Finding Helena
by Finding Helena Productions
Jul. 30, 2023
Sunday
Finding Helena is the story of Helena, the daughter of a Nazi officer in Poland, who falls in love with Ari, a Jewish resistance fighter. He helps her see the reality of why the Germans are in Poland and she eventually runs away with him. Separated in the chaos of war, they struggle to survive and keep the promise they made - finding each other in New York City, the land of opportunity and freedom.
This new, original musical is written by a father-daughter team here in San Antonio.
Claudia Dahlman as HELENA DANHOF – German. Blonde. Daughter of an upper-class Nazi officer. Beautiful, fiercely loyal, intelligent, and strong willed.
Grant Bryan as ARI ROSEN – Unconventionally handsome. Hides his identity as a Jew and a member of the resistance. Loves books and planned to be a literature professor but ended up with a small bookstore in war-torn Warsaw.
Joseph Schuster as FREDRIK BRANDT - Helena’s fiancé. Aryan poster child and quickly rising Nazi officer. He was a sweet boy, which is how Helena fell in love with him - but as the war began, he quickly learned how to be a good Nazi to succeed. Cocky and sometimes tactless, but he does what he thinks is best for his future wife.
Lee Marshall as GERHARDT DANHOF – Helena’s emotionally detached father. He is deputy to the Warsaw Commandant, a position that carries a great deal of power. All business. A closet alcoholic. Lee is also MR. K, New York deli cook and dishwasher for his wife. Not as loud as his wife, but he tries.
Corina Zars as INGRID DANHOF – Helena’s mother. A kind, maternal woman. A dutiful wife with a bright outlook despite life’s hardships. And Corina plays MRS. K; K is for Ruta Korostynski, Deli Owner. Loud and joyful Polish woman whose goal is to feed the world.
George Hnatiuk as CYREK: The leader of the small Jewish resistance group Ari is a part of. He is the leader and father figure. George also plays the Band Leader - (as in a more demented Cabaret emcee.)
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Speaking of George and his gorgeous voice! THIS WEEK'S SONG LAUNCH Features George as THE BANDLEADER singing our latest, Dressed to Kill (click to listen) - a Nazi dance song in which he laughs off the atrocities and encourages everyone to keep drinking to their power and their victory.
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Josh Brine as EZRA: Polish resistance fighter. The aggressor. Lieutenant to Cyrek. His philosophy is "It’s better to apologize than ask permission". Except he probably doesn’t apologize either. His hair is always messy.
Cary Farrow IV as LUKASZ: A Jewish Pole, like Cyrek. Soft spoken medic of the group.
AND, PATRICK: handsome, smart, freckled. Son of Irish immigrants; newly minted US Army Lieutenant.
John Stillwaggon as DIETRICH: German soldier. Severe, angry and loyal to Fuhrer to the point of being irrational. (Everyone who doesn’t follow should die.)
Ashe Heinamaki as GIDEON: Wide innocent eyes. He represents how grief stricken Europe wanted to believe all the good things Hitler had to offer and how they lost their innocence.
Kurt Wilkinson as MENDEL: A little neurotic with worry but good natured. Wheelchair bound by a birth defect, he tries hard to make up for it. Unruly curly hair with glasses.
Charley Schwinger as BRAUN: Young German soldier who looks 16 - barely. Just out of the Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth), A sweet boy who never lets it show due to the price he would pay in this terrible society of Nazis. He grew up next door to Helena. She considers him her little brother.
Mark Hicks as NARRATOR / JUDGE.
Miriam Spumpkin as YOUNGER SARAH, 8: Polished beyond her years. Hopeless romantic and a bookworm, like her mother, Helena.
Hailey Lawson as Woman Ensemble/Friend of Helena's
Maya Abelow as Woman Ensemble/Friend of Helena's
Finding Helena
by Alexandra Conroy, Ray Hoese
Finding Helena Productions
July 30, 2023
Two readings in San Antonio on Sunday, July 30, 2023 with a live band.
2:30 pm and 7 pm @ the Barshop Jewish Community Center, San Antonio
Tickets from $10 (student) to $45 (supporter of NY tryout)
Proceeds help pay for this reading and NYC. Tickets on sale NOW! Click here to purchase!
