Broken Glass at The Vaudeville Theatre, London Trauma on the Night of Broken Glass Set in November 1938, Broken Glass follows the story of a married New York couple, Phillip & Sylvia Gellburg. After learning about the events of Kristallnacht (the night of horrific Nazi attacks against Jewish homes, shops & synagogues in Germany) Sylvia finds herself paralysed below the waist. Her husband sends for a physician, Dr Harry Hyman, who believes Sylvia’s condition is psychosomatic
- brought on by trauma from reading newspaper reports. However, as Dr Hyman delves deeper into Sylvia’s emotional state, problems in the couple’s relationship cast doubts on his diagnosis.