Lebensraum
Studio Theatre

Remaining shows:
Sunday, July 20 @ Noon; Wednesday, July 23 @ 7 PM; Sunday, July 27 @ 4 PM

They say: “Using a cast of three to play 40 characters, this work is based on the explosive idea that a German Chancellor might, as an act of redemption, invite 6 million Jews to Germany. The logical progression of this artfully drawn script raises the terrifying possibility that history may repeat.”

Marianka’s take: If theater’s genius is to transport you to a different but still plausible world, this play fits the bill. Written by multi-awarded playwright (and screenwriter of the movie “Sunshine”) Israel Horovitz, Lebensraum projects real history into the fictional present and brings “terrifying possibility” into the intimate lives of forty characters with poignancy.

The very young 3 person cast–Sarah Shook, David Olson, Chase Helton–is absolutely dynamite. With minimal but iconic costumes and props, director Cory Ryan Frank deftly maneuvers them through fluid role changes into Germans and Jews of various persuasions, unreconstructed Nazis and clueless adolescents, assimilated Americans and Israeli revolutionaries, plus many more. In a Brechtian turn, each actor also rotates through as narrator during seamless character transitions without ever skipping a beat. The delineation between characters is clear in their lovely, nuanced interpretations–truly a tour de force.

One small quibble: the team should get help on their German and French pronunciation.

Even at 90 minutes, the play moves with lightning speed, but the afterglow hasn’t faded yet.

See it if: You want to be engaged emotionally and intellectually long after it’s over, to experience virtuosic performances (that includes the sound, light, and technical elements), and to be able to say, “I saw them when…”

Skip it if: The above leaves you cold.

For Tomorrow: Story & Poetry of Hilda Stern Cohen
Goethe-Institut- Gallery

Remaining Performances:
Sunday, July 13 @ 5 pm
Wednesday, July 16 @ 7pm

They say: “Theatre, storytelling, music, and prayer come together in this uniquely moving program portraying the life and poetry of German-born Holocaust survivor Hilda Stern Cohen. Performed by storyteller Gail Rosen, based on her interviews with Cohen, and singer and Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton. Recently performed in Poland, Austria, Germany and Israel.”

Sheffy says: Maybe it was the Holocaust theme that attracted a slightly older than average Fringe audience, but Fringe is blessed to be the home for such a powerful show. Storyteller Gail Rosen did not choose this topic, it was Hilda Stern Cohen that chose Gail to make sure her story got told. Gail takes that charge seriously in a project that’s been 13 years in the making and will be released this fall on DVD.

It bears witness to the story of a human life—one in which humanity itself was challenged, but prevailed. The lights in the house are left on, allowing the audience to share their collective reactions (but I also had to fight the urge to interrupt with questions, since it felt like a classroom). As people around me were moved to tears, I heard them unconsciously joining in the prayers as they were chanted on stage.

Gail’s performance is flawless, but almost unnoticed, for it is Hilda’s voice that transports us to Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz. Only after Hilda’s death in 1997 did her husband discover a trove of her poetry on scraps of paper written over 50 years ago. English translations are provided, but I found the all the paper distracting. To temper the dramatic angst, stories are interspersed with prayers and Hilda’s poetry set to live music, beautifully composed for the show by William Gilcher of the Goethe-Institut. I never thought German could sound so, well, poetic.

See it if: You wonder if religious faith really has the power to keep someone alive.

Skip it if: You think a Fringe show must be lewd, crude, skewed, or nude.