a Ritual: Pre-Show Practices and Moments of Connection
Before the 7 o’clock curtain rises, my routine begins at the theater around 5 or 5:15. I delve into my script, find solace in meditation, and ground myself with a bit of yoga. Connecting with my castmates is essential, but the special moment Zoe and I share, where we offer our “little prayers” to each other before stepping on stage, is truly magical.
Our dressing room is a haven for us gals, each with our own little station. My mirror showcases artwork from my daughter and notes from our director, Teddy Bergman. And let’s not forget my oils! A whiff of peppermint-lavender oil between intermissions keeps me refreshed. Oh, and the cast loves to tease me about my PEMF mat on my chair, but it truly calms my nerves before showtime.
Relaxing After the Show: Choices Between Wind-Downs and Connections
After the curtain falls, the age-old question arises: do we opt for a post-show drink or head straight home to rest? Some nights call for immediate relaxation, while others beckon for a glass of wine with friends before strolling back home. Recently, the boys in the cast and I enjoyed Empanada Mama, a delightful way to bond after our performance. Despite our professional duties, taking time to connect outside the theater is equally important.
Impactful Performances: Changing Minds One Audience Member at a Time
Receiving feedback from audience members who have had their perspectives shifted is incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s a Zionist Jew gaining new insights or a stranger embracing the message of the play, the ability to touch just one person’s heart each night is a profound experience. My grandfather, an acting teacher, instilled in me the goal of changing just one mind in the audience with each performance. It’s a humbling privilege to have the opportunity to do so consistently. Before I step on stage, I silently repeat to myself, “just one,” embracing the divine essence of the moment.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Transform the following:
“I am going to the store to buy some groceries.”
to
“I will be heading to the store to purchase groceries.”
