Surviving Evil: The Holocaust through the eyes of Stephan H. Lewy slated for Daniel Webster College, Nashua
November 9 – 11, 2006

 

(Nashua, NH) — Daniel Webster College will be presenting Surviving Evil: The Holocaust through the eyes of Stephan H. Lewy, a multi-media production of the Manchester Community Theatre Players, November 9 – 11, 2006. Directed by Alan D. Kaplan, Surviving Evil debuted at Manchester’s Palace Theatre in May 2005, as a staged reading and has since been seen by thousands of high school and middle school students across the Granite State courtesy of grants from the Siddore and Gruber Foundations.

  

Surviving Evil, written by award-winning playwright, political scientist, and Daniel Webster College Professor Tom Anastasi, also includes original music written by Peter J. Bridges. “It was an honor to write the play,” said Anastasi. “It shows just how societies allowed the Holocaust to happen through Stephan Lewy’s eyes and his life growing up as a Jew in Berlin.” “Lewy’s experience,” added Anastasi, “is often completely unfathomable by Americans today — and that’s why it’s important to share his story.” Before seeing the play, many students thought the Nazis were just bad people, but following the presentation, they had an understanding of just how evil they truly were.”   

  

“One of Surviving Evil’s central scene takes place in Berlin during Kristallnacht,” added Anastasi, “which is why we decided to run it this particular weekend’ noted Anastasi. Kristallnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass” was a pogrom, or state-sponsored riots, against Jews throughout Germany and parts of Austria that occurred November 9 – 10, 1938. Jewish homes and stores were ransacked in a thousand German cities, towns and villages, as ordinary citizens and storm troopers destroyed buildings with sledgehammers, leaving the streets covered in smashed windows — the origin of the name “Night of Broken Glass.” Jews were beaten to death; 30,000 Jewish men were taken to concentration camps and 1,668 synagogues were ransacked or set on fire.

 

Surviving Evil looks at the Holocaust through the eyes of Manchester resident Stephan H. Lewy who lived in Berlin in the mid-30’s and chronicles his life in Germany, his escape to France, and the several close calls he had along the way.  The play concludes with his becoming an American soldier and citizen, and returning to Germany as a member of Patton’s Third Army, liberating the concentration camp at Buchenwald.

 

Parents should know the play would be rated PG-13 for brief, graphic images of the liberation of Buchenwald. “We debated having these images for a long time,” said Anastasi. “Director Alan D. Kaplan and I decided this is history that cannot be forgotten or minimized. The audience will see what Stephan saw.”

 

The play is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Daniel Webster College, 20 University Drive, Nashua, NH, on November 9, 10, and 11. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students (including college students). Group rates and seating are available. For information and reservations call 620-8553 or e-mail: anastasi@dwc.edu. For directions to Daniel Webster, visit http://www.dwc.edu/about/directions.shtml