Jake Heggie
2015
Out of Darkness is a powerful portrait of survival that conveys the Holocaust’s vast scope through emotionally rich depictions of those caught in its grasp. The first act, “Krystyna,” reveals the true story of Krystyna Zywulska, whose daring poems became anthems of defiance among her fellow prisoners in Auschwitz.
Act Two, “Gad,” explores the fate of homosexuals during the Holocaust through the experience of Gad Beck and Manfred Lewin, two idealistic young loves in 1930s Berlin whose lives and love were torn apart during Nazi rule.
Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer tell these stories with uncompromising emotional honesty, and with deep compassion that never descends to…