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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Jan 22 19:00 | Central Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL, UK - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. For enquiries, contact Mary Woodward Staples at +44 0131 665 9192 or mpwfisherrow@gmail.com. Donation is suggested. |
| 2015 Jan 24 14:30 | Peterborough Quaker Meeting House, Peterborough, PE3 6AB UK - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. For enquiries, contact Noel Staples at +44 07525 793747. Donation is suggested. |
| 2015 Jan 26 19:00 | Kendal Town Hall, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4DL, UK - map. |
Susan Stein will be a guest speaker at Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration. Sponsored by the Lake District Holocaust Project (L.D.H.P.), a project of the Windermere Library. |
| 2015 Jan 27 19:00 | Friends' Meeting House, Whielden Street, Amersham, HP7 0JB, UK - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Tickets in advance: £10/£6 concession from Jordans Quaker Centre, Welders Lane, HP9 2SN. Further details and booking +44 01494 876594 or email office@jordansquakercentre.org. |
| 2015 Jan 28 19:30 | Great Saint Mary's Church (The University Church), Senate House Hill, Cambridge, CB2 3PQ, UK - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion with Rowan Williams and Ed Kessler. Open to the public. Tickets cost £5 and will be available from Monday 12th January via the Eventbrite website or can be purchased on the door. |
| 2015 Jan 29 10:00 | Friends' School - Saffron Walden, Mount Pleasant Road, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 3EB, UK - map. |
Residency at Friends' School Saffron Walden with afternoon performance of Etty and post-performance discussion with pupils and staff in Senior School. |
| 2015 Feb 03 19:00 | Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3FL, UK - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. |
| 2015 Feb 08 02:30 PM | Church of St Joseph in Greenwich Village, 371 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. All Seats are $25 in advance, $30 at the door for adults and $15 with a student ID. Proceeds to benefit the work for peace of Pax Christi Metro New York. |
| 2015 Feb 12 08:00 PM | The Depot at Virginia Commonwealth University, 814 West Broad, Richmond, VA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion as part of VCU Writers Series. Sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University. |
| 2015 Feb 23 - 28 | California Holocaust Education Center, Visalia, CA, US - map. |
As artist-in-residence as part of California Holocaust Education Center, Visalia, CA, teaching artist Susan Stein will perform Etty in several public performances as well as lead workshops and classes. |
| 2015 Feb 26 07:30 PM | American Jewish University, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel-Air, CA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Discussion will be led by Michael Berenbaum. |
| 2015 Mar 01 (time TBA) | St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2216 17th Street, Bakersfield, CA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. |
| 2015 Mar 04 07:00 PM | Ukiah United Methodist Church, 270 North Pine Street, Ukiah, CA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Suggested donation. |
| 2015 Mar 06 | Redwood Academy of Ukiah, 1059 North State Street, Ukiah, CA, US - map. |
Half day residency at Redwood Academy including performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. |
|
2015 Mar 08 03:00 PM
2015 Mar 09 09:00 AM |
Mercy High School San Francisco, 3250 19th Avenue, San Francisco, CA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Part of three day residency at Mercy High School. Open to the public. On March 9th there will be a performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Introduction by Professor Jacob Boas. Open to the Mercy High School community. |
| 2015 Mar 17 01:00 PM | Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, 5555 Portola Drive, San Francisco, CA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Open to the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts community. |
| 2015 Mar 18 11:00 AM | Lick-Wilmerding High School, 755 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Open to the Lick-Wilmerding High School community. |
| 2015 April 12 07:00PM | Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Sponsored by Classroom Without Borders. Open to the public. |
| 2015 April 13 10:00AM | Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. |
| 2015 April 14 07:00PM | Seton Hill University, Seton Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Sponsored by the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education at Seton Hill University. Free and open to the public. |
| 2015 April 15 07:30PM | The Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford, CT, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion as part of Yom HaShoah (יום השואה), Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration. Sponsored by Emanuel Synagogue. Open to the public. |
| 2015 May 10 11:00AM | Medford Leas, One Medford Leas Way, Medford, NJ, US - map. |
Performance of Etty followed by post-performance discussion. Performance is open to the public. |