One Act – I Never Saw Another Butterfly

*Everything in quotations is from an interview I had with Brynlee Monsen

For Juab’s 2022-2023 academic year, the drama department chose I Never Saw Another Butterfly as their one act play that they will be taking to region drama. I Never Saw Another Butterfly is about a jewish girl named Raja Englanderova. She tells her memory of the time she spent in Terezin, a jewish ghetto concentration camp. She tells of how she met people, how she felt, and how she came to realize that she was never alone. It’s a beautiful demonstration of hope, love, and staying alive.

The play’s set changes are fairly simple. The changes include boxes, desks, chairs, and a bench. They don’t have a stage crew to help with set changes so the simple ones are nice to have since the cast has to move them themselves. The tech crew does have actual pictures from kids that were recovered from concentration camps that they project in the background in scenes.

Brynlee Monsen played Irena Synkova, a teacher, in Terezin who devoted herself to bring hope to children through the use of different art forms. She becomes Raja’s first friend and is determined to help her see the good. She ends up getting transported to Auschwitz and leaves Raja. She is one of the main characters and when asked about what it’s like having that kind of part, she had to say,”It’s fun but very intimidating. Everyone has their own view of how the main character should act so you really have to focus on what you can bring in the character.

Trying out for a play can be scary and some students will not try out in spite of that fact. Although it might be scary, “Just do it!!! It can be intimidating, but there’s nothing like going on stage and completely becoming someone else. It helps with confidence and is very fun and a great environment. The Palmers are so nice and always encourage and push you to do your best.” The best thing you can do is to try, even if you don’t get a part. It gives you experience and you can say you at least tried

I Never Saw Another Butterfly is Juab’s one act that they will be taking to region. While at region, if you do well and score high enough, there is a possibility of going to the state competition. However, it is a tough competition and the chances of getting to state is slim. Juab has a fair chance of winning and going to state since “It’s an amazing story with an inspiring message. We’ve put in the work and will continue to push ourselves. We have a pretty good chance at making state!”