Lipscomb Theatre’s production of ‘Kindertransport’ opens Feb. 6
Lipscomb Theatre's 2019-20 season continues next month.
Kim Chaudoin |
The Lipscomb Theatre season continues with a production of “Kindertransport” opening on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Between 1939 until the outbreak of World War II, nearly 10,000 Jewish children were sent by their families in Nazi-occupied Germany to live with foster families in Britain. Diane Samuels’ seminal play, Kindertransport, imagines the fate of one such child.
Helga and Werner Schlesinger are parents faced with the difficult choice of keeping their beloved daughter Eva in Germany with them, or letting her become one of the Kindertransport children, who are sent to the United Kingdom, alone. When Eva arrives in London, speaking no English, and feeling very much abandoned, she is taken under the wing of Lil Miller. After she learns that her parents have failed to escape Germany, the Millers become her family and a new identity begins to form. After the war is over, she changes her name to Evelyn and acquires British citizenship. Over 30 years later, her Evelyn's grown-up daughter, Faith, stumbles across some old letters in their attic and Evelyn is forced to confront her traumatic past.
Kindertransport depicts the agony of separating a child from her parents and wrestles with the consequences of that choice, an act of sacrifice that also wreaks devastating results.
The production opens Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Other performances are Feb. 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 9 at 2:30 p.m. All performances are in Shamblin Theatre, located in Bennett Campus Center on the Lipscomb campus.
The show is directed by Evelyn O’Neal. O'Neal is an actor, director and playwright who has called Nashville home for almost 20 years. A true believer in the power of collaborative storytelling, she is the associate artistic director/director of Greenhouse for Nashville Story Garden, an incubator for new and established works in Music City. During the day, she may be found performing as a puppeteer for the Nashville Public Library's Puppet Truck, bringing mobile puppet shows to children of all ages across Davidson County, and promoting literacy, storytelling, and creativity. She is proud to have worked with Nashville Rep, Studio Tenn, Actors Bridge, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Blackbird Theatre and Lipscomb University.
“Kindertransport, while set in the past and, at its heart, dealing with a major world event and its impact on one woman's life, is still timely today with its themes of loss, cultural belonging, and the bond between parents and children,” said O’Neal. “The Kindertransport was a massive rescue effort born out of humanitarian motives, and worthy of being lauded for its success, but it simultaneously saved and traumatized many children who never saw their families again.”
“In addition to that, as the children made their way in their new countries, they often had to fully assimilate in order to survive, and subsequently lost ties to their Jewish faith and rich cultural heritage,” she continued. “My hope is that our audiences will take note of the devastation that happens when children are forced to separate from their parents for any reason, and that we will not be blind to the needs of those seeking refuge in the safety of our borders.”
Serving as consultant for the production is Jay Geller, professor of Modern Jewish Culture at Vanderbilt University.
“Dr. Geller is an important resource as he is consulting on this production to ensure that we honor the history, culture and religion of those depicted in the play,” said Beki Baker, chair of Lipscomb’s Department of Theatre.
The Lipscomb-student cast includes: Emma Harvey (Evelyn), Mary Feldman (Eva), Isabel Webb (Helga), Kylie Renwick (Faith), Caroline Garber (Lil) and Jakholbi Murry (Ratcatcher).
The production team includes: Andy Bleiler (production manager, set/props designer), Evelyn O’Neal (director), Kylie Watts (assistant director), Logan Dozier (stage manager), Marlee Claassen, Hendrick Shelton (assistant stage managers), Chelsea Flowers (technical direction), June Kingsbury (costume/makeup designer), Anne Willingham (lighting designer) and Tasha French Lemley (sound designer).
The 2019-20 season also includes: Elevate - March 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m.; March 8 at 2:30 p.m. in Shamblin Theatre; and As You Like It - April 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 p.m.; April 18, 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Shamblin Theatre.
Tickets for each performance are $15 for adults and $5 for students. Purchase individual tickets at bit.ly/lukindertransport. Season ticket and sampler packages are also available. Learn more at bit.ly/LipscombTheatre19_20.
Lipscomb’s theatre department offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre, acting, directing and design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and theatre education. For more information visit www.lipscomb.edu/theatre.