PFW has provided sponsorship help to ArtsPower to bring to 4700 middle school children in Columbus the gripping and poignant play My Heart In A Suitcase. ArtsPower’s production will touch the hearts of these students as they bring to life an adaption of a survivor’s story about the Kindertransport—a program that permitted Jewish children to leave Nazi-occupied countries and re-settle in Great Britain. With only one small suitcase, young Anne boards a train alone and says good-bye to her parents forever. The audience will watch Anne struggle to find a meaning to live out of despair, to cling to love and hope – even in a world that seems to be filled with hatred and violence. ArtsPower will also provide study buddies for each class.
PFW hopes this production will inspire young people to read and learn more about the Holocaust by weaving an emotional bond to the characters portrayed in this play. The playwright will show young people what happened in Germany and in other occupied nations prior to and during World War II – and how a heroine survived thanks to her own courage and the generosity of others – ArtsPower will teach them the importance of combating intolerance. The ultimate goal is to motivate children not only to appreciate reading and the theatre but also to love and respect all their fellow human beings.
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