The Holocaust in contemporary drama and performance for young audiences

This article discusses youth Holocaust drama in the United States, Germany and Israel. These works reflect very different ideas of what the Holocaust was, who was affected, and what to do about it after the fact-how it should be remembered, or commemorated, or serve as a warning for the future. Holocaust performance for young audiences is a product of many different and distinct cultural elements, and is inextricably linked to the way in which nations understand and define themselves in relation to the Holocaust. Because each country was involved with the Holocaust in a different way, the plays for youth they produce make different assumptions about the same historical event, and commemorate it with the purpose of defining its cultural meaning. Yet they were all staged because theatre makers felt the need to continue the dialogue about the Holocaust with future generations.