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From tragedy comes hope

Hana Brady was murdered in Auschwitz at age 13. An artifact from her life formed a bond across time and across countries, inspiring the family play Hana's Suitcase

Kathryn Greenaway - The Gazette
Monday, November 12, 2007

In 1944, when she was 13 years old, Hana Brady was put to death in a gas chamber at the Auschwitz concentration camp. She was a Czechoslovakian Jew and one of more than 1.5 million children who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

In 2000, Japanese schoolteacher Fumiko Ishioka received a selection of items on loan from the Auschwitz Museum for an exhibit she was organizing at the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Centre. One of the items was a battered suitcase with Hana's name and birthdate and "waisenkind" (German for orphan) written on it.

Ishioka's students became fascinated with Hana's story and, with the help of their teacher, set out to learn everything they could about her short life.

The determined research led to the discovery that Hana had a brother, George, who was liberated from the concentration camp at 17 years old, eventually settling in Toronto.

This meeting of two eras and cultures brought Hana's story back to life and inspired the CBC radio documentary and book Hana's Suitcase, both by Canadian Karen Levine, and a play of the same name, written by former Montrealer Emil Sher and performed by Toronto's Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People.

Geordie Productions artistic director Dean Patrick Fleming saw the play and was so moved, he put Geordie's financial stability on the line to bring the elaborate production to the D.B. Clarke Theatre, from Nov. 22 to Dec. 2. (A fundraising campaign to help defray production costs is still under way.)

Sher, the child of a Holocaust survivor, discovered the book through his children, who were 11 and 9 years old at the time. He was especially inspired by the Japanese side of the story.

"It was so affirming," Sher said during a recent telephone interview from his home in Toronto. "They (the Japanese teacher and students) were so divorced from the history, but so determined to find out about it. I found that incredibly moving."

The first act of the play is populated by haunting, masked characters Sher calls "Figures."

"They can be quite disturbing," Sher said. "But what's wrong with disturbing? There is a distinct difference between disturbing and damaging. I think children have a capacity for the dark." (Because of the subject matter, the play is recommended for children age 9 and up.)

The audience learns about Hana's happy childhood and watches as life for Hana and her family dramatically changes as the Nazis take control.

"(The play) had to be written to stand on its own, to be understood without having read the book," Sher said. "It was a journey that was very gratifying. It stands as a reminder of the power of art."

Sher asked George Brady to read the play before it was produced. He said the reaction was positive, with Brady only correcting a few factual errors. (Brady now tours the world giving talks about Hana, his family and the Holocaust. He will be present for a question-and-answer period after the Nov. 25 performance.)

"Each person takes something very different from the experience," Sher said. "What happens, typically, is the parent ends up in tears and the child asks why (he or she) is crying. That question could be the beginning of a meaningful conversation."

Sher said the horrors of the era are, for the most part, implied in the play. "But you do see Hana step into the gas chamber," he said.

The story is told through parallel narratives, with past and present intersecting at times. "They are braided, not blended."

Sher made sure to include some humorous moments for balance, and describes the ending as one of hope.

"The first image is of Hana riding on a scooter," he said. "The last image is of a Japanese student riding on a scooter. Hana's story has been honoured."

Hana's Suitcase is at the D.B. Clarke Theatre, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., from Nov. 22 to Dec. 2, presented by Geordie Productions. Tickets cost $16 for adults, $15 for seniors, $13.50 for children. Call 514-845-9810 or go to www.geordie.ca. George Brady will be present for a question-and-answer period following the Nov. 25 performance. For more information about Hana Brady, go to www.hanassuitcase.ca.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland certainly measures up. This first production in Geordie's 2006-2007 mainstage season is better than good - it is entirely enchanting.

Firstly, there is Harry Standjofski's fresh adaptation of Lewis Carroll's hallucinatory tale. Ideally, an adaptation should fit the stage and its inhabitants like a glove - despite the editing and adjustments involved - without betraying the essence of the original version.

kgreenaway@thegazette.canwest.com

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