Korczak’s Children

World War Two, the Nazi Occupation of Poland, Dr. Janusz Korczak—writer, educator, physician, and passionate advocate for children—tries to keep the 200 Jewish boys and girls of his famed Warsaw orphanage alive and hopeful in the face of unbelievable deprivation and terror. In the horrible conditions of the Jewish Ghetto, Korczak does everything within his power to make sure his children are fed and clothed, cared for and safe. But there are rumors of a change in the ghetto. Tales of deportations to concentration camps are spreading. Korczak knows time may be running out. Against the rules of the ghetto, he permits his orphans to stage a magical play—The Post Office—to teach them about the one adult subject he has not yet broached with them: death. As the play is rehearsed, the rumors become reality, and Korczak must decide who can be saved and who must go on the final journey together.

Format: Drama for young audiences

Cast Size:15M/13F

Running Time: 100–120 minutes

Original or Prominent Production:
Performed by the Children’s Theater Company, Minneapolis, February to April, 2003. Performed in high schools and middle schools across the U.S. since 2007.

Original Language: English

Publisher:

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Production Rights Holder:

Playscripts

Experience(s) Chronicled: The Ghettos | Concentration and Extermination Camps