Emerging from thousands of stories of people and objects forever lost, The Story of a Book portrays a nearly century-long history of the Strachs, a Jewish family from the city of Brno. It centers on their machzor, a prayer book assumed long lost after its confiscation in the Theresienstadt ghetto. The sacred book then undergoes a miraculous rediscovery and returns to the family.
The play details the fate of multiple generations of machzor owners, rendering tragic historical events with overwhelming simplicity. It tells the story of a book, of a family, of Europe.
The Story of a Book (2022), Czech Republic. Written and directed by: Hana Mikolaskova. Original story: Angela Strach. Cast: Miroslav Sykora, Zdislava Zacalova, Melika Yildizova, Ester Aylin Yildizova, Hana Mikolaskova, Elias Kliment. Dramaturgy: Eva Petlakova. Music: Ivan Acher. Costume design: Sylva Zimula Hanakova.
Running time: 60 min. Language: Czech, with English supertitles.
The performance is followed by a talkback.
This event is part of the 2023 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival: Anew. For more information, visit rehearsalfortruth.org.
Free and open to the public. Suggested donation $10. Seats are limited, on first-come, first-served basis. Online registration through Eventbrite is required.
The presentation in the US is supported by Centre of Jewish Culture STETL, Jewish Community of Brno, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Statutory City of Brno, Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York and Czech Centre New York.
The 2023 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival: Anew, organized by the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute New York, GOH Productions, Trap Door Theatre, Centre of Jewish Culture STETL, Jan Mocek, Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, Palissimo Company, and Romanian Cultural Institute.
The program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The festival is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Arts and Theatre Institute in Prague, and Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.