Torba

Based on Amy Gopp’s four years as a peace worker and the extraordinary people she encountered, Torba is a moving testament to courage, compassion, and hope.

Torba follows Amy, an idealistic American peace worker, arriving in the war-torn Balkans just as the conflict draws to a close. Expecting to bring change, Amy soon discovers that she herself will be transformed by the people, the land, and the complex legacy of violence and survival around her. Structured as a poignant collage, the play unfolds through stories sparked by items people packed when fleeing their homes. Each object pulled from their “torba” (bag) brings the past vividly to life, revealing the human stories behind the headlines. Despite the unimaginable hardships of war and its aftermath, Torba celebrates resilience—showing how family, friendship, humor, and grace become lifelines. Weaving past, present, and future, the play explores the fragile balance between justice and mercy, and how forgiveness can rise from even the deepest scars.

Produced at Eastern Mennonite University in the Fall of 2000, Goshen College in 2004.  KCACTF Regional Festival, 2001. Semi-finalist, Eugene O’Neil Playwriting Festival, 2006.

Upon the return of my friend Amy Gopp’s service as a peace worker in the Balkans, I wanted to write a play that honored the stories of the people she met.  Based on Amy Gopp’s four years as a peace worker and the extraordinary people she encountered, Torba is a moving testament to courage, compassion, and hope.