Etty is a touring one-woman
play based on the diaries and letters of Etty Hillesum,
adapted and performed by Susan Stein. Directed by Austin Pendleton.
Using only Etty Hillesum's words, Susan Stein's adaptation brings us to
1941 when Esther "Etty" Hillesum, a young Dutch Jewish woman, is living
in Amsterdam. Upon the recommendation of her therapist, Julius Spier,
she began a diary on 8 March 1941 to help her with her
depression. Hoping to become a writer, the diaries take on their own
literary life, presenting both Etty's growth as a writer and spiritual
transformation. As deportations begin, she prepares for the three day
journey eastward, she digs deeper into her soul to understand this piece of history
and root out any
hatred or bitterness, believing that humanity is the best and only
solution for survival. Etty's words, insights and beliefs reach out from
the Holocaust and allow us to see the power of hope and individual
thought in the most extreme circumstances. In her gentle yet forthright
way, Etty asks us not to leave her at Auschwitz but to let her have a
bit of a say
in what she hopes will be a new world.
ettyplay inc encompasses theatrical and educational experiences designed to challenge participants to reexamine assumptions about the Holocaust and explore issues of resistance, human rights, social justice and individual responsibility. We make available study guides to enrich an audience's experience of the play. Teaching artists work closely with educators to tailor to the needs of a given site a variety of writing and dramatic workshops. ettyplay teaching artists have also created a curriculum for teaching the Holocaust through the arts with a series of lessons that work independently or in conjunction with the play Etty.
The mission of ettyplay inc is to use the writings of Etty Hillesum to promote social justice, to challenge prejudice by examining the consequences of genocide and to enable participants to explore their own personal stories alongside Etty's, as they consider their role in the struggle for human rights.
News
ettyplay inc is hiring! Please visit our jobs page for more information.
Frank
Stasio, the host of The State of Things on North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC, interviewed Susan
about Etty Hillesum and her play Etty on Thursday, March 14th, 2013. Susan
also performed excerpts from her play. You can listen on The State of
Things "The Hidden
Diaries of a Young Jewish Woman" web page or stream the podcast
directly.
Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury discusses Etty
Hillesum in a 2004
lecture delivered at Oxford University.
How To Book Etty
You can book Etty at your venue. We perform Etty and lead discussions and workshops at primary schools, higher education institutions, community organizations, religious organizations, festivals, and nonprofit theaters. ettyplay inc travels to prisons throughout the United States and United Kingdom.
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.
Upcoming Events
| Date | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Jun 05 09:00 AM | Forrestdale School, 60 Forrest Avenue, Rumson, NJ, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post performance discussion. Sponsored by Rumson Public Schools and cchange. |