Jenny Lyn Bader

Berlin, 1933. With martial law in effect, political activism has become a capital crime. A young Gestapo officer arrests a graduate student suspected of illegal research. This interrogation promises to be most challenging as he faces the iconic 20th-century thinker Hannah Arendt. Is she an innocent woman? Or an enemy of the state? Inspired by real events, this fantastical drama delves into the life and mind of one of history's most profound thinkers.

 

"The characterizations are so good, so terrific, so galvanizing. For 90 minutes, you may very well be on the edge of your seat!
Jenny Lyn Bader is a terrific writer, and boy, she knows what to do every step of the way.

So this is well worth seeing, and I hope it moves!" 
—Peter Filichia, Broadway Radio

 

"A powerful and timely tour de force"
—Oleg Sulkin, Voice of America

"an evocative exploration of resilience, identity, and the pursuit of freedom!"
—Suzanna Bowling, Times Square Chronicles

 

 "A lesson on perceiving humanity and even dignity in all people under even the toughest of conditions." — John McWhorter, New York Times

For tickets and more info, visit www.mrssternwanders.com

 

For more reviews, and audience testimonials scroll down

 

Schedule: 

Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library

By Jenny Lyn Bader
Directed by Ari Laura Kreith

Starring Ella Dershowitz, Drew Hirshfield, and Brett Temple

Set Design by Lauren Helpern | Lighting Design by Cameron Filepas
Sound Design by Megan Culley | Costume Design by Deborah Caney
Stage Management by Ingrid Pierson

 

At the WP Theater, 2162 Broadway, off 76th St. 
December 10-January 12
Tues-Thurs at 7pm; Fri at 7:30pm; Sat at 3 & 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm

Holiday schedule:
Shows added Mon 12/23 at 7, Thurs 12/26 at 3, and Thurs 1/2 at 3 No shows 12/24, 12/25, 12/31

 

"Due to critical acclaim and an incredible run of sold out performances at 59E59 Theaters, 
Luna Stage's New York premiere of Jenny Lyn Bader's Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, directed by Ari Laura Kreith, 
is extending and moving to Off-Broadway's WP Theater for a limited five-week engagement"
—Jersey Stage

"An intellectually stimulating and profoundly moving historical drama…The three-member cast is excellent… 
Those who yearn to see a show that is both educational and entertaining need look no further than Mrs. Stern."
—Offoff Online
 
"Gripping... A play for our times!"
—Jersey Arts
 
"A timely play that needs to be seen today!"
—Broadway ShowBiz
 
"90 Minutes of thought-provoking, tense drama!"
—Making the Scene
 
"Outstanding drama… beautifully directed… terrific cast!"
—This Week in New York 

"The production opens up the tragedy and triumph of Jewish history."
—New York Sun
 
"An intimate, riveting revelation of insight and courage expressed in unexpected ways!"
— NJ Arts Maven 

"What makes the play so powerful — is that we see how the young philosopher was already trying to process what was happening to the German people."
—Jewish Journal
 
"Thoughtful and thought-provoking! Get tickets today and take your sharpest friends with you... I came away wanting to know more, and with the desire to engage someone very far on the other side of the ideological fence. The right time is now!"
—Q Onstage
 
"Absorbing… engaging theatricality… Through her accomplished command of dramatic writing, Ms. Bader turns this factual incident into a stimulating and suspenseful 90-minute play."
—Theater Scene
 
"Fascinating and historically accurate…surprising yet ultimately impactful… Jenny Lyn Bader is a writer of keen intelligence and insight… Ella Dershowitz is a lovely, sensitive actress of considerable range and depth…Mrs. Stern and its compelling cast makes us want to go back into our history books to learn more about this true event"
—Theater Pizzazz
 
"The acting is terrific in this play and the simple prison cell set serves as a blank slate for the plethora of ideas that playwright Bader make dance within the walls of the cell."
—Not Just About Sex

"In a moment of intense polarization in our own political discourse, the play is more than a history lesson and a drama; it's also a dissertation on how to speak to another person across a seemingly impassable gulf."
—New Jersey Jewish News / Times of Israel

"A smart, engaging drama"
–NY Theatre Wire

"A play of issues that still resonate. Playwright Jenny Lyn Bader wants us to consider deeper questions."
—Woman Around Town

"A fascinating intellectual play about philosophy and finding common ground in diametrically opposed people…The acting was superb…This is a real stage turner and is not to be missed!"
—Hi Drama

"In Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, intellect and emotion travel in parallel in a subtle build that takes everyone by surprise."
—Front Row Center
  
 
"Remarkably profound…Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian Library spoke of unfairness, cruelty, and human nature in ways that are remarkable. On its journey through the mundane, we also uncover the extraordinary."
—Pages on Stages

"a finely-crafted play that I hope will find a future life."
—Interludes

 Press mentions:
 

"Ella is also an actress who's preparing to appear in a play about left wing heroine Hannah Arendt."
—The New York Post (Page Six)

 
"I would like to congratulate Ms. Dershowitz in her starring role in New York City in a play called 
"Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library."
—The New York Times (crossword section)

 

 What Audiences are Saying
"Profound, Intelligent, Funny!" • ""Superb! Don't miss it!" • "Spellbinding"! • "A masterful production!" •  "A beautifully realized piece of work!" • "Complex, endearing & often funny!…Splendid cast…Flawless direction… Sold out, but call the box office and beg!" • "Terrific play about class act philosopher Hannah Arendt"… "Extremely relevant... Edge-of-your-seat suspenseful... A tense chess game... A play about how we all become human to each other." • "A remarkable play!… Sparkling!" •  "Beyond brilliant and so timely! We all loved it! • "A battle of wits between one of the most brilliant women of the twentieth century and a boyish police interrogator who is as new to his job as Hitler was to his as Fuhrer in 1933. How unimaginably vicious the regime is about to get, neither Hannah nor her jailer can anticipate. Fascinating play!" • "I was completely engrossed by this spectacular and relevant play!" • "Everything about this production is close to perfect!" • "Riveting!" • "All of the actors were absolutely top-notch!" • "Brilliantly crafted play on a fascinating topic!" • "What a fantastic play! Pure joy!" • "Smart, witty writing, sensitive direction, committed acting all take us on a wildly unpredictable ride!"

Post-show conversations
During the limited engagement Off-Broadway, there were post-show events with talkbacks featuring speakers including Lyndsay Stonebridge, author of We Are Free to Change the World —currently shortlisted for the George Orwell Prize in political writing; Roger Berkowitz, winner of the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought; Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation founders Ann Arnold and Isabella Fiske; and the bestselling historical novelist Dawn Tripp. This play reminds of us the dangers of suppressing thought and how that leads to suppression of people and to violence. An influential thinker with 30 books still in print and some occasionally appearing on bestseller lists, Hannah Arendt can offer us deep wisdom for the world today. It feels especially urgent right now to pay attention to her ideas about how totalitarianism begins, how to foster democracy, and how to forge an authentic pluralistic community. The play has awakened an interest in Hannah Arendt in many audience members. It offers hope that we can talk to people across ideological divides and create a new commitment to civic dialogue.

If you want to bring a student group reach out to info@mrssterntheplay.com as we have a study guide to share

If you want to read the play, it will soon be published by Dramatists Play Serice. 

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