Jeff Alan-Lee and Claire Kaplan Photo

From: BWW Review: THE SUITCASE Centers on a Dream Held by Many Holocaust Survivors

Written by one of Poland's foremost contemporary playwrights, THE SUITCASE at first seems to be nothing more than a fluff piece with things such as balloons being popped and silly songs being sung. But it will surprise you when the story takes hold with the rather comical singing Narrator (Jeff Alan-Lee) and Jackleen (Claire Kaplan) sharing the tale of Franswa Jackoh (Vincent Catellanos) who, while in the process of figuring out his life, wanders into a cafe and meets The Poet (Sigute Miller) who in turn guides him to a Holocaust Museum to seek the truth. There he meets a rather miserable Tour Guide (Alexandra Freeman) who begrudgingly points out a suitcase retrieved from one of the German "work camps." Her tune changes when Jackoh realizes the name on the case is that of his own father from whom he was separated during the Holocaust.