A Staged Reading of REMEMBER MY NAME, by Joanna Albert Kraus
A Shoah drama set in wartime France
Directed by FJC Member Peggy Wolman with a cast of FJC members and guests
Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 P.M. at FJC
Free and Open to the Public
Donations will be accepted for the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
"Depicts good amidst evil and hope amidst the 'pangs and fury of despair.' It is a riveting history lesson unfolded in an entertaining and well informed manner." - Arts Indiana
"Hits a bull's eye [...] An artfully constructed play [...] a story of horror and heroism." - Jewish Community News
On Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 P.M., Falmouth Jewish Congregation will host a free staged reading of Remember My Name, a drama set in Nazi-occupied France. Doors will open at 7:00 P.M. and the play will be followed by a reception. This event takes place in the congregation’s all-accessible Blanche & Joel D. Seifer Community Center at 7 Hatchville Road. Entry is free and reservations are not necessary. This play is appropriate for adults and for children middle school or junior high school age and older.
Remember My Name, a prize-winning drama by Joanna Halpert Kraus, was inspired by historical accounts. It tells the moving story of a young girl’s survival in wartime France during the Nazi regime, her parents’ sacrifice in sending her into hiding, and the courage of those who befriend and rescue her - a priest, a widow, and a teacher, who is a member of the Underground Resistance. Like the actual rescuers during the Holocaust, the characters of these ordinary citizens inspire us with their heroic courage and compassion. Directed by veteran theater director Peggy Wolman, this staged reading will be narrated by Dan Tritle, radio host of WCAI, local NPR for the Cape and Islands. Its cast is comprised of both FJC members, many of whom are also well-known actors throughout the Cape (Vicki Summers, Carol Baldwin, Ruthie, Barry and Ari Lew), and actors from the community. The talented lead, Tala Schonning, age 14, is a Freshman at Barnstable High School. In 2017, Tala played the role of July in Annie at Cotuit Arts Center, and a Rock Groupie/Waitress in Broadway Comes to the Cape. In addition to bringing extensive acting experience to her part, Tala also brings a longstanding and deep commitment to learning about the Holocaust. Peggy Wolman describes her own commitment to Holocaust education and its current relevance with her explanation of why she chose to present Remember My Name: “I chose this play because it reminds us all that we are remembered by the choices we make. As Robert Kennedy said: ‘Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.’” To further honor Holocuast rescuers, there will be an opportunity for those who wish to make a donation to the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (https://jfr.org), a non-profit organization that provides financial support to aged and needy non-Jews who rescued Jews during the Holocaust and preserves their legacy through a national education program.
Joanna H. Kraus is an award-winning playwright of eighteen produced and published plays. The Ice Wolf (Dramatic Publishing), and Remember My Name (Samuel French) were both produced off-off Broadway. Ms. Kraus received the Charlotte Chorpenning Cup and the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. She has also written numerous articles, interviews, and reviews and has received commissions to dramatize history. Director Peggy Wolman has over twenty-five years of experience directing theater in the Boston area, a Masters in Social Work, and is CEO and Founder of Peggy Wolman Matchmaking.