Review
From Antigone to student strikers in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, history remembers the conscientious objector who, though misunderstood at the time, eventually becomes a symbol of idealistic sacrifice.
Such is the case in the Center Theatre Group’s production of “iWitness,” on stage at the Mark Taper Forum through May 21, chronicling the story of Franz Jägerstätter, the sole Austrian farmer to vote against the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II.
Written by Israeli playwright Joshua Sobol, “iWitness” effectively depicts the struggle of one man to maintain his ideals in a world that has been turned upside down by aggression, arrogance and lust for power. Director Barry Edelstein’s adaptation of the work succeeds in painting a complex portrait of Nazi Germany, making the decision of Franz (played by Gareth Saxe) to oppose the Third Reich much more difficult.
The entire play takes place in Franz’s cell on death row in Berlin, depicting his interactions with prison guards, psychiatrists, visiting friends and priests. Each of them in turn attempts to persuade Franz to sign a letter of commitment to the Third Reich, warning him that if he continues on in his idealistic nonsense, he will soon face the guillotine and be separated from his family forever.
Edelstein succeeds in directing each one of these characters quite differently, creating a diverse array of plausible reasons to join the army. Franz’s friend Martin (James Joseph O’Neil), an anti-aircraft gunner for the army, argues that his work shooting down Allied bombers saves thousands of civilian lives – surely Franz could not look on him as part of the enemy?
Conversely, Franz’s friend Hans (Seamus Dever), an Army chauffeur, offers a far more cynical view of the war. He flat out states his belief that Germany will lose the war and that he only looks to save his own skin while enjoying his silly assignment as much as possible. He enters into a disarmingly facetious, satirical conversation with Franz, mocking Hitler and his ambitions. When Martin accuses Hans of becoming totally corrupt, Hans corrects him: “Human. I’m only human.”
But even Hans cannot convince Franz to abandon his ideals so easily. When Franz tries on the Nazi uniform, he visibly trembles, even beginning to whimper softly. As he explains to Dr. Raps (Joan McMurtrey), the prison physician, “When a leader allows himself to break the rules of humanity, it is the duty of every citizen to break the leader’s rules,” thus establishing himself not as anti-war but anti-Hitler.
Ironically, Sobol casts a Catholic priest as Franz’s most potent devil’s advocate. Father Jochmann (Michael Rudko) rebukes Franz for his arrogance and argues that Hitler’s conquering of Poland is “Germany’s move to at long last retrieve its plundered territories.” Their conversation indicates the power of propaganda, even on formerly morally upright individuals.
“iWitness” addresses Word War II specifically, never lapsing into direct commentary on the current war in Iraq. But the similarities are there, which makes Sobol’s play particularly relevant. Edelstein wisely allows the audience to make their own conclusions as to how much it may resemble our world today.
The play features a talented all-around cast, with Saxe as an obvious standout. Most innovative is the play’s staging and emphasis on symbolic props. Throughout “iWitness,” video footage from World War II is projected onto the back wall of the set, bringing greater weight to the play. Sounds of trains frequently filled the theater, alluding to Franz’s abhorrence of the way the Nazi government was transporting thousands of minority groups to concentration camps.
In the play, Franz first appears to the audience tirelessly shining the shoes of his fellow inmates and ends by polishing a cast-iron pot just before he is summoned to the guillotine. Only in doing this dirty work is he free to do whatever it is he wants to do.
E-mail Tate at ntate@media.ucla.edu.
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