Adina Taubman’s Short Film Sizzle Premieres at Big Apple Film Festival During Off-Broadway Run of She Takes Flight
Dual Debuts: Celebrated Performer Brings Stories of Reinvention to the Stage and Screen This May
New York, NY – May 9, 2025 — As her new play She Takes Flight takes Off-Broadway audiences by storm at The Chain Theatre, triple threat writer-performer-producer Adina Taubman now soars onto the screen with the world premiere of her comedic short film Sizzle at the Big Apple Film Festival (BAFF), as part of the Women Filmmakers Shorts – Comedy program.
In Sizzle, Taubman stars as Aviva, a bookstore clerk and widowed empty-nester stuck in a rut—drinking wine in bed, snacking on Oreos, and avoiding the idea of moving on. But when her daughter secretly signs her up for a dating app called Sizzle, Aviva’s world is turned upside down by a parade of mismatched suitors: a self-absorbed lawyer, a single dad on the brink, a T-shirt entrepreneur, and more. The awkward, heartfelt, and hilarious encounters that follow test her limits—and just might open her heart again.
Directed by Padraic Lillis and shot by celebrated cinematographer Laela Kilbourn, the film stars Adina Taubman, alongside Michael Dermansky, Susan Ward, Jeffrey Mark Cusumano, Kevin Cristaldi, Maddie Barr, and John Thompson.
World Premiere of Sizzle
Big Apple Film Festival – Women Filmmakers Shorts: Comedy
https://baffspring2025.eventive.org/schedule/681246a67be11db6c36ff5ea
Festival Info: www.bigapplefilmfestival.com
Monday, May 12, 2025 5:45 PM EDT
Look Dine-In Cinemas: Theater #5
657 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
World Premiere of SHE TAKES FLIGHT
A devised ensemble play co-created and performed by Sora Baek, Cindy Keiter*, Gabriela Kohen*, Adina Taubman*, and Susan Ward* that shines a spotlight on women’s stories rarely told with such unflinching honesty and unapologetic humor.
SHE TAKES FLIGHT plays Thursday, May 15 at 7 PM, through Sunday, June 8
The Chain Theatre, 410 W 42nd Street, NYC.
Tickets are $25 and available through chrysalistheatrecompany.com, or at the theater a half hour before the show.
“Both Sizzle and She Takes Flight are about women navigating the messiness of real life with courage, humor, and hope,” says Taubman. “They explore the often-overlooked moments of reinvention that happen not in our twenties, but in midlife—when society expects us to quiet down, but instead we choose to speak up. Whether it’s Aviva daring to date again after loss, or the ensemble of women in She Takes Flight confronting motherhood, aging, identity, and grief, both pieces ask what it means to take ownership of your story. They speak to anyone who’s ever felt stuck, dismissed, or afraid to change—and dared to take a leap anyway. These aren’t coming-of-age stories. They’re coming-into-power stories.”
About Adina Taubman
Adina Taubman is an actor, playwright, and the artistic director of Chrysalis Theatre Company. Most recently: The Road Back, her critically acclaimed solo show (United Solo), Reel Mind Festival (Rochester,NY), Nazareth College, Rochester General Hospital, and Greenfield Hill Congregational Church (CT), following its world premiere at The Chain Theatre (Director: Padraic Lillis, The Farm Theater). Other solo shows: A Line in the Sand, a docudrama about the Columbine High School massacre (9 theater festivals), including Planet Connections Theatre Festivity and The Midtown International Theatre Festival (Outstanding Production of a Solo Show Award at both/Director: Padraic Lillis), and in high schools across the U.S. chrysalistheatrecompany.com
About Big Apple Film Festival
Now in its 21st year, the Big Apple Film Festival celebrates independent cinema and emerging voices in the heart of NYC. BAFF is committed to championing innovative storytelling from underrepresented filmmakers.
About Chrysalis Theatre Company
Chrysalis Theatre Company is dedicated to the development of new plays about important social issues that entertain and spark a dialogue, which hopefully leads to action. We strive to create theater that is a transformative experience for our audiences. Past Shows: "The Road Back: One Woman's Journey From Depression To Recovery", "Beauty in My Brokenness", "The Stop Gun Violence NOW Theater Festival", "Barking Girl" (by Susan Bernfield). Awards include "The Road Back": Best Director--Padraic Lillis (United Solo Festival).
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