ABSTRACT
The artistic life of Terezín has been explored in a project that is titled, “Voices of Terezín,” beginning in spring 2009 in Prague and at Terezín and continuing at American University and the University of New Hampshire; it is ongoing. The reflections in this chapter on the theatrical experience at Terezín and the various components of the project emanate from a perspective of theater as a means of seeing and knowing. The theater can provide possibilities connecting to each of us at a level transcending intellectual and emotional paradigms to penetrate into our personal “essence.” As a conduit for the voices of others, theater can exert generative power, both for the creators (playwrights, directors, actors, designers) and the audience who shares in the performance. The theater experience engenders a collective occurrence that has the potential to be transformative, to empower, and to function as a catalyst for insight and action. Theater for those in the ghetto of Terezín/Theresienstadt (transit and forced labor camp during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia) appeared to have a deep impact for both the creators and the audience. It is an important reminder on a continuum for us today, as we witness, connect, experience, and hear their voices across time.
