Luna Stage Presents ETTY Today

In commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Luna Stage will present Etty, writer and performer Susan Stein's critically-acclaimed one woman show adapted from the diaries and letters of Etty Hillesum. Etty is directed by theater veteran Austin Pendleton. Etty will be presented for two performances only, today April 7th, at 3pm and 7pm. Both performances will be followed by a talkback with creator/performer Susan Stein. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.lunastage.org or by calling 973-395-5551.

Using only Etty Hillesum's words, Susan Stein's inspiring adaptation brings us to 1943 when Etty, a young Jewish woman, is about to be deported out of Holland. As she prepares for her three day journey eastward, she digs deeper into her soul to understand "this piece of history" and "to root out" any hatred or bitterness, believing that humanity is the best and only solution for survival at a time when it remains easier for many to ignore news of human rights violations. Moving beyond its historical context, Etty ultimately addresses issues of human nature and its complexity with regards to issues of human rights and genocide. She asks us to consider our own responsibility today, in a world where the promise of "never again" has not yet been realized.

Nominated for Amnesty International's 2009 Freedom of Expression Award, Etty has been performed throughout the United States and Europe. Howard Shapiro of The Philadelphia Inquirer says, "Stein's spot-on performance clearly honors both her subject and anyone who has died at hatred's hellish hands." Carolyn Huckabay of the Philadelphia City Paper calls Etty, "A work so gripping, it stays with you long after bows are taken."

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