Directed by Katia Schwarz :: MainStageTheatre :: Cleveland Premiere! ::
Fridays & Saturdays @8pm. ::Sundays @2pm ::
The Kindertransport was a British rescue mission that took place at the beginning of WWII. Over 10,000 Jewish children from various countries were placed in British foster homes. Helga and Werner Schlesinger are parents faced with the difficult choice of keeping their beloved daughter Eva in Germany with them, or letting her become one of the Kindertransport children, who are sent to the UK, alone. 'Kindertransport' depicts the agony of separating a child from her parents and wrestles with the consequences of that choice, an act of sacrifice that also wreaks devastating results. Starring Cleveland's own Dorothy Silver and Laura Perotta*”.
"'Kindertransport' is an important play to see whether you know about these children or not. It allows you to see that the result of how we treat any children fleeing persecution spans generations, and that mark, good or bad, reflects our own humanity."
-DC Metro Theatre Arts
Please Note: The Sunday March 15th Performance is almost SOLD OUT. Call for availability 216-321-2930.
PLEASE NOTE: At the mandate of city, state and national agencies to ban public meetings of 50 or more people for the next 8 weeks in response to Covid-19, we regret that the remaining performances of Kindertransport have been canceled. Please stay home and stay safe!
:: KINDERTRANSPORT :: MEET THE CAST
Laura Perrotta * (Evelyn) A native New Yorker, she’s called Cleveland home for over 20 years. Favorite performances include Emma Arkadina in “Stupid Fucking Bird” at Dobama, Petronella Van Daan in “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Cleveland Play House, Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”, Elizabeth Proctor in “The Crucible”, Princess Puffer in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, Arkadina in “ The Seagull”, Fraulein Schneider in “Cabaret” and Amanda Prynne in “Private Lives” at Great Lakes Theater. She appeared with Dorothy Silver in “Night Mother“ at the Beck Center, and is grateful for another opportunity to cross the boards together.
*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association
Maryann Elder (Lil as of March 4) is a native of Cleveland who stepped onstage at the original Fine Arts Association in Willoughby at the age of 7. She first performed with Ensemble in The Price, with Dorothy and Reuben Silver, and is delighted to be back working with Celeste Cosentino and a remarkably gifted cast. Other credits include Beck Center (Holy Ghosts, A Man Of No Importance), Dobama (Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Middletown), Cleveland Public Theater (Barbecue, Standing On Ceremony), Cain Park (Oliver!), Lakeland Civic Theater (Death Of A Salesman), Actors Summit, Mamai, and The Cleveland Playhouse. Maryann is also proud to have directed many high school productions, hopefully inspiring a new generation of artists.
Diana Frankhauser (Faith) is grateful to be returning to Ensemble Theatre so quickly (again)! Recent credits include Intimate Apparel and The Penelopiad at Ensemble, Yankee Tavern and The Late Henry Moss at none too fragile, and The Comedy of Errors, The Three Musketeers, and Robin Hood: An Adventure with Music at Ohio Shakespeare Festival. She is a recent recipient of the Best Supporting Actress award at the 2019 48 Hour Film Festival for her work in Being John McClane. She is a proud Wright State University alumna and has toured with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in their Next Stage Ensemble Tour of Twelfth Night. When not on-stage you will usually find her at the Houde School of Acting in downtown Cleveland. Special thanks to her parents, many teachers, The Talent Group, Heyman Talent, and Matthew.”
Shley Snider (Helga) is delighted to be returning for her second show with Ensemble Theater. Previous credits include the Monster Fight Corps with Ohio Shakespeare Festival’s She Kills Monsters; Telemachus/Suitor/Maid (The Penelopiad, Ensemble Theater); Maid Marion (Maid Marion: An Adventure, with Music, Ohio Shakespeare Festival); Jaques/Duke Frederick (As You Like It, French Creek Theatre); Henry V (Henry V, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival); Velma (West Side Story, Akron Symphony); and The White Witch (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Players’ Guild). She’s even been the victim AND the perpetrator in a few murders (various shows with The Dinner Detective, Get Away With Murder, and Curtains! Mystery Theatre). Shley received her MFA in Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and is an adjunct Theatre instructor at Ashland University. A produced playwright (Robbed, Bone Wars, Drive Thru: The Musical, and the upcoming Trollop), Shley also works as a comedy rap artist, performing in such venues as The PIT NYC, the Impractical Jokers Cruise, and Lyric Theatre Miami. thatswhatshleysaid.com Insta @shleytherapper.
Lexi Cowan (Young/Older Eva) is in the 8th grade at Laurel School. She is thrilled to be back on the Ensemble Theatre stage! She performed here earlier this season in By the Bog of Cats and will be back closing out the season as the standby for Small Allison in Fun Home (with a performance on May 9). Lexi earned her first professional acting job at age 3 in the Lionsgate film Warrior. She has since had roles in films for Focus Features and Netflix. Some of Lexi's favorite performances around town have been with Great Lakes Theater, The Cleveland Playhouse, Cain Park and Dobama. She has performed as a solo artist with both The Musical Theater Project and numerous times with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Lexi has spent the past 3 summers at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center where she has performed in many main stage musicals in addition to a specialty performance group called Our Time Cabaret (OTC). She has also appeared in numerous commercials and print ads. You can look her up at IMDb.com. Extra thanks and hugs to Katia and Ivan, Celeste, Mom, Dad, Ben, and amazing family and friends!
John Busser (The Ratcatcher) is an actor/writer in the Cleveland area. He is the co-runner of Cleveland Public Theatre’s writers workshop, The Dark Room which helps new and seasoned playwrights test drive new work for a friendly audience of writers and actors. His short plays have been produced in the Cleveland and Columbus areas. Blank Canvas Theatre recently presented Children's Letters to Satan (and Other Horrible Scribblings), a collection of 7 of his original short plays. His play Under A Watchful Eye was made into a short film that has been selected for the 2019 Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival and in 2020 for the BeBop Channel Content Festival. He has also been a regular cast member of Flanagan's Wake, now celebrating their 11th straight year at Playhouse Square.
*Denotes Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
:: KINDERTRANSPORT :: MEET THE CREW
Katia Schwarz (Director)
Becca Moseley (Production Stage Manager)
Ian Hinz (Set/Projection)
