Theaterlab Presents Shelly Mitchell's TALKING WITH ANGELS: BUDAPEST 1943
Based on the book Talking with Angels by Gitta Mallasz, the play intertwines two gripping narratives overshadowed by the Holocaust.
Theaterlab has announced a new production of Talking with Angels: Budapest, 1943, a powerful one-woman show that has earned critical acclaim and heartfelt admiration from audiences across the U.S. and internationally.
Adapted and performed by Los Angeles-based writer, performer, and coach Shelley Mitchell, this two-act play brings to life the extraordinary true story of Gitta Mallasz whose courageous actions and spiritual revelations stand as a beacon of resilience and faith during one of history's darkest times.
Based on the book Talking with Angels by Gitta Mallasz, the play intertwines two gripping narratives overshadowed by the Holocaust. One depicts Mallasz's daring impersonation of a Nazi officer to protect over a hundred Jewish women and children. The other recounts the spiritual encounters with metaphysical presences offering profound guidance amid the chaos, as channeled by Gitta's friend Hanna Dallos and transcribed by Mallasz. Enhanced by Mitchell's personal journey of recovery from a high-control 1970s cult, the performance is both a poignant testament to spiritual independence and a call to contemplate the Divine beyond dogma and doctrine.
Talking with Angels: Budapest, 1943 premiered to sold-out audiences in New York City just days after 9/11, offering solace and inspiration during a time of collective grief. Now reimagined with a new creative team, including dramaturg Amy Marie Seidel (Tectonic Theater's Here There Are Blueberries) and director Molly Shayna Cohen. An opera virtuoso Litha Ashforth provides original music; set design is by Elena Vannoni, lighting design by Molly Tiede, and visual design by Paul Deziel. The play will have a limited four-week engagement at Theaterlab (357 W 36th St, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018) from March 6 to 30, 2025.
