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Overview
Synopsis
Over 15,000 children passed through the gates of Terezin, a concentration camp 30 miles north of Prague. Fewer than 100 survived. I Never Saw Another Butterfly, tells the story of the children of Terezin through the eyes of Raja Englandrova. Raja narrates and tells their story in flashbacks as she learns from Irena Synkova, a teacher who gives the children hope when there is no hope left and gives them the courage to write and draw about their experiences. We see the world of Terezin through their eyes, a world of laughter, of flowers, and of butterflies. From behind the barbed wire fences, teachers and students were able to show defiance; by learning even when it was forbidden, by drawing pictures of life as well as of death, and by writing poems about something bright and colorful they may have caught a glimpse of. The most famous symbol of hope was a yellow butterfly from a poem written by Pavel Friedman. Based on the book, I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s Poems and Drawings from Terezin Concentration Camp 1942 - 1944 that was originally published in 1964, Celeste Raspanti creates a beautiful tribute to the children whose lives were stolen from them during the terrors of the Holocaust.
Show Information
- Book
- Celeste Raspanti
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s Poems and Drawings from Terezin Concentration Camp 1942 - 1944 Edited by Hana Volvakova
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1994
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- 1942-1945/Terezin Concentration Camp in the Czech Republic
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Dramatic Publishing Co.
- Ideal For
- Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Middle School, Religious Groups, Star Vehicle Female, College/University, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Early Teen, Child Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The town of Theresienstadt, better known as Terezin, was 30 miles north of Prague in the Czech Republic during World War II. Terezin was initially a Jewish ghetto that was used as a ploy to deceive the outside world into thinking that the Nazis had created satisfactory living conditions for the Jewish prisoners. It later became a transit camp for Jews before they were deported to Treblinka and Auschwitz. Although not a death camp, over 30,000 people died at Terezin, mostly from starvation and
to read the context for I Never Saw Another Butterfly and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The play opens with Raja Englandrova standing amongst projections of butterflies. She introduces herself and tells us simply, ”I survived Terezin.” The names and birthdates of the children whose artwork and poetry appears in the book, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, are announced over a loudspeaker. We also hear the date that each one of those children perished at the most famous concentration camp from World War II, Auschwitz. Raja listens and reacts. The scene changes to a flashback.
The
to read the plot for I Never Saw Another Butterfly and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Female |
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Featured |
Female |
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Ensemble |
Female |
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Ensemble |
Female |
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Ensemble |
Either Gender |
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Ensemble |
Male |
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Ensemble |
Either Gender |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A young person in the process of developing from a child into an adult.
A scene that happens earlier than the main story, often to enhance that main storyline or reveal important information.
The systematic genocide of six-million Jewish people during World War II.
Telling a story, often accompanying or guiding the central action of the play.
A storyteller, or someone who provides commentary on the action of a play or musical.
A play with only one act. One-act plays may have several scenes and vary in length, from short single scenes to full-length scripts.
The war between the Axis and the Allies, beginning on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland and ending with the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, and of Japan on August 14, 1945.
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