MOW
Hanukkah on Rye
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Details
Episode:
WINNIPEG ONLY
Union:
Union
Area of media:
MOW
Network:
Paid?:
Yes
Rates:
Actra Scale + 110%
Deadline:
Aug 11, 2022
Shooting starts:
Sept 27, 2022 
Shooting finishes:
Oct 19, 2022 
Shooting locations:
Winnipeg and Area
Cities for response:
Winnipeg
Comments
Condition of Employment: The Production has a Mandatory Vaccination Policy and, as a condition of employment, Artist must provide proof of full COVID vaccination(including booster, if eligible).
Storyline
It's never easy to mix family with business and Jacob Leven and Molly Gilbert know this all too well. Both born into strong Jewish families with world class delis while trying to find their own way and carve their own paths. For Jacob, it's proving to his family that he has what it takes to open the newest location on his own and for Molly, it's about finding a way for their old traditions to stay relevant and appreciated. When Jacob makes his way to New York to scout for his new location, he just happens to run into Molly. Both of them feel some pull to the other but they have their individual goals and aim to see them through. Each of them also face the Bubby relationship pressure gauntlet. Having little success finding their beshert using conventional means, they both reluctantly accept their idea to participate in a matchmaking service carried out in the style of the old ways of only being able to write letters to the other person. Not knowing who they are talking to other than by what they are reading from mystery sender, the two pen pals start to develop feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Jacob and Molly continue exploring their own connection despite the face that Jacob seeks to open a competing deli on the same block as hers; neither of them realize that they are actually each other's pen pal! It's only until Jacob finds out that the person he's had such a nice time writing to and Molly are the same person that things become even more complicated for them. How does he tell her that her matchmaking parter and the person she is falling for in spite of the competing deli are one and the same? They both wanted to avoid complications but now that's all they have... Can they find a way to make all this work out?
Roles
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Supporting LeadALICEFemale 65 - 85 Years old
Description
Alice is Molly's Bubby. She is a tough critic but only because she wants the legacy of those that came before her to live on in Molly. This includes making sure that Molly finds herself a nice Jewish boy to settle down with. With the pressure of the struggling business and the busy holidays right around the corner, she turns to a matchmaking service to try and move things along in Molly's life. Molly isn't the only one to have this change her life though. Even when Alice thinks she's seen it all, it's still nice to know that there are still some amazing discoveries to be made.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Supporting LeadLILLIANFemale 65 - 85 Years old
Description
Jacob’s Bubby, LILLIAN is elegant, perfectly put- together and deeply invested in her family and it's lineage. It means the world to her to expand their family deli to New York but it means just as much to her to have Jacob find a partner. When guilting him fails, she turns to a matchmaking service to help him find his beshert (his soulmate). It's then through a little luck and maybe some Hanukkah magic that she finds everything she is looking for and even a little more.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Supporting LeadBENMale 55 - 68 Years old
Description
Ben puts his family and the deli above all else. He believes in the traditions and the way they have been running their business for the last 100 years so strongly that he refuses to look at it any differently. The idea of change has an implication of failure to him and that's something he cannot accept. Eventually when he begins to take some of Molly's newer ideas, he is surprised and impressed by the outcome.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Supporting LeadEVEFemale 55 - 68 Years old
Description
Eve is Molly's mother and has always worked in Izzy's Deli. She believes in the importance of traditions and the old ways so much that she may be a little closed off to the idea that change is inevitable and it's an important thing to accept. When Molly suggests some new ways to help their struggling business, she resists the idea at first but decides to trust and support her daughter. By loosening the reins and letting change in, she makes some life changing discoveries.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Supporting LeadEDMale 55 - 68 Years old
Description
Ed is Jacob's father and CEO of Leven's Deli. He loves his son very much and does his best to support, but he has a hard time relinquishing control. Whether it is trimming down the overflowing menu or trusting his son to open up the new location, there are just some aspects of the family business he can't give up just yet...
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Supporting LeadSTANMale 75 - 85 Years old
Description
Stan is a long time patron of Izzy's Deli and hopeless romantic. He has always held a flame in his heart for Alice and doesn't try to hide it. He's playful and cheeky and is maybe just the right kind of levity that Alice needs in her life.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Large PrincipalANNFemale 55 - 68 Years old
Description
Ann is Jacob's stylish, kind, supportive mother. Although she is not eager to watch her son leave the nest, she ultimately believes in him and knows he will be okay. Even when faced with a competing deli, she looks to build bridges and find the good in the situation.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
Large PrincipalTHOMASMale 40 - 60 Years old
Description
Thomas is the tough, hard-to-win-over doorman at the apartment Jacob is staying at. He's weary of new people and protective of his residents but can't help but be invested in his part of the matchmaking... ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
PrincipalEZRAMale 30 - 40 Years old
Description
Ezra is Jacob's good friend from college. Now a successful social media manager, he happily offers to pay forward the kindness Jacob's family showed him early on... ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
PrincipalOWNERAll 30 - 60 Years old
Description
This Owner shows Jacob around the potential restaurant space. They are honest enough to share with him that opening a deli there may be an uphill battle and the latke competition is stiff with Izzy's Deli being so close... ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
PrincipalMESSENGERAll 30 - 45 Years old
Description
This clean cut messenger does the bidding of the mysterious matchmaker. They are very interested to see how this newest pairing works out. ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
PrincipalFRANKMale 55 - 70 Years old
Description
Frank is a loyal patron of Izzy's Deli. He missed out on the best latkes in New York last year but this year he is pulling out all the stops. He is fully prepared to camp out the night before so he doesn't miss his chance!
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
PrincipalVICKIFemale 55 - 70 Years old
Description
Vicki has been coming to Izzy's Deli for years but she most looks forward to their latkes during Hanukkah. She missed out last year so she is willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead of the crowd this year. Well, almost everything...
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorEMO GIRLFemale 18 - 30 Years old
Description
This Emo Girl delivers her rendition of a new Hanukkah song. It's very much a work in progress...
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorNIGHT GUARDAll 35 - 60 Years old
Description
This Night Guard fills in for Thomas in the evenings. Not fully appreciating the responsibility of the letter delivery may have blown Jacob's cover! ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorBUSINESSMANMale 30 - 50 Years old
Description
This businessman is trying to convince Molly to have her parents sell their buildings. He's disappointed when they decline. Clearly, he doesn't understand the value of heritage and traditions...
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorMRS. ROSENBAUMFemale 40 - 70 Years old
Description
Mrs. Rosenbaum has been a long time resident in the building where Jacob is staying. She is suspicious of new people and is often defensive when interacting with people around her home. She's the one woman neighbourhood watch.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorOLDER GENTLEMANMale 55 - 75 Years old
Description
This young at heart, Older Gentlemen took the opportunity of the song writing contest to practice his karaoke.
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorWAITERAll 18 - 30 Years old
Description
This WAITER attends to Molly as she waits for her mystery pen pal. ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorKIDAll 8 - 13 Years old
Description
This excited Kid wants Jacob to teach them some sweet tricks with the dreidel. ALL ETHNICITIES PLEASE
Role typeRoleGender & Age range
ActorMRS. TYCHOSINSKYFemale 55 - 75 Years old
Description
MRS. TYCHOSINSKY is the old-school matchmaker who somehow knows a little more than she is letting on. Whether it is fate, Hanukkah magic, or some gentle influence from this mysterious figure, things may just work out how they are supposed to.