I Never Saw Another Butterfly

During World War II, the town of Terezin was converted into a concentration camp. Fifteen thousand children under the age of fifteen passed through the Terezin Concentration Camp. Fewer than 100 survived.

This musical version of Celeste Raspanti's widely produced play about the children of Terezin brings an added dimension to the story. Though few of the children survived, their lives were given meaning and hope through the tireless efforts of an inspirational teacher, Irena, who challenged their creativity and artistry in a makeshift classroom using scavenged materials which she kept hidden from the authorities.

More than 5,000 drawings, poems and prose pieces were produced by the children in the concentration camp during its three-year existence, thus providing a legacy that continues to be honored and celebrated today. As narrated by one of the survivors - and close friend of Irena - Raja takes the audience on a never-to-be-forgotten adventure that moves seamlessly back and forth between past and present.

The final words of the song "I Leave You These" best summarize the theme of the musical. As Irena is leaving Terezin to meet her fate, she secretly passes the writings and drawings to Raja and sings: "These poems and pictures will live on after us all/And on the memory of the children who made them/Night shall never fall."

I Never Saw Another Butterfly, published by Dramatic Publishing.

Only 100 survived out of 15,000 children under the age of 15, but their artwork and poetry remain and can be seen in the original book “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” by Hana Volavkovaat.