WHO WILL CARRY THE WORD to Play Skidmore College Theater

WHO WILL CARRY THE WORD by Charlotte Delbo (translated by Cynthia Haft), directed by Rebecca Marzalek-Kelly, is set for Skidmore College Theater's 2016 MainStage season.

Based upon the true story of Charlotte Delbo, a member of the French Resistance, Who Will Carry The Word depicts the lives of twenty-three French women living in the barracks at Auschwitz. They find solidarity while fighting to keep the strongest of them alive so that someone can share their stories with the world. An eloquent testament to the human spirit, Who Will Carry The Word is a sobering and moving tribute to the resilience of people placed in horrific circumstances, where what remains is the simple gift of hope.

FROM THE DIRECTOR: In the austere, degraded setting of a concentration camp, we meet 23 French women, political prisoners, at a point in their lives that could be safely described as below rock bottom. The material and circumstances are extremely dark; to live in a world where you wish the days would end weighs heavy on me. Yet these women reach deep down and still find some kindness in their hearts to share with one another, a powerful lesson in humanity that we all need to be reminded of. I'm in awe of these women for their strength, the limits exceeded, the boundaries pushed, and the courage to stand up against evil to fight for the kind of world they wished to live in. I'm also in awe of Charlotte Delbo, the playwright and a survivor, who spent a great deal of her life accounting for these women and sharing their stories. Each of the survivors (49 out of 230 women) knows that without the others, she would not have returned. In a world where violence and hatred still play a role in everyday life, we present this story to illustrate the power of "des petit soins," the little care.

The show runs October 21 - 23 and 27 - 30. All shows at 8:00pm, except Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. $12 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens. To reserve seats, call the Skidmore Theater Box Office at (518) 580-5439, email boxoffice@skidmore.edu or find us online on Facebook or at skidmore.edu/academics/theater.

Photo Credit: Sue Kessler