Blog
- August 12, 2021
30th Anniversary Poster: Eight Nights
Set in one apartment in New York over the span of several generations, this World Premiere follows the poignant journey of a German Jewish refugee and her family in this heartfelt, lyrical portrait of a woman haunted by the past but resiliently moving toward the future.
Remembering: Eight Nights
- “Sharply written, expertly performed … Director Emily Chase and her cast bring the human reality of persecuted refugees to life with breathtaking emotional impact.” —Philip Brandes, Los Angeles Times
- “Intensely mesmerizing … stunning … so thought-provoking.” —Gil Kaan, Broadway World
- “It was essential to me—seeing the parallels between the Syrian refugee crisis in 2017, when I started writing the play, and the Jewish refugee crisis of the 1930s—that this piece be an exploration of the universality of that experience and its overlap with other communities. It’s about people finding a way to live after surviving loss and trauma, and witnessing how that brings joy to the future.” —Playwright Jennifer Maisel
- “Eight Nights is a play that’s big enough for the times we live in. It explores both the small details of a life, and the currents that sweep across our globe … It has been a privilege to travel with Eight Nights from its birth to its World Premiere. I directed a reading of an early draft for the Playwrights Union First Peek challenge. Jennifer then developed the play at the Antaeus Playwrights Lab. The Moving Arts Company generously gave us space and funding to workshop the play further. Finally, Eight Nights was selected for the LAB RESULTS reading series last year, along with five other terrific plays that had taken shape with the help of Antaeus’ talented actors.” —Director Emily Chase
About the Artist
Dirk Hagner
Dirk Hagner was born and educated in Germany and received his MFA from the Folwangschule of the Arts, University of Essen-Duisburg. He moved to the US in the 1980s and now lives in Southern California, where he maintains his studio. He is currently working as a designer and printmaking & book arts artist. Until 2020, he was a full-time faculty member heading the printmaking program at Mt. San Antonio College, CA.
Check out Dirk Hagner’s work at dirkhagner.com.
The image shows a female face, imposed over two reaching hands with eight fingers visible. There are also eight “flames” emerging from her head.
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