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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

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
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

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Raja Englanderova

Lead

Female

Irena Synkova

Lead

Female

Honza Kosek

Supporting

Male

Father

Featured

Male

Mother

Featured

Female

Pavel

Featured

Male

Irca

Featured

Female

Aunt Vera

Featured

Female

Erika

Ensemble

Female

Renka

Ensemble

Female

Loudspeaker

Ensemble

Either Gender

Rabbi

Ensemble

Male

The Youth of Terezin

Ensemble

Either Gender

Songs

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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

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

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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Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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