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Whimsy

scroll down for sampling of New York Times pieces in non-chronological order and book excerpt...

Mrs. Stern...

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.


For tickets& full schedule go to www.mrssterntheplay.com. For reviews scroll down.

 

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!" 
—Broadway Radio

"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


"A powerful and timely tour de force!"
 —Voice of America
 
"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 
 

"an evocative exploration of resilience, identity, and the pursuit of freedom!
...The play deftly navigates the tension of living under constant threat while illuminating the courage that emerges in the most challenging of times.
Ari Laura Kreith's direction allows the actors space to breathe in the intensity of the play, crafting a staging that is both intimate and tense."
—Times Square Chronicles


"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)
 . 


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
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

Mrs. Stern...

How to Land the Bachelor

An Ideas and Trends piece aimed at those dating on a major network... published in New York Times "Week in Review" May 5, 2002

Scroll down even more for plays and reviews...

In Flight

a comedy about the power of poetry, the poetry of power, and the perils of publishing

None of the Above

A girl answers the door expecting her drug dealer and finds her S.A.T. tutor. Things degenerate from there.

Manhattan Casanova

a play for anyone who's ever dated the wrong person.

Mona Lisa Speaks

the most famous woman in the world stops smiling and finally gets a word in.

He Meant, She Meant

Jenny Lyn Bader & Bill Brazell define 800 words from the male and female perspectives.

Remembering Kate Harper (134 KB)

Scroll down to the middle of the first page of the article (which is page 4) to begin this remembrance of late mentor and inspiration Kate Harper.