The Alliance of Alien Artists – an organization dedicated to helping emerging artists from other countries explore and succeed at having a career in America – primarily New York – has offered an agreement to actress & singer, Adi Schor. On the heels of AAA’s well-received production of American Dream at the Duplex and Ms. Schor’s own critical acclaim creating the role of Catherine in the play, Heaven Sent, written by Bambi Everson, the two connected and now she is a repertory member committed to projects through 2020!
We wanted to chat with her now while she still has time!
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Adi Schor, I was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel and for the past three years I have lived and worked in New York City. I have studied theater throughout middle school and high school, and eventually majored at it as well. I took part in a very known community theater program in Israel called Chich’s Neighbors, in which I learned a lot about my passion for Musical Theater. I eventually became a director of the younger groups of the program when I finished my military service. Speaking of which, I served for two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), during which I took voice lessons, acting lessons, writing course etc. After finishing my service I joined an acting in front of camera course in the Chubbuck Method, founded by the famous Ivana Chubbuck.I participated in these classes for a year, while taking more voice, sight reading and ballet lessons. I moved here to study acting at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) which is one of the leading schools in the musical theater department in the US. I studied here for two years and graduated on February 2018. Ever since I have been working in the field non-stop – I have had the privilege of working on musicals, plays, cabarets, short films and commercials in the city. I performed on Off Broadway stages, performed in famous festivals in the city and outside of it (traveled with productions to different cities and states), I got to know people from the industry with lots of experience in the field and to work with them on their materials.Some of my credits include the original musical Angels at Work that performed at the New York New Works Festival, the musical Annie with Plaza Theatrical in which I played Lily St. Regis, the original play The Spyglass Seven in which I played the deceased Virginia Clemm Poe, wife of Edgar Allan Poe – a show that traveled both to the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival and the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival in Baltimore, MD. I also performed in Israeli productions such as the empowering cabaret iDiva, presented by the Israeli Artists Project (IAP) at the Green Room 42, featuring songs by Israeli divas, and the AVIV celebration, a fundraising event for IAP in honor of the beginning of the spring (=Aviv in Hebrew) and in honor of famous Israeli actor Sasson Gabai (recently performed in The Band’s Visit on Broadway). I have been truly blessed with wonderful opportunities and I wouldn’t replace them with anything in the world.
What made you decide to brave the USA?
I have been dreaming of studying musical theater ever since I can remember myself. When I was a kid in my community theater program Chich’s Neighbors, Eidan Lipper who is the director of the program kept telling me about the school he graduated from in NYC which was AMDA. He encouraged me over the years to go study there and pursue my dreams, he had faith I will bloom there, and he wasn’t wrong. I only visited New York City twice before moving here, and I was a little girl back then. I can’t explain in words my all-time connection to the city even from miles away, but since it is the capital of theater, I always felt in my soul that I belong. I knew that after finishing my military service that would be my next goal. It took some time (getting accepted, getting ready, making enough money, taking care of personal matters) but less than three years later I was finally here. I think studying Musical Theater in New York City is the ultimate experience- I don’t think any place in the world lives and breathes theater the way this city does. I truly feel like I belong.
How helpful has the Alliance of Alien Artists been to you?
Super helpful! Maya Avisar, the founder, has been doing anything she can to help international artists and to promote their work, which I find admirable. I am lucky that I know her and that I got the chance to work with her, and will do more projects with her in the near future. I recently took part in a performance of Aliens Off-Broadway that the Alliance produced, in which international artists performed Broadway tunes in their native language. I got to sing The Wizard and I from Wicked and A Part of That from The Last Five Years in Hebrew, and it felt phenomenal. Listening to the rest of the performers singing in their native languages felt empowering. I think the Alliance is a very important organization for international artists in the states because it helps putting the spotlight on us and making us being “foreigners” into something unique and marvelous that should not be ignored. I cannot wait to work on future projects with them.
What were some of the difficulties in working here
I think my biggest difficulty was being away from home. I am very close to my family and friends (and my adorable dog!) so living so far away can sometimes be difficult. I have a beautiful niece who is now two years old, I haven’t seen her for over a year! But I am thankful for today’s technology and that I am a phone/video call away from them. The time difference isn’t easy (7 hours!) but we always figure it out. Besides that, I think that in addition to every actor’s struggles that go with trying to book work and not give up every time you get a “no” or every time things don’t work out the way you planned them to, it is even more difficult for an international performer since people wouldn’t necessarily want to put their bets on you when you don’t have the appropriate paperwork. I think it is more difficult for an international actor to find an agency, or to apply for union projects. It can be really demotivating. But let me say this – actors who stay in the profession do so because they don’t want anything in the world more than that. They are willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of trying their way in the business, even though it is not a “safe” career path. So when it comes to internationals – since we sacrifice so much to come here all the way from our homes, we are much more motivated, dedicated and ready to work hard than we would be in any other circumstances. So it is true the obstacles are there, but so is the will power to overcome them. What’s next?
I am so very excited for what the future has in store. In the next couple of months I will be hosting and performing in two cabarets by The World Voice Ensemble, one featuring songs and stories about New York and the other one will be a night filled with Broadway and Pop tunes in international performers’ native languages. Later in fall of 2020 we are expected to revive the musical Angels at Work, in which I played the leading lady. Another show coming up is a production of Heaven Sent – a play written by Bambi Everson. I have performed in an adaption of the play called OMG at Broadway Comedy Club, but this will be the first time of me playing in the original play, working with the playwright herself – stay tuned for details on that one! And of course, I am expecting to perform again with The Alliance of Alien Artists in their upcoming shows such as Broadway Around the World (previously performed at the Green Room 42), so this should be a lot of fun. I am beyond grateful for everything I have accomplished and for the wonderful opportunities ahead!
Drama Queens, a five-star arts journal focusing on female artists 
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