Way to Heaven To Be Presented by the Museum of Jewish Heritage 4/18

On Sunday, April 18 at 2:30 P.M. see Way to Heaven (Himmelweg), a New York Times Critics' Pick, that it calls "...a powerful illustration of how theatrical artifice can be pressed into the service of atrocity." Way to Heaven (Himmelweg) has played to great acclaim around the world, and is inspired by the true story of the elaborate deception that took place at the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

The play begins years after the fact with an account by the Red Cross employee who was there, then leaps backward in time to show the creation and rehearsal of another very unusual play, one in which the Jewish prisoners are assigned roles and given lines to say to inspectors passing by. The play within a play is written by a witty, cultured, humanistic Nazi Commandant and the Jewish prisoner selected to play the Mayor; this "play" will ultimately serve its purpose and the inspector will return with a positive review.

Perception, the power of images, rhetoric, and theater itself are among Mayorga's themes, and also, perhaps most significantly, the play asks, how much courage is required to take responsibility for what one sees.

Receiving universal praise after its New York City premiere in 2009, this performance marks the show's first appearance in 2010; the goal is a 2010/11 Off-Broadway re-opening in New York. Directed by Matthew Earnest, the play features Beth Baker, Sal Bardo, Jessica Amara Beaudry, Ben Elgart, Mark Farr, Trey Gerrald, Trae Hicks, Shawn Parr, Samantha Rahn, and Francisco Reyes. The company, including playwright Juan Mayorga, will take part in a post-performance conversation.
Tickets are $15, $12 students/seniors, $10 members and can be purchased online at www.mjhnyc.org or by calling 646.437.4202. Visit the show's official website at www.waytoheaventheplay.com for more information.

In 1939 and 1940, the Nazis began to deport Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe to ghettos and camps in Poland. Despite efforts to keep the nature of these deportations a secret, news of the fate of deported Jews began to spread. After the Allies published a proclamation, in December, 1942, about the destruction of European Jews, the Nazis planned an elaborate deception-a "model ghetto" that would look like Jews had a safe and comfortable place to live. To create this false impression for the world, the Nazis chose a ghetto that had already been established in Terezin (Theresienstadt), a small military town approximately 35 miles northwest of Prague in Czechoslovakia. Many German-Jewish veterans of WWI, artists, writers, and well-known Jewish public figures were sent to Terezin. In reality, the ghetto was an overcrowded prison, a temporary stop on the way to the death camps. In 1944, at the request of the Danish government, members of the International Red Cross visited Terezin to inspect living conditions there. In preparation for the visit, residents were forced to build fake storefronts and cafes; fake money was printed; vegetable gardens were planted; and even a youth soccer game was staged. In reality, out of nearly 140,000 Jews held in Terezin, at least 33,000 died of hunger and disease in the ghetto, and some 88,000 were deported to death camps.

Juan Mayorga was born in 1965 in Madrid, and is one of Spain's most prominent contemporary playwrights. In 2007 he was the recipient of Spain's National Theater Award. In March 2009, he received the Max Award for Best Playwright. His other plays include Love Letters To Stalin, Nocturnal, and The Scorched Garden. His work has been presented in 18 countries, and translated into 16 different languages. He will be delivering a lecture on the "Theatrical Representation of the Holocaust" at the Instituto Cervantes in New York on April 16.

As Founding Artistic Director of deep ellum ensemble (1995-2007), Matthew Earnest created and produced works in NYC, across the US, Europe, and in Africa including The Jilting of Granny Weatherall (NY Fringe); Brecht's Puntila and his servant Matti (Ohio Theater); Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (DStv Festival, Ethiopia); and others. An alumnus of the Drama League Directors Project and the Blueprint Series, Matthew directed Suzan-Lori Parks' We Were Civilized Once in 365 Days/Plays at the Public Theater (2007). Matthew has received Top 10 awards from The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Raleigh News & Observer, and Dallas Morning News; The Cleveland Scene Best Director, three Times Tributes (Cleveland), Best of Dallas Award, Dallas Theater Critics' Forum Award, BIFF Award (NY Fringe), and Audience Favourite (Dublin Fringe).

About the Museum

The Museum's three-floor Core Exhibition educates people of all ages and backgrounds about the rich tapestry of Jewish life over the past century-before, during, and after the Holocaust. Special exhibitions include The Morgenthaus: A Legacy of Service, on view through December 2010 and opening May 4, Project Mah Jongg. It is also home to Keeping History Center, a ground-breaking interactive visitor experience, and Andy Goldsworthy's memorial Garden of Stones. The Museum offers visitors a vibrant public program schedule in its Edmond J. Safra Hall and receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.