BWW Reviews: Airing 11/14, KINDERTRANSPORT Recounts Bringing 10,000 German-Jewish Children to Safety

L.A. Theatre Works' Radio Theatre Series will air KINDERTRANSPORT written by Diane Samuels, directed by Jeannie Hackett and featuring Jane Kaczmarek, Susan Sullivan and Molly Quinn. The broadcast can be heard locally in Southern California on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 from 7-9 pm on KPFK 90.7 FM in Los Angeles (98.7 FM in Santa Barbara, 99.5 FM in Ridgecrest/China Lake and 93.7 FM in Rancho Bernardo/North San Diego) and can also be streamed on demand atwww.latw.org.

L.A. Theatre Works' radio theater series can also be heard on the following stations (check local listings for broadcast times): 91.5 WBEZ, Chicago; 94.9 KUOW, Seattle; 91.1 KRCB, North Bay (San Francisco); and in over 75 markets nationwide.

In the last months of World War II, 10,000 Jewish children were voluntarily sent by their parents to the UK to escape the certain death of Nazi concentration camps. Most never saw their parents again. KINDERTRANSPORT celebrates the heroism and hope that kept these children alive. The show includes a conversation with KINDERTRANSPORT survivor Hilda Fogelson, bringing the reality of her family heartbreak into the radio show. Keep your tissues handy.

I attended the live recording on June 20, 2013 at UCLA's James Bridges Theater, and then listened to the recording which will be broadcast this week. Featured in the KINDERTRANSPORT cast are Jane Kaczmarek, Susan Sullivan, Molly C. Quinn, Hugo Armstrong, Shannon Lee Clair and Angela Paton.

"Kindertransport" (Children's Transport) brought 10,000 refugee Jewish children to Great Britain from Nazi Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia between 1938 and 1940 to escape the certain death of Nazi concentration camps. Most never saw their parents again. This year marks the 75th anniversary of that rescue operation, making it the perfect time for Kindertransport to celebrate the heroism and hope that kept these children alive.

Diane Samuels' play is inspired by true-life accounts from surviving 'Kinder' and tells the poignant fictional story of seven-year-old Eva Schlesinger who, in early 1939, was put aboard a train with other Jewish children and evacuated from Nazi Germany. Torn between her Jewish-German heritage and her desire to wipe the Kindertransport experience from her memory, Eva strives to become "English" like the British woman who adopts her. The audience witnesses the kaleidoscope of emotions encountered by Eva at four different points in her life as she remains burdened by a painful past, her own fears, and the secrecy that threatens her relationship with her daughter.

I am happy to have experienced the live recording as the emotions generated between the actresses was amazing and so heartfelt, especially the scene between Kaczmarek and Shannon Lee Clair as German mother Helga preparing her daughter Eva to board the Kindertransport trains, letting her daughter know she has hidden her watch in the heel of Eva's shoe. Their reunion long after the end of the war will tear at your heartstrings, sympathizing with both women who finally agree there is no going back to who they were before the war.

While you will be able to hear the emotions in their voices, people listening to the recording will miss out on seeing these incredible actresses embody the characters in mind and body, and the loving hugs between cast members at the end of the most heart-wrenching scenes. But you will not miss out one bit on their remarkable characterizations that jump out of your speakers and come to life in your mind.

To enhance the live recording, historical photos of the actual Kindertransport trains along with images of Nazi Germany were shown during the performance. So significant was that experience that I can only hope when the CD is produced there will be an accompanying program that includes these photos. The multimedia experience touched by soul, bringing to life the untold pain of a generation. Of course, you cannot see these during the radio program, but the images flashed through my mind as I listened to the recording.

Kudos to Sound Effects Artist Jeff Gardner for his attention to detail in making every sound, down to the feel of a cigarette or clatter of pottery, come alive. His attention to detail highlighted every scene in the recording, creating a true "theater of the mind" experience.

L.A. Theatre Works is the leading radio theater company in the United States, committed to using innovative technologies to preserve and promote significant works of dramatic literature and bringing live theater into the homes of millions. The company's public radio series, featuring stage plays performed by America's top actors augmented by interviews with the artists and others, can be heard in over 100 markets nationwide and on SiriusXM Book Radio; can be streamed on demand at www.latw.org; and are available worldwide through Amazon and iTunes. L.A. Theatre Works audio plays are available at over 11,000 libraries throughout the U.S., and recordings and teaching materials are used by over 3,000 middle and high schools across the country.

L.A. Theatre Works records ten plays a year in front of a live audience for its weekly, syndicated radio theater series, with performances taking place at UCLA's James Bridges Theatre. Visit www.latw.org for a complete schedule and to purchase tickets. L.A. Theatre Works recordings are available on itunes, Amazon.com, audible.com and in many public libraries.

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