Rehearsals have been going well thus far, but it is often difficult to glaze over the emotional reality of the show. The Holocaust is an incredibly touchy subject, especially on the North Shore, and we often feel uncomfortably reciting certain lines during rehearsals. However, our theatre director Ms. Robinson specifically picked this piece because she believes we owe it to our Northbrook community. Do the shivers that race down our spines as the entire cast recites "Heil Hitler!" in unison truly serve a greater purpose? Is yelling "Die Juden!" at the top of our lungs serving a greater purpose? I believe so, but many would disagree.
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| Max and Liesel in the basement, discovering the liberating power of words |
After passing awkward glances at each other and feeling each other's discomfort at the raw hatred present in the play, we cast members feel uncomfortable yet accomplished. When it's all said and done, this show's purpose is to make you feel uncomfortable. Nazi Germany was a dark moment in history, and the discomfort was—and is—real. Perhaps partially to keep myself sane (and justify why I torture myself with eight-hour long rehearsals), I like to think that this show is serving a greater purpose. Theatre is beautiful in itself, but it is also beautiful beyond the walls of the auditorium. People must not forget what happened in Nazi Germany, and live theatre is a visceral and impactful way or reminding people of the past.
It's one thing to read about the Holocaust in a textbook and another thing entirely to experience it first-hand on stage. Movies are nice, too, but for me, live performance is the only thing that does the trick. People who say that GBN should not perform "The Book Thief" say so because they feel uncomfortable. Good! Our mission is accomplished. If you go see our production, which I highly recommend, I hope that you leave feeling uncomfortable as well [in a good way]!
It's one thing to read about the Holocaust in a textbook and another thing entirely to experience it first-hand on stage. Movies are nice, too, but for me, live performance is the only thing that does the trick. People who say that GBN should not perform "The Book Thief" say so because they feel uncomfortable. Good! Our mission is accomplished. If you go see our production, which I highly recommend, I hope that you leave feeling uncomfortable as well [in a good way]!
Alex- If you haven't, I'd recommend reading the original text. The adaptation (while I"m sure good), won't compare. The novel is actually narrated by "Death"- not a re-creatable character on stage. A great read- not difficult in language, though i'd argue somewhat challenging (emotionally) in theme.
ReplyDeleteFester--our play is actually narrated by 3 characters who collectively play "death" as well! Obviously it's not the same as the text, but I think it's still pretty neat on stage! Hopefully I'll have the time to read it over spring break.... Hopefully....
ReplyDeleteTheater and film that are intended to make you feel uncomfortable do serve a higher purpose — I agree. In many ways, stories like “The Book Thief” serve to force audiences to recognize their own uncomfortableness. I find that when I recognize that something I have seen performed makes me cringe, I am better able to recognize and understand my own emotions for what they are. Feeling uncomfortable teaches us about our own mortality: that we aren’t immune to the feelings and experiences of others, and that we respond to some of the events of the past we might wish to forget.
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