Fireflies

David and Dorothea Garfield Theatre
4126 Executive Dr. La Jolla

It is 1944. Imprisoned at Terezin Camp in Czechoslovakia, Austrian artist Friedl Dicker-Brandeis uses her art lessons to help the children cope with the realities of their daily existence. Despite the terrible conditions, Terezin is touted as Hitler’s “gift to Jews” and when the International Red Cross presses for an inspection, the community is forced to contribute to Nazi propaganda. They devise a plan to communicate with the visitors, using a production of the opera Brundibar. No matter how huge and terrible the lie, truth can still triumph through the enduring strength of human love and creativity. Dedicated to Luna Kaufman & Ella Weissberger, the two ladies who not only knew Brundibar firsthand, but carefully brought this work to our shores.