In the tour-de-force, solo performance, David Strathairn portrays World War II hero and Holocaust witness Jan Karski.
The Presidio Theatre and The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics will present Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn in Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, in 11 performances February 16 to 27, 2022.
In the tour-de-force, solo performance, David Strathairn portrays World War II hero and Holocaust witness Jan Karski, a messenger of truth who risked his life to carry his harrowing report from war-torn Poland to the Allied Nations and, ultimately, the Oval Office only to be ignored and disbelieved.
Bearing witness to the despair of the Warsaw ghetto and standing tall in the halls of power, Strathairn captures the remarkable life of this self-described "insignificant, little man" whose forgotten story of moral courage and individual responsibility can still shake the conscience of the world.
The run will begin with a preview on Wednesday, February 16, at 2 pm, opening night Thursday, February 17, at 7:30 pm and subsequent performances Friday, February 18, at 7:30 pm, Saturday, February 19, at 7:30 pm, Sunday, February 20, at 2 pm, Wednesday, February 23, at 2 pm, Thursday, February 24, at 7:30 pm, Friday, February 25, at 7:30 pm, Saturday, February 26, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 27, at 2 pm. The Presidio Theatre is located at 99 Moraga Avenue in San Francisco. Tickets, priced $10-$65, go on sale January 10 and may be purchased at www.presidiotheatre.org/2022rememberthis .
Strathairn, who has starred in the piece throughout its evolution, says of the production: "I've always felt that one of the vital roles, even a responsibility, of the artist/citizen, is to provide palpable, emotive, and relevant insight into the most pressing issues concerning our common humanity. By dramatizing the legacy of Jan Karski, we do just that."
Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski is an original production by The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, written by Clark Young and Derek Goldman, directed by Derek Goldman and featuring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn as Jan Karski. Remember This launched its international tour to unanimous acclaim and sold-out houses at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. in October, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater in November of 2021. Georgetown University Press has released a special volume of the script that includes original written contributions by Secretary Madeleine Albright, Ambassador Samantha Power, Timothy Snyder, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, among others.
The one-man play-performed with just a table and two chairs-was launched in November 2019 as a featured part of the Centennial Celebration Weekend of Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and then was invited to London as part of the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of the Liberation of Auschwitz, in partnership with Human Rights Watch. While in London, Christiane Amanpour conducted a fifteen minute interview feature with David Strathairn for CNN and PBS. Recently, the play was adapted into a feature film produced by award-winning documentary filmmaker Eva Anisko, it will premiere in 2022.
The creative team for Remember This includes Ivania Stack (Costume Design), Zach Blane (Lighting Design), Roc Lee (Composition/ Sound Design), Emma Jaster (Movement) and Misha Kachman (Set Design).
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