Florida Rep's Lunchbox Theatre Presents I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY, 1/18 & 19

Florida Rep's Lunchbox Theatre Series presents Celeste Raspanti's I Never Saw Another Butterfly, an inspiring true story about children living in the Jewish Ghetto, Terezin, during the Holocaust.

Butterfly plays Jan 18 and 19 at 11am in the Historic Arcade Theatre. The low $12 admission includes the show, a boxed lunch and a post-show talk-back with a real Terezin survivor.

Terezin was the last stop before Auschwitz for hundreds of thousands of people, including 15,000 Jewish children. One child, Raja Englanderova, lived to tell her story. Young and optimistic, Raja meets Irena Synkova, a dedicated teacher, who encourages her students to creatively express their feelings through drawings and poems. Raja also befriends a young man living in the ghetto, Honza. Their friendship blooms despite the danger of the Nazis discovering their relationship. Together they unite the segregated boys' and girls' houses with a secret newspaper. Through poetry and art, they create a world of laughter and love. Journey with Raja as she learns that the only way to survive is through companionship.

Florida Repertory Theatre has partnered with the Holocaust Museum and Education Center of Southwest Florida to present a post-show talk back with Terezin survivor Steen Metz. Mr. Metz's family is originally from Denmark. Under the Nazi occupation during WWII, the people of Denmark were able to save the majority of their Jewish population. However, about 500 Danish Jews were captured in 1943 and sent to the Terezin camp in Czechoslovakia. Steen and his parents were among this group.

The production features Florida Rep's acting intern company, Lindsay Clemmons, Molly Coyne, Brian Hatch and Mitchell Land. These young theatre artists are making their professional debut with Florida Rep and will spend the season working in many different capacities, but chiefly performing in The Children's Theatre Series.

Florida Rep's Education Associate, Claire Guy, directed the production and was joined by an expert team of designers including scenic designer and the company's technical director, Chris Simpson, costume designer Emily Fauscett, sound designer Kate Smith, props artisans Jenn Williams and Patricia Snyder and production stage manager Taylor Murphy Hale.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly plays in the Historic Arcade Theatre on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18 and 19 at 11am and is recommended for adults and children, grades 7 & up. The $12 ticket price includes the performance, post-show talk back with Mr. Metz and a boxed lunch from April's Pie Company. Tickets are available online at www.floridarepeducation.org and through the box office at 239-332-4488.

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