Charlene Sher
Kindertransport
Las Vegas Actor Produces the Play Kindertransport to Shine Hope on the Lives of Children in War’s Way
By Kendall Hardin
Actor-Producer Charlene Sher is spearheading the production of Kindertransport this fall that mirrors today’s trials of war and dislocation, even though the play was first penned and presented in 1993.
This play tells the story, through the eyes of a child, of the efforts to save children from Nazi-controlled territory during the months leading up to World War II by sending them – alone – far away to live with strangers who opened their homes to them. About 10,000 children, mostly Jewish, traveled from Germany to the UK and other countries from 1938 to 1940.
More generally, the play explores the human condition, the struggle to survive against all odds, and the need to see the humanity in others despite our differences.
The producers are presenting this play to confront such contemporary trends as the increasing polarization in our society, desensitization to the flow of stories and images of human suffering from around the world, and the aging and loss of those who can provide first-hand accounts of the Holocaust.
Against the backdrop of what is happening today in Ukraine and other war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa, the resettlement of children has become a humanitarian crisis that is documented for the entire world to see.
Driven to “Ignite the Mind by Touching the Heart,” audiences can connect and unite through the shared experience of feeling and empathizing with the traumatic and transformational journey facing young people around the globe.
The play is also an opportunity for teachers and students to learn about the Holocaust and World War II and prompt discussions about how we can join forces to support one another in today’s uncertain times.
Kindertransport – a play by Diane Samuels
Three Benefit Performances:
November 3 and 5 at 7:30 pm, and November 6 at 2:30 pm
Adelson Educational Campus Theater
9700 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas
$10 for students and seniors, $20 for adults
Ticket subsidies are available
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities at www.jewishnevada.org/kindertransport
The People Recreating Kindertransport
Living in Las Vegas has given Charlene Sher the opportunity to push boundaries and serve the community in a variety of ways. She is a trained member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), representing children in the foster care system in court. She also served as the first board president of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV and established The Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada with business partner Norma Zuckerman. Some may recognize Charlene as the “voice” of The Golden Knights. Yes, it is her distinct narration in the video that starts each game.
As an actor, her supreme passion has always been theatre. Charlene has enjoyed the good fortune of playing some of the most celebrated women on stage and screen . . . characters such as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Blanche in Streetcar Named Desire, Jean in The Prime of Miss Jean Bodie, Mrs. Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank and Florence Unger in the female version of The Odd Couple, to name just a few.
Directing Kindertransport is Jeanmarie Simpson, a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society, the Dramatists Guild of America, and a retired member of the Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild/AFTA. Cast members include Ashlee Grubbs in the leading role, along with Barbara King, Brian David Sloan, Lisa Berg, Melanie Ron, and Charlene Sher.
For more in-depth background about Kindertransport, see wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport for historical events and wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport_(play) about the play. See also Diane Samuels’ Kindertransport: The Author’s Guide to the Play in paperback (2014).
For more details about tickets and production details, contact Charlene Sher at onstagecs@gmail.com.