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This play stars a lesbian couple or a gay couple, depending on the night.

On the surface, "Walking to Buchenwald" is a quirky, comedic play about the typical drama surrounding a family trip. But a closer look reveals an exploration into gender, love, and what it means to be an American.

The show, presented by the Open Fist Theatre Company in Los Angeles, follows soon-to-be married couple Schiller and Arjay as they take Schiller's aging parents on their first trip to Europe. Based on a real trip the playwright, Tom Jacobson, took with his family, the provocative comedy touches on hot-button topics like politics, gender, marriage, and what it's like to be an American abroad when the president of the United States is pretty unpopular.

Christopher Cappiello, Justin Huen, Ben Martin, and Laura James. Photo by Darrett Sanders.


But the play gets really interesting when you learn Jacobson wrote Schiller and Arjay without any specific gender. So, depending on the night, the show is either about a male same-sex couple or a female same-sex couple.

"I definitely wanted to do that from the beginning because it does change the play and how we feel about the characters," Jacobson says. "One of the reasons we encourage people to see the play more than once is to really engage in questions of how do we perceive a story based on who's enacting the story."

Since the actors are literally performing the same material, those changes and altered perceptions largely come from the audience's expectations and implicit biases around gender.

Mandy Schneider, Amielynn Abellera, Ben Martin, and Laura James. Photo by Darrett Sanders.

The production doesn't just give audiences the opportunity to rethink how they see the world — the actors also get a chance to collaborate and perform like never before.

Christopher Cappiello and Mandy Schneider both play Schiller, one-half of the show's same-sex couple. Both actors brought their own choices and idiosyncrasies to the role, but for lighting and technical reasons, they had to hit identical marks and blocking to avoid confusing the other actors they performed with. This required some serious collaboration and the support of a very patient director, Roderick Menzies.

"There was no sense of competition or resentment. I think it made it stronger for everyone," says Cappiello.

Photo by Darrett Sanders.

For Schneider, the role offered the rare opportunity to play a leading, multidimensional woman character. As an actress, she says she doesn't often see roles for women that are this fleshed out.

"Many women in various plays, pieces, they don't show every single emotion. And I feel like this is really exciting that I get to show everything —from sadness to anger to frustration," Schneider says. "This is personally the first time I've played a woman like this in a long time."

She even flew her family in from the Midwest to see the show. "I don't know when I'll get this kind of role again."

Photo by Darrett Sanders.

In addition to gender-blind casting, it's no small thing that Jacobson's play features gay and lesbian characters in leading roles.

Both Cappiello and Amielynn Abellera, who plays Arjay opposite Mandy Schneider, identify as gay, and say they relished the rare opportunity to play gay characters. These compelling, diverse roles can go a long way toward improving representation.

"Visibility is really what's brought the sense of a normal life to LGBTQ people. Coming Out Day, pride parades ... that has been crucial to communicating to the public who we are," Jacobson says. "It's important to communicate that we're not afraid and that we are in some ways like everyone else and in some ways very different, and unique, and worthy of being cherished."

Photo by Darrett Sanders.

The show also offers a timely political discussion — particularly impressive given that it was written 14 years ago.

Jacobson took the trip with his family in 2003, just when the war in Iraq was kicking into gear. Much of that real-life trip included European locals telling his family exactly what they thought of America and President George W. Bush. Though Jacobson wrote the show to be evergreen, not mentioning the president or conflict by name, he expected the play to be produced quickly. It wasn't. Once President Obama entered the office, the material seemed dated and less relevant, and it spent years on the shelf.

In 2016, hedging their bets on a Clinton victory in the presidential election, the Open Fist decided to do a reading of the play almost as a cautionary tale turned time capsule.

Then, Trump won.

"Instead, the play became more relevant and the theater said, 'Let's do a full production,'" Jacobson says.

The conflict and president are still unnamed, but the experience of being an American abroad while the country's reputation takes a nose dive is more applicable than ever before — almost too eerily close for comfort.

"There are ways in which we've been afraid that current events might overtake the play," Cappiello says. "Is this about to happen? And is our play now going to become a work of history, instead of hopefully a warning?"

Photo by Darrett Sanders.

"Walking to Buchenwald" explores these events and nuanced conversations with humor and heart, as only art can.

The show continues its run with the Open Fist Theatre Company in Los Angeles through Oct. 21.

While the play isn't widely available in most of the country, Jacobson would love to see it run in other cities. If the show is something you'd like to bring to your area, he suggests reaching out to your local or community theaters to lobby for a staging.

"There's so much that it's hitting upon that's happening right here and right now that's extremely important," Schneider says. "I hope as many people see it as possible."

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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