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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, Phoenix Theatre delves into the dark causes of its creation. Ghetto, by Joshua Sobol and translated by David Lan, is a vivid, depressing and historically accurate account at the short life of a theatre created by Jewish inhabitants of the Vilna, Lithuania ghetto during the Holocaust. As with other plays that look at the horrors and atrocities incurred by the Nazis, the piece is both a denouncement of hate and a celebration of the strength of human will. Unfortunately, despite wonderful performances, director Michael Mitchell is unable to bring a balance to the piece to stop it from becoming overly dark and depressing. In Mr. Mitchell's defense, it is an epic battle, since the script tends to stress more of the horror than the triumphs. Still, it's a worthy production that is buoyed by several outstanding performances and very professional visual and musical elements.
Set in the Jewish ghetto of Vilna from 1942 to 1943, Mr. Sobol has taken the meticulous diary of Kruk, the librarian, and written about the theatre group that was formed. Included in the mix are Srulik, a ventriloquist and actor whose bravery comes from the mouth of his Dummy; Hayyah, a famed singer and actress before the war whom Srulik saves and who becomes the center of the troupe; Weiskopf, the entrepreneurial tailor who uses Jews in his shop to mend and repair Nazi uniforms; Gens, the head of the ghetto who barters with the Nazis to keep as many Jews alive as he can; and Kittel, the psychotic Nazi officer whose love of art is both the creative force and eventual downfall of the ghetto theatre. As the Jews struggle for a simple physical existence, the theatre that they create allows them to battle to remain human, retaining the culture that separates them from animals.
Nearly the entire cast shines throughout this performance. Most impressive are Mark DeMichele as the wheeling/dealing Weiskopf, whose fast talking keeps many Jews productive (and thus living), while becoming a king of sorts in the ghetto, and Nicolas Glaeser as the desperate ghetto leader Gens, who cares more about Jewish lives than Jewish honor, leaving that to the survivors. Mr. DeMichele is in peak form, delivering one of the best performances I've seen from him; he manages to establish Weiskopf's fast-thinking desperation in a way that is at turns funny and poignant. Mr. Glaeser is also impressive as he plays a character that must rationalize allowing hundreds to be killed so that thousands may live. In a touching scene that ends the first act, he and actress Ooma, played broadly by Michelle Gardner, commiserate their separate situations, then draw comfort from each other.
Very solid performances are delivered by Rusty Ferracane as the brave and noble Srulik, Philippe Hall as his wisecracking Dummy, and Kathleen Butler Casselman as the haunted Hayyah. Mr. Ferracane is perhaps a bit too introverted, occasionally allowing his Dummy to co-opt his enthusiasm and power. As the Dummy, Mr. Hall gives an amazing presentation. His limber body and striking voice are perfect for the difficult role. Ms. Casselman has a beautiful voice and does a commendable job in her transition from broken woman to freedom fighter.
The ensemble is wonderful, and bring the mood of the piece forward with their few celebrations and many cowerings. The only hesitation in performances seems to come during some of their theatrical presentations, though this seems more to be director Mitchell's inability to find a light way of performing difficult material. An example of this is the take-off on the Marx Brothers sequence, where the humor of the piece is quickly subjugated by the depressing topic of deciding who shall live and who shall die. This makes the sequence unbearably dark, overwhelming any comedy and humor that could have been created, and undercutting the power of the ending of that scene. This ironically sums up the overall problems of Phoenix Theatre's presentation.
Scenic designer Gro Johre has done a wonderful job of creating a darkly fluid performance space, and Paul Black's striking lighting adds even more to the atmosphere. Susan Johnson-Hood's costumes perfectly accentuate the mix of squalor and gaudiness that defined the line between reality and performance in the ghetto. Also effective was the original music composed and directed by Daniel Kurek.
Holocaust literature is important, since it is only through remembering that we are able to avoid repetition of history. The horrors of the time are accurately portrayed in Ghetto, but there is not enough light to give contrast to the darkness. Ultimately, the power of its unavoidable ending is dimmed by the very darkness it attempts to define. Despite this, the production by Phoenix Theatre is an impressive effort of an important play.
Production Details:
Ghetto by Joshua Sobol
Phoenix Theatre, Phoenix
254-2151
Through November 23rd, 1997
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