By James Still.
Product Code: A84000
Full-length Play
Drama
Cast size: 5m., 4w. (2m., 2w. with doubling.)
Awards: The Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award | AATE Distinguished Play Award
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And Then They Came for Me is a unique theatrical experience: a multimedia play that combines videotaped interviews with Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. Ed was Anne Frank's first boyfriend, and she wrote about him in the beginning of her now-famous diary. Eva Schloss was the same age as Anne Frank and lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Her family went into hiding the same day as the Frank family. And like the Frank family, they were betrayed. On Eva's 15th birthday, her family was arrested by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Eva and her mother survived, and after the war her mother married Otto Frank (Anne's father). Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance, the ensemble-driven And Then They Came for Me breaks new ground and has been acclaimed by audiences and critics in world-wide productions. This production is like a historic newsreel brought to life on the stage. And it works. (Charles Epstein, WICR Radio, Indianapolis) And Then They Came for Me incorporates the use of live actors, videotape and a CD for each performance.
An incredible play that weaves two remarkable biographies in a powerful and innovative way.
A very powerful and moving show. It had our audiences in tears. The integration of interviews from actual Holocaust survivors all the more poignant.
This was one of the most moving and effective programs I have done on this topic. It was appropriate for all ages and wonderfuly meshed the "historical" with the "personal."
James Still's production presented Gorham High School with a wonderful learning opportunity. The reality and horror of the Holocaust was revealed in a palpable method. The multimedia dimension of this production captivated the actors' and audience's attention.
The script is concise yet manages to capture a wealth of historical and emotional detail. There is an intimate quality to the true stories of children in war. Actors and audiences are struck by the juxtaposition of horror and hate with courage and love.
It was really a heart wrenching presentation. The videos of Eva Geiringer-Schloss and Helmut (Ed) Silverberg as they narrated their stories put so much emotion behind it and brought the whole thing to life in a stark and powerful manner É There are some statements we dare not forget. The simple writings of Anne Frank fall into that category. There is definitely some reason for the diary of a young girl to survive against all odds for more than 60 years. The words and emotions of these two people who knew Anne and survived what she did not [survive] speak to us all and ask that we remember and not allow this history to keep repeating.
This play was a rousing success and a great educational tool augmented by the attendance of Eva Schloss herself who talked to the audience afterward. I liked the economy of the play, and its message was very digestible to an audience sadly unfamiliar with the subject matter.
It was very moving and very well received. The audience was silent after the performance, not wanting to break the reverence of the moment.
We did this play for both school matinees and for adult audiences. In both situations, the play mesmerized and deeply affected the emotions of the audiences who viewed it. During my tenure at the college, it drew the largest number of people to have seen one of our productions. The combination of video and live actors proved to be riveting theatre.
This is a very moving show for audiences ages 12 through 112. The incorporation of the videos makes it such a great blend of documentary and theatre.
I loved this play! The actors loved this play! The audience loved this play! It was technically challenging because of our limited technology, but it was worth it to have the audience impacted as they were. Ours was a terrific production!
The play was fantastic. We filled the 200-seat house and everyone extolled the production. The directing, staging, lights, sound, costumes were great, but I think it was the overall collage of video, sound and script that impacted everyone so strongly and brought this frequently either visceral or intellectual topic to a dramatic combined reality. My mother, who is generally very critical, said she actually thought the actors on the stage were Young Eva and Young Ed. Great choice for education. It was fabulous. We followed the show with discussion. One night it was led by a Nun from the Catholic Chaplaincy and the other by a Professor of History specializing in the Holocaust. The audience response and involvement intensified their appreciation of the topic.
Excellent play! Highly moving and an innovative look at the Holocaust.
The play "And Then They Came for Me" changed the lives of my cast. Even after months of research and preparation, the actors came to me after opening night with stories of the impact it had on their lives. We will never forget it.
What a wonderful venue for combining theatre and video arts. The story of Eva and Ed is just striking enough to be shocking and human enough to be moving.
Incredible learning experience for both my students and me. My audiences were extremely moved.
This was one of the most moving experiences I've had as a director (25 years). I followed each performance with a Q & A with actors/audience/and a holocaust survivor. It was incredible.
A play gets my attention by the use of "good words." The writing was excellent. All of the characters were so real. I am a big fan of monologues, and the movements from monologues back into group scenes were beautiful.
We incorporated the video and audio very early in the rehearsal process; this is the main priority of stage management with this show.
One tip that I would suggest is work with the videos early. Get your technical crew comfortable with all the cues.
Definitely rent the video and sound effects to use from the first rehearsal on.
Start working with the CD and video right from the start.
We used a scrim to hide the scene of a mural which was painted with various propaganda posters —very effective. Stage was stark except for a table and two chairs.
Use the DVD all the time for practice. Timing is everything!
We put the video onto a PowerPoint presentation, which not only solved the timing problems, but also allowed us to incorporate many of the sound effects from the CD.
Make sure you rehearse with video from the beginning. The timing involved between live actors and video is crucial to your success.
Have your sound and video tech people start rehearsing with the cast as soon as possible. The video and sound are crucial to this production and must become a part of the rehearsal process from the beginning.
Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Scott Sr High | Fort Scott | KS | 02/20/2025 | 02/22/2025 |
Morris Theatre Guild | Morris | IL | 03/07/2025 | 03/16/2025 |
Stained Glass Theatre of Mid-Missouri | Jefferson City | MO | 09/04/2025 | 09/13/2025 |
Susan McCormick, Highland Park Middle School, Dallas, Texas