photo: courtesy of Stage Left
Fred Miller's decision to dress up like Hitler in order to teach his college students about the power of propaganda might, in hindsight, not have been the greatest idea. But is he sorry that he did it? If he could live that day all over again, would he do things differently? Not a chance. At the end of the day, any chance to get students questioning a controversial issue is always worth the cost.
David Rush, prolific Stage Left ensemble member and Jeff Award-winning playwright, delivers in this world premiere a new play that explores the limits of free speech, especially as it relates to the academic world. I suspect it will soon find its way into collegiate and regional theaters around the country.
A great deal of this fast-moving production's success can be credited to resident director Drew Martin and to the talented cast members, many of whom skillfully play multiple roles. Don Bender plays the central character, Fred Miller, with a passionate intensity that draws the audience into his world. From the play's first haunting moments, in which we witness the professor wrestling with monsters in a Lewis Carroll-inspired nightmare, our sympathy goes out to this man. As the scenes unfold and Miller wrestles with his personal demons, we come to understand their origins. Lindsay Weisberg plays Bender's equal as the fervently opinionated Jewish student, Rivkah Brownstein. In the final scene, the actress shows her strength and vulnerability, and by the end, we care about these two characters more than anyone else on stage.
Through March 24 at Chopin Theatre. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; special 8 p.m. performance on March 21; 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $10-$15.
