The Accomplices
Some plays are so powerful you can feel them in the pit of your
stomach. Like the timeless dramas of Greek tragedy, they become
even more gut-wrenching when based on truth that has been hidden from
the public.
Such is the case in "The Accomplices," a painful episode in the
sad saga of human history that is now on stage at The Fountain
Theatre. Written by former New York Times political reporter,
Bernard Weinraub, this harrowing two-act drama is now receiving its
West coast premiere under the trenchant direction of Deborah LaVine.
In essence, "Accomplices," a New York Drama Desk-nominated play,
is based on the true-life story of Jewish activist Hillel Kook, who
became known as Peter Bergson. It reveals what the U.S. government
and American Jewry did (and did not do) to help fellow Jews escape
from the Nazis and death camps before and during World War II.
The tragedy is all the more incredible because most of us were
unaware of what was actually happening between 1940 and 1944 when
Hillel Kook/Peter Bergson arrived in the U.S.
Fresh from successful efforts in the underground resistance in
Palestine, Bergson came here to organize the American Jewish community
so that the lives of Jews throughout Europe could be saved.
Imagine how dismayed he was when he found himself blocked at
every turn, not only by officials in the Roosevelt administration but
by the Jewish establishment itself. Especially shocking to him was
disapproval from the highly respected Rabbi Stephen Wise, played here
by Morlan Higgins with just the right touch of arrogance and
self-importance. (Jews should be good citizens and not rock the boat.)
Weinraub has written a heavy, emotionally-charged work with a lot
of historical data and facts that must be conveyed. Right up front
we acknowledge that there are some problems in this production regarding
the timing, pacing, and projection of so much demanding material.
But the subject is so riveting, so blood-curdling, so close to
home and heart, we chose to overlook them and concentrate on the
importance of this little known true story that demands to be told.
The cast outdoes itself. Steven Schub turns in a dynamic
portrayal of Bergson, the tireless "David" who will not take "no"
for an answer--the selfless hero who tries to save 6,000,000 innocent
incarcerated souls. Also outstanding is William Dennis Hurley as the
sweet tempered Samuel Merlin--Bergson's equally dedicated side-kick
who escaped from his Romanian village before every Jew in the area
was slaughtered; and James Harper's impersonation of Franklin Roosevelt.
Brian Carpenter is excellent as Breckinridge Long, the
anti-Semitic Assistant Secretary of State who had jurisdiction over
immigration/refugee problems during FDR's administration.
As for Dennis Gersten, he does double-duty as Henry Morganthau (who is
horrified to discover that certain State Department officials had been
blocking Holocaust information, thus obstructing our country's
rescue opportunities) and Ben Hecht (the fearless Hollywood
writer/producer who organized huge rallies at Madison Square Garden
in support of world Jewry).
All the action takes place on Travis Gale Lewis' 1940's
depression-era set (complete with newsreel projections of the period