Stratford Library presents short-play festival to commemorate Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass

      The Stratford Library will present “Remembrance,” four original Holocaust-themed one act plays on Saturday, November 4 at 2 p.m. in the Lovell Room at the Stratford Library, 2203 Main Street, Stratford. The staged readings commemorate the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass which took place in Germany on November 9-10, 1938. The program features short plays by Mark Lambeck and is directed by Lucy Babbitt, both of Stratford. They include: “The Barracks Chief,” “Chance,” “The Registrar,” and “Ben’s Story.” Two of the plays take place in concentration camps during World War II while the remaining ones are set some 60 years later in the early 2000’s. In “The Barracks Chief,” a concentration camp prisoner refuses food rations on the eve of Yom Kippur. “Chance” is the story of a minister’s wife who visits a psychiatrist after experiencing disturbing visions of the Holocaust. In “The Registrar,” a multi-lingual Jewish woman is forced to register new camp arrivals. “Ben’s Story” focuses on a graduate student who decides to tell his grandfather’s personal story of Holocaust survival as the basis for his thesis only to uncover a family secret. Actors in the program are: Joan Barere of New Haven, Mark Frattaroli of Stratford, Alicia James of Guilford, Frank Smith of Milford and Celine Montaudy and Tyler Small, both of Stamford. Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass began the night of November 9, 1938, when German citizens and Nazis attacked Jewish businesses, schools, personal property and synagogues. The name refers to the litter of broken glass left in the streets after the targeted riots. The violence continued during the day of November 10. The event was a turning point of violence against Jews that is considered the catalyst of the Holocaust.

     The show is free and open to the public. While reservations are not required, space is limited. Wearing masks is optional. Doors open at 1:30 p.m