C A S T
A N N E F R A N K
Versatile soprano Rachel Policar has been described as ”spectacular” (LA Times), “arresting” (SF Classical Voice), and “a natural comedienne” (Broadway World) for her recent performances. She is excited for this season of performances, portraying some powerful Jewish characters: Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Penn Square Music Festival, Anne Frank in a new operatic production of The Diary of Anne Frank with Opera in the Pines, and Leah Lax in the premiere of Uncovered by Lori Laitman. She will also be presenting concerts of Jewish composers in broadway and jazz for multiple Jewish organizations in New Jersey this season.
Performance highlights from the 2020/21 season: Bettina in Don Procopio with Pacific Opera Project, a return to St Petersburg Opera for their Holiday Sparkle series, Ludmilla in Atlan’s play “An Opera for Terezin” with Beit Terezin, solo concert with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, and the streaming children’s opera Zoom Stop, Bully! conceived by Dean Anthony. Rachel has previously been seen with Anchorage Opera, Opera on the James, Knoxville Opera, Dayton Opera, Asheville Lyric Opera, American Lyric Theatre, St Petersburg Opera, Light Opera of New York, Sanibel Music Festival, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, and more! Rachel is a 2-time Winner at the American Traditions Competition and a proud member of AEA. Find #InappropriatelyOperatic pop covers and more on her Instagram: @rachel.policar.
P I A N O
Tina Davis* holds a BA in Music and an MM in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Maine, where she studied with Laura Kargul. At USM, Tina was a winner of the Honors Recital and Chamber Music Competitions. She has performed in masterclasses with pianists Marian Hahn, Jane Coop, Lora Tchekoratova and Mark Gibson. Tina is an active collaborator, teacher, and adjudicator in the Portland area, where she maintains a private studio and teaches at 317 Main Community Music Center. She joined the piano faculty at the University of Southern Maine in 2016.
P R O D U C T I O N S P E A K E R
Abraham Peck*, PhD, has been a part-time member of the History faculty at USM since 2001, teaching upper-level courses on German History, the Holocaust, Genocide, and Modern European History. From 2009-2011, Professor Peck was the founding director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies program at the University of Maine Augusta. He received his PhD and MPhil at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England (1977), his MA in International Relations from American University (1970) and his BA in International Relations from American University (1968). Professor Peck is the recipient of two Fulbright Awards, and his research interests include the history of the Holocaust, comparative genocide, German and European history, the history of interreligious dialogue and conflict between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the history of anti-Semitism. His most recent book, co-written with Gottfried Wagner, Unwanted Legacies: Sharing the Burden of Post-Genocide Generations was nominated for a National Jewish Book Award.
V E N U E P A R T N E R
The Maine Jewish Museum* is located in a turn-of-the-century immigrant-era house of worship restored to its original condition, and opened to the public in 2008. It showcases photographic and historic displays that highlight contributions and accomplishments of Maine’s original Jewish immigrants and their families, as well as contemporary art and rotating exhibits by Jewish artists with a Maine connection. Their mission is to celebrate and honor the contributions and diversity of Maine’s Jewish community, in the context of the American experience, while seeking to build bridges of appreciation and understanding with people of all backgrounds, through exhibitions, dialogue, and programming.
C O M P O S E R & L I B R E T T I S T
Grigory Frid (1915 - 2012) was a Russian composer of many genres of music, as well as a writer, painter, and visual artist. Born in Petrograd, now St. Petersburg, to a literary journalist father and pianist mother, Frid studied at the Moscow Conservatory and eventually went on to teach music theory and composition at the school. He was a soldier in the Second World War, driving an ambulance and serving in the music corps. His most notable works are his chamber operas, both to his own libretti, The Diary of Anne Frank and The Letters of Van Gough. He also wrote three symphonies, a series of instrumental concertos, a variety of vocal music, and even radio and film scores. Frid’s early music may be described as conventional, but he changed his style radically at the age of 55, involving twelve-tone and more contemporary techniques of composition. In 1965, he founded the Moscow Youth Music Club and continued to lead the organization for the rest of his life.
P R O D U C T I O N
Production Director: Sable Strout*
Production Design: Aaren Rivard*, Sable Strout*, Lauren Yokabaskas*
Lighting Partner: AV Technik*
Lighting Operator: Aaren Rivard*
Supertitles Operator: Livi Christopher*
Costuming: The Portland Players*, Michael Donovan*, Elizabeth Strout*
Piano Partner: Starbird Piano Gallery*
Piano Tuning: Starbird Piano Gallery, Eric Peppe*
Page Turning: Jonathan Prak*
Branding Designer: Allie Norman of Girl That Designs*
Promotion, Marketing and Content Management: Lauren Yokabaskas*
Education and Outreach Partner: Levey Day School*
Production Videographer: Joe Radano*
Production Photographer: Molly Haley*
*denotes Maine based or tied artist or organization
