Stumbling Stones | A One-Person Play

Written and Performed by Jeff Sherr

Stumbling Stones is a one-person play chronicling the extraordinary life of civil rights attorney and Holocaust survivor John Rosenberg. From the terror of Kristallnacht to the coalfields of Appalachia, Rosenberg’s journey is one of resilience, justice, and relentless hope. Told in his own words—many drawn from interviews and archival material—the play spans continents and decades, tracing his escape from Nazi Germany, his work prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan, and his lifelong fight for the rights of the poor and disenfranchised in Kentucky. It’s a story that moves from courtroom drama to intimate memory, from the streets of Mississippi to the synagogue destroyed beside his childhood home.

Jeff Sherr – Averill Award Recipient 2025

Jeff Sherr is a Lawrence, Kansas native and proud alum of the Summer Youth Theatre program. Now based in Lexington, Kentucky, he performs regularly with Central Kentucky Improv. Favorite stage roles include Scott Connor in American Son, Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, and Prospero in The Tempest. Jeff holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Kansas and trained with the National Shakespeare Conservatory. Offstage, he is a lifelong public defender and currently is a trainer with the National Association for Public Defense.