Holocaust Survivors Join Post-Show Discussion At San Francisco Playhouse CABARET

San Francisco Playhouse is humbled to announce a post-show discussion featuring Holocaust survivors Gloria Lyon, Jean Schulman, and Rivka Spiegel following the matinee performance of Cabaret on Saturday, August 3rd. The panel will be hosted by Louis Parnell.

"I am very honored to welcome these three strong women here at the Playhouse to share their stories with us," said director Susi Damilano. "Their courageous storytelling allows us to practice our powers of compassion and understanding, and ensures that we must never forget. It is humbling to welcome these survivors at our Empathy Gym."

Cliff Bradshaw, an American author working on a novel in pre-WWII Berlin, falls in love with the vivacious Sally Bowles, a singer at the local Kit Kat Klub. Their dream-like romance is tested by the political upheaval that changes their lives dramatically. Even after fifty years, this classic Tony Award-winning musical remains painfully prophetic, reminding us through Sally and the Emcee's lost souls what horrors humans are capable of, lest we ever forget.

"Today, as the last of the Holocaust survivors are passing, it feels more important than ever to revisit this great story," said Bill English, Artistic Director. "We must never forget and always stand watch against the power of ultra-nationalist hatred to take away our human rights."

The cast includes Jennie Brick*, John Paul Gonzalez, Carlos Guerrero, Abby Haug*, Cate Hayman*, Zachary Isen, Jean-Paul Jones, Mary Kalita, Louis Parnell*, Atticus Shaindlin*, Loreigna Sinclair, Will Springhorn Jr.*, Zoë Swenson-Graham, Shaun Leslie Thomas and Melissa WolfKlain*.

San Francisco Playhouse's production of Cabaret is made possible by executive producer Robert Hulteng; producers Samuel and Sharon Muir & Morgan and Michael Callahan; and associate producers Anne and Martin Roher, Wayne Bryan and Dick Bufania, Elizabeth Werter and Henry Trevor, Vicki and David Fleishacker, Carol and Duff Nusinow Kurland; and artistic underwriters Richard Andersen and Ursula Schorn, Fred Karren, Jackie and Richard Mayer, Larry Russo, Samuel Test, and Joan C. Zinner.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers.

Gloria Lyon was born on January 20th 1930 in Czechoslovakia. She is a survivor of seven camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bergen-Belsen, Beendorf and Ravensbrück. The Nazis took Gloria and her family away from their home at the young age of 14. Gloria's father was a very prominent Jewish farmer, and her family owned a small store in Czechoslovakia. Gloria's green eyes, her faith in God, and her continuous determination to see her family at the end of the tragic experience, kept her alive. She was eventually rescued by the Swedish Red Cross. After the war Gloria married a German-Jewish refugee, Karl Lyon. Gloria is extremely proud of her two children and nine grandchildren. Today, she lives in San Francisco, California, and her life is dedicated to her family, and education and remembrance of her experience during the Holocaust. Gloria is the author of the book Mommy, What's That Number on Your Arm?: A-6374 which is about her experiences during the Holocaust and is regarded as a great resource. She has done over 1000 talks at different venues about her Holocaust experience educating countless people, especially students.

Jean Schulman was born in Pabianice, Poland, in 1925 and just turned 94 on June 12th. She is the survivor of multiple camps and ghettos, including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. She and Rivka Spiegel met each other during that time.

Rivka Spiegel was born in Ozorkow, Poland in 1929. She is the survivor of multiple camps and ghettos, including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Rivka has held many talks in schools about the Holocaust to educate young minds, emphasizing the need to give back and help. She "wanted to make sure that the Holocaust would never happen again. That today's children would know what happened and if they saw something similar happening, would be able to say that this is wrong."

Louis Parnell* (Herr Schultz in Cabaret) is pleased to return to the Playhouse where he most recently performed in Born Yesterday and The Nether. He has directed or acted in over a dozen productions here including Into the Woods, Coronado, The Fantasticks, Man of La Mancha, Reckless, and the very first Playhouse production, It Had to be You. Louis recently directed and performed in Disruption and Entanglement (3Girls Theatre) and has worked extensively as actor and director with numerous Bay Area companies including American Conservatory Theater, Center REPertory Company, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, and smaller nomadic companies. He has accumulated various awards for his work, including five San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle awards and nine SFBATCC nominations. Louis has performed in numerous film, commercial, and television roles and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Post-Show Discussion with Holocaust Survivors on Saturday, August 3rd, following the 3:00 p.m. performance

On stage from June 26 through September 14, 2019
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; Friday, Saturday at 8 p.m.
Matinees: Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Preview Performances: June 26, 27, 28, 29, at 8 p.m., June 29 at 3 p.m., June 30 at 2 p.m., and July 2 at 7 p.m.

For tickets ($35 - $125) or more information, the public may contact the San Francisco Playhouse box office at 415-677-9596, or online at
https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/2018-2019-season/cabaret/

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