Covenant College begins its spring season with the provocative and poignant play Edith Stein. The story is based on the life of Jewish intellectual Edith Stein, following her from becoming a Carmelite nun all the way to her martyrdom at Auschwitz. "Brilliantly written by Arthur Giron, the show deals with the intense struggles of genocide and willing sacrifice as displayed in Ms. Stein’s life. Exploring the motivations and worldviews of Nazism vs. Judaism vs. Carmelite mysticism, this show is sure to challenge and enrich all those who come to see it.," officials said.
Edith Stein is directed by Covenant professor Camille Hallstrom.
“I have wanted to do this play since my grad school days 30 years ago. When Giron first started writing the play in the 1960s, he did so simply out of fascination with the life of this unusual intellect. At that time, he had no idea that Stein would eventually be beatified, the first step on the way to sainthood. When I first encountered Edith Stein-- after its box-office-record-breaking run at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre in 1988, I had no idea that by the time I would get around to producing the play, Edith Stein (or Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) would have been declared a saint by John Paul II. The story as written is masterful -- a gut-wrenching, persistently compassionate exploration of the collision of worlds and worldviews as well as the flesh-and-blood people who represent them -- be they Nazi, Jew, a broken sufferer struggling not to give up faith, or a cloistered nun offering her suffering to God in the hope of delivering her brutalized people.”
Junior Emma Shope will appear in her fourth production at Covenant College in the role of Edith Stein. When asked about the part, she said, “It is really interesting for me to play a part that is based on the life of a real person. It was an honor to research who she was and what she went through. I found myself in the shoes of a woman who had an incredible life and legacy of modesty, strength, and faith that inspires me off stage as well as on.”
Due to the weather, the performance last Saturday was cancelled. An encore performance will be held on Friday at 8 p.m. Ticket reservations can be made by either calling 706-419-1051 or by email at: boxoffice@covenant.edu. The show will be held in the Sanderson Auditorium at Covenant College.