Commemorating Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass
Saturday, November 4th at 2 p.m.
Lovell Room
Free to the public
Photo: German children, behind an SS man, watch as religious objects from the Zeven synagogue are set on fire during Kristallnacht (the “Night of Broken Glass”). Zeven, Germany, November 10, 1938.
The Stratford Library will present “Remembrance,” four original Holocaust-themed one- act plays in the Lovell Room at the Stratford Library. The staged readings commemorate the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass which took place in Germany on November 9-10, 1938.
The program features short plays by Mark Lambeck and is directed by Lucy Babbitt, both of Stratford. The plays include: “The Barracks Chief,” “Chance,” “The Registrar,” and “Ben’s Story.” Two of the plays take place in concentration camps during World War II while the remaining ones are set some 60 years later in the early 2000’s.
In “The Barracks Chief,” a concentration camp prisoner refuses food rations on the eve of Yom Kippur. “Chance” is the story of a minister’s wife who visits a psychiatrist after experiencing disturbing visions of the Holocaust. In “The Registrar,” a multi-lingual Jewish woman is forced to register new camp arrivals. “Ben’s Story” focuses on a graduate student who decides to tell his grandfather’s personal story of Holocaust survival as the basis for his thesis, only to uncover a family secret.
Actors in the program are: Joan Barere (New Haven), Mark Frattaroli (Stratford), Alicia James (Guilford), Frank Smith (Milford) and Celine Montaudy and Tyler Small (Stamford).
Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, began the night of November 9th, 1938, when German citizens and Nazis attacked Jewish businesses, schools, personal property and synagogues. The name refers to the litter of broken glass left in the streets after the targeted riots. The violence continued during the day of November 10th. The event was a turning point of violence against Jews that is considered the catalyst of the Holocaust.
Reservations are not required, but space is limited. Wearing masks is optional. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
