In March 2000, a child’s suitcase bearing the name and birth date of Hana Brady arrived at the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center. Painted across the battered luggage was the German word waisenkind, or “orphan.”
With these few clues, a determined group of Japanese schoolchildren, led by their teacher, Fumiko Ishioka, set out to uncover Hana’s identity. Their story, intertwined with that of young Hana, became the basis of Hana’s Suitcase (2002), Karen Levine’s acclaimed children’s book, which has been translated into 27 languages and won numerous awards in Canada, the United States and abroad.
At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11, Edison Theatre will present the U.S. premiere of a stage adaptation of Hana’s Suitcase by the playwright Emil Sher. The play, which runs through Jan. 21, is jointly produced by Edison Theatre and the Metro Theatre Company.
“Kids today are inundated by media: books, movies, television and the Internet,” said Charlie Robin, executive director of Edison Theatre. “Yet the performing arts — theatre, music and dance — can also be tremendous tools for learning. They have a kind of immediacy and emotional power that helps young people relate stories to their own lives.
“Parents are always their children’s first and primary teachers,” Robin continued. “But I think Hana’s Suitcase will spark conversations that parents may not otherwise know how to begin.”
Still, introducing children to events as painful as the Holocaust poses a particular challenge, noted Erin McGlothlin, Ph.D., assistant professor of Germanic languages and literatures in Arts & Sciences and an expert on Holocaust literature.
“On the one hand, you have to avoid simplistic explanations and present the Holocaust in all its historical complexity and specificity,” McGlothlin said. “Otherwise it’s just a tale of senseless atrocity. On the other hand, the story has to be digestible for children and offer some glimmer of hope, some affirmation of life. And you have to be careful about not traumatizing them with too much brutal detail. It’s really a huge task.”
Like the book, the stage adaptation of Hana’s Suitcase cuts back-and-forth between two narrative threads. As Fumiko and her class pursue clues from Tokyo to Prague, Czechoslovakia and ultimately, Canada — where they learn Hana’s fate — we also see glimpses of the Brady family, whose happy life in the small Czech town of Nove Mesto is shattered in 1939 by the Nazi invasion.
“Hana’s story isn’t sugar-coated,” McGlothlin said. “But there’s also a moment of redemption in that the Japanese children are able to rescue her story from oblivion. By emphasizing their active involvement, Hana’s Suitcase shows that children can play a positive role in shaping their world and responding to injustice — that they’re not just passive victims.”
Carol North, artistic director for Metro Theatre, directs the cast of nine, which is led by Haruna Tsuchiya as Fumiko and Leah Schumacher as Hana.
Also starring are Don Castro as Akira and Stephanie Kim as Maiko, two of Fumiko’s students; Nicholas Kryah as Karel Brady and George Brady, Hana’s father and older brother, respectively; and Stephanie Strohman as Marketa Brady, Hana’s mother. John Wolbers is the young George Brady. Beckah Voigt is featured in the roles of Michaela and Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. Eddie Webb performs triple duty as Vik-to Rott, Uncle Ludvik and Kurt Kotouc.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Edison Theatre to bring this powerful play to St. Louis audiences,” North said. “Emil Sher’s script weaves past and present in a seamless theatrical journey that takes us through the darkness of the Holocaust and into the light of hope. I’m so moved by Fumiko Ishioka’s quest to find answers for children who needed to know the truth of Hana’s story. She is my inspiration as we prepare Metro Theatre Company’s production.”
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets prices range from $8-$15.
For more information, call 935-6543 or visit edisontheatre.wustl.edu.