Stevens to perform true story of Holocaust survivor

by Vania Quiroz

Claudia Stevens will be performing “An Evening with Madame F,”the true story of a Holocaust survivor, tonight in Great Hall at 7p.m.

Through the performance Stevens will tell the story of a womanwho saved her life during the Holocaust through her pianoskills.

“This is the story of a woman who used her artistic skill andinner resources to resist her captors,” said Jan Everhart, directorof the Lilly Initiative for Vocational Exploration.

“Resistance is a very powerful tool, and doesn’t have to beviolent,” Everhart said.

Lilly Initiative sponsored Stevens’ performance. According toEverhart, “An Evening with Madame F” allows students to see anotherperspective – one from the Jewish community that suffered throughthe Holocaust. Everhart said the play also relates to the missionof the Lilly Initiative.

“[Madame F] is a woman whose vocation had to do withcommunicating a message to other people,” Everhart said. “The useof music as a means to communicate a social message lets us knowthere are many different ways we can use to do the same.”

The play has been performed at other Iowa schools, such as DrakeUniversity last year.

“People who have seen the play have said it’s very powerfulbecause of the nature of the topic,” Everhart said.