[NEohioPAL] Holocaust play goes international

[John Ballantyne via NEohioPAL]

Local Holocaust Play to Have
International Premier


     J&B Production Arts Services, the company that controls the performance rights to A Light in the Darkness: A Story of Hope During the Holocaust, recently announced that the locally premiered and written play will have its first production overseas.  The play, written by local playwright J.E.Ballantyne, Jr., will be presented by the American School in London this fall.  It will be the first international production of the popular play. 

     Based on The Promise by Eva Schloss and Barbara Powers, the play deals with the life of Mrs. Schloss (Anne Frank’s step-sister) during the time that her family went into hiding from the Nazis and follows them through their time in Auschwitz and their eventual return to Holland after World War II.  The play saw its world premier at the Victorian Players in Youngstown, Ohio in October of 2011 and was essentially the last show that former Managing Director Marilyn Higgins produced for the theater before her passing at the end of the year.  The show has since seen productions at Liberty High School in Liberty  and Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle, Washington.  Ballantyne says that there are also other productions in the planning stages elsewhere as well as many inquiries from theaters and schools across the country.  The play was the winner of six Marquee Awards including a Special Award for Community Service.   Mrs. Schloss attended
 the premier in Youngstown and is expected to attend the premier in London.

     Ballantyne also announced that he is currently writing a second play about Eva Schloss based on her latest book, After Auschwitz.  This play will deal with her early life, the years in hiding and in Auschwitz but will spend considerable time examining what Eva has done with her life over the years since the end of World War II.  She has traveled the world over telling her story and educating people about the Holocaust.  Ballantyne said that when the time comes that Eva can no longer travel that this new play can hopefully speak for her.  He is designing it as a one-woman show with accompanying video that will incorporate other characters.

     For more information and to inquire about performance rights for A Light in the Darkness, visit www.jandbproductionarts.com and click on Play Licensing.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.neohiopal.org/pipermail/neohiopal-neohiopal.org/attachments/20140529/bc869c44/attachment.htm>