A Will To Live
at the Chain Theatre, A True Story of the Unbreakable Human Spirit
THE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED CHAIN THEATRE
Proudly Presents the World Premiere of
Critic’s Pick for macbitches
A WILL TO LIVE
A True Story of the Unbreakable Human Spirit
Written by HELENA WEINRAUCH
Adapted by KIRK GOSTKOWSKI
Starring MASHA KING
Directed by RICK HAMILTON
LIMITED OFF-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT
AUGUST 24 – SEPTEMBER 16, 2023 AT THE CHAIN THEATRE
OPENING NIGHT IS SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 AT 2 P.M.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT CHAINTHEATRE.ORG
The critically-acclaimed Chain Theatre (NYT critic’s pick macbitches) is pleased to announce the world premiere production of 99-year-old NYC resident Helena Weinrauch’s A WILL TO LIVE, directed by Rick Hamilton and introducing Masha King. A WILL TO LIVE will play a limited engagement at Chain Theatre (312 W. 36th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018. Performances begin Thursday, August 24and continue through Saturday, September 16. Opening Night is Sunday, August 27(2 p.m.). Tickets are $35 and available at https://chaintheatre.eventive.org/schedule?filterTags%5B647f7573ba74b5004780fe64%5D=true.
An awe-inspiring adaptation of Helena Weinrauch’s incredible 1945 memoir, this emotional rollercoaster of a one-woman show follows her extraordinary journey from childhood through her survival of three Holocaust concentration camps and her road to recovery. Her story is a testament to our instinctive will to survive, the strength of music in the darkest of times, and the power of love. Helena’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving the memory of the Holocaust and honoring those who survived.
Masha King, a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine who toured the US performing as Anne Frank, reflects on playing this powerful role, “What I identify with the most is the feeling of losing people and a place that made me feel safe as a child. In this particular aspect, I feel the aftershocks of Europe's brutal past and the atrocious things Helena lived through ricochet within my own life. It is yet another reminder that the Holocaust was not as long ago as we may think and why her story is so important to continue to tell."
Director Rick Hamilton remarks on how he was brought to the project, "To meet Helena Weinrauch is to love her. I was first introduced to her in 2019 and, as many before me, was immediately smitten. One is quick to notice her brilliant mind and sharp wit, but what captivates me most is her ability to tell a story. I think of Helena's incredible message of love and forgiveness every day. We must wake up, speak up, and take care of each other.”
A WILL TO LIVE, an immersive one-woman show with voices echoing from the past, features set and projection design by David Henderson (designer of the Hofstra Globe Stage), lighting design by Michael Abrams (I of the Storm), costume design by Debbi Hobson (Off Broadway's A Letter to Harvey Milk, director Evan Pappas at Theatre Row and Luft Gangster, director Austin Pendelton at the Sheen Center). Greg Russ (Garbageman, What Passes for Comedy) is the sound designer. Dramaturgical work by G.D. Kimble. Publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR, Stage Managed by Shelby Pickelny (Drive By), production assistant Weston Scheck.
A WILL TO LIVE plays the following regular schedule through Saturday, September 16:
Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Fridays at 7 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $35 and are now available online at https://chaintheatre.eventive.org/schedule?filterTags%5B647f7573ba74b5004780fe64%5D=true Tickets will also be available at the theater a half hour prior to performances.
Running Time: 2 hrs and 15 minutes and one ten-minute intermission
Website: https://www.chaintheatre.org/a-will-to-live
A recent video of Helena at Chain Theatre: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ou8LSijfINMmmoefG3J7eR2sM407-O53/view?usp=sharing
Press on Helena: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/gma/story/75-year-passover-sweater-story-holocaust-survivor-wears-62709195
NYTimes Article - Dancing Saved my life: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/nyregion/dancing-saved-her-life-twice.html
IG: @chaintheatrenyc FB: @ChainTheatre
Special Thank you to the Shoah Foundation, Shubert Foundation, NYSCA, Department of Cultural Affairs for supporting and making this production possible. Their work, legacy, and preservation. Indie Space, League of Independent Theaters, ARTNY, Theatre Communications Group, Garment District Alliance
BIOGRAPHIES
KIRK GOSTKOWSKI (Adaption) Artistic Director Chain Theatre; Writing credits: Singin' All Night (Chain Theatre), Film: Leave Me Behind. Select acting credits: World Premiere of Garbageman as Dan Bandana, Nick Moroni (NYC Premiere Keith Huff’s Six Corners), World Premiere This G*d Damn House as Jacob, The Pillowman as Katurian (2016 Queens Kudos Winner Best Actor), Talk Radio as Barry Champlain (2015 NYIT Award Nominee for Outstanding Revival), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as R. P. McMurphy, Hurlyburly as Eddie, After the Fall as Quentin, Fool for Love as Eddie, In The Boom Boom Room as Al, True West as Austin, Wait Until Dark as Roat (Nominated as Best Director 2016 NYIT). He is the founder and Festival Director of the Chain NYC Film Festival. Kirk made his film directorial debut with the film Leave Me Behind, which was featured in ten film festivals worldwide, won awards, and is distributed through Screen Media Ventures. Appearing next in the feature film: My Sister’s Wedding and the short film Robotomy. Kirk is a graduate of Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focused in performance.
