For Production photos of “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” click HERE

This particular show takes place in the children’s concentration camp at Terazin in Nazi Germany during WWII, and is based off of journal entries and artwork collected by the Jewish children that were kept there before they were put to death as part of the Hitler’s “final solution”.  This particular perspective is made even more gruesome as the lives being portrayed are not only true accounts of prisoners facing eventual genocide, but children as well.  In order to visualize the stark outcome, but still allow for the beauty of the children’s artwork that was eventually collected after they were killed, I draped sheer fabric on multiple levels over battens and treated it with a light grey spatter.  When it was not lit (or lit with no color) this was meant to be reminiscent of the smoke and ashes that would eventually become associated with the holocaust, but also to allow for colorful projections to be visualized above the performers to portray space, ideas, and character.  It also gave a number of entrances and exits along with a haunting ability to use backlight behind a drape to portray death.  I taught my Students to use projection in a performance, and how to present depth in a representational space rather than a “literal” one.  I also had to explain to my student who designed sound for this piece, that he would not be allowed to use a hymn from his Christian church in the background music for this particular piece about the holocaust.  Kids…. (sigh)

For Production photos of “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” click HERE