Remembering the World of Anne Frank
In Other People’s Shoes Productions will produce a staged reading of AND THEN THEY CAME FOR ME: Remembering the World of Anne Frank by James Still, on June 22, 2025.
The play is based on the true stories of two Holocaust survivors who were friends of Anne Frank in Amsterdam. The play includes videotaped testimony from the two survivors, with actors taking over to help tell their stories. The staged reading reunites the cast and director of the 2020 Ovation Award winner for best production of a play in a large theatre.
The reading will be part of the first gala fundraising event for In Other People’s Shoes, a company founded in 2021 to tell imaginative, impactful and artistic stories for young people and families from all walks of life. The company has three plays for young audiences in development and the funds raised from this benefit will support getting them to local stages.
“I’m so pleased that director Abigail Deser and the wonderful actors (Cat Black, Doug Harvey, Connor Sullivan and Heather Taylor) could come back together to share this story again” said In Other People’s Shoes founder Mireya Hepner, who produced the award- winning production in Rancho Cucamonga in 2020. “Because of everything happening in our country, we thought it was important to do our part to remind everyone what can happen when hate goes unchecked. Seeing a true story about the experiences of teenagers just like them makes this terrible history come alive for young people in a way that isn’t always possible when reading about it in a book. The 2020 production was incredibly powerful and helped to make the Holocaust tangible to thousands of middle and high school students. We think it’s necessary to share these stories again with a new group of young people and adults, allowing them to reflect on the very real consequences that can occur when groups of people are marginalized or “othered”. We’re proud to present impactful stories that are relevant to today’s youth, and with this reading we hope to introduce ourselves to the wider Pasadena community.”
In addition to the reading, the event will also include refreshments and a silent auction. Funds from the event will support three current projects in development: a full production of June Carryl’s (In)Visible Me, an Audio Drama version of José Cruz Gonzalez’s The Wondrous Adventures of Pia Sandia, and the Fire Stories Project, which the company is developing to help the community heal after the Eaton Fire.
The event will be held at Throop Hall at 300 W. Los Robles Ave. in Pasadena, California.
For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, go to https:/ inotherpeoplesshoes.org/2025-gala
About Us
In Other People’s Shoes Productions tells imaginative, impactful and artistic stories for young people and families from all walks of life.
Their main focus is developing new theatrical works for young people. Each of their creative projects reflects the world around us and puts young people at the center. They work with professional artists but believe it’s essential to include young people’s voices throughout the process, so they invite them to share their opinions and feedback on early drafts and readings of each piece.
In Other People’s Shoes’ goal is to want to lift up and highlight stories of diverse communities, so that all children are able to experience the richness of not only their own culture, but of cultures different from their own. They envision a world where every member of the community is safe from racism and discrimination, and has equitable opportunities to thrive.
They currently have three pieces in various stages of development:
The Wondrous Adventures of Pia Sandia by master playwright José Cruz Gonzáles takes contemporary 10-year-old Pia to a mythical Mesoamerican land which is in upheaval. She’s been mourning her best friend and godfather who died of Covid, and in her journey she confronts her grief. The play’s themes also include friendship, the climate crisis and lessons on leadership and democracy. The piece is conceived as a mash-up of forms, including music, puppetry, graphic novel and digital media.
They commissioned (In)Visible Me by Los Angeles playwright June Carryl as part of the national BIPOC Superhero project. The story centers on 15-year-old Kiana, who thinks if she could become invisible all her problems would disappear. But when it actually happens, she discovers that her true superpower is being seen and seeing others. The play uses contemporary language and humor to tackle some big challenges teens are dealing with today, including bullying, identity, divorce and guns.
The Fire Stories Project is in response to the Eaton Fire and came out of a desire to serve the young people in our community who have been impacted so deeply.
More info at https:/ inotherpeoplesshoes.org/.
Questions? Email us at info@inotherpeoplesshoes.org.