RICK HAMILTON (Director) Managing Director of the Chain Theatre and the Chain NYC Film Festival, is an award-winning filmmaker whose short films, including “Seeing Glory,” "Choices" and "The Fear Inside" have screened around the world. He directed the hit Off-Broadway show Fabulous! The Queen of New Musical Comedies, the AUDELCO-nominated Gypsy and the world premiere staging of The Orbit of the Soul. At the Chain Theatre, he directed last season’s Mainstage production What Passes for Comedy and the workshop production of Georgie D., following its development in the Chain Play Writing Lab. His work Off-Off Broadway includes Geeks! The Musical and Sophia. Other play development work includes staged presentations of Lychee Martini, Candy Hearts, Sarah was Mine and A Retail Carol. For more information on past and current projects, please see www.rickhamilton.nyc
MASHA KING (Performer) graduated from NYC’s American Musical and Dramatics Academy and began performing in off-off Broadway plays, various comedy sketches, and commercials. She is a founding member of the award-winning theatre troupe The Lost and Found Project, which is made up of all former Soviet Union Jewish immigrants and has participated in developing 4 original works with the company that were performed both in the U.S. and Russia. She toured as Anne Frank in a one-woman educational show that was curated from Anne's diary entries, directed by Hanna Vaughn in conjunction with the Anne Frank Center. Her most recent stage role was Voyage Theatre's Don't Look Back by Adam Kraar (Ensemble Cast). Notable T.V. roles include GIRLS (HBO), The Blacklist: Redemption (NBC), BLUE BLOODS (CBS), and recurring as Talia Petrov on Madam Secretary (CBS) and Sherry Henry on HIGHTOWN (STARZ). She co-starred alongside Amy Smart and Billy Zane in the feature film BLUNT, due to be released later this year.
HELENA WEINRAUCH (Playwright) *told in first-person: The worst of all fears is the fear of living! There are some problems in life that have no solution. There are some solutions that simply must be lived through. Survival calls for the ability to hope and determination, but most of all: a will to live.
From the age of 16 to 21, I was a prisoner of three different Nazi concentration camps: Plaszow, Auschwitz and ultimately Bergen – Belsen.
My story is not fiction. Unfortunately, this is my true story. I wrote it 61 years ago in German and Polish. I moved to New York City in 1947 and soon translated it into Engllish. Two people read my story – one questioned the authenticity, the other wanted to know who wrote it. I was very hurt by their reaction and decided not to show it anymore. It remained dormant and unread because as the years passed, my outlook, mentality and perception changed. I would be tempted to correct mistakes, change style, phraseology etc. I was advised not to do it – all authenticity would be lost.
My story became widely known when a friend posted a photo of me in my blue Passover sweater that was then shared 50,000 times on Facebook. “Helena Weinrauch, 95, has worn the same blue sweater to every Passover seder for the last 75 years. It’s the sweater she wore to her first Passover after surviving a Nazi concentration camp.” – Genevive Shaw Brown, Good Morning America.
So here it is – finally surfacing! We, survivors of the Holocaust, are almost an extinct species. My life was recorded in the documentary film Fascination: Helena’s Story by Karen Goldfarb which won the Chain NYC Film Festival Signature Award for Best Personal Story August 2019. It was here I was introduced to the Chain Theatre and the people there. Following the festival, Christina approached me about further sharing my story through the medium of theatre. I said, “Yes!”
I still live in New York City. For years I was a dental assistant. They taught me all the phases of their profession. The position followed 30 years of working with a renowned professor of cardiology and nephrology. I learned a lot – it was most stimulating and enriching, but I retired after his passing. Now I spend my time on my two passions. I dance! And I go to different schools speaking to children about the power of love and how important it is to erase the word hate from their vocabulary.
I hope that my story may bring hope and love into the lives of those who hear it.
— Helena Mia Weinrauch New York, NY
CHAIN THEATRE is always seeking to reflect and react to the world around us. Culturally. Politically. Socially. Audiences can find investment in the work at the Chain, because the work is about them, no matter what it might be. It’s a place where artists and audiences can expand their perspectives.
Chain produced the NYC Premiere of Six Corners by Emmy-nominated Keith Huff (A Steady Rain, Mad Men, House of Cards) and has also collaborated with Tony Award winner David Rabe (Sticks and Bones and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel) Past award-winning productions include: Hurlyburly by David Rabe, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Dale Wasserman, and Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian. Chain Theatre is located at 312 W. 36th Street, 3rd and 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018 For more about the Chain Theatre visit www.chaintheatre.org @chaintheatrenyc
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Listings Information:
Who: CHAIN THEATRE
What: A WILL TO LIVE
Where: Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, New York City
When: AUGUST 24 – SEPTEMBER 16
How: www.chaintheatre.org
A True Story of the Unbreakable Human Spirit