Etty is a touring one-woman
theatrical 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
1943 when Etty, a young Jewish woman, is about to be deported out of
Holland. As 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 say
in what
she hopes will be a new world.
Esther "Etty" Hillesum was a young Dutch Jewish student living in Amsterdam during WWII. 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. Etty's diaries and letters from 1941 - 1943 describe life in Nazi-occupied Holland and Westerbork Transit Camp where she was interned. Etty Hillesum was 29 years old when she was murdered at Auschwitz/Birkenau.
News About Etty
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.
Book Etty
You can book Etty at your venue. We perform Etty and lead discussions at primary schools, higher education institutions, community organizations, religious organizations, festivals, and nonprofit theaters.
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.
Upcoming Events
| Date | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Jul 09 15:30 | Yad Vashem, Ha-Zikaron Street, Jerusalem, 91034, IL - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion as part of Through Our Own Lens: Reflections on the Holocaust From Generation to Generation. |
| 2014 Oct 31 03:00 PM | Thirteenth Biennial Lessons and Legacies Conference, Wyndham Hotel, 1950 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion as part of Thirteenth Biennial Lessons and Legacies Conference. |