Letters to Sala
at W. T. Woodson High School

Reviewed on November 9, 2019

Elisabeth Snyder
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

A young girl stands alone at center stage, a freshly inked letter in hand, looking for a friend to receive it. There is no one to read her words - they're all gone - but an audience of hundreds is taking in every detail of her story.

Letters to Sala, a play written by Arlene Hutton and based on the book Sala's Gift by Ann Kirschner, tells the true story of Sala, a girl who survived seven Nazi labor camps during the Holocaust, as she shares letters with her daughter Ann Kirschner, revealing a history hidden for fifty years. W. T. Woodson High School's production of the play focuses on Kirschner as she learns about her mother's life and deliberates the best way to share the letters with the world. As Ann discovers the letters, the audience relives Sala's experiences.

Young Sala, played by Elizabeth Vichness, delivers a moving performance anchored in deeply rooted sensitivity and hope. Her acting makes Sala's emotions, from despair to love, come alive. Vichness's loyalty to her character is evident in how she defends saving the letters her family members and friends have sent: with a tear in her eye, she says that is how she keeps them alive.

Sara Willcox executes a wide range of emotions with perfect precision in the role of Ala, a woman who promises to watch over Sala when they are sent to the labor camp. Willcox's emotional range and chemistry with Vichness are outstanding. Willcox goes from being the epitome of strength to speaking in a quivering, uncertain voice in the face of extreme danger, but ensures that Ala's commitment to the Jewish cause continues to come through.

The present-day scenes are dominated by Rebecca Heimbrock's Ann Kirschner, a demanding personality who often argues with her daughters, Rachel Furr as Elisabeth and Anna Riley as Caroline. Their disagreements over Sala's letters are almost real, with Heimbrock crossing her arms as her daughters spout criticisms of how she deals with Sala's past.

Hannah Black, as the innocent German girl Elfriede who befriends Sala, brings a light touch to the production. The ensemble of girls at the labor camp, as well as Young Sala's sisters, friends, and cousins, make real the effects of the Holocaust. Though this is a play about strong women, Herbert, played by Gus Abbruzzese, brought a few well-timed jokes to otherwise serious acting.

The actors are supported by strong student direction from Sarah Hasson. This is a challenging production which tackles an important historical topic, but Woodson High School executes it with sensitivity. The cast went through a training about the Holocaust, the set team used significant historical research to inform their designs, and the special effects and technology used in the production emphasize the reality of Sala's story through projections of real photos of Sala and her letters during the play.

W. T. Woodson High School put on an inspiring, heart-wrenching production of Letters to Sala that emphasized the need for stories. If people do not write, everything is lost.

Julia Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

A young woman sits at a table, a game box to her left and hundreds of folded papers to her right. The papers contain pictures, letters, birthday cards. Each piece of paper is a portal to another life, one of pain and fear, where friends write voraciously before the letters suddenly stop arriving. Tears stream down her face as she shoves the letters into the box, hoping that the cardboard will keep the memories locked inside. For years the box sits alone but never forgotten. Over fifty years pass before Sala begrudgingly confronts her memories again, but she knows that she must: for herself, for her family, and for her friends who died at the hands of Nazi Germany. W. T. Woodson High School paid a touching tribute to victims of the Holocaust in their thought-provoking production of Letters to Sala.

Letters to Sala is a documentary show based on the real letters and experiences of Sala Garncarz Kirschner, a survivor of the Nazi labor camps. The play was written by Arlene Hutton and adapted from a book written by Sala's daughter. Through five years and seven separate camps, Sala heroically finds methods of hiding her contraband letters so Sala can avoid being found and punished by the Nazi guards. After the war, Sala hides her letters and experiences for 50 years before telling her family. Baffled by the information, the family begins to debate the best way to preserve Sala and her friends' memories.

Elizabeth Vichness starred as Young Sala. Vichness captured Young Sala's childish approach to problems at the beginning of the play and grew with Young Sala as she was forced to mature prematurely in the concentration camps. Vichness' interactions with Ala (Sara Willcox) were especially moving. Willcox and Vichness' relationship reminded the audience that the play was real and affected real people. Willcox's reading of Ala's heartbreaking goodbye letter gave the entire audience chills as Willcox proved that in real life, sometimes the villains win.

Gus Abbruzzese provided much-appreciated comic relief as Herbert. Herbert breaks free of his role as a Nazi official to show kindness to Young Sala on behalf of his family while joking that his sister Elfriede--whom Sala had befriended--talks a lot. Hannah Black played Elfriede. Black immediately established Elfriede as a childish girl who, unlike Sala, was not forced to grow up too soon because of the war. The American soldier Sidney was portrayed by Johnny Hanford. Hanford and Vichness clicked like magnets upon their characters' meeting and depicted the light at the end of a long tunnel.

Sarah Hasson and Sara Willcox designed beautiful, symbolic posters to promote the show. The set team lead by Ryn Gallagher conducted thorough research on the buildings Sala would have traveled through and constructed the set accordingly. Abby Shichman and the props team impressively printed out and organized hundreds of letters to be passed around throughout the show. The costumes designed by Lydia Matson were period for both the 1940s and 2005. The projections created by Sara Short helped remind the audience that the story unfolding on stage was real; pictures of letters and photographs to match the action helped the audience visualize what Sala was seeing.

Sala was brave when she was stashing her letters to avoid being caught, and just as brave when she finally decided to share her story. W. T. Woodson's production of Letters to Sala respectfully honored Sala and the millions of other Jewish people who became victims of Nazi Germany.

Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

"When will this end?" The words are still ringing in your ears as silhouettes walk on stage, dropping letters that fall gracefully to the floor. Frantically, a young girl tries to pick them up, but there are too many. Suddenly, hundreds of letters fall from the sky, making it impossible to keep them all. But how can she let them go? They're living, breathing memories.

W. T. Woodson's production of Letters to Sala follows the true-story of Sala Garncarz Kirschner who spent five years in seven Nazi labor camps. Sala sent and received letters keeping them hidden. These letters later served as a personal record of her life during these incredibly painful times. Sala tells her daughter, Ann, about the letters. Ann realizes the historical significance of these letters and begins to research and interrogate Sala, causing her to relive the past. This poses the question, do these letters belong in a museum for all to see, or are they family heirlooms and personal memories? The story focuses on both the present family and Sala's past, with the time periods on opposing sides of the stage. Letters to Sala was based on the book Sala's Gift by Ann Kirschner and was adapted by Arlene Hutton in 2013. It's a lesser-known show, but shares the horrifying history of the Holocaust in a more personal way, giving it a deeper meaning than any textbook ever could.

W. T. Woodson's production of Letters to Sala was anchored by Sara Short's projections which emphasized the sorrowful reality of the play. Short projected photos of the real-life characters, Sala's actual letters, and credits at the end telling us what happened to everyone. Short also had a brilliant bit where Harry and Young Sala took a photo together, projecting the real photo after it was taken.

Young Sala was wonderfully brought to life by Elizabeth Vichness. Vichness had many powerful moments, including the striking image of a terrified girl holding out a letter, knowing she didn't have an address to send it to. Vichness and Sara Willcox created a fantastically heartwarming dynamic between Young Sala and Ala.

Hannah Black brought immense energy to her role as Elfriede. Black had no trouble characterizing the bubbly seamstress. Gus Abbruzzese's Herbert was charmingly funny, smoothly transitioning from a cold guard to a genuine friend. His brief interaction with Young Sala was adorably sweet, with great movement as he was teasing her. The ensemble was also excellent, with somber goodbyes at the train station tugging at the audience's hearts perfectly. There was also a scene where the girls were lined up in a camp, and one was randomly selected to be dragged off-stage.Raw screams echoed throughout the room as she was taken away. It was a chilling sight, highlighting the serious nature of the production.

Hannah Black's choreography during the silhouette sequence, including the organized chaos of the silhouette's walking and their letter dropping, as well as Young Sala desperately trying to pick them up, was beautifully heartbreaking. Abby Shichman's work on props added to the emotional depth of the show. Shichman created a pile of clothing that grew to be 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide, and was used to show all of the lives lost, eventually adding Ala's hat and Chaim's boots, serving as a haunting reminder of the immense devastation caused by the Holocaust.

