I Never Saw Another Butterfly is a play written by Celeste Raspanti dealing with the Terezin or Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War Two and the children who lived and died therein. Based partly on the true story of holocaust survivor Raja Englanderova and partly on the drawings, stories, and poems made by Jewish children living in the camp, the play is an emotional, hard-hitting study of innocence lost and the survival of hope in even the most hellish conditions.
These are tough themes to grapple with, and this production by Canada's Archbishop Jordan High School should be commended for approaching such troubling subject matter with real sensitivity and commitment. This is a carefully considered staging of the play, with some nice uses of space and a sparse set that keeps the attention very much on the story and performances. Photographic images depicting scenes from the Jewish ghettos and camps are intermittently projected onto the two sides of the stage backdrop throughout, providing added impact without straying into exploitation. However, due to the layout of the theatre these images can be hard to see depending on where you are sitting in the audience; those sitting towards either side of the auditorium may thus feel frustrated at their obscured vision.
The young cast are competent in their roles and deal well with a difficult subject matter, even if some of the depths of emotion needed seem slightly beyond their range. Abby Koshka lends Raja a commendable sense of broken innocence, with her childish enthusiasm for the schemes of friend Hanza offset by the brutal harshness of the world surrounding her. Her friendship – or, indeed, romantic relationship - with Hanza may come across as somewhat stale on the stage, but there is still a tangible sense of loss at the tragic events that follow. This sense of loss pervades the whole production, occasionally emphasised but also sadly sometimes hindered by repetitive, tinkly background music played at low volume throughout.
This is a competent production of this play and, while it may lack the spark or acting proficiency that would have made it more effortlessly stand out, it still manages to sensitively provoke a strong emotional response.
