Historical December 1995 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
“I Never Saw Another Butterfly” was performed at Crossroads School on November 17-19. Directed by Brad Schwartz, the cast included: Ellen Clifford, Maury Browning, Andy Crowe. Kelly Shelton. Will Freeman. Mike Vagnino, Andrea Taylor, Elizabeth Fitzroy, Laura Fischer, Kara Muhilly, Paul Stevens, and Meke Smith. Sam Fisher, Sam Martin. Jon Ellis, Aja Falker, Afrisha Kincaid, Kara Muhilly, Laura Fischer. and Elizabeth Fitzroy were the Children of Terezin. More than 50 years after the end of World War II, it is sometimes easy to forget the pain and the suffering that was experienced by Jews in Europe during that period.
The Crossroads School production of Celeste Raspanti’s I Never Saw Another Butterfly.” brought back the heartache and pain created by Adolf Hitler.
A most moving production, the play easily surpassed what many think of as high school drama. Instead, Crossroads students performed like professionals, leaving few eyes dry by the end. Between 1942 and 1945. more than 15,000 Jewish children passed through Terezin, a former military garrison set up as a ghetto.
It eventually became a stopping-off place for thousands on their way to the gas chambers of Auschwitz.
When Terezin was liberated in May 1945, only about 100 children remained to tell the story of what had happened to their friends, their families, their lives. Their stories, drawings and poems were collected in the book, I Never Saw Another Butterfly.” and were later written as a play.
The play’s central character, Raja Englanderova, was performed with great feeling by Ellen Clifford. Through Clifford’s efforts, audience members could feel the pain experienced by Raja and other children of Terezin, first believing that all would be well and then later learning that they and their families are to go off to their deaths. Maury Browning did a fine job as Irena, a Jewish teacher, who naively attempted to calm the children’s fears until she herself realized what was in store for them all. Browning put in a strong performance as the audience watched her transformation from a strong-willed woman to one whose emotions became almost too much for her to bear. Will Freeman and Mike Vagnino put in good performances as Father and Pavel, respectively. Freeman portrayed the distraught father of a once middle-class family which saw its freedoms erode rapidly before them. Vagnino played the defiant son. one who wanted to stand up to the persecution perpetrated by the Nazis.
In one of the more powerful scenes, Father slapped Pavel in an effort to shake his defiance. Kelly Shelton also gave a good performance as Mother, who tried desperately to prevent her son from performing acts of contempt against the Nazis.
The audience could sense the frustration of this once-proud family. Andy Crowe did a nice job as Honza, a young man who lived with other boys who had been placed in the ghetto.
He fell in love with Raja, only to be deported and later put to death.
I Never Saw Another Butterfly” was Crossroads School’s first performance in its new black box theater.
The new theater gives Its actors a flexibility that did not exist before, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to find other production companies seeking the use of the theatre as well. “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” was a fine way to kick off the theater’s maiden voyage.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, December 1995.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1995_12.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
