Echoes of The Holocaust is a world premiere being presented by
Legacy Theatre of Minnesota at the Glanton Theatre in Minneapolis this weekend only. It is appropriate because Jan 27th is the
International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a work based on the
book by Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg, and is a collection of poetry, first person accounts, and music. The play was written by Dr. Harry Kantrovich, and adapted by Barbara Hynes-Tomczyk (who also directed). There is a small orchestra deftly led by Jeanne Rylander providing musical interludes between readings, stories, and poems spoken by the cast of 15 or so. The program lists each piece with who is telling the story, or reciting the poem, but doesn't really provide a full cast list.
This is taking place in a small theatre in the basement of Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis. *Note: parking can be tricky so please allow time - especially with the new Mpls mandate regarding even-side parking* The stage is set with 14 black draped chairs in a V-type formation, and one chair from and center. There are two music stands on each side of the stage. To the left of the stage is a small screen and projector which projects photographs and footage from the time period and from the events being discussed. These images are being shown through out the whole evening from when you first come in until the show ends. They can be quite powerful, and overwhelming, as well as graphic. However considering that this work is about the Holocaust - to some extent they should be all of those things. The lighting of the show is very basic which works very well as it focuses the attention on what is being spoken. The cast enters, each of them carrying luggage of some kind which they set behind the center chair before taking their position at their own chair. Some of the performers have memorized their poems or stories, others read them. They are effective either way.
I have a lot of notes regarding this show but looking back a lot of them are questions for myself on what works, what might be better, and I think those are unfair to share. I write that because (with full disclosure), I was asked to direct this work. I turned it down because I am not Jewish and don't feel it is my place to tell this story. Also being a director, I often write ways that I would have done things which have no bearing on the show. That being written, there are some very powerful moments and stories being told. Some of the content may seem repetitive but that is because it is a different perspective of the same event, an event that killed 6 million Jews - SIX MILLION! This is important history that I don't feel enough people know about and so that is why I find this work to be important.
The first act is about 90 min long, with the second act being about 40 min long. The stories will keep you engaged, especially a work presented by Stephen Greenhalgh about Kristalllnacht - the start of the Holocaust. There are a few stories written by George Scott which are very good - one told by Timmy Rawerts, and the second by Mark Luther who is a very good storyteller. The final work of the first Act was written by Benjamin Brafman and presented by Matthew Gaetz. It is named "I Did Not Survive, I Was Murdered at Auschwitz." This story ends with a challenge to the audience to remember, which ended up being the focus of the second act. A lot of the stories from the first act were focused on Auschwitz, though there was a wonderful diary entry read by Beva L Steinberg named Chava, and another about a Matron at Terezan read by Rachel Orzoff. Mixed in with these stories were musical interludes during which the focus turns to the visuals. The actors did change positions on the chairs - sometimes facing the side of the stage, other times facing the side but looking out at the audience.
The second act focused more on the survivors, and those who are children of survivors. It starts with a beautiful song sung by Marcia Panian, followed by a poem named Hate presented by Alexis Neumann. Eric Lee presents a story about the liberation of the Belsen Concentration Camp as remembered by an English Military person. There are few moments during Act Two that I would like to point out. The first is a singing of the Israeli National Anthem. I believe it is usually customary for people to stand for any National Anthem, but this was not the case here and it confused me. Yet I also felt that I could hear people around me humming it which was a very nice moment. There is a story about being a Memorial Candle - about how some children in some Jewish families are chosen to be the Memorial Candle so that the family doesn't forget the Holocaust, and they are responsible for carrying the story forward. I find that concept to be fascinating and wonderful. The show ends with a listing of the names of the Concentration Camps as the cast leaves the stage, only to re-enter in the dark carrying candles while the orchestra plays. As the orchestra gets towards the end, the cast files through the audience and exits through a curtain. There is no curtain call.
A couple warnings: The imagery both visually, and in the stories is graphic at times. There is a Nazi salute on stage which I found troubling. There is also a very short segment of interaction where the audience is requested to stand and read some lines from the program.
Tickets available here. Photos by Barb Hynes-Tomczyk.
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