Libretto by Deborah Brevoort/Music by Gerald Cohen.
A full-length opera about one the Holocaust’s most unusual love stories—between Jaap Polak, a Dutch accountant and Ina Soep, the daughter of a wealthy diamond manufacturer—who fell in love in the Westerbork and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. Based on their love letters, which were published in a book of the same title, Steal a Pencil for Me is about the indestructibility of the life spirit and the power of humankind to survive adversity. The opera dramatizes intimate concerns and private dramas alongside the epic horrors of the Holocaust.
“…their improbable story was brought to life in chilling detail… The narrative, vividly portrayed via both music and dialogue, is rich with cruel irony and grim humor but also irrepressible joie de vivre…It has a happy ending, which moved several audience members to tears.” —Lucid Culture
“…”a touching work by composer Gerald Cohen and librettist Deborah Brevoort…[this is] a lovely, heart-warming story of survival.” —Opera News
“The opera, crafted with care and sensitivity by Cohen and Brevoort, isn’t a tragedy but rather a story of resilience, determination, and hope. The opera’s creators are to be commended for honouring Polak and Soep’s story with integrity and respect, and in doing so they honour Holocaust survivors in general” —Textura.org
“A testament to the abilities of humankind even during the most dire situations.” —Take Effect Reviews
“Even in this grim concentration camp context, there’s place for hope and even levity, and a lyrical, Bernstein-like sweetness colours the romantic episodes between Jaap and Ina.”—Textura.org
