As the host of a performance of Momma's Knishes, you'll book the performance date and invite the guests to your house. Hosting a performance is fun and easy. Most of your questions about hosting should be answered here, but you'll also have plenty of chances to talk with David Wise about any questions you have.

What you need:
- An oven that can fit two cookie sheets.

- A room with a table and chairs for everyone you invite plus one for David. The chairs don't need to fit around the table as if people were sitting down to a meal, just as long as everyone has a place to sit. It's best if this room is the kitchen, but a dining room immediately adjoining the kitchen will also work. You are the best judge of how many people you should invite, since you know how many people can fit in the room. Depending on the space, 10 people is usually ideal, with a maximum of 15 and a minimum of 5.

- You'll need to designate one room as David's dressing room. It is highly preferable if the dressing room has a bathroom adjoining it that he can use without having to go out into the area where your guests will be. A bedroom usually works well for this.

- David will arrive an hour before the scheduled performance time. During the first half hour, he will walk through the kitchen with you, ask you last-minute questions, and place props. Thirty minutes before the scheduled performance time, he will go into the dressing room you designate while you greet your guests.

- David offers people water during the performance. You should have enough glasses and cold water ready for your guests.

- You will need hand soap and paper towels at the kitchen sink for people to wash their hands during the performance.

A note about phones:
Phones going off during the performance are disruptive, so please turn off the ringers on phones within earshot of the performance. It's no catastrophe if the phone does ring, but it's better if it doesn't. Answering machines are much harder to explain in 1938, so if there is an answering machine within earshot of the performance, please make sure it's turned off.

Please ask your guests to turn off their cell phones.

What you should tell your guests:
Your guests will be wondering what to expect. You should tell them this basic premise: It's Brooklyn 1938, and your mother has said you can have some friends over to make knishes. Everything else you'll find out during the performance, but you can let your guests know that they're encouraged to participate and ask questions.

You should explain to your guests that they are coming to a performance, and so they should arrive at your house early--at least 15 minutes before the performance time is best. The performance can't start until they arrive.

Everyone will get to eat knishes, but they have to cook first. It will be about 90 minutes into the performance before eating, so your guests shouldn't come too hungry.

If you want to have people over before the performance for a nosh, that's fine. Just remember that you won't be able to use the kitchen starting one hour before the performance, since David will need to set up. It works even better, though, to have something light (like dessert) after the performance, since people will be in the mood to sit around and chat.

A note about children:
Momma's Knishes is intended for adults, and probably won't hold the interest of children. If it is absolutely necessary to have a child there, David will need to know the name, age, and gender in advance.

For information and bookings ~ info@knish.org ~ www.knish.org