Deb Filler

Deborah Rachel "Deb" Filler (born October 30, 1954) is a New Zealand born writer/performer, character artist and producer. Born to a German Jewish mother, Ruth Filler (born Ruth Adler in Hildesheim, Germany), and a Polish Jewish father, Sol (Schaja) Filler who was a survivor of Plascow, Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Thereisenstadt concentration camps.^[1] Her maternal grandparents fled from Germany to New Zealand in 1938, though her maternal grandfather's family's history can be traced back to the late sixteenth century in Germany. The family lived in Obernkirchen and Hildesheim. A book has been written about the Adler family in Obernkirchen as well as other Jews from the province.^[2]

Early life

Growing up in Auckland, she attended Mt Roskill Primary, where the local Presbyterian vicar, preaching to the entire school over the school intercom, informed the school it was the Jews who had killed Jesus. At the age of 9 she insisted to the vicar that her family had no part in killing Jesus and he recanted his statement publicly. As part of the Little Folksingers of Mt Roskill, a local recording group, she attended several folk concerts including Josh White, Judy Collins, and met Peter Paul and Mary, who encouraged her to continue singing folk songs. Also at age 9 she began to play guitar, mimicking socially important and intricately harmonized folk songs, determined to pursue a career in folk music. The Little Folksingers of Mt Roskill recorded Malvina Reynolds' songs, Puff the Magic Dragon, as well as many other folk and children's songs of that period. She later attended Mt Roskill Intermediate and Mt Roskill Grammar Schools. After a year at the Machon L'Madrichei Chutz La'Aretz leadership institute in Israel, she enrolled to study as a teacher trainee at the Auckland Teachers' Training College, specializing in drama. It was during this period, in 1974, she met Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein was so delighted her father had attended a concert he had played for Holocaust survivors at the Landsberg Displaced Person's Camp, near Munich in 1948, that he closed the Auckland Town Hall and played a piano concerto entirely to Filler. Bernstein became a major role model for Filler both professionally and personally, who often quoted his warmth and generosity on and off stage. She taught music, theatre and English for the Auckland Education Board at area schools for three years, creating a musical, Giz A Go Travelling Road Show, touring in a friend's painted bus with her students.

Early career

Filler was lead singer in several rock and roll bands and a founding member of two celebrated New Zealand punk cabaret groups, "The Ratz" and "Debbie and the Dum Dums" with Derek Ward, Miles McKane, and Sarah Pierce.^[3][4][5] Also played music in the Backstreet Women's Theatre,^[6] a company formed by feminists in the New Zealand Women's Movement,^[7] reacting against a prominent anti-abortion bill at the time in New Zealand, which was overturned. Left New Zealand to study theatre in London but stayed in New York when she discovered Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, and Deborah Hedwall.^[8] Her off-Broadway debut was in Sophie, a musical comedy based on the life of singer Sophie Tucker.^[9] She performed in Europe with various 1980s theatre companies. Her first one-woman show, a variety of sketches which she wrote and performed in, was named 'Pick of the Fringe Festivals' by the CBC, Canada. Performing at various 1980s New York downtown cabaret spaces she worked alongside John Leguizamo, Blue Man Group, as a featured artist at the 'Gusto House Cabaret' and was chosen to tour as a headliner from Gusto at the 1990 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with fellow performers including Jim Turner.^[10] A tour of the U.K. followed.

Theatre

Filler has worked as an actor, writer and comedian internationally. She is best known for her character artistry and autobiographical writing and performance, straddling laughter and tears. Punch Me in the Stomach, co-written with Alison Summers, was her first major solo show with thirty-six characters.^[11] It was first workshopped at La Mama Theatre in New York.^[12] It toured to the Adelaide Festival, and the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, where she won 'Critics' Pick'. It opened off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop in 1992 and has frequently toured internationally.^[13] It opened New York's Jewish Museum's refurbished theatre and the new Hong Kong Theatre for the Arts. The show was adapted to a film by documentary filmmaker and director Francine Zuckerman.^[14] Punch Me in the Stomachthe film toured theatrically and was later screened on television internationally including on PBS.^[15]

FILLER UP!] co-written with Lowry Marshall]] is a twenty-seven character solo play where she bakes a loaf of challah bread onstage, ending with the story of how her father upon his liberation, was able to bake bread with the captured German POW's, because everybody was hungry. The play was workshopped in New Zealand at the Wellington Fringe 2000, at Rhubarb! Festival in Toronto, Baltimore Theatre Project], Theatre J Washington, Gloucester Theatre Company, Centre Stage, Harrisburg, in Winnipeg and at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. World Premiere of the show at Drill Hall Theatre, London 2003 to a sell out run. Equally successful runs in Toronto, Berlin, Sydney, Auckland, and the U.S. (Alexandria, VA, and FL).^[16][17][18]

Playwriting stints include the Adirondak Theatre Festival] and guest playwright Buddies In Bad Times Theatre AnteChamber, and an ongoing member of the Usual Suspects Playwrights Lab at New York Theatre Workshop.^[19]

Film

Short films, 'Ladies and Gentlemen:Biddie Schitzerman," and 'Trip'. Appeared as Elaine, from Elaine's Restaurant New York The Path to 9/11 with Harvey Keitel, and Finn's Girl.^[20][21][22]

Print and other work

Voice of the Peg Bundy doll and "Mummy" in the award winning animated series, Bob and Margaret. Contributing writer in DAUGHTERS OF ABSENCE], edited by Mindy Weisel.^[23] Has worked on numerous productions as co-writer, and frequently tours stand up shows.

References

1. ^ Sol Filler
2. ^ Jüdisches Leben in der Provinz: Schicksale jüdischer Familien in Schaumburg seit 1580, erzählt und dokumentiert: Amazon.de: Rolf B. de Groot, Günter Schlusche: Bücher
3. ^ http://library.vuw http://www.art-newzealand.com/Issues21to30/gander.htm
4. ^ Miles Mckane - LightCone.org
5. ^ Sarah Peirse - IMDb
6. ^ A Chronology of Homosexuality in New Zealand - Part 2 - Queer History New Zealand
7. ^ Women, Political Leadership and Substantive Representation: the Case of New Zealand
8. ^ Deborah Hedwall - IMDb
9. ^ Stage: 'Sophie,' Musical Drawn From Tucker - New York Times
10. ^ Jim Turner - IMDb
11. ^ http://www.alisonsummers.com/blog/?page_id=91
12. ^ http://www.fillerup.ca/punchme.htm%20
13. ^ Deb Filler > Acclaim
14. ^ Francine Zuckerman - IMDb
15. ^ Deb Filler > Deb's Shows > An Evening With Deb Filler
16. ^ Deb Filler > Deb's Shows > Filler Up!
17. ^ http://www.research.brown.edu/pdf/10339.pdf?nocache=1947089451
18. ^ Pondering a passion for food
19. ^ Adirondack Theatre Festival Past Productions | Adirondack Theatre Festival
20. ^ Bravo!FACT | A Foundation To Assist Canadian Talent
21. ^ Trip (2006) (TV)
22. ^ Review of "Finn's Girl" | Movie Reviews, Celebrity Interviews & Film News About & For Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Women | AfterEllen.com
23. ^ Holocaust Education - Reviews

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Name	Filler, Deb
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Date of birth	October 30, 1954
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