Triumph of Goodness

How a town fought hate: Passage Theatre premieres ‘Nightlights.’

By: Susan Van Dongen

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TIMEOFF PHOTOS/FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI
David White directs ‘Nightlights’ at Passage Theatre.


   When hatred, bullying and violence become almost fashionable in a culture, kindness is equated with weakness.
   Dr. Janice Cohn, a psychotherapist, author and consultant, believes it is possible for compassion to prevail, but it takes an extra dose of courage.
   "Hatred is noisy, but goodness can triumph," she says. Ms. Cohn is the author of The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate (Albert Whitman & Co., 1995). The book is based on a true story of a town that came together to fight anti-Semitism and prejudice.

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Cast members, from left: Top – Kya Dixon, Josh Rose and Lashae Averheart; front – Valona Givens, Shountia Portis and Sara Levy.


   The book had previously been adapted as a puppet play to be presented in schools, but Ms. Cohn worked with composers/lyricists Harvey Edelman and Neil Fishman to produce Nightlights, a musical based on the story. Presented by Passage Theatre Company, the new play will premiere at the Mill Hill Playhouse Dec. 17 through 19. Featuring a cast that includes both professional adult actors and Trenton youths from the State Street Project and the Trenton After School Program, Nightlights is directed by David White.
   The story began in December 1993, when the citizens of Billings, Mont., were perplexed by a rash of hate crimes. A group of neo-Nazis had begun distributing literature, vandalizing homes of African-Americans and Native Americans. As Hanukkah arrived, bricks were thrown through windows of homes displaying menorahs.
   Thanks to the efforts of Isaac Schnitzer — a Jewish boy whose home was targeted — along with some of his young Christian friends and the town’s chief of police, people began putting pictures of menorahs in their windows. When the local paper printed a photograph of a menorah, nearly everyone in Billings displayed it prominently, taking a stand against prejudice.

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From left, cast members Valona Givens, Josh Rose and Kya Dixon.


   The town became noted for its community action to have people of different religions and ethnicities joining hands, supporting each other to promote peace.
   Ms. Cohn got involved after seeing a brief article in The New York Times.
   "I saw a very small article about a police chief who had organized his town against the neo-Nazis and skinheads who were coming in," Ms. Cohn says. "I wanted to write about this. It was about people coming together to deal with haters. They took a stand, they took risks and they were successful. So many other people around the country must have seen this article because the phones for the Billings police department were jammed. But I managed to get through — which was almost a miracle. I took it as a sign that I was supposed to write about this."

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Shountia Portis stars in Nightlights for Passage Theatre Company.


   For Ms. Cohn, whose work was counseling children and families, the project folded in perfectly. In fact, talking to the people of Billings and writing the book became a springboard for a new side to her career — instilling compassion and moral courage in youth.
   "Children are exposed to so much violence, but in contrast, here was a story about people doing courageous things — and children needed to know about this," she says. "I got invited to Billings to interview the people, which was quite extraordinary. I talked to many children in the schools and became aware of the fact that, even as young as kindergarten, every child knew what happened in their town and they knew why it had happened. These were kids who would never forget. They would remember people standing up to bullies and haters."
   She is amazed at how the news story and her book resonate with so many people across the country. It flies in the face of the way machismo, bullying and violence seem to be growing as part of America’s culture — even the President says "bring it on" as an answer to serious questions about terrorist threats.
   "What are children to think when they’re exposed to terror alerts, for example?" Ms. Cohn says. "They all know about 9/11, and no matter how far away from New York they live, they don’t feel safe. The world is so unpredictable. And some people feel kids that are kind are at a disadvantage. They believe you have to be tough and suspicious in order to survive, and this affects children’s ability to trust. There’s so much violence and divisiveness around us — just think of sports, and even the reality shows, where children are watching people being humiliated or embarrassed. So it’s more important than ever (that children) learn that goodness and courage can triumph.
   "I frequently speak to parent groups and teachers, talking about how to raise compassionate, courageous children in a violent world," she continues. "One of the things we know from research is that children learn by example. If they see their parents on a day-to-day basis standing up and helping others — if they see that parents won’t tolerate people being bullied — this has a very positive effect."
   Passage Theatre Company will incorporate post-performance discussions about the play’s issues. Passage is collaborating with Mercer County-based Kidsbridge to present panel discussions on bias crime and discrimination in the area. Led by clergy and character-education experts — including Ms. Cohn — audience members are invited to talk about the challenges raised by the story of Nightlights.
   Ms. Cohn believes the music will add to the appeal of her story, as well.
   "This is my first time as a playwright and I had workshopped the play with kids and teachers," she says. "People said music would really enhance this. So I was referred to the composer and lyricist, who created some powerful music. It makes the play very moving. We hope to have a show that is entertaining and will really have an effect on children. It’s something that seeks and brings out the best in children. And it’s not a holiday show per se — it’s applicable all year ’round. But I feel it communicates the true meaning of the holidays."
   Ms. Cohn is a psychotherapist who has, for the past 20 years, specialized in helping children and adults cope with grief and loss due to death, divorce and separation. For the last decade, however, Ms. Cohn has focused on children’s character education, especially with regard to fostering compassion and moral courage. She is a consultant to the New York City and New Jersey departments of education, and has written and lectured widely on these and related topics.
   Ms. Cohn’s book, I Had a Friend Named Peter: Talking with Children About the Death of a Friend (William Morrow, 1987) has been cited for excellence by a number of educational organizations and has received critical praise from The New York Times Book Review and The School Library Journal. She also wrote Why Did it Happen? Helping Children Cope in a Violent World (Morrow, 1994) and Molly’s Rosebush (Albert Whitman, 1994). The Christmas Menorahs: How A Town Fought Hate has received and/or been nominated for more than a dozen national awards. Ms. Cohn’s newest book, Raising Compassionate, Courageous Children In A Violent World (Longstreet Press, 1996) has been widely used by schools and parent and religious organizations. She is currently the spokeswoman for Fisher-Price’s new line of non-violent action toys, and edits a newsletter for children about heroes. Ms. Cohn continues to maintain psychotherapy practices in New York and New Jersey.
   One of the reasons she is so convinced Nightlights will reach the young audience is that it’s based on a true story, with problem-solving children as the main characters.
   "Children are just transfixed by true stories," Ms. Cohn says. "In fact, if it wasn’t a true story, it wouldn’t have the same power. That’s why this is so important — they hear about what other children do. Then they start to think about what they can do, how to deal with the hate one person at a time, one family at a time. They wonder what they can give and do, and they have marvelous ideas. It’s important for these ideas to flourish. Kids can really make a difference."
Nightlights, adapted by Dr. Janice Cohn from her book The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate, will be presented by Passage Theatre Company at the Mill Hill Playhouse, Front and Montgomery streets, Trenton, Dec. 17, 8 p.m., Dec. 18-19, 3 and 6 p.m. Tickets cost $10, $5 children. Each show will be followed by a Kidsbridge panel discussion on bias crime and discrimination in Mercer County. For information, call (609) 392-0766. On the Web: www.passagetheatre.org