[NEohioPAL] Anne Frank's step-sister

[John Ballantyne via NEohioPAL]

                                                      New Play About
                                                Anne Frank’s Step-sister
J&B Production Arts Services has announced plans to produce a new play about Eva Schloss,
Anne Frank’s step-sister. Titled, Images: Remembrances of the Holocaust - The Eva Schloss Story,
the play is written by J.E.Ballantyne, Jr. who also authored the very successful A Light In the Darkness:
A Story of Hope During the Holocaust which was also about Schloss and her family. The
difference in the two shows is that Images will be a one-woman show about the life of Eva Schloss
from her early childhood up to the present time --- a period of more than 80 years. The show will also
include video which will incorporate actors portraying other people in the life of Mrs. Schloss.
Slated to star in the premier production is local actress favorite, Molly Galano as Eva Schloss.
Playwright, J.E.Ballantyne, Jr. talked about the reason for writing the show. He said that it is intended
to show the span of life of Mrs. Schloss through all she has gone through during the Holocaust
and how she is continuing to educate students and adults about the dangers of what took place during
the Holocaust and how those things are still taking place today. Following the World Premier, a tour
is being planned which will play other theaters as well as high schools, colleges, and universities.
Ballantyne said that. “This production will be a tremendous educational tool for schools at all levels,
particularly if they have a Holocaust education program already in place.” No place has yet been
chosen for the World Premier production but it is hopefully planned for sometime in 2016 with the
tour taking off sometime in 2017. Any theaters interested in participating in the World Premier of the
production are asked to contact J&B Production Arts Services.
Eva Schloss knew Anne Frank well as a young girl growing up in Amsterdam, Holland. They
saw each other often and played together at both Anne’s apartment and in the square outside of their
apartment building in which both of them lived. Eva would not become related to Anne until after
Anne’s death when Anne’s father, Otto Frank, married Eva’s mother. Eva and her mother spent nine
months in Auschwitz-Birkenau during World War II. Her mother narrowly escaped death at the
hands of the Nazis on two occasions. Both experienced inhuman conditions and starvation during
their time in the camp. Ballantyne’s last play about Schloss, A Light In the Darkness, has seen numerous
productions across the U.S. including a production in London which was attended by nearly
2000 people in five performances. A Light In the Darkness was the winner of 6 Marquee Awards
including a Special Award for Community Service.

Ballantyne added that auditions will soon be scheduled for actors to portray the characters in the
video segments. He explained that the same video that is used in the premier production will also
stay with the show as it tours so those actors who are cast for the segments will have a permanent
place with the show for as long as it runs. He said he is seeking actors between the ages of 9 years
old and 50 to 60 years old. More specific details will be available in the audition notice or can be
obtained by calling J&B Production Arts Services. All video segments are tentatively scheduled to
be shot this summer. According to Ballantyne, one of the great things about this particular show is
that the length of it will be adaptable. The full length, two-act version, will run about an hour and 30
minutes with an intermission but a second version will also be available that will be trimmed to about
45 minutes so that it fits in with school assembly times. He points out that this show is an extremely
important show for students to see and experience and therefore he wants to give schools every opportunity
possible to book the show into their facilities. Also, with the shortened version, the show
would also be suitable for churches, women’s groups and other assorted small venues.
Mrs. Schloss, herself, is very excited about the show and is hoping to attend the World Premier
pending schedule availability. Ballantyne said that he has been working with her on the script for
the past year and five months. “Numerous drafts were sent to Eva over the past many months and
when we finally hit draft #6, we both felt we had a script that would make a great production,” said
Ballantyne regarding the process of developing the initial script. He said some re-writing still needs
to be done but they feel good about the basic script now in hand. The last time Mrs. Schloss was in
Youngstown was in 2011 for the premier of A Light In the Darkness.