Here There Are Blueberries

A mysterious album of Nazi-era photographs arrives at the desk of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum archivist. 

The photographs weren’t like any that had been seen before. As curators unravel the truth behind the images, the album soon makes headlines and ignites a debate that reverberates far beyond the museum walls. 

Based on real events, Here There Are Blueberries tells the story of these historical photographs—what they reveal about the perpetrators of the Holocaust, and our own humanity.

Not recommended for young children; Holocaust themes are disturbing and emotionally intense.

Origins of Here There Are Blueberries

Here There Are Blueberries is a documentary-style play written by Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich and developed by Kaufman’s Tectonic Theater Project. The play was inspired by a remarkable collection of photographs donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007.

The photographs belonged to Karl Höcker, an SS officer stationed at Auschwitz. Surprisingly, they did not depict the horrors inside the concentration camp. Instead, they showed Nazi officers and staff relaxing, socializing, singing and enjoying recreational outings. The disturbing contrast between these seemingly ordinary moments and the mass murder occurring nearby became the foundation of the play.

From Research to the Stage

Kaufman and Gronich used extensive historical research and documentary-theater techniques to construct the story. It follows museum archivists as they investigate the photographs, identify the people pictured and attempt to understand their roles at Auschwitz.

The investigation eventually reaches descendants of people in the photographs, forcing families to confront uncomfortable connections to Nazi Germany. The play explores responsibility, complicity and the troubling reality that people involved in extraordinary brutality could maintain seemingly normal personal and social lives.

Acclaimed Productions

Here There Are Blueberries premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in 2022, directed by Kaufman. It subsequently played Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., before opening Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in 2024.

The production received significant critical acclaim. It was named a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2025 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play.

Broadway

The play arrives at Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre in fall 2026, with previews beginning November 2 and opening night scheduled for November 9. Kaufman returns as director, bringing the production from its documentary-theater origins and acclaimed regional engagements to Broadway.