MARCH 11, 2016 AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD PAGE 9 Sabes JCC stages They Called Her Captain Maggie Bearmon Pistner remounts her one- Dawn Brodey. sota Fringe Festival in 2013 (7-19-13 Sabes JCC’s theater. Pistner and Brodey were working AJW). Pistner shares the credit for the It was unusual enough for a woman woman show, which tells the story of her together on the independent film The enhanced production values in the to rise to the rank of captain in WWII, mother’s army service during World War II Lucky Ones in 2009, when Pistner current show. let alone a Jewish woman. When shared the story of her mother’s “I’m thrilled with the support of Jeanne Goldoff married and became Women’s Army Corps (WAC) service both Rimon and the Sabes JCC to Jeanne Bearmon, she made sure that By DORIS RUBENSTEIN Bearmon is now 95 years old and lives during the war. Brodey’s her daughter followed, if in St. Louis Park. natural response — as not in her military career, Does Maggie Bearmon Pistner “My mother is an amazing, gutsy someone with a B.A. in but in her Jewish footsteps. ever rest? woman,” Pistner told the AJW. “It’s an history from the University The family has a long The Minnesota Jewish Theatre honor and a privilege to be the instru- of Minnesota — was to take connection with Adath Je- Company featured her in Jericho in ment to bring her story to the stage.” the memoir and other related shurun Congregation; and 2015. And even before she finished The actor knew the stories. Follow- documents, expand upon Pistner graduated from the performing in MJTC’s most recent ing a mother-daughter nostalgia tour them and make them into a Beit Midrash of the Talmud production, The Tale of the Allergist’s of England and meeting some of the play using Pistner as her star. Torah of Minneapolis, Wife (2-12-16 AJW), she had to start almost-mythical people that Jeanne It was a dream come true and, while living in New rehearsing for the Sabes JCC’s pro- had known during her time there (they for both mom and actor. York City, taught Jewish duction of They Called Her Captain, even shared a Shabbat dinner with Jeanne Goldoff Bearmon students at Rodef Sholom which opens March 24. the Jewish daughter of one of those was an active participant in Synagogue. There are a couple of good reasons families), Pistner urged her mother to the development of the play, So, if you missed They that she can manage this. First, Pistner gather the stories into a formal memoir. according to Brodey. Called Her Captain at the was instrumental in developing the “When Mom wrote the memoir, “She made sure that Fringe Festival — or even material about the play’s subject, she hoped that it could be adapted people, places and chro- if you didn’t — you now who just happens to be the actor’s to a one-woman show, especially if I nology are true not only have a marvelous oppor- mother. were playing the role of the captain,” to her memoir, but to the Courtesy of Maggie Bearmon Pistner tunity to see a story (and a In 1944, 22-year-old Jeanne Gold- Pistner said. development of histori- Jeanne Goldoff Bearmon (left) and Maggie Bearmon performance) that is worth off, a naïve girl from Brooklyn, N.Y., To fulfill that vision, Pistner knew cal events,” Brodey said. Pistner, pictured at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, experiencing anew. enlisted in the U.S. Army. By the end that she needed a different kind of “Love, war, exotic locations in 2013. *** of World War II, she had traveled expertise to mold the memoir into — and all on the backdrop They Called Her Cap- across Europe and earned the double a cohesive script. Enter stage right: of one of the most transformative make this possible,” Pistner said. “And tain, a one-woman play featuring silver bars of a captain. Jeanne Goldoff local writer, playwright and actor moments in world history? It virtually I can’t leave out Judith Brin [Ingber]’s Maggie Bearmon Pistner, will be wrote itself.” personal support to pay all of the performed 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Reason number two that Pistner is backstage artists in this production. March 24 and Saturday, March 26; not fainting from mental and physical We don’t have the restrictions that and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 27 in the In a land of immigrants exhaustion: Although this one-woman were imposed on us for the Fringe theater at the Sabes JCC, 4330 Cedar Alina Bliumis, co-author of an show requires Pistner’s full range of Festival, and the facilities at the JCC Lake Rd. S., St. Louis Park. acting skills to play the variety of are superior to what we had three Tickets are $15 for general admis- engaging photography book, characters under Captain Goldoff’s years