The tumultuous sweep of modern Russian history is captured in this theatrical presentation chronicling the true-life stories of Soviet Jewish émigré Bena Shklyanoy’s family. From pogroms, through the Russian Revolution, through both World Wars, through Khrushchev’s “Thaw” and finally up to the Save Soviet Jewry movement of the 1970s, this new play is drawn from a family and social history researched and written by Ms. Shklyanoy, who emigrated from the Soviet Union to Chicago with her husband and two daughters in 1976.

Personal narratives, Yiddish and Russian poetry and visual projections place the stories of Bena Shklyanoy’s ancestors in the context of history and its impact on the lives of this resilient family.

CAST:  Erin Archer, Mark Bram, Katya Ginzburg-Bram, Victoria Jessop, Gershon Levine, Steven Pennell, Amy Olson, and Shanna Wells.

DIRECTOR: Kevin Olson, Artistic Director of First Hand Theatrical

ASSITANT DIRECTOR/STAGE  MANAGER: Shoshana Adler

MUSIC COORDINATOR: Michael Goldberg

A brief discussion with the authors and cast will follow each performance.