The Perk Players of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will present the play “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” February 13-15 at Malone Hall Auditorium on the Perkinston Campus.  Curtain will be at 7 o’clock each night.

Written by Celeste Raspanti, “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” is based on the poetry and artwork created in a concentration camp by the Jewish children of Prague. More than 15,000 children passed through Terezin, and only about 100 were still alive when Terezin was liberated at the end of the war.

Raja, having lived through it all, teaches the children when there is nothing to teach with; helps to give them hope where there is little enough reason for hope; creates a little world of laughter, of flowers and butterflies behind the barbed wire; and is the one who tells the true story of the children. It’s her play, and it’s theirs. There were no butterflies at Terezin, but for the children, butterflies became a symbol of defiance, making it possible for them to live on and play happily while waiting to be transported.

The cast includes Hollie Ainsworth as Young Raja Englanderova; Kathryn Lewis as Adult Raja Englanderova; Galen Johnson as Father; Nancy Barrett as Mother; Sherry Smith as Vera; Anthony James as Pavel; Jada Holmes as Irena Synkova; Emily Edwards as Renka; Annie Hillman as Irca; and Landon Arnold as Honza.

The Children of Terezin are Lindsey Hammond, Jalyn Johnson, Katharine Spacht, Jazzlyn Handy, Allyson Cook, Layla Seal, Georgia Ellis, Addylen Breland, Ayden Lizana, Chloe Craven, Cameron Craven, Kassidy Craven, Kaylee Craven, Rebakah Burns, Constance Sloan, Cela Strickland, Tyanne Hatten and Cayden Wall.

Members of Terezin are Haleigh Blanchard, Robyn Ramsey, Kristy Chadwick, Tiffani Jernigan, Danielle Davis, Heather Anderson, Alexis Nichols, Angela Craven and Natalie Breland.

Tickets are $5.  For information, contact Amanda Chavez at 601.928.6369.