Thursday, March 19, 2009

Ghetto

Ghetto plot summary from IMDB.

For the past couple of days, I've been immersed in the show described above. I watched the movie, read the full script and read a cutting that a nearby school is taking to UIL One Act Play competition.

It is more compact and immediate that "Sophie's Choice," for instance, and more compelling for that fact. I have been crying for over 24 hours, off and on. The movie was not, to my knowledge, released here. The copy I got is in English, and, if it is dubbed, it's done very well. It also has Spanish subtitles.

It is a heartbreaking look at the mechanics of survival in a Jewish ghetto in Vilnya, which is in Lithuania, fairly close to the Polish border.

We are, of course, costuming it. To do so, we have to convert several WWII era American and Canadian officer's uniforms, including overcoats, to Nazi uniforms.

Let me tell you--those wool overcoats are a pain to sew. One of the things I had to do was put some light tan fabric over the wide lapels. The wool is so old, thick, heavy and stiff, that it was almost impossible to get a needle through it. I had to take the presser foot off the sewing machine and sew without it, which is a difficult proposition. Red Nazi arm bands and black and silver epaulets complete the look.

The tunics needed black collars, decorated with silver bands, and a few badges and other decorations.

Ramona said, "They look terrible!"

And they do. After being immersed in "Ghetto," there is no other way to see a Nazi. I tell you what...if I saw somebody on the street in one of these, I'd get the shudders.

I shall try to get some pictures, but the school that is producing the play is outside of our district, so I doubt I shall get to see the performance.

My next task will be to add the yellow stars to the clothes of the Jews.

One of the characters in the play is a tailor, who runs a factory to clean and repair German uniforms. I couldn't help but relate.

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