The show was performed in Alaska, Canada and Holland from 2017 through 2019. Many performances included audience discussions with the actress, director, composer, non profit agencies and parents of children with differently abled children. The show was to continue in 2020 but COVID shut it down.
The Child Behind the Eyes, written by Israeli playwright Nava Semel, tells the story of a mother whose son is born with Down syndrome. The night before his first day of school, the mother, in her restlessness, explores her memories of his birth and the first six years of his life. Set in the 1980’s when children were still taken from the mothers at birth and put in instituitions.
This play featured actress Nava Sarracino and original music composition by Christel Veraart. Anchorage-based director Vivian Melde directed the show. In a personal conversation between actress and playwright, Nava Semel explains how her play The Child Behind the Eyes is a voyage into a family who struggles with pain, ignorance and fears. In this play, main character, Yotam, innocent and open hearted, becomes the source of love to all members of the family. In fact, he is the one who teaches them all a new meaning of life. Semel dedicates the play as a tribute to her own mother, Mimi, who survived the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Portions of the lullaby have been woven into the sound design for the play. Director Melde writes, “The lullaby is a vital part of this production, much like the connection and heartbeat between mother and child. There is a Hebrew, Yiddish and English version of the lullaby
Nava Sarricino in a segment of The Child Behind the Eyes by Nava Semel at Theater CREA in Amsterdam in 2018. Actress Nava Sarracino, director Vivian Melde, and composer Christel Veraart traveled to Amsterdam at the end of November to participate in a series of events, shows and talks on Israeli culture which honored Nava Semel who had passed away earlier in the year.