The Synopsis:
On November 10, 1942, the German army begins its campaign to occupy the whole of France. At the same time, Terry Clayton, a Black American jazz trumpeter, and his French girlfriend, Avril Delaunay, have fled Paris for the Unoccupied Southern Zone.  When a German convoy passes through the village of Saint-Priest-Taurion where Terry and Avril have decided to stay, Terry is captured during a jazz gig and imprisoned in the cellar of a farmhouse.  Avril, who is unaware of Terry’s whereabouts, is taken in by the family on the farm, now relegated to living in their barn. Terry’s captor, the oppressive Major Max Köhn, who recognizes Avril from a Paris jazz club, tries to rekindle his feelings for her.  As the two men compete for the heart of the same woman, their clashing ideologies pit military force against jazz intuition. Terry must employ the humanity of jazz to counter the brutality of war and affirm his love for Avril. The final confrontation brings about deadly consequences.

The Music and the Musicians:
On stage for the whole of the play in a stationary area is the jazz combo, which interacts with the scenes, either in a flashback or underscoring the musical expression of the actors. The jazz combo, consisting of piano, trumpet, bass and drums, are dressed in black and silhouetted in the background. The pianist is the counterpart to either Major Köhn or Mathieu, a 15 year old French boy, when they are playing. The trumpeter is Terry, who plays as his counterpart. The bassist and drummer provide accompaniment and sound effects during the scenes.

Cast & Crew :
Characters:
Eric K. Daniels - Terry Clayton
Ellen Haynes - Avril Delaunay
Rick Forstmann - Major Max Köhn
Matt Maynard - Sergeant Lehmann
TBD - Madame Parlour
Olmo Cefa - Mathieu Parlour
TBD - M. le Père Cygan    

Musicians:
Jack Glottman - Piano
Lenwood Turner - Trumpet
David Robaire - Bass 
Sam Knight - Drums   

Crew:
Michael Petranek - Director
Ché Chisholm - Sets, Props & Costumes
Christina See - Lighting Designer
Amy Wowak - Stage Manager
Paul Woodburn - FringeNYC Authorized Company Rep.