LESLIE DILEO REVIEWS VOICES FROM THE RESISTANCE
SOLO SHOWS
- April 15, 1912–Memories of the Titanic
- Heroes of 9/11
- 72 Years to Women’s Suffrage
- Straight on Till Morning
- The Extraordinary Ordinary!
- A Tribute to Teachers
- Mothers, Daughters, Wives, Women
- Marching Out of the Sweatshop
- L.B. 4:15
- Woman’s Work
- Angels and Troublemakers
- Saints, Soldiers and Spies: Women and War
- Women Who Changed The World
- Far as the Eye Can See
- Voices from the Resistance
- Civil War Women
- Love in Action
- Into Possession of Myself
- The Story of the Orphan Train
- I Can’t Give You Anything But Songs: The Life and Work of Dorothy Fields
- Voices from Ellis Island
LESLIE DILEO REVIEWS VOICES FROM THE RESISTANCE
UNITED SOLO THEATRE FESTIVAL
Created and Performed by Pippa White
The subject matter in this show is so profound and well-presented, it makes you forget about your spat with Time Warner Cable and the Starbuck’s lady who got your order wrong. And it makes you feel like a real slacker for all the hours you waste on the couch watching re-runs of Criminal Minds. Voices from the Resistance reminds us that for all the American lives lost to war, we are very lucky not to have faced an invading army in our country.
Pippa White’s portrayal of five real women who resisted the Nazis in France, Germany, Norway and Hungary is riveting, heartbreaking and suspenseful. Literally wearing different hats to change characters, Ms. White tells five stories in a nicely balanced rotation which adds tension to these already emotionally charged tales.
She sets the mood perfectly with French music of the 1940s and Powerpoint photos of Nazi soldiers and citizens, both Jewish and non-Jewish as the conflicts escalate. She also has pictures of the resistance fighters which reflect the intimacy and commitment that made them as family to each other.
Early in the show, the power failed on the Powerpoint, and Ms. White (in character as the energetic and capable Marianne) attempted to fix it. Though the pictures (provided courtesy of a variety of sources including the actual women and their families and the U.S. Holocaust Museum) would have been wonderful to see, Ms. White had so thoroughly entranced us bringing the characters to life with her voice, body language, and facial expressions that we didn’t miss them at all.
Resistance fighters performed all kinds of missions: from concealing secret documents in umbrellas to parachuting into Nazi-occupied territory. They used acting skills, nerves of steel, gunfire and (sometimes) feminine wiles to defend their countries and help the victims of the brutal regime. It’s likely that 500,000 people were involved in the Resistance during World War II, but no records were kept. It’s hard to imagine the bravery and sacrifice of these people; fortunately, we have talented performers like Pippa White and beautiful shows like Voices from the Resistance to do these heroes justice.
HAPPY FACE
United Solo Festival
Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
212-239-6200