New Play by J.R.R. Tolkien's Great Grandson

NEW YORK, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Playwright Nicholas Tolkien, the great grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, is debuting his new production at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater in New York City. "Terezin" (https://www.terezintheplay.com/) stars celebrated Macedonian actress Natasa Petrovic in the role of Alexi, a young Jewish girl facing the horrors of Nazi Germany in the Terezin ghetto. Tickets for the play are on sale now from Ticket Central or by calling 212-279-4200. Petrovic and Tolkien are available for interviews throughout the play's scheduled run.

"We live in unsettled times economically and politically, and people of faith are being persecuted around the world," remarks Tolkien. "The message of 'Terezin' is therefore one that people need to hear. We must remember the past if we're not to repeat it."

The story of "Terezin" follows two Jewish girls as they navigate the horrors of Nazi Germany. Alexi is a virtuoso violin player; along with her friend Violet, she's forced to participate in a propaganda film for the Terezin ghetto. That their lives hang in the balance becomes all too clear when Violet disappears without a trace. At the same time, a Nazi commandant takes a special interest in Alexi's musical abilities. He offers her a Faustian bargain: If she will teach him to play the violin, he will reveal Violet's whereabouts. The looming, terrifying question is whether a man seemingly without humanity can ever be trusted.

Tolkien's inspiration for "Terezin" came in part from his reading of the diary of Gonda Redlich, who was deported to the ghetto in 1941, and from interviews with hundreds of Holocaust survivors.

"Every single human voice is different and each has its own fingerprint," Tolkien concludes. "The reason I wrote this story is to give a voice to the millions who were denied a chance to talk about their experiences during the Shoah, especially in Terezin — a place where the voice of an artist was their last hope of survival."

About Nicholas Tolkien
Nicholas is a playwright and theatre director from London, England. He is the great grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of "The Lord of The Rings." Tolkien has directed several feature films, including "Masquerade," which premiered at the 2012 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and has published his poetry in literary magazines such as phren-Z.

Contact:
Nicholas Tolkien    Phone:  805-570-3120    Email:  [email protected]

SOURCE Terezin