After an initial performance at the annual Holocaust Remembrance Event at Slippery Rock University, the cast of “The Singer of Shanghai” will be taking the production on the road to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Directed by Kari-Anne Innes, SRU assistant professor of theatre, the cast of “The Singer of Shanghai” includes:
- David Lafler, a freshman acting major from Shirley, New York (Longwood HS), as Harry Abraham.
- Julia Nurenberg, a sophomore acting major from Granger, Indiana (Penn HS), as Ida Abraham.
- Ashley Petrosky, a junior theatre major from Feasterville-Trevose, as Rose.
- Kiera Newman, a senior theatre major from Cranberry Township (Seneca Valley HS), in various roles.
- Ethan Ford, a sophomore social work major from Port Jervis, New York (Delaware Valley HS), in various roles.
“The Singer of Shanghai” is based on the real-life experiences of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany in search of safety in Shanghai. The play follows the Abraham family as they navigate the hardships of escaping the Holocaust during World War II. Shanghai became a rare place of refuge, offering safety from persecution until the Japanese takeover of China in 1943.
Under Japanese control, the Jewish community was forced to relocate to what became known as the “Shanghai Ghetto,” a designated area in the Hongkou district where they remained until the end of World War II. Despite the difficult living conditions, the community persevered, building lives amid uncertainty and displacement.
The play is rooted in historical research conducted by Kevin Ostoyich, a history professor at Valparaiso University. Written in 2019 by SRU students under the direction of Innes, “The Singer of Shanghai” weaves together multiple firsthand accounts, creating a collective narrative that captures the resilience and complexity of the refugee experience.
The Maltz Museum, located in Beachwood, Ohio, outside of Cleveland, is a cultural institution dedicated to promoting tolerance and understanding by sharing Jewish heritage through the lens of the American experience. It features interactive exhibits on immigration, history, and the Holocaust, including the permanent “An American Story” gallery, alongside special exhibitions on diversity.
General admission tickets for the Maltz Museum can be purchased for $15 on the museum’s website.
More information about theatre at SRU is available on the program’s webpage.
