Anschel

Solo | Bio-Drama
Part of The Resilience Series
By Michael London

1 M | Age 21

90 mins without an intermission

ANSCHEL is the true story of a survivor.

An 11 year-old boy when German Soldiers overran Poland in 1939, Anschel was a Polish Jew who was clever beyond his years. Time after time, year after year, when captured by Nazi Soldiers and armed SS guards, he repeatedly escaped. At the end of the war, he was a teenager and the only one in his family to survive the Holocaust.

This is his story.

ANSCHEL is the first play in The Resilience Series.

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Cast List

ANSCHEL | Male, age 21

We meet Anschel in 1949 on his 21st birthday as he shares his story to a friend.

VARIOUS CHARACTERIZATIONS | Male/Female, Ages 11 – 80

As the main character reflects on his journey, he voices a range of characters from 11 – 80.

Male actor on stage reading a letter while seated

Setting

GERMANY | 1949

The stage is empty, save a small round pub table to the left with a cup/glass for a drink and a wooden crate for a seat. This represents a small makeshift pub in postwar Hannover, Germany in 1949.

STAGING NOTES:

An empty stage except for a single table and a box seat.
A soundscape and lighting design characterize the story’s tension.

Behind the Story

THE ADAPTATION
ANSCHEL is an adaptation of the Holocaust memoir Anschel’s Story by Renate Frydman., PhD.

WHY THIS STORY?
Anschel’s story is a story from many ages. Although it is a story from the Holocaust, it is a story of a young person’s reality caught in a war not of their making. This is a story of yesterday and today and a story of resilience that we are all capable of.

This play is the first in The Resilience Series, which shares stories of survival, rescue and resilience; stories that are always important to know.

ARTISTIC COMMISSION
This new play is the result of a special commission by the Dayton Holocaust Resource Center that was funded by a grant from the Leon Norman and Mildred Miriam Nizny Memorial Fund and the Eleanor and John Kautz Fund of the Dayton Foundation, with the support and assistance of the Human Race Theatre Company.

Media

Dawson Hudson
Photo credit: Kyle Long

Anschel Trailer | Oct. 2025
Video credit: Kyle Long

Dawson Hudson
Photo credit: Kyle Long

Testimonials

“Anschel is an incredibly powerful play that provides accessible and engaging Holocaust education for audiences as young as 6th grade. At the JCC of Greater Columbus we welcomed over 230 attendees, of which 60 were students. There are very few Holocaust education programs that have such broad appeal to audiences of different ages. The story itself is inspiring and the performance captivated everyone in our theater for the entire time. I would highly recommend bringing Anschel to your community.”

— Ronnie Conn (Jewish Community Center, Columbus, OH)

“What an amazing and rewarding experience to participate in Anschel, last night in Springfield. 90 minutes of attention, concentration and emotion. It was very personal and the setting felt very right. The young actor was electrifying – and this must be hard duty as the story is as hard to watch as it is compelling. No looking away.”

— Audience Member (Springfield, OH)

“Touching, moving, and beautifully told story.”

— Audience Member (Columbus, OH)

“It was a very moving and spiritual experience!”

— Audience Member (Dayton, OH)

Performance History

DATES	TYPE	VENUE	LOCATION
May 11, 2026	Production	Mandel JCC	Cleveland, OH
Apr 29, 2026	Production	Temple Emanu-El	West Field, NJ
Mar 23-24, 2026	Production	Wittenberg University	Springfield, OH
Mar 15, 2026	Production	Dayton Art Institute	Dayton, OH
Oct 21, 2025	Production	Jewish Community Center	Columbus, OH
Nov 12, 2024	Staged Reading	Black Box Theatre Sinclair Community College	Dayton, OH
Nov 4, 2024	Staged Reading	Bassani Theatre	Dayton, OH
Oct 21, 2024	Staged Reading	Loft Theatre Human Race Theatre Company	Dayton, OH

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Michael M London

Playwright | Educator | Speaker

His plays have been produced in the USA, UK and Canada
Artist-in-Residence with many Ohio arts and educational organizations
Playwright-in-Residence with the Benjamin Franklin House (London, UK)
Master’s Degree from Royal Holloway, University of London (UK)

Other Scripts

Varian

Historical Bio-Drama
Part of The Resilience Series

1 M (age 30s)

An American writer traveled to France during WWII to rescue Anti-Nazi and Jewish refugees.

Those English Girls

Historical Bio-Drama
Part of The Resilience Series

2 F (late 30s)

Sisters Ida & Louise used Opera as a cover to help refugees escape Hitler’s Germany.

Connect

I also maintain the Ohio Playwright’s Circle program, a resource that focuses on service and education to Ohio playwrights.

To contact me about the Ohio Playwright’s Circle, email me at ohioplaywrightscircle@gmail.com

Or visit the blog site at ohioplaywrightscircle.wordpress.com