Tuesday, March 15th

FYI:
The Jamestown Arts Center is putting on "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" by Celeste Raspanti. This play ties into the history and themes we have been studying during our Night unit. If you are interested, the infomation is copied below.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly runs April 1-3 at the Jamestown Arts Center, located at 18 Valley St, Jamestown RI.  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7pm with a matinee Sunday at 3pm.  Tickets in advance are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors & students. They also can be purchased at the door, $12 for adults, $10 for seniors & students.   Tickets go on sale on March 10th and can be purchased at the following vendors in Jamestown: Baker’s Pharmacy, The Secret Garden, Cathryn Jamieson Salon, and at the Jamestown Arts Center.  They also can be purchased off island at Pleasant Surprise in Newport and at Midnight Sun in Wickford.

A description of the play:
The story is told by Raja Englanderova, one of the few children who still was alive when Terezin was liberated. She tells of a teacher, Irene Synkova, who discreetly taught and encouraged the children to write poetry and to draw pictures. It is the story of inspiration and hope amidst the darkest circumstances. This play is a creation of Raja’s story using documented materials: poems, diaries, letters, journals, drawings, and pictures.  An account of those years at Terezin also remains in drawings and poems collected and published in the original poetry book with the same title.


I Never Saw Another Butterfly, by Celeste Raspanti, records the period of time from 1942-1945 when over 15,000 Jewish children passed through Terezin, a previous military garrison set up as a ghetto.  Under pressure, the Germans “beautified” the ghetto and permitted representatives from the Danish Red Cross and the International Red Cross to visit in June 1944. They planted lovely gardens and painted and renovated the barracks. It was all a highly crafted ruse that included theatrical presentations, operas, and concerts, all staged for the visiting dignitaries.