Joan and Sam McReady
A Time to Speak, the remarkable story of endurance during the Holocaust, comes to the Garfield Center for the Arts Saturday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. Helen Lewis, a dancer in Prague at the beginning of World War II, was interned in the Terezin ghetto, then deported to Auschwitz, and finally to Stutthof Labor Camp on the edge of the Baltic Sea. After the war, she settled in Belfast and became active with the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Later she formed the Belfast Modern Dance Group, the first modern dance company in Ireland.
Her struggle to survive amidst the carnage of Hitler’s Final Solution is told with wit and a controlled anger, which never displays itself in rancor or censure. Helen died in her mid-90s; this presentation acts as a fitting tribute to an extraordinary survivor.
A Time to Speak has been adapted and directed by Northern Ireland native, Sam McCready, internationally respected actor, director, and writer. The production, which has toured the US and Europe, was named by Baltimore’s City Paper as the outstanding production of the year when it was presented by Performance Workshop Theatre.
Helen’s story is performed by Joan McCready, an experienced actress who has moved audiences in Europe and the US with the extraordinary sensitivity and truthfulness of her portrayal. This incredible story of survival will be at the Garfield Center for one night only.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 410-810-2060. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.
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