Sending Down the Sparrows

by Laura Lundgren Smith

This work of historical fiction, bears witness to the systematic persecution and extermination of the handicapped by Nazi Germany through the character of Viktor, a young man who is a reluctant member of the Hitler Youth. Viktor has a secret; a mentally handicapped sister who is the ward of a state institution. Viktor soon finds himself caught between the Nazi ideologies of racial and genetic purity and the love of a sister for whom he feels shame. As the play unfolds, he must choose whether to continue protecting his secret himself or to come to the defense of his sister. This play was written specifically for young (highschool or college) actors. Laura Lundgren Smith, a native of Texas, lives in Fort Worth.

Genres: Plays

48 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, simple play designed for high school students, to educate the masses on the T4 Program in Nazi Germany. The T4 operation sterilized and ultimately killed hundreds of thousands of mentally ill, retarded and physically deformed individuals. The protagonist in the play, Viktor, a 17-year-old reluctant Hitler Youth member, has a dirty little secret: a retarded twin sister living in an institution. He adores her and is ashamed of the fact that he has to hide her, and her eventual fate shatters him.

I suppose this is a worthy enough play: simple and easy to perform, but it clearly illustrates the horror and tragedy of the T4 victims and their families. Given the paucity of fictional treatments of T4, I would recommend this to educate young people.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to see a production of this simple yet moving play produced. The content is not typically talked about when reading Holocaust related stories, so this one was a depressing surprise. The end lines of the nurse character were so heart wrenching, yet the last line brought hope... so pretty good over all

[Donna Hester · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes!