BERGEN COUNTY PLAYERS TO PRESENT A SHAYNA MAIDEL

Borrowing elements from a number of post-World War II books, this delicate drama about a Polish family split in half for over a decade and then reunited in New York after the liberation of the concentration camps is "an example of heart-on-sleeve theatre, but it's got a big heart, and an ample sleeve, and is irresistible." (Los Angeles Times) and "an emotional powerhouse of almost overwhelming proportions." (Hartford Journal Inquirer).

Performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from October 26 through November 16, the evening performances will begin at 8 pm while the Sunday matinee curtain will be raised at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during the Bergen County Players' regular box office hours.

Rose Weiss emigrated to America as a young girl with her father, Mordechai. Her older sister, Lusia, ill with scarlet fever, stayed behind in Poland with Mama, expecting to follow later. The play opens in 1946 with Rose as a young woman living in Manhattan when she learns that Lusia is a concentration camp survivor and is coming to New York. After being separated for over 15 years, the sisters are almost like strangers and must struggle to reconnect. The play is a bittersweet portrait of a family divided by distance, time and life experience.

It was written by Barbara Lebow, whose other frequently produced plays are Plumfield, Iraq, The Left Hand Singing and Tiny Tim is Dead. An Obie and Outer Critics Circle Awards winner, A Shayna Maidel has been produced regionally and internationally since it first appeared off Broadway in the1987-88 season.

For Director Carol Fisher of Teaneck, staging A Shayna Maidel is not only a labor of love, but very personal. Fisher dedicates this play to her in-laws, who survived the horrors of the war in Europe. She says "A Shayna Maidel is so well-written and each of the characters has their own battle that they are struggling with. Only through making peace with the past and with each other can they move on with their lives." She continues, "This play makes me laugh at times and at times shed a tear. But when I cry it is both with sadness and with joy."

The talented cast includes Frank Osmers (Haworth) as Mordechai Weiss, Shiva Kiani (Newark) as Rose Weiss, Lauren Muraski (Carlstadt) as Lusia Pechenik, Felipe Valente (Bergenfield) as Duvid Pechenik, Mara Karg (Nanuet, NY) as Mama and Emily Bosco (Closter) as Hanna.

The production team includes Carol Fisher (Director), Kathie Robitz (Producer), David Luke (Assistant Producer), Chris Milone (Assistant Director), Michele Roth (Stage Manager), Michael Smith (Set Designer), Marci K. Weinstein (Set Decorator), Allan Seward (Lighting Designer), Jim Higgins (Sound Designer), Frank O'Leary (Photographer), Katie Lupfer (Costume Designer), Barbra Murtha (Props), Steve Ulin (Props), Alan Demovsky (Publicity) and Paula O'Brien (Member at Large).

TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFORMATION
• All performances for A Shayna Maidel take place at The Little Firehouse Theatre at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, home to the Bergen County Players since 1949. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm.
• Tickets for A Shayna Maidel are $20 for all evening performances, $16 for Sunday Matinees and can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours. Visa, Master Card, and American Express are accepted.
• Those interested in Group Sales of 20 or more tickets can call (201) 261-4200, x6.
• As it has for the past few seasons, BCP continues to offer a "Questions & Artists" (Q&A) discussion following select performances. The A Shayna Maidel Q&A will take place immediately following the November 1, 2013 performance. Admission is included in the cost of the ticket.
• Discount tickets for students age 25 and under with proper ID are available for $14 by phone or walk-up only.
• Parking is free at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theater.

Bergen County Players has grown tremendously from its roots as a small community theater when it was founded in 1932; today, nearly 300 volunteer members, working on and off stage, make possible the nine productions presented each season.

Further information may be found at www.bcplayers.org

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