254 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019
Video
Photos
Recent Buzz
Story
What Is the Story of The People in the Picture?
At the heart of The People in the Picture is the story of Raisel (known as Bubbie to her granddaughter Jenny), a darling of the Yiddish theater in pre-war Poland who is now helping raise Jenny in 1970s New York City. Jenny always has a tape recorder in hand and loves hearing her grandmother’s tales of her life as an actress in Europe, but her mother, Bubbie’s daughter Red, wants to hear nothing about those horrendous days during World War II. The show progresses through Bubbie’s storytelling, and we see all that Raisel went through to bring herself and her daughter through the war alive. While those old memories may be crisp as ever, Red is struggling to deal with her aging mother’s declining health in the present.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The People in the Picture Like?
This time-traveling show spends equal time in memory and reality. As Bubbie tells Jenny stories of her youth, the people in an old photograph she keeps come to life and illustrate her stories of her life as a stage star and film pioneer in Poland. While we see how Bubbie’s stories help pass on the history of a culture, The People in the Picture really explores Bubbie’s relationships with the daughter she sacrificed everything for and the granddaughter who knows her only as an old woman who speaks Yiddish and spins tales.
Is The People in the Picture Good for Kids?
As the setting for some portions of The People in the Picture is Europe in the thick of WWII, the show has its sad and scary moments. Younger kids might not fully understand the implications of the Holocaust. However, the story of family can be appreciated by all, and there is nothing to keep school-age children from enjoying the show’s tunes and learning something along the way.
