Last night, I went to the Saidye Bronfman Centre in Montreal to see the play, "No More Raisins, No More Almonds." Performed by local teens, the play is set in a Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust. One of the actors was my former student Tamar Eliashiv -- who was just great (and when I caught her eye, she didn't even smile! Very professional, Tamar!!)
The play was basedon a series of Yiddish songs, written by Jews during the Holocaust. A screen provided translations of the lyrics, which were just beautiful. Again, I noted how the use of detail brings literature to life. In one of the play's scenes, a young smuggler shares tips for smuggling goods into the ghetto. Bandages, he tells the others, are a great place for hiding things -- since guards seldom look at what's under a bandage. It's the DETAILS that stay with an audience. This is just as true of books as it is of theatrical productions.
Okay, then, it's back to school today after a lovely long weekend. "No More Raisins, No More Almonds" is on again tonight and tomorrow night. Catch it if you can. The number at the box office is 514-739-7944.