On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute, in collaboration with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC (USHMM), invite you to an evening remembering Italian mothers and daughters of the Holocaust.
Although the Holocaust has been widely studied, what women were subjected to and experienced still remains uncharted. Introduced by Dr. Suzanne Brown-Fleming, Director of International Academic Programs at the USHMM, the program will feature a keynote address by Prof. Jonathan Druker, of Illinois State University, who will explore the writings of three Italian Holocaust survivors: Giuliana Tedeschi, Liana Millu and Edith Bruck. Bearing witness yet transcending history, being truthful yet exemplary pieces of literature that speak about the human condition, the stories recounted by Tedeschi, Millu and Bruck are parables about human endurance.
The presentation will be followed by a theatrical reading of selected excerpts from the memoirs of these three authors, directed by playwright Federica Cellini and with a musical accompaniment by Jewish-Italian piano and accordion player Simone Baron.
LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
REGISTRATION & PHOTO ID REQUIRED
DOORS OPEN 30 MINUTES PRIOR EVENT START-TIME
Due to new safety regulations, we are not allowed to add extra seats to the auditorium or let anyone stand. A registration is not a guarantee of a seat as these are assigned on a first-come first-served basis. Doors close at event start-time.
Once the event is full we will not accept wait list requests. A limited number of “last call” registrations will be available on Eventbrite between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM on the day of the event.
RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EVENTBRITE. NO PHONE OR EMAIL RSVP AVAILABLE
SPEAKERS
PROF. JONATHAN DRUKER
Jonathan Druker is Professor of Italian at Illinois State University where he teaches undergraduate courses on Italian language and culture, and graduate courses in literary studies exploring communal trauma, memory, and the Holocaust. His first book, Primo Levi and Humanism after Auschwitz, was published by Palgrave (2009). In 2014, he was a fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum where he began research on his current book project, an analysis of Holocaust literature focusing on trauma, history, memory, and time. With Scott Lerner, he co-edited The New Italy and the Jews: From Massimo D’Azeglio to Primo Levi (2018).
DR SUZANNE BROWN-FLEMING
Suzanne Brown-Fleming is Director of International Academic Programs at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Her most recent book, Nazi Persecution and Postwar Repercussions: The International Tracing Service Archive and Holocaust Research (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) is part of the Museum’s Documenting Life and Destruction: Holocaust Sources in Context series (Jürgen Matthäus, series editor). She is also co-editor of Uncovered: Reflections of Nazi Persecution and its Consequences with Rebecca Boehling, Susanne Urban, and Elizabeth Anthony.
CAST
RAFFAELA O’NEILL
Raffaela O’Neill is an italian actress member of the Screen Actors Guild of America. Raffaela is best known for her roles in American television and film including NBC‘s Days of Our Lives, AMC’s The Making of the Mob: New York, National Geographic’s American Genius, The Mona Lisa Myth (narrated by Morgan Freeman).As a physical and movement actress Raffaela worked with Nobel Laureate Gao Xingjian on the cinepoem Le Deuil de la Beauté (Requiem for Beauty), and with the Beijing Opera on a 2 year project that brought her to perform at the Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw, Poland. She is professionally trained in Method acting (Strasberg, Stanislavski) with a robust background in actor physical training (Grotowski).
NATASHA PRESTON
Natasha Preston is an actress, playwright, and choreographer. She recently produced, wrote, acted, and co-choreographed her one-woman show Conversations for the Capital Fringe Festival. The show will be taken to fringe festivals next summer. Regional credits include work with Ally Theater Company (Dhana and the Rosebuds), TBD Immersive (Ouroboros and Underworld), Annapolis Shakespeare Company (Blithe Spirit), LiveArt DC, Capital Fringe, and Maryland Ensemble Theater. New York: In Scena Theater Festival (Dhana and the Rosebuds). She is also working on her next original project, The Jane Doe Project, which she will complete research for in Seattle this spring.
Training: Gately/Poole Studio of Acting, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Studio Acting Conservatory, Kenyon College, and the Ojai Playwrights’ Conference Internship.
ZOE WALPOLE
Zoe Walpole most recently played the titular character in Factory 449’s production of Agnes of God. Other favorite roles include Frankie in The Member of the Wedding (1 st Stage); Vixen in Elaine May’s Adult Entertainment (The Klunch); Clementine in Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies (Mosaic Theater Company). She is represented for stage and film by Capital Talent Agency. Find out more @zoewalp and www.zoewalpole.com.
SIMONE BARON
Known for her fiery and charismatic presence, Simone Baron is a multifaceted musician whose work as a pianist, accordionist, conductor, arranger and composer strives to experiment and engage with a broad range of audiences, musical languages/traditions and art forms. Simone’s innovative programming spanning led her to perform internationally throughout Europe, Israel and North America, appearing as a soloist and chamber musician in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap and Strathmore to LaMama experimental theatre, Twins jazz club and Berlin artist squats. In addition to competitions and recitals, Simone has been invited to perform and conduct in numerous international music festivals including the Tel Hai Internatonal Masterclasses, Killington, Sulzbach Rosenberg, Lindlar Klavierfest, NEMC International Conducting Institute and the SOB conducting institute among others.
DIRECTOR
FEDERICA CELLINI
Federica Cellini’s professional journey is an evolving experiment on trying to explore and present each story with surgical specificity and imaginative visuals. Director with a journalistic background, she uses various media in her research, exploring them all to the fullest, mostly focusing on social issues, telling intimate stories with global resonance.
She directed several award-winning documentaries. Her artwork Draunara, was exhibited in the most important Italian contemporary art museums: Castello di Rivoli, and MAXXI in Rome. Her experience includes also reportage and television shows she wrote and hosted, on Italian public broadcasting RAI.