On the Other Side of the World is a story of Jewish refugees in Shanghai at Toronto’s Next Stage Theatre Festival.
In the years leading up to World War II as country after country closed its borders to Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Nazi Germany, one port remained open to them; Shanghai, China. On the Other Side of the World, written and directed by Brenley Charkow and making its debut at the Next Stage Theatre Festival, is a fascinating look at this little-known piece of history.
When I first visited Shanghai what struck me most was the indelible imprint the West had left on this bustling Chinese metropolis. After China’s defeats in the Opium Wars the country was forced to concede large swaths of Shanghai to the West and open up trade. Shanghai’s iconic Bund and French Concession are still lined with European architecture today. But as much as I had read about the city’s history I had no idea that Shanghai was home to between 20,000 and 30,000 Jewish refugees during the Second World War.
The cast, set and sound sell this historic tale in Rifles at Toronto’s Next Stage Theatre Festival
The 2014 Next Stage Theatre Festival is now in full swing, and last night I attended the premier of Praxis Theatre’s Rifles. Taking place in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, Rifles is about Señora Teresa Carrar’s (Kate Hennig) refusal to choose sides between the government and the rebellion. Her husband died fighting, and she’s determined to keep her two sons alive and out of the conflict by remaining neutral.
In the years leading up to World War II as country after country closed its borders to Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Nazi Germany, one port remained open to them; Shanghai, China. On the Other Side of the World, written and directed by Brenley Charkow and making its debut at the Next Stage Theatre Festival, is a fascinating look at this little-known piece of history.