Reflecting on the horrid past and posing an essential question, W. T. Woodson's performance of Letters to Sala rose to the challenge and produced a meaningful show.

Ava Kalina
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Dear Raizel. Dear Rozia. Dear Harry. Dear Ala. Dear Sala. These are the people that Sala kept alive, all with her letters.

Letters to Sala, over three hundred and fifty letters to Sala. Letters that kept the human element in a young Jewish girl enslaved in a Nazi labor camp. Letters that had the potential for death if found, but kept some life in the world. Letters that after 50 years, resurfaced into the hands of Ann Kirschner, daughter of Sydney Kirschner and Sala Garncarz. Letters that turned into a book, that turned into a play, that turned into a message for the public. These letters were Sala's life, but Sala's life was on the line.

Woodson Drama embraced the heaviest topic possible with maturity, ingenuity, and respect by producing the 2013 play by Arlene Hutton, Letters to Sala.

The play opens in a distinct dichotomy between 2005 New York City and 1941 Sosnowiec, Poland. The chaos of home is apparent but amidst the disarray Elizabeth Vichness emerges as Young Sala. Vichness's childlike mannerisms, but apparent bravery, stole the hearts of the audience, following her into an unpredictable and terrifying journey. Vichness exhibited clear-cut moments of fear when hiding her fright from Nazi officers, but unveiled uncertainty through hand movements and vocal cues.

To comfort young Sala's youthfulness, Sara Willcox playing Ala, stepped in as a motherly figure in Sala's time of separation. Willcox's execution of Ala's repeated anaphora created a comical but loving relationship between the two.

A bright light in the thematic darkness was the joyful German seamstress Elfriede, portrayed by Hannah Black. As German herself, Black's kind and overwhelming personality contrasted with the evils of the German guards within the camp, specifically Daniel Normark as an evil German Nazi. Along with consistent acting, her handmade lollipop pink costume (Lydia Matson of costuming) built a colorful character to befriend young Sala in times of grief.

Not only was the story told through dialogue, but technical elements conveyed a subplot bigger than Sala's story. The growing pile of clothes center stage was left to interpretation by the audience, but also utilized throughout the show as a safe haven for young Sala and her letters. The props team, led by Abby Shichman, paraded above the standard, as they categorized 350 real letters. Shichman paired with Sara Short from the Special Effects team to project the original letters on the stage, perfectly in time with the actors dialogue and effectively snapping the play back into a historical message for the public.

Unexpected for a play, but beautifully executed, was the dance scene choreographed by Hannah Black. Although only young Sala was illuminated, the shadows of Sala's friends and family produced simple and swift hand movements across the dark stage that seeped Sala's sense of loneliness and desperation throughout the entire auditorium.

The cast fully recognized the purpose of sharing Sala's story: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Woodson Drama presents Letters to Sala to educate and share an unforgettable memoir through the talent of their youth.

Emma Saville
Heritage High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Letters to Sala is the heart-wrenching stage adaptation of the true story of Sala Kirschner, who gave her daughter, Ann, the letters she had kept while imprisoned in labor camps during World War II. Previously unaware that her mother spent time in the camps, Ann fervently read and researched the people and places described in 352 letters. Ann believed that they belonged in a museum or library, while her daughters believed the letters should remain in their possession as a testament of their Jewish family history. This edge-of-your-seat production is both heartfelt and harrowing, splitting between the past and present life of Sala.

Often, acting in a reverent, historical piece can be taxing. Elizabeth Vichness did not shy away from fully committing to her role as Young Sala, however, exuding the necessary empathy and innocence of a young girl. She conveyed her character's evolution throughout the show, showing Sala forced to grow up, stay alive, and persevere without losing her empathetic demeanor. Another stand-out performance was that of Sara Willcox as Ala. Willcox splendidly fused the harshness of a woman accustomed to camp life with the gentle heart of a caretaker. Her every move was purposeful, concealing the line between reality and performance. Sidney, played by Johnny Hanford, stood out in his brief time onstage by reviving Sala's softer side that we had not truly seen since Ala left for Auschwitz at the end of Act I. Elfriede and Raizel, respectively played by Hannah Black and Aimee Buchanan, brought to life the nuanced variations between Sala's sisters in arms. Elfriede is excitable, while Raizel is sickly, and yet both exude sisterly compassion.

The costumes were gorgeously crafted, as well as historically accurate, which is no small feat. The color palettes differentiated between groups and social standing in a clear and unambiguous way. One detail with costumes I particularly enjoyed was Sala, both old and young, subtly donning the same shade of blue throughout, inconspicuously tying the past and present. The special effects were breathtaking, projecting images of the actual, historical correspondence as well as dropping these letters like confetti from the sky. This imagery transitioned to a depiction of liberation pamphlets dropped by the approaching Red Army. As for the set, the synagogue in Act II bore signs in various languages, including Yiddish, that matched that of the synagogue at which Sala was photographed, post-liberation. The barbed wire atop the camp gate fringed the edge of the projection space, providing an ominous feeling of imprisoning people and letters alike. The Props crew also served their due diligence to historical accuracy, transcribing and inventorying 500 letters. Perhaps the most visually stunning aspect of Props was "the Pile." Throughout the show, Nazis would empty suitcases into a pile that eventually grew to more than 6 feet high! At first, it served a visual aid of the growing number of prisoners. However, it later exhibited the death toll, adding Ala's red hat, Cheim's boots, as well as a Nazi jacket and armband at liberation to the castaway pile. The Lighting and Choreography was visually striking, often using the back lighting to enhance movements in a yearning way. It depicted individuals bowing in prayer and reaching for the Heavens. There were also ASL interpreters, allowing more to experience Sala's story. The Dramaturgy was exquisite, including a 2-hour study of the Holocaust and holding a Skype call with Sala's real-life daughter, Ann Krishner.

From the realism to the historical accuracy, Letters to Sala is a show that will touch the hearts of any who watch it.

Sarah Bourgeois
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

When six million people of your faith are persecuted, how do you help your loved ones live on? In W.T. Woodson High School's poignant rendition of "Letters to Sala," a Jewish woman held onto ordinary letters written to her while she worked in German camps. As time marched on, those ordinary notes and birthday cards become a key to the past, but more importantly, a way to preserve the lives of those she had lost.

"Letters to Sala" was inspired by real events that occurred during World War II and were documented through the mail a young girl named Sala received throughout her five years of labor camps. Decades later, in New York City, she passed her letters to her daughter; who went on to write a memoir titled "Sala's Gift" to immortalize her mother's past and those she loved. The book was then adapted for the stage by Arlene Hutton in 2013 to bring a visual display of Sala's story to life. A young version of Sala and people of the past read their letters aloud throughout the play. Each one of the 350 letters helps to piece Sala's journey together as she endured 7 work camps and gained countless valued friendships.

Young Sala was portrayed by Elizabeth Vichness with the necessary youthful energy. As five long years went by, Vichness maintained the spirit of her character while allowing her to mature as she aged. This youthful spirit was foiled by the domineering presence of Sara Willcox as Ala. Willcox provided a stern yet caring figure for the naive Vichness throughout their time together in labor camp. In a moment of separation, they wrote to one another, and although Ala's words were of an encouraging nature, Willcox read them with stinging tears in her eyes. This powerful depiction shed light on the dire circumstances these characters faced. Even after she finished reading her letter to Sala, Willcox upheld her heart-wrenching expressions as she left the stage shaken by sobs. The connection Willcox and Vichness shared brought an exceptional emotional element to stage.

As characters wrote to Sala, they read their words to the audience before gingerly placing their letters into her small, overworked hands. This method of delivery allowed the ensemble to embrace the sentimentality of each note. In an early scene at a train station during which families saw their children off to labor camps, the ensemble presented defined relationships as they said painful goodbyes, further cultivating the talents of the cast.

Dramaturgy is a vital aspect of historical pieces. Abby Shichman took on the role of researching the culture of the period and implemented her studies with commendable accuracy. She organized an informational session to educate the cast and crew on the hardships faced by the people they were to portray. When telling the stories of real people, it is crucial to tell it correctly, which Shichman ensured with every move she made.

With every note written, history is documented, and with each instance of documentation, a piece of the writer is kept alive. "Letters to Sala" tells a story that could've easily been lost in time, but that lives on at the stunning work of W.T. Woodson's cast and crew.