I Was A Stranger Too

A new play by Cynthia L. Cooper, directed by Carolyn Levy
Thurs Jan 26 & Fri Jan 27, 2023 at 7 pm and Sat Jan 28 & Sun Jan 29, 2023 at 2 pm

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A woman, propelled by the memory of her mother’s rescue from the Holocaust, is drawn to help asylum seekers in the U.S.  As she attempts to navigate the asylum system, she encounters a rich mosaic of people who are fleeing persecution, and others determined to welcome them.

Stories of asylum seekers and asylum helpers — of the search for safety and the offer of sanctuary — are revealed in unfolding monologues in I Was A Stranger Too, sharing the hopes that can emerge from a single act of caring and concern.

Drawn from dozens of interviews with people in Minnesota and elsewhere, the play takes audience members beyond stereotypes to the power and capacity of the human spirit. I Was A Stranger Too tells the story of hope that can arise amid chaos, difficulty and trauma.

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I Was A Stranger Too was a semi-finalist for the O’Neill Theatre Center National Playwrights Program, a finalist for the Trish Vrandenberg Prize of Theatre J, a finalist in the Jewish Plays Project, a selection of Remember the Women Institute, and a recipient of grants from Rimon, The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council and the Alliance of Jewish Theatre Regrant Program.

Read more about the story.