In its American premier at Edison Theater, Hana’s Suitcase was been seen by audiences from both the Washington University community and the St. Louis area. The opening run closed yesterday
The show strove to educate a mixed audience of children, adults, Jews, and non-Jews about the Holocaust using the story of two Japanese students and their teacher who studied the Holocaust. Toward achieving this goal, the play combines scenes from present-day Japan and Europe with scenes from Europe during and after the Holocaust.
The show was performed publicly at nine different performances and by over 5,000 area students at special, sold-out matinées.
Proceeds from book sales outside the performances went to benefit the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center, the educational institution profiled in the play. The Tokyo Center has reached more than 50,000 Japanese children with its traveling exhibit on Hana Brady.
To further its educational mission, after select performances, post-performance discussions were held involving the entire audience. These discussions, sponsored by various local and national organizations, aimed to build on the show’s message of tolerance, and also to approach the study of the Holocaust from an inter-faith and inter-cultural perspective.
Hana’s Suitcase has previously been seen in Canada, but the performance at Washington University was its first American iteration.