The Terezin Promise
By Celeste Raspanti.
Product Code: TF1000
One-act Play
Drama
Cast size: 4m., 4w. Extras can include children, soldiers, guards.
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold throughout the World.
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.
Synopsis
The liberation of Terezin concentration camp is at hand, and the Nazis are in retreat, desperate to destroy evidence of their crimes. While some prisoners escape hidden in the confusion of the retreat, Raja Englanderova remains to keep a promise she made to their teacher, Irena: she will not leave without the drawings and poems of the Terezin children. She convinces her friends and Hanus, the leader of the boys' group, that they must find the buried bundles and hidden suitcases before the Nazis destroy the camp and them with it. Their search is ended by a wounded Nazi soldier who finds them in the attic and threatens them with his weapon. Across the room the Hitler youth and the youth of Terezin challenge each other for survival—the soldier wants to save his honor and go home; Hanus wants to revenge years of hunger, slavery and humiliation. Raja wants to keep the promise—save the drawings and poems and take them to Prague. In the end, strengthened by Irena's lessons of healing hope, they leave revenge and anger in the past. With the survival of the Terezin children safe in two large battered suitcases, they walk out through the gates of Terezin toward Prague, free—and hopeful.
Notes
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
Details
- Status In stock
- Type of Show One-act Play
- Product Code TF1000
- Minimum Cast Size 8
- Pages of Dialogue 31
- Min. Royalty Rate $55.00/perf
- Approx. Run Time 40 min
- Staging Area staging.
Categories
- Target Audience Young Audiences | Middle School | High School | College and Adult | Family (all ages)
- Performing Group Middle School | High School | College Theatre
- Genre Drama
- ISBN(13) 9781583422007
Customer Reviews
We enjoyed producing this show for our junior high UIL One Act Play competition. Holocaust plays tend to be overdone, but The Terezin Promise offers a fresh and unique perspective. The age ranges of the characters worked nicely for my junior high students. I would highly recommend this show to anyone considering it!
Very well received. Would be possible to pair with I Never Saw Another Butterfly. This is a moving story that answers the question about how the pictures and poems were saved. It paints a strong picture of what went on at the end; the fight for survival for all humans on both sides.
The Terezin Promise is an intense and emotional piece depicting a group of teenagers fighting for survival, hope, and the honor of loved ones who have died before them in the Terezin concentration camp. The students found it challenging and thought-provoking. It did well in contest with its strong message and simplicity of set and costumes.
The play is an excellent script. The parts are ideal for young actors. It's full of conflicts, and the subject matter is very educational because the play is based on actual facts.
The Terezin Promise is the sequel to I Never Saw Another Butterfly, but it contains more action than the original. Webber Academy performed this show and won the Zone Drama Festival in Calgary. We performed it at the Provincial Drama Festival at Red Deer Performing Arts Centre in 2009. The students enjoyed the research and character work for this play. It has good conflict and is excellent for three strong female roles. I recommend this play for high-school students.
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
Sound is very important as is lighting. Flexibility can be added by using more children. Czech Anthem is hard to find and a difficult piece but VERY APPROPRIATE. (Ed. note: a direct link to a source for this music can now be found on our website.)
The dying soldier is a challenge for any student. It takes sensitivity and commitment from your actors. We used a scrim and interesting backlighting for this production with minimal boxes.
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The New Hazlett Theater | Pittsburgh | PA | 02/28/2025 | 03/09/2025 |
Gallery
The Terezin Promise - Portland High School, Portland, MI
The Terezin Promise - Friendswood Junior High, Friendswood, TX
The Terezin Promise - Prime Stage Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
The Terezin Promise - St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol, CT
The Terezin Promise - Webber Academy, Calgary, Alberta
Also By These Authors
Victoria Goubert, Richard Allie Middle School, Crowley, Texas