Last night some students walked out of the Annenberg Center with tears rolling down their eyes. They had just seen Teatron Jewish Theater's production of A Shayna Maidel by Barbara Lebow, which opened last night. The play, which takes place after the Holocaust, is the story of a family that reunites in Brooklyn after many years of being apart. In the play, two sisters who barely knew each other before World War II finally come together as two members of a family. Together, they learn not only about each other, but of the circumstances that led to their separation and their family's struggles during the war. This is a story of hardship, love and betrayal which is played out by stars Andrea Gillie Kemp, Elie Landau and Jody Sheinbaum and supporting actors Adam Rosenbluth, Sarah Norman and Eva Saks. Show producers were excited to see the reaction of the audience. Engineering senior Daniel Sadinoff, co-chairperson of the Teatron Board, said he believed many would relate to the play. "It certainly has a mass appeal," he said. "It strikes a note in all of us. The exploration of immigration themes strikes a note in all of us. [During the] first reading, everybody in the cast was in tears." Sadinoff added that audiences will relate to the play's story-line because it is similar to many real-life Holocaust stories. "[The play] is very representative of what happened [during the Holocaust] except that it has a happy ending," Sadinoff commented. "It is very common with a family to be split up in this way -- with the father going out first, then sending money to bring the rest of the family." Audience members said they were very moved by the production. "I think it was beautiful, and it was incredibly well done," said College freshman Hollis Kramer. College freshman Debbie Liebowitz agreed. "I thought it was excellent," she said. "It was very touching." Sadinoff also commented that this dramatic production, although harder to produce than a comedy, was definitely worth the effort. "We had an excellent script," Sadinoff remarked. "It was a wonderful story." Sadinoff said one show will be performed on a Sunday afternoon so the Philadelphia community can come to see the show. The show will run on February 5th and 6th, and the 9th through the 12th.
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