Season Information
07/08 Season
A Shayna Maidel
Written by Barbara Lebow
Directed by David Ellenstein
February 23 - March 23, 2008
Previews February 20 - 22, 2008
This production is made possible by the generosity
of The Tedesco Family.
“A beautifully realized production”
- The San Diego Union Tribune
“Cast, direction shine ...”
- North County Times
“... holds audience in awe ... ”
- Newsblaze.com
One family's story of survival and hope following the Holocaust. Separated for almost 20 years, two sisters are reunited in America after World War II. The younger sister, who has been in New York with her father since she was 4, has grown up as an American. The older sister is a survivor of the Holocaust. Through flashbacks and fantasies, the patchwork tale of a life now shattered is painted in haunting detail. Profoundly simple in its specificity, A Shayna Maidel possesses the power to understand and transcend grief in order to rekindle hope. A beautiful play.
Dedicated to the memory of John Christopher Guth.
Born in Brooklyn, Barbara Lebow moved to Atlanta in 1962 and joined Academy Theatre's developmental workshop, becoming playwright in residence. Her plays with first productions include The Left Hand Singing, The Adventures of Homer McGundy, Cyparis, The Keepers, Trains, A Shayna Maidel, Little Joe Monaghan, Tiny Tim is Dead, and several plays for young audiences. In addition to her own writing, Barbara facilitates play creation with disenfranchised segments of the population including homeless and addicted individuals, youth at risk, developmentally and physically disabled persons, women in prison, and residents of the Probation Department's Los Prietos Boys Camp/Academy in Santa Barbara, CA. A playwright in residence at the Professional Artists Lab at UCSB, she has received a grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a TCG/Pew Theatre Artists Residency, an NEA/TCG Residency, an Atlanta Mayor's Fellowship in the Arts, and a Georgia Governor's Award in the Arts.
Maya Baldwin Hanna
Ralph Elias* Papa
Christy Hall* Rose
Jessica John Lusia
D. Candis Paule Mama
Christopher Williams* Duvid
*Member of Actors' Equity Association
| Director David Ellenstein | Costume Designer Jeanne Reith |
| Scenic Designer Marty Burnett | Sound Designer Chris Luessmann |
| Light Designer | Prop Designer Bonnie Durben |