ago.” sion; $12 for JCC members, students will discuss the project that probes command, she’s performed this play For those who have or want to have and seniors; and $10 for groups of before. a closer connection with this dynamic eight or more. For information, visit: Russian-Jewish-American identities A somewhat abbreviated version mother-daughter team, there will be www.sabesjcc.org. of the production was performed at a “talk back” with the two women AJW Staff Report birthplace. They were wrong; a cos- the Sabes JCC as part of the Minne- following each performance in the mopolitan is someone who believes In the introduction to From Selfie that all people are equal, no matter to Groupie, by Jeff Bliumis and where they come from.” Alina Bliumis, who are also husband Alina Bliumis will discuss the and wife, David Shneer quotes the project and the book From Selfie co-authors: “In the early morning, to Groupie March 20 at the St. on a sunny July 7, 2007, we asked Paul JCC. The event is part of the beachgoers (52 in total) to define Twin Cities Jewish Book Series, their identity.” and is presented This first phase in partnership of the project took with Rimon: The place in Brook- Minnesota Jew- lyn’s predomi- ish Arts Council nantly Jewish and as part of the Russian-speaking Rimon Artist Sa- Brighton Beach. lon series. “Each partici- University pant could pose of Minnesota for a photograph professor Les- with any of three lie Morris will signs (with the moderate a dis- words Russian, cussion with Jewish and Amer- Bliumis. ican) or come up Beyond the with their own photo shoot at self-definition by creating a unique Brighton Beach, the Bliumises sign. Confronted by a radically dif- spent seven years traveling to ferent reality, these new Americans Russian-Jewish immigrant com- are bound together by pursuing their munities around the United States, American dreams and searching for including a stop in St. Paul. They new identities reflective of their new photographed 1,922 people stand- lives. How does one retain cultural ing proudly with the words they roots while creating a new identity?” use to describe themselves. For In the beach photos, at the front example, Rhoda and Don Mains, of of the attractive, large-format book, Mendota Heights, posed in front of the portrait subjects mainly pose a placard reading, “100 years ago by various combinations of the Grandparents came from Russia.” three signs. Text below the photo explains that And a man identified as Leonid even though they were both born holds his own sign, which reads and raised in the U.S., “our roots “COSMOPOLITAN.” He explains: go back to Russia, like others in the “In the Soviet Union, a ‘rootless room who came here more recently. cosmopolitan’ was someone who lacks patriotism and betrays his • IMMIGRANTS / see page 10 PAGE 10 AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD MARCH 11, 2016 TWIN CITIES LIVING Book includes essays on self-identity sketches some of the co-authors’ backgrounds. Jeff Bliumis was born in Rimon announces 1958, in Kishinev, and settled in New York, in 1974, “putting him firmly in future arts events the early wave that made Brighton Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish For information, call 612-643- Beach into Little Odessa. Born in Arts Council, an initiative of the 3511. 1972 in Minsk, another provincial, Minneapolis Jewish Federation, • Local author Rebecca Kanner Russian-speaking capital of the former publicized the following arts will discuss her second novel, Soviet Union, Alina has been in New events in its monthly e-guide. For Esther, as part of the Twin Cities York since 1994. Both received higher a full listing of events, visit: www. Jewish Book Series 7 p.m. Tues- education in the United States and use rimonmn.org. day, March 22 at the St. Paul JCC, this project to reflect on their own sense • Klezmerica will perform a 1375 St. Paul Ave. The novel is of identity wrestling.” rendition of klezmer music from a new look into the timeless tale From Selfie to Groupie also includes the heartland 4 p.m. Sunday, of Queen Esther, just in time for several essays on themes related to March 13 at Bethlehem Lutheran Purim. For information, email: self-identity, and a “visual survey” Church, 4100 Lyndale Ave. S., [email protected]. that categorizes the collection of Minneapolis. For information, call • Films by and about Belgi an “photographs that capture a moment 612-312-3411. filmmaker Chantal Akerman will be of identity in formation and in flux.” • Stuart Klipper will discuss the screened March 31–April 3 at the *** story behind, and the images from, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Alina Bliumis will discuss From an exclusive series of photographs Ave., Minneapolis.