The Observer, November 17, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 11
Department of Theater's Bright Room a stunning success
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It starts on New Year's Eve, 1932, in Berlin. Germany is in confusion; the new parliamentary government, the Weimar Republic, has been repeatedly dissolved and numerous new elections have been held. On the brink of this chaos is a group of friends in a small apartment in downtown Berlin.
Among them are Paulinka (Kristie Erin Barnes), a sultry actress willing to do almost anything to advance her career; Anabella Gotschling (Jill Smith), a condescending political artist; as well as a young and eccentric homosexual man, Baz (Parker Wissman); Husz (Ryan Santa), a Russian refugee television writer; and his girlfriend Agnes Eggling (Emily Demko), another actress who flits between small jobs in the entertainment industry. However, this group has another guest: "Die Alte," or "the old one." Standing in the shadows of the New Year's celebration, this elderly guest sorrowfully watches the youthful partiers.
And then, everything changes.
With successive floods of white light, the story accelerates – the once happy partiers remind Die Alte of the past. They remind her of Hitler's rise, and the desecration of the Berlin she had known, of the Germany she had known.
It becomes clear the audience to early on that the scenes being portrayed are fragments of Die Alte's past – of her friends, of her life, of her home. At several points, the characters of the past speak to Die Alte, encouraging her to continue watching.
From the party in the beginning, to an encounter with the devil, to the struggles of being artists during the rise of the Nazis, the major events of Die Alte's life are touched up and illuminated. She witnesses her friends and family slowly creep out of Nazi Germany, emigrating to anti-fascist countries like the United States and the USSR. She watches them go, until it is only Die Alte, both past and present. Both stand in the remains of the place they could not leave: home.
Initially, it is unsettling to watch Tony Kushner's A Bright Room Called Day mostly because the back stage is exposed to the audience and the actors visible and waiting to return to Die Alte's consciousness. However, this discomfort is completely dispelled by the superb performances. The acting ensemble never breaks character, even when they are "off stage" waiting to re-enter Die Alte's memories.
Each member of the ensemble helped build this play into a work of art; their chemistry as a is cast apparent to the audience as they fluidly transition between scenes. As an audience member it is easy to become engulfed in the story. Each character portrayed is poignantly realistic and heartrendingly human.
Kushner's play offers a new perspective on the rise of the Nazis, a story that has often been pushed aside by the massive atrocities of WWII. A Bright Room Called Day portrays the smaller catastrophes associated with the rise of the Nazis, the families and friends ripped apart by the time in which they lived.
Overall, the play is beautifully executed, all of the pieces fitting together almost seamlessly. It is not a show to miss or one to forget. The director, Mark Alan Gordon, obviously had a great grasp not only on the story Kushner's script was telling, but also on how to translate the story from the script onto the stage.
From the script to the acting to the numerous props and well-crafted set, the entire product leaves one feeling moved. The simplistic set highlights the action on the stage, focusing attention on the actors. Also, the lighting is gorgeous – nicely setting the mood for each scene.
A Bright Room Called Day will be playing at the Eldred Theater, with shows at 8 p.m. on Nov. 17 and 18 as well as a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 19. Tickets are $5 for students, $7 for faculty and seniors, and $10 regular admission.
