Galilee Multicultural Theatre to Present ‘Sofia’s Drawings’
May 3 performance combines live action, puppetry to tell the story of 16-year-old Holocaust survivor Free performance is presented by Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding,Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation, Israeli Consulate of PhiladelphiaWednesday, April 14, 2010 11:45 AM
Puppetry and live action, with minimal dialogue, tell the story of a 16-year-old Holocaust survivor, in “Sofia’s Drawings,” a free performance, May 3 at Muhlenberg College’s Baker Theatre. The performance, by the Israeli theater company Galilee Multicultural Theatre, is presented by Muhlenberg’s Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding (IJCU) and the Department of Theatre and Dance.
The play is based on a series of drawings made by Sofia, a 16-year-old Jewish girl, while she was hiding in Holland from the Nazis during World War II. The play uses a variety of visual techniques to tell the story of Sofia’s life through her drawings.
“As with our Youth and Prejudice conferences, this play helps people to realize the power of compassion,” says Peter Pettit, director of the IJCU.
The project is made possible by support from the Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation and from the Israeli Consulate of Philadelphia.
Efrat Hadani, an actress, puppeteer and sculptress — and Sofia’s daughter — acts in the play and relates her mother’s story. The play is mostly visual, using hardly any words. It received First Prize for best play and music at the 2007 International Theatre Festival in Haifa.
“Sofia’s Drawings” will be performed Monday, May 3, at 8 p.m., in the Dorothy H. Baker Theatre, in Muhlenberg’s Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance. Admission is free, and no advance reservations are required. The play is intended for both young audiences and adults.
