Three Plays to Honor Women For Holocaust Remembrance Day in THEATER, WOMEN AND THE HOLOCAUST

Three short plays will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day in a virtual program, "Theater, Women and the Holocaust," sponsored by Remember the Women Institute, in partnership with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.

The plays, two new, and one revival, present diverse and moving dramatic stories about women and the Holocaust on April 26 at 7:00 PM EDT via Zoom.

The 90-minute virtual program features excerpts from "The Bird of the Ghetto," a 1958 Yiddish play by Chava Rosenfarb in English translation and directed by Dr. Meghan Brodie on the faculty of Ursinius College in Philadelphia. Also included are excerpts from "Oh, I Remember the Black Birch," a new play by Dr. Velina Hasu Houston, directed by Rena M. Heinrich, on the faculty of the University of Southern California, and excerpts from "I Was a Stranger Too," a new play by Cynthia L. Cooper, directed by Carolyn Levy. A panel discussion with the artists will follow the performances.

"The Bird of the Ghetto" by Holocaust survivor Chava Rosenfarb is from the repertoire of National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, translated to English by Goldie Morgentaler. The play is set in 1943 Vilna and tells the story of the final days of Isaac Wittenberg, commander of the Vilna ghetto resistance group, the United Partisan Organization. Actors Joey Nolan, Evan Chartock, Ben Little, Kate Isabel Foley and Annie Zulick will perform.

"Oh, I Remember the Black Birch" by Velina Hasu Houston is about Brina, a young woman rescued during the Holocaust by Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara in 1940 and brought from Lithuania to Kobe, Japan. Once in Japan, Brina is assigned to live with Batya, a Jewish woman who has been living there for years. Performing are Roni Gayer, Yahm Steinberg and Kiana Taylor. Keren M. Goldberg serves as the dramaturg and producer.

"I Was A Stranger Too" by Cynthia L. Cooper tells the story of a Jewish woman in the U.S. today who is propelled by the memory of her mother's rescue from the Holocaust to help people fleeing persecution. As she tries to navigate and understand the complexities of the system, she encounters asylum seekers and helpers along the way. Performing are Kirby Bennett, Patricia Perales, Jasmine Porter, Abigail Ramsay, Adara Totino and Phasoua Vang.

For 25 years, Remember the Women Institute, based in New York City, has been dedicated to integrating women's experiences and stories into history, especially Holocaust history. The organization's Women, Theater, and the Holocaust Resource Handbook is available on the website. Dr. Rochelle G. Saidel is the founding director.

Theater, Women and the Holocaust is free with registration. The registration link is at: https://mmjccm.org/programs/virtual-women-theater-and-holocaust-three-plays-remember-women.

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