The great-grandfather of Oregon Book Award-winning playwright Andrea Stolowitz kept a journal for his descendants after escaping to New York City in 1939 as a German Jew. Following the complicated lure of genealogy, Stolowitz goes back to Berlin to bring the story of her unknown ancestors out of the archives into the light. The record keeps as many secrets as it shares; how do people become verschollen, lost,...
The great-grandfather of Oregon Book Award-winning playwright Andrea Stolowitz kept a journal for his descendants after escaping to New York City in 1939 as a German Jew. Following the complicated lure of genealogy, Stolowitz goes back to Berlin to bring the story of her unknown ancestors out of the archives into the light. The record keeps as many secrets as it shares; how do people become verschollen, lost, like library books?
In this complex, contemporary drama about the search for home, fragmented heritage and Jewish diaspora, two performers scintillate between characters and locations at the border of reality and memory and the intersection of national history and private lives.
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The Berlin Diaries
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J.Lois Diamond:
5 Oct. 2023
“
This play is a powerful and original presentation of a painful exploration into the traumatic Holocaust history of one's family and culture. I would love to see this performed. ”
Greg Lam:
6 Nov. 2022
“
An innovative storytelling device aids Stolowitz in recounting her search for truth in her family's history during World War 2. The right two actors would savor the challenge of inhabiting 14 characters, often having them trade lines as the same character while performing a monologue. The fascinating stagecraft is in service of a moving autobiographical story. ”
Cheryl Bear:
28 Jan. 2021
“
Incredibly moving and powerful storytelling that captures the truth of one family's story through the lineage following the Holocaust. The story of the past being discovered with tremendous emotional effect as each piece is uncovered. Beautifully done. ”