[NEohioPAL] Award Winning Holocaust play on DVD

[John Ballantyne]

"Block 5," based on a true story of an incident which took place at the 
Mauthausen Concentration Camp during World War II, is now available on DVD.  
Playwright, J.E.Ballantyne, Jr., who wrote and directed the play, says that the 
the DVD of the revival production produced in Youngstown in 2009 is a great 
depiction of what happened to seven Jewish prisoners at the camp.  "It is a 
great educational opportunity for schools and for students who are studying the 
Holocaust," says Ballantyne.  The DVD is accompanied by an extensive study guide 
to help students get more out of what they have seen once they view the DVD.   
Anyone interested in acquiring a copy of the DVD should contact J&B Production 
Arts Services at 330-799-6176, or by sending an email to 
jandbproductionarts at juno.com or jandbproductionarts at yahoo.com.
     The production was shot with three cameras and has a number of extras 
included with it.  A special quantity discount is available when purchasing 5 or 
more DVDs.
A press release dealing with the DVD release follows: 


                                      Release of
                                  “Block 5” DVD


     J&B Production Arts Services has announced the release of the DVD recording 
of “Block 5”: The Revival.  Produced by L&M Productions,  the 3-dvd set was 
released this past Monday, April 4.  Taped during a live performance during the 
“Block 5” production run in October of 2009 at the Victorian Players in 
Youngstown, the three dvds contain the full theatrical production of “Block 5” 
along with many Bonus Features which add to the appreciation of the play.

     The play’s writer and director, J.E.Ballantyne, Jr., said that there is a 
wealth of educational material contained in the set.  The first two discs 
contain the play while the third disc contains a roundtable discussion with the 
actors and Ballantyne.  During the roundtable discussion the actors from the 
production talk about the play, their roles in it, what the experience meant to 
them and about the Holocaust and how it relates to the production.  The disc 
also features a Downstage Dialogue, sponsored by the Youngstown Area Community 
Theatre Alliance, during which the audience from the recorded performance ask 
the actors and playwright questions about the production which they had just 
witnessed.  The disc finishes up with behind the scenes photos and still photos 
from the production.

     “This 3-disc set is a fantastic look at not only what happened at 
Mauthausen, but also at the Holocaust in general,” says Ballantyne.  And at a 
price of only $25.00 for the entire set, it is a real bargain when you look at 
dvd costs in any retail store.  Ballantyne went on to say that, “anyone 
interested in the Holocaust, particularly students, should learn a great deal by 
watching the play and then listening to the actors involved.”   He said that, 
for many of them,  it was an emotional experience which took time to recover 
from.  There are reports that a local organization is interested in purchasing 
copies of the dvd and then distributing them to local schools.

     Several schools brought groups to the performance in 2009 and without 
exception, Ballantyne states, they were all very moved and effected by what they 
saw.   In addition to the production of “Block 5,” an exhibit called “Mauthausen 
to Auschwitz”: Visions of the Holocaust, was also at the theatre.  So, the 
students had the opportunity to view photographs as well as read quotes directly 
associated with the Holocaust. 


     In fact, the “Block 5”website is still up due to the popularity of it 
during and immediately after the production.  It can be found at 
www.block5revival.com.  The 3-dvd set is available to the general public at the 
cost of $25.00 and can be obtained by calling J&B Production Arts Services at 
330-799-6176 or by emailing them at jandbproductionarts at juno.com or 
jandbproductionarts at yahoo.com.

     The Holocaust exhibit, “Mauthausen to Auschwitz”: Visions of the Holocaust 
is also available at the same contact information.
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