Righteous

3m, 2w
1m 50-70, 1m 25-35, 1m 5-10; 1w 65-85, 1w 25-35

A Jewish woman brought her son to a remote Catholic boys' school in France during World War II, to save him from being taken by the Nazis. She herself was delivered to Nazi collaborators by the pedophile priest running the school. The action of Righteous takes place alternately in the 1940's, in scenes with the young mother, young son, and/or priest, and in the current day, in scenes with the cantankerous, aged mother and her sarcastic, retirement-age son. They have been asked to contribute affidavits submitting the priest for the Righteous Among the Nations, awarded to non-Jews who aided Jews during the Holocaust. This brings up long-simmering conflicts between son and mother.

Righteous calls for a unit set showing the living room of the aged mother's apartment for the present-day scenes. The scenes from the 1940's take place in pools of light, with no set pieces required. Some of the 1940's scenes show events pretty much as they occurred; others are skewed through the lenses of memory and supposition. Lighting can help distinguish the more realistic scenes from the more skewed ones.

The drama of Righteous arises from the different perspectives of the son and mother and from the juxtaposition of their present-day conflict to their experiences during World War II. Four demanding roles (plus the silent role of the son) provide acting challenges for actors at both ends of the age spectrum.