Letters to Sala, a true Holocaust story with a large ensemble cast of mostly women, has been produced at over 150 school and community theatres in the past decade. Teachers, parents and students have expressed how much it's meant to the actors to perform this story, which is set in both the past and the near present. Many schools have connected with Jewish community centers and brought in speakers. Sala's daughter Ann Kirschner and I are usually available for a zoom meeting with the cast.
The play is very flexible; the set requires nothing more than three playing areas. When I directed it at the University of the South I used two tables, six chairs and a bench, along with some projections (which are available). Some designers have built realistic sets and others have been beautifully abstract. There are about 25 speaking roles, five men and the rest women, which can be doubled or not; the play can be produced with as few as 12 actors or as many as you like for group scenes by adding soldiers and people in the camps. One school presented it with, I think, 36 actors. I have especially enjoyed seeing photos of productions with diverse casting and encourage directors to let the range of ethnicities seen on stage reflect their school and community.
In honor of last week's
Days of Remembrance I'm attaching an updated manuscript copy of the script for your perusal (and for anyone else interested). The play is licensed by Dramatist Play Service and streaming rights are available. Since the story is based on Ann Kirschner's book Sala's Gift, some schools have used that as assigned reading material for their English and/or history classes in conjunction with performances of the play.
Earlier this year I had the privilege of directing As It Is In Heaven at Rollins College, the actors masked and mic'd, with an audience at 22% capacity (we also recorded and streamed it). It was thrilling to be back doing live theatre again and I hope everyone gets that opportunity again soon!
Many thanks for all the hard work you do. I was thinking last week about how much my high school drama teacher and Thespian Society membership gave to me and wondered what my life would have been like if I had not had the chance to discover and explore my passion for theatre.
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Arlene Hutton, playwright
Letters to Sala
I Dream Before I Take the Stand
Kissed the Girls & Made Them Cry
As It Is In Heaven
Susie Sits Shiva (EdTA commission)
faculty, The Barrow Group, NYC
arlene@barrowgroup.org------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 04-15-2021 08:18
From: Cherie Firmin
Subject: Most financially successful non-musical play you've ever done!
Good morning friends and colleagues,
I'm in the process of choosing our shows for next season, banking on the idea that life will be normal enough for live and in-person performances at a greater capacity (masked or unmasked, I'll take it!). I'm trying to think of a show to do in the Fall that will allow us to make back some of the money we lost this year. We do a non-musical, full-length play in the Fall, typically. I teach in a community that is not as supportive of the arts as I would like, so I want to know which shows you've done that have brought in the masses, were less expensive to produce, and still fun for all involved. Right now, I'm leaning towards a Shakespeare (Free and fun, at least for me!). But I want to hear which non-musical plays you've sold out, and tell me about your ticket pricing, too!
Thanks!
Cherie Ducote Firmin
Mandeville High School Talented Theatre Teacher
St. Tammany Parish Public School System
(work)985-626-5225 (fax)985-626-5298
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Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.