| FUMIKO: |
"On March 15, 1939, the Nazis marched into the rest of Czechoslovakia and our lives were never the same again." |
| Lights go up halfway. |
| A movie theatre. Karel, Marketa, George and Hana squeeze by other moviegoers - Fumiko, Maiko and Akira - as they make their way to their seats. They reach their seats and sit down, back to the audience. |
| Screen: a black and white movie begins to play. The film lasts but for a minute before it stops. The screen goes blank. |
| The lights go up. The Bradys turn around, toward the audience, and look up at the projectionist's booth. They grumble aloud. Their backs are to the screen, where a stark message suddenly appears: JUDEN EINTRIT VERBOTEN. |
| AKIRA: |
What does that mean? |
| FUMIKO: |
"No Jews Allowed." |
| Marketa is the first to notice the sign. She tugs at Karel. Hana and George realize something is amiss. They turn and see the sign. |
| HANA: |
Why aren't we allowed to watch the movie? |
| KAREL: |
New rules, Hana. |
| GEORGE: |
New rules for Jews. Everyone else can stay and watch the movie. |
| MARKETA: |
Come, come. We'll have some sweets when we get back home. |
| HANA: |
I don't want to go home. I want to see the movie! |
| KAREL: |
We have to go. |
| AKIRA: |
(To Fumiko) It's not fair. |
| KAREL: |
I didn't say it was fair, Hana. I said we must go. |
| Marketa and Karel urge their children forward. Hana suddenly stops and waves. |
| GEORGE: |
Who are you waving at? |
| HANA: |
Maria. |
| GEORGE: |
(Disgruntled) Maybe she'll tell you what the movie is like. |
| HANA: |
Why isn't she waving back? |
| MARKETA: |
(Beat) She's afraid. |
| HANA: |
Of a movie? |
| MARKETA: |
Come, Hanichka. |
| They leave the theatre. |
| AKIRA: |
Why couldn't Jews watch movies? |
| FUMIKO: |
The Nazis wanted to make life more and more difficult for them. |
| MAIKO: |
What happened next? |
| George and Hana take their places at the family table. |
| FUMIKO: |
"It is hard to imagine, but things got worse." |
| Maiko and Akira find a place at the table. |
| Karel arrives at home and joins his family. He is visibly distraught. Marketa serves him his meal. |
| KAREL: |
I'm not hungry. |
| FUMIKO: |
"I'll never forget the look on my father's face that night." |
| MARKETA: |
What's wrong? |
| KAREL: |
(To Marketa) It is getting harder and harder to be a Jew. |
| HANA: |
What happened to you? |
| KAREL: |
Not to me. To us. |
| GEORGE: |
What happened to us? |
| KAREL: |
From now on there is a curfew for all Jews. |
| HANA: |
What's a curfew? |
| FUMIKO: |
It means Jews are forbidden to be on the street after eight o'clock. |
| KAREL: |
We can only shop at certain stores. |
| MARKETA: |
That is ridiculous. |
| KAREL: |
It is the law. |
| GEORGE: | Why are they so worried about a few Jewish families? |
| KAREL: |
We are the ones who must worry, Jirka. |
| George and Akira get up from their seats simultaneously. |
| KAREL: |
Wait! |
| FUMIKO: |
There is more. |
| KAREL: |
(Pause) Jews are forbidden to play in the park. (Beat) Jews are forbidden to play on the sports field. |
| HANA: |
That's not fair! |
| MAIKO: |
It's not right. |
| KAREL: |
I don't make the rules, Hana. (Pause) Jews are forbidden to skate on the pond. |
| HANA: |
I love to skate on the pond. |
| MARKETA: |
We know. We'll make do. |
| KAREL: |
There is more. |
| MARKETA: |
That is enough for one day. I want the children in bed early tonight. Tomorrow is a school day. |
| KAREL: |
(Beat) There is no school. |
| AKIRA: |
No school? |
| KAREL: |
Jews are forbidden to attend school. |
| HANA: |
Where ... Where will I go? |
| GEORGE: |
What will we do? |
| MARKETA: |
We will bring the teachers to you. To our house. We will hire tutors to teach you right in our home. |
| MAIKO: |
It's not the same. |
| HANA: |
I want to go to school with Maria. |
| GEORGE: |
Nothing is the same anymore. |
| Marketa consoles her children. Maiko and Akira step away. Lights shift. |
