Chicago Premiere Of THE BERLIN DIARIES Begins At Open Space Arts This December

Open Space Arts/Arts Judaica, in association with Her Story Theatre, will stage THE BERLIN DIARIES, by three-time Oregon Book Award-winning  playwright Andrea Stolowitz, from December 20, 2024, through January 5, 2025.

THE BERLIN DIARIES follows Stolowitz's quest to learn about her extended Jewish family, who lived in Germany during the rise of the Nazi party before emigrating to New York City in 1939. When Andrea receives her late great-grandfather's diary recounting the family's life in Berlin before World War II, she sees its potential as a play.

After she receives a commission to write the play, she is off to Germany to find answers to questions the diary leaves unanswered. And though her parents' generation had believed their family's Holocaust story was unremarkable, as they had all escaped the Nazis, Andrea finds the impact of the Holocaust on the family was much more profound.

In the process of her research, she gains a deeper connection to her family and to Germany as her native homeland. Izadorius Tortuga, who recently received a BFA in directing at from Carnegie Mellon University and has design and acting credits with many Chicago storefront theaters, will direct. THE BERLIN DIARIES will open to the public and the press on Friday, December 20, 2024.

Tortuga's two-person cast will play all characters and will even share certain characters. Cast as Andrea and others is Eliana Deckner-Glick, a recent graduate of The Theatre School in Chicago, who appeared in BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE with The Imposters. Andrea's grandfather Max and other characters will be played by Artem Kreimer, whose credits include the US Premiere of A WOLF IN THE RIVER, written and directed by Adam Rapp (Flea Theatre, NYC), and A DOLL'S HOUSE at Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Sam Gold. Kreimer will appear in Open Space Arts ‘production of MERCY KILLING. The Production Team includes Viscaya Wilson (Scenic and Graphic Design), Valerio Gardner (Sound Design), Gabe Seplow (Lighting Design), Sean Smyth (Stage Manager).

Eliana Deckner-Glick, Artem Kreimer.  THE BERLIN DIARIES was on the 2019 Kilroy's List, is the recipient of the NYFA/NYC Mayor's office award for Theater, Film and TV, and was produced at English Theater Berlin/International Performing Arts Center in Berlin, Germany; and in Portland, Oregon by Hand2Mouth Theatre.  It was originally developed and produced at English Theatre Berlin/International Performing Arts Center (Artistic Director, Daniel Brunet). Further development was provided by Orlando Shakespeare Festival, The New Harmony Project, PlayPenn, and New Dramatists. THE BERLIN DIARIES audio drama was released through Artists Repertory Theater's Mercury Company initiative.

Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, in Open Space Arts's hyper-intimate 20-seats theater at 1411 W Wilson, in Chicago. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $20 for students or seniors, and $15 for OSA members; and are on sale at https://openspacearts.org/.

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