STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME to Premiere in Scarsdale and NYC This Weekend

Two distinguished alumni of ALT's Composer Librettist Development Program, Gerald Cohen and Deborah Brevoort, have been working on a fascinating new opera over the past two years. Now, you have a chance to see what they've been up to.

Based on the book of the same title by Jaap Polak and Ina Soep Polak, STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME will have its premiere in Scarsdale and New York City, NY this weekend. STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME is a love story set in two concentration camps during World War II. It is based on the true story of Jaap and Ina, whom Gerald has known for the last 25 years, and who just celebrated their 100th and 90th birthdays.

The Polaks, who live in Eastchester, NY, will be in attendance at each performance. In 2007, STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME was made into a compelling and award-winning documentary feature film by Academy Award nominee Michèle Ohayon. The Polaks have dedicated their lives to teaching about the Holocaust and fighting prejudice. Jaap was one of the founders of the Anne Frank Center USA, and now serves as Chairman Emeritus.

These semi-staged performances will be conducted by Ari Pelto and with stage direction by Beth Greenberg. The cast features Ilana Davidson and Robert Balonek as Ina and Jaap, as well as Toby Newman, Nils Neubert, Cherry Duke, Ricardo Rivera, Matthew Singer, Miloslav Antonov, and Enrico Lagasca. Cori Ellison serves as dramaturg and artistic consultant.

The performances will take place on Sunday April 28, 2 p.m. at Shaarei Tikvah Congregation, Scarsdale NY; and on Tuesday April 30, 7 p.m. at Feinberg Auditorium, Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, NY. Shaarei Tikvah Congregation is located at 46 Fox Meadow Road, Scarsdale NY.

Individual tickets are $30 at the door; $25 in advance; $15 for seniors and $10 for students. Contact (914) 472-2013 or office@shaareitikvah.org. Jewish Theological Seminary is located at 3080 Broadway (at 122nd st.), New York, NY. Tickets, available at www.jtsa.edu/stealapencil, are $25 in advance, $30 at the door; $15 for seniors; free for students with valid ID.

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