It was announced this week that The Last Boy . . . a new play with music by Steven Fisher, which had its sold-out and critically acclaimed world premiere production at The Theatre at St. Clements in July 2021, has won four BroadwayWorld Awards, in all four of the Off-Broadway categories for which it was nominated: Best New Play; Best Production of a Play; Best Performance in a Play (Dean Trevisani); and Best Direction of a Play (Steven Fisher).
The show was inspired by the true story of the now 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Sidney Taussig and his 100 young roommates in Terezin Concentration Camp’s Dorm Number One. The boys fought the Nazis with the power of the pen by creating Vedem magazine (meaning “We are winning” in Czech) – the longest-running underground publication of World War II, which contained their original poetry and prose, songs and art. By 1945, all but fifteen-year-old Taussig had been transported from Terezin to the Auschwitz death camp. He – the eponymous “last boy” left – saved more than 800 pages of their writings and illustrations by burying the magazine, along with his grandmother’s ashes, to prevent the Nazis from burning them.
Threaded throughout Fisher’s profoundly affecting play are the boys’ extant poems. “I think of myself less as the writer, and more as the conduit for the boys. They are the authors of this piece. Any award the play garners is their award. I’m just humbled and incredibly honored that Mr. Taussig gave me his blessing to tell a story inspired by his incredible journey,” said the playwright.
In commemoration of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), a one night-only performance of The Last Boy will be presented by Theatre 4 Young People on Wednesday, April 27, beginning at 6 pm, at The Town Hall. The special event, to benefit several non-profit organizations, will honor all those affected by the Holocaust, including the 1.5 million children who perished.
Featuring a cast of boys who, Fisher notes, “will break, mend, and win your heart in what promises to be an extraordinary, poignant evening,” the one-act 90-minute show, ending at sundown, will culminate in 100 young people rising throughout the venue to pay tribute to Vedem’s young poets – most of whom did not survive, but whose legacy lives on with The Last Boy. If you know a boy or a young man who would like to be a part of that final scene, click here.
All Survivors of the Holocaust are invited to attend as honorees and can request a complimentary ticket for themselves and a guest here. The guest list includes Taussig, well-known survivors Tova Friedman, Michael Bornstein, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and many others.
The Last Boy . . . A New Play with Music: A Yom HaShoah To Remember plays on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, beginning at 6 pm, at The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, NYC. For tickets (priced from $102-127, with a 10% discount offered to our readers by using the code DCMTA), call (212) 997-6661, or go online. Everyone must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a valid photo ID prior to entering the building and must wear a mask at all times when inside.
