Picture Girl

Picture Girl illuminates the tears of Ellis Island and the immigration of Jews escaping pogroms in Eastern Europe, as one little girl and her drawing change her family’s fate. The play is inspired by the true story of Chicago artist Louise Dunn Yochim (org. Luba Dichne) and her drawing of President Woodrow Wilson at Ellis Island.

About the Playwright:

Helene Weintraub is a performer and playwright from NYC. Helene holds a degree in writing from The New School; credited for her ability to capture historical miracles through the lens of playwriting, with the successful premiere of her original work, The Candlesticks, in 2022. Picture Girl is Helene’s second play. Learn more at heleneweintraub.com

Excerpt from the play: Picture Girl

By Helene Weintraub

CHARACTERS:

LUBA DICHNE (13): A Ukrainian, Jewish girl with a fiery passion for art.
FAYVA DICHNE (11): Brother of LUBA
SOLOMON DICHNE: Papa of LUBA and FAYVA.
GENIA DICHNE: Mama of LUBA and FAYVA.
MIKHAIL: LUBA’s Jewish art teacher from Ukraine.
WILLIAM: Guard and interpreter at Ellis Island. Dutiful and sympathetic.
JOHN: High-ranking guard at Ellis Island. Cruel and manipulative.

SCENE 1
Arriving at Ellis Island-1924

The Dichne family, who have traveled by boat from Zhitomir, Ukraine, have arrived in America. SOLOMON and his daughter, LUBA, look out into the horizon, where the Statue of Liberty is in plain sight.

LUBA
Who is that big green lady, Papa?

SOLOMON
She’s called The Statue of Liberty. I bet she’s been waiting for us here.

LUBA
But how could she know we were coming?

SOLOMON
All who come to America are welcomed by the Statue of Liberty. That’s why they call her the mother of immigrants. Look how she holds her torch. See how it glows in the sun? It also shines like that at night. She lights our way; she lets us know that we are safe.

LUBA
Does that mean there are no Cossack soldiers here to hurt us?

SOLOMON
She’s looking at you, Luba She’s trying to tell you something.

LUBA
What is she saying?

SOLOMON
Welcome to America, Luba. There’s nothing to be afraid of.

LUBA
I want to draw her!
SOLOMON
That’s an excellent idea! Ah, here comes Mama and FAYVA.
GENIA and FAYVA enter. FAYVA wears a bloody scarf around his head.
Come breathe the fresh air, son. How’s the head?
FAYVA, who is injured, walks with slight dizziness towards his father and sister.

GENIA
He needs a doctor, Solomon. He can barely walk straight, look at him!

FAYVA
Mama made a bandage out of her scarf.

GENIA
Cattle are treated better than us in steerage! Can you imagine that not a single Paskudnik doctor on board would spare not even a bandage for a child? Gevir farshtunkener!

SOLOMON
Hands FAYVA his hat.
Here. Take my hat, son. You don’t want to scare the big green lady, do you?

FAYVA
Golly! She is huge!

LUBA
Isn’t America exciting, Fayva?
Taking in the view.
Angles, curves, light!

WILLIAM, a guard and interpreter at Ellis Island, enters and announces to the passengers.

WILLIAM
Passengers of the SS Estonia! We are calling first and second class to disembark and make way into America! First and second class only!

The children begin to follow.

SOLOMON
Not yet, children. Only the rich people are being called.

FAYVA
But Papa, how can we be so close to America and not be allowed off the boat?

LUBA
Fayva is right. It isn’t fair, Papa.

GENIA
Soon, kinderlach. We’ll be with Uncle Velvel, and he’ll find a doctor for Fayva. That’s what matters now.

WILLIAM
(shouts)
Prepare to enter Ellis Island!

SOLOMON
Come children, time to enter America.

The family assembles themselves into a line for questioning.

LUBA
How can a room be so big?

FAYVA
Look at those guards!
Frightened by the uniforms.
They have sticks, Mama!

GENIA
Stay close, Tatele. Let Papa do the talking.

JOHN, another guard on Ellis Island approaches the family.
JOHN
Names?

SOLOMON
Solomon Dichne. My wife, Genia. My children, Luba and Fayva. Our passage was arranged by my brother, Velvel Dichne in Chicago. I have a job there as a cantor.

JOHN
Tell your boy to take off his hat.

SOLOMON
Sorry?

JOHN
Stupid man! Do you not know what a hat is?

SOLOMON
I don’t understand!

WILLIAM approaches quickly.

JOHN
Tell this lot we’re sending them back.

WILLIAM
We can take a few more, John. Have some pity. Their ship was delayed ten days at sea!

JOHN
If you like these rejects so much, why don’t you go with them?

WILLIAM
I’ll make them the cutoff point.
(Calls out)
Everyone! The line ends here! Yes, yes. Everyone else, collect your things and return to the docks!

GENIA
They don’t mean send them all back to Russia?

SOLOMON
Velvel warned me about this. They are only allowing entrance to so many. But not to worry, we’ve made it this far. God must be on our side.

JOHN to WILLIAM.
Tell this stupid man that his boy is hiding something under his hat. These people will hide anything with the small ones. I’ve seen it before.

 WILLIAM motions to SOLOMON to remove FAYVA’s hat. SOLOMON motions to FAYVA to take off his hat. FAYVA takes off the hat, revealing his bloody bandage.

JOHN
Is that blood? What kind of sick trick is this?

SOLOMON whispers something to WILLIAM.

WILLIAM
He says his boy was injured on the ship. There was a terrible storm. They are lucky to be alive.

JOHN
A ridiculous story, obviously. Lies are policy to the likes of them. Send them back with the others!

WILLIAM
No, John. It’s the truth. The boy’s injury looks real to me. I’m certain he needs a doctor.

JOHN
Oh, we’ll see what the doctor says all right!

JOHN grabs FAYVA and pulls him towards the exit.

FAYVA
Hysterical.
Mama! Papa!