REMEMBRANCE OF THE HOLOCAUST
THE DAY THE CLOWN DISAPPEARED
by Gaetano Ruocco Guadagno and Roberta Reeder
Venice, Palazzo Franchetti
Santo Stefano Square
Sunday 1 February at 5 pm
On occasion of the celebration of Remembrance of the Holocaust, Associazione Culturale Musica Venezia, in collaboration with Compagnia Teatrale “Il libro con gli stivali”, will present the production “The Day That the Clown Disappeared” by Roberta Reeder and Gaetao Ruocco Guadagno.
The work is based on research on the film by Jerry Lewis, “The Day the Clown Cried), on the book “Terezin: designs and poems by the children of the concentration camp”, and on the German clown Helmut Dorque, who was sent to the camp for his anti-Nazi comments. He entertained the children at the camp, but died in a gas chamber. The performance includes a celebration of Chanukkah. Like Passover and Purim, Channukah is one of the annual festivals that recalls the Jews survived in spite of persecution.
The traditional songs will be sung by pupils of the International School of Venice, prepared by Pamela Hume, while the music will be played by the Venice Klezmer Ensemble, Alvise Segge director of music. The pantomime scenes will be performed by Gaetano Ruocco and Susi Danesin of the company “Il libro con gli stivali”. Oscar Sabini, illustrator of children’s books, will design the images projected on a screen during the various episodes of the work.