Remnants

Written by a psychologist, Remnants is based on over forty years of interviews of Holocaust survivors by the author. Originally conceived as a radio play, Greenspan tours the work as a one-man show. Remnants is not testimony but rather recreates conversational moments in which survivors struck on an image or anecdote that “nailed” what they were attempting to convey, not only about the destruction but also about living after. The action is in the retelling itself: survivors finding such images, their strategic deployment, and the particular relationship that each survivor works to establish with the audience.

Format: Radio play and one-man show

Notes:

Henry Greenspan is a psychologist and playwright at the University of Michigan who has been interviewing, teaching, and writing about Holocaust survivors since the 1970s.

For additional reading, the opening monologue of the play titled “Voice” is published in Janet E. Rubin’s book, Voices: Plays for Studying the Holocaust (Scarecrow Press, 1999). Rubin’s book is a compilation of eight plays along with related activities and resources for upper elementary, middle and high school students.

Original or Prominent Production:
Remnants was originally produced for National Public Radio in the U.S. and then became a stage play, initially with a full cast and later as a one-man show performed by the author. The radio production was by WUOM-FM, “Michigan Radio,” and distributed to NPR stations in 1992. The first Equity production was a two-week run at the New Hope Performing Arts Festival in 1995. The first one-man production was a three-week run at the John Houseman Theater in New York in 1997. Portions of Remnants have been performed by Tony nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Tovah Feldshuh as a one-woman show.

Original Language: English

Production Rights Holder:

See Henry Greenspan’s website.

Experience(s) Chronicled: Survivors and Subsequent Generations