CHESTER, Pa. - Widener University’s FreshBaked Theatre Company will present “Goodbye, Marianne” on two
consecutive Sundays, March 16 and March 23, at 2 p.m. in Alumni Auditorium,
located on Widener’s Main Campus in Chester, Pa. The play is based on the true
story of a young Jewish girl at the start of World War II. It is for children
ages 9 and up and families. Running time is 50 minutes.
The FreshBaked Theatre Company will
also host special matinee performances for local schools and homeschooling
families by reservation only. Contact Director Lisa Eckley Cocchiarale
at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu for more
information.
Admission to all performances of
“Goodbye, Marianne” is by free will cash donation, with all funds benefiting
community aid organizations in Chester. Suggested donation is $1-2 per person.
Set in Berlin in the days immediately
following Kristallnacht (the “Night of Broken Glass;” November 9, 1938),
“Goodbye Marianne” is a true story of hope in a time of terror. Based on author
Irene Kirstein Watts’ childhood experiences in Nazi Germany, this moving play
explores how friendship and love help us to survive even the darkest of days.
In the play, young Marianne Kohn
arrives at school one morning to find that Jewish students are no longer
permitted to attend. On her way home, she makes an unexpected friend, Ernst.
When Ernst discovers Marianne is Jewish—and she finds that he belongs to the
Hitler Youth—they quarrel bitterly, leaving Marianne with little hope for the
friendship. Before Marianne's escape to Canada, however, Ernst gives her a gift
that renews her hope for the future and helps her see that all people are not
the same.
For those who are familiar with the
beloved “Diary of Anne Frank,” “Goodbye, Marianne” expands the stories of
Holocaust-era children. Because Marianne’s story has a very different ending,
it is a gentle introduction to the Holocaust for young audience members.
“Goodbye, Marianne” is produced by
special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing Company. The cast features Widener
University students Luis Aguilar of Chester; Autumn Heisler of Allentown, Pa.;
Carolyn Lodge of Downingtown, Pa.; Kirk Reichart of Larksville, Pa.; Erika
Sprague of West Deptford, N.J.; Kim Vogel of Camden, Del.; and Morgan
Wieziolowski of Horseheads, N.Y., as well as Robert Reutter, senior lecturer of
English. It is directed by Cocchiarale, with technical direction by Daniel
Castagna.
For more information, please e-mail
Cocchiarale at ljcocchiarale@mail.widener.edu
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