SARATOGA SPRINGS–The Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival will present a staged reading, directed by Dianne O’Neill, of the 1984 play “A Shayna Maidel,” Sunday, June 18, at 3 and 7 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 509 Broadway, Saratoga.
The play is Barbara Lebow’s family drama about two sisters reunited after years of separation caused by World War II and the Holocaust. The two sisters, Luisa and Rose, meet in 1946 after a separation of almost 20 years. One survived the concentration camps and the other was brought up in America. Rose has no memory of her sister Luisa and certainly no understanding of what her sister experienced.
“This play is as important today as it was when it was first performed in 1984,” said Phyllis Wang, the Cultural Festival coordinator. She added, “ It makes connections between past and present, especially because it underscores how vital it is to better comprehend history to best inform our future.”
Organizers of the performance stated that even as conspiracy theories still linger about the truth of the Holocaust, a recent disturbing report revealed that 22 percent of American millennials haven’t heard of, or are not sure if they’ve heard of, the Holocaust.
“With our current political climate, everyone should see this play and learn from it,” Wang said. “Focusing on the relationship between the characters, rather than going into graphic details about the horrors endured, means we fill in the blanks in our own heads.”
A $10 admission is requested. Registration is required at [email protected].
Details are available at www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org www.saratogasinai.org.
