Clockwise, from bottom left: Judy Molner, Peter Doyle, and Jeff Leiske in “Lebensraum,” now at the JCC. PHOTO BY STEVE LEVINSON
In an attempt at redemption that balances on the narrow line between courage and folly, the chancellor of Germany invites 6 million Jews to return to his country - their country as well, he says. Written in 1997 but set early in the 21st century, Israel Horovitz's play, "Lebensraum," now at JCC CenterStage, follows a number of Jews and Germans through this fictional "homecoming." Despite the unlikely "what if" with which it begins, the play ultimately has something serious to puzzle over despite its reliance on stereotypes and clichés, and a flawed structure that proves nearly fatal.
The play's title, "living space" in German, posits but does not articulate a chilling irony. "Lebensraum" was a Nazi doctrine that affirmed Germany's right as a "master race" to expand as a way to provide room for its growing population. Sixty years later, smaller in size but prosperous and democratic, it sets out to atone for guilt well deserved.
The initial German response to the announcement is approval, although in the middle of a public lecture, someone cries, "Heil, Hitler!" The crowd beats him to death. Later, an unemployed dockworker shoots one of the Jews, only to be killed immediately by radical infiltrators from Israel who assume that a second Holocaust for another 6 million is inevitable unless they retaliate. Ultimately, some of the immigrants return to where they came from; others adapt successfully. In a play that has moments of humor and tenderness, Horovitz wonders if it could happen again, but offers no answers, only ambiguous clues.
Horovitz's method in this fluid, shifting work is called theatricalism. It breaks down the invisible wall between stage and audience by announcing that it is not reality but a play. On a stage open to a cinderblock rear wall, three actors trade wisecracks with the stage manager before announcing that they are beginning. They step in and out of 40 different characters, most of whom appear for no more than few lines. They also pull props from a nearby cabinet, and arrange large wooden modules to provide a minimal definition of place.
Most troublingly, the ultimate sound of "Lebensraum" is "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." That's the sound of actors talking, not to one another, but directly to the audience, endlessly explaining what we've just seen or what we're about to see. There are several long stretches in this 100-minute intermissionless play when the cast spends more time narrating than acting. Even though Horovitz has a good ear for contemporary speech, the long narrations create a sense of unreality, distancing us from the characters. They are flesh and blood mainly because a narrator tells us so.
An hour into the play, Horovitz finally gives his characters their head. The play begins to ring almost true. Horovitz settles on a half-Jewish working class family from Boston, a German working class family from Bremerhaven, and an aged survivor of Buchenwald who returns to take his own particular vengeance. Unfortunately, many of the characters are stereotypes; they rarely move beyond cliché. A gay couple from France is a dreary joke, and the moving scene in which an American teenager (Jeff Leiske) falls in love with a German teenager (Judy Molnar) is a tribute to good acting rather than insightful writing. Just before it happens, though, a narrator tells us unnecessarily that it's about to happen.
The three actors have developed a strong sense of ensemble under the skilled guidance of director David Henderson, but certainly the strongest performance is by Peter Doyle. His skill at dialect serves him well, but each time he steps into a different character the result is alternately funny or sad, nuanced, and rich. I've been watching Doyle act in local theater for three decades. I've even been onstage with him in musical performances where he sang and I narrated. This may well be the finest work I've ever seen him do.
At the end, the cast tells us the play is over but then delivers a fiery sermon that audiences will love or hate, depending on what they think of its message and tone. I wish Horovitz had more respect for his audience and saved his polemics for the pulpit. Ultimately, he is merely blatant. That may be fine for a TV talk show, but it works much less well in the theater where characters are supposed to come to life on their own and audiences don't necessarily show up just to be agreed with.
Lebensraum
Through March 14
By JCC CenterStage
Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave.
$16-$24 | 461-2000 x235, jcccenterstage.org
Comments for "THEATER REVIEW: Lebensraum" (3)
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Sheldon D(onald) Ruda said on Mar. 11, 2010 at 2:37pm
Having been in the audience for the same performance, I think we saw the same thing. I reacted to it very differently. (This is no criticism of your reviewer; it is a necessary result of the differences in "perceivers".) The following is what I sent to Ms. Berkowitz, of the JCC--without knowing what Mr. Lasser would write.
PLEASE READ AND PASS ON
My wife and I were in the audience and attended the March 7 matinee of
the presentation of "Lebensraum". We were very proud of the community,
and its Center, for that production--on many levels.
It was professionally done, Well produced and acted.
It was something that, though not commercial, needed to be done.
It was a thinking person's "theater". It made each member of the
audience think. (Each person, having a different background, must have
had a different reaction to it. That is good, but--unfortunately--a
rarity.)
My wife and I are still discussing it. That shows that it was good
"theater", as well as good diversion. The JCC can be justly proud of
doing that.
Thank you,
Ms. Berkowitz responded that she reacted similarly, also being in the same audience.
I respect Mr. Lasser's views, but I do disagree with them.
Sincerely (and I do mean sincerely),
Don
miriam lerner said on Mar. 12, 2010 at 7:45am
I saw the play Thursday night, 3/11. Although I enjoyed the acting, I didn't care much for the piece itself. As the reviewer wrote, exposition gets old - I don't want to be told, I want to be shown. And the premise of the play was so "out there" that I couldn't really wrap my head around it - especially in the light of what has been going on with Israel, settlements, Palestinian marginalization, etc. I realize it was written in 1996, but these issues are not new. And it is impossible to take a story set in the present - or near present- and divorce it from contemporary events.
After the performance there was a "talk back" session, which is a marvelous learning and sharing experience. I wish it had gone on longer, as then I might have been able to gauge how "safe" it was to venture into what might be dangerous territory for conversations when potentially incindiary subject matter is presented IN Jewish community center. I am Jewish myself, and although I did feel free to make a comment afterwards, had the discussion continued I know that I would have censored myself....
The only other thing I would say is that modern theater has this tendency to be so self-referential that I get bored with the concept. It was novel with Albee, the 4th wall being permeable, etc etc - "now the play is over", "now we will begin the play", "of course you knew this would happen" - I don't know, maybe I'm an old -fashioned girl, but with this serious subject matter and a subject so intensely fraught with emotion, it would have been better as a straight on, classical drama.
I respect the JCC for taking chances over and over and forcing us to think - "Caroline or Change" last year, and this one now - it is sublimely brave to challenge us.
Sincerely,
Miriam Lerner
Sheldon D(onald) Ruda said on Mar. 12, 2010 at 1:02pm
Ms Lerner, I hope that you will not mind my using this method for disagreeing with you. (Currently, the accepted norms are, agree or attackâ€"and I do not like that.)
My comments will be interspersed with parts of your text, but WILL BE IN THIS TYPE.
“I saw the play Thursday night, 3/11. ..I didn't care much for the piece itself.” MY FEELING WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE. “As the reviewer wrote, exposition gets old- I don't want to be told, I want to be shown.” THAT MAY BE TRUE ON THE SURFACE, BUT, I THINK, THE AUTHOR WAS DOING NEITHER; HE WAS POSING ETHICAL DILEMMASâ€"AND LEAVING THE THEATER GO-ER TO REACT, “And the premise of the play was so "out there" I DISAGREE; I THINK THAT THE AUTHOR WAS SAYING, “in here What would you do if you were in this situation?” “..that I couldn't really wrap my head around it” DEPAENDING ON ONE’S POINT-OF- VIEW, ONE COULD SAY THAT MANY VIEWERS (not necessarily you) DO NOT WANT TO GET CLOSE TO THE DILEMMAS POSED BECAUSE THEY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE . ”-especially in the light of what has been going on with.. “ AGAIN, THAT IS A MATTER OF OPINION. YES, ISRAEL HAS DONE A LOT OF THINGS WRONG, BUT (in my opinion) THEY’RE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE WAY ARAB LEADERS HAVE MARGINALIZED THE ARAB PEOPLEâ€"AND ENDANGERED THE LATTER. AHHH, THAT’S ANOTHER DISCUSSION.
“After the performance there was a "talk back" session, which is a marvelous learning and sharing experience.” ABSOLUTELY. THE IDEAL THING WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ADJOURN TO A COFFEE HOUSE, BUT THE JCC COULD NOT STAY OPEN UNTIL ETERNITY (the time that it would have taken to do justice to the matter).
“I wish it had gone on longer, as then I might have been able to gauge how "safe" it was to venture into what might be dangerous territory for conversations when potentially incendiary subject matter is presented IN Jewish community center.” I am Jewish myself..”, SO AM I. “..I would have censored myself..” I AM SORRY, THAT YOU FELT INTIMIDATED FOR HAVING A DIFFERING OPINION. THAT IS A SORRY THING (I too was horrified at the treatment of the dissenterâ€"both of them). UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS RETURNING TO THE AMERICAN SCENE.
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