In the uncertain economic times of Germany in the early 1930s, an idealistic young Jewish woman joins with a rebellious Catholic craftsman, to resist the rise of Nazism while deepening their love for humanity and each other. Drawn from the true stories of Gisa Peiper and Paul Konopka, this is a story of courage and love that thrive despite the dangers, telling of the hope and art of speaking out for the highest human values in the most pressing of times.

"The play is innovative in a number of ways.... there are two versions of Gisa on stage at almost all times – the younger activist Gisa and her more grown-up counterpart viewing and commenting from the raised railway station. This adds perspective by enabling us to undergo experiences as they happen to the younger Gisa, and yet still look back at the action from the hard-earned vantage point gained by the older Gisa.... The play is billed as a love story, and it is that. The charming deepening relationship between Gisa and Paul satisfies our romantic thirst. Yet the play is a love story on a larger level, too — a love for humanity, a love for the courage of people who care for others and fight for the betterment of all despite the personal costs, in ordinary times as well as in extraordinary times. ...(A) great many of us appreciate and admire purity of spirit like Gisa’s, and that is one of the reasons that the play is so satisfying.... you (leave) feeling not only entertained but also ennobled and elevated." Midnight East, Jerusalem, Israel.

"Silence Not, A Love Story (has) a meditative, pure tone that reiterates the need to face oppression with unflinching love...Cooper is a playwright at the height of her powers. She easily balances themes of empowerment, struggle, and equality, and raises the stakes ....The result is striking and breaks new ground in much-trodden soil...The action rises steadily to the last act, and only in the final pages is the tension lightened....Gisa is a strong, independent character....Thought-provoking without being abstract, historical without being condescending, Silence Not is a heady, beautifully written play. Worth reading several times, it strikes a lovely balance between poetry and reality, bringing to life a diverse cast of characters in a challenging time period. Cooper reminds us that true resistance to oppression comes from the act of love..." Claire Rudy Foster, ForeWord Magazine

Fall 2013: Reading, Primary Stages, NYC, directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser,More Info; May 2013: Excerpts, More Jewish Women You Should Know, Anne Frank Center USA; Oct 2012: Anne Frank Center USA; Sept 2012: Norwalk Public Library, discussion; July 2012: Book Expo, Monroe Public Library, PA; Mar 2012: Holocaust Museum, DC, Book Signing; June 2011: Book Fair, PA; Mar 2011: Worthington Players at Shawnee Playhouse, PA; Nov 2010: Staged Reading, Pocono Playhouse, East Stroudburg University, Margaret Ball, dir.; July 2010: Book Event, E.Stroudsburg Library, PA;.June 6-7, 2010: Book Signing U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC; May 2010: Reading, Julia's Room, League of Professional Theatre Women, NYC; April 2010:Production, Center Stage Theater, The Merkaz, Jerusalem, Israel. Directed by Gabriella Willenz. World Premiere. See Review;March 2010: Production, Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem, Israel. Directed by Gabriella Willenz; Feb. 2010, Staged Reading, Wellstone Center, St. Paul, Directed by Carolyn Levy. Sponsored by The Konopka Institute of the University of Minnesota, in celebration of the Life and Legacy of Gisa Konopka; Press Release; 2009 -- The Anne Frank Center USA, New York, Reading, directed by Joanne Edelmann; Justice Talks Radio; Library, East Stroudsburg, Publisher, Gihon River Press; Hamline University,at the Anne Simley Theatre, St. Paul, MN directed by Carolyn Levy. 2008: Geraldine Page Center for the Arts, New York. Finalist, Original Play Contest, Shawnee Playhouse, PA, 2011.

Published: Gihon River Press
See Play Publications. Selected as Best Historical Fiction, Books and Authors; Finalist, Best Book in Drama/​Performing Arts, ForeWord Magazine.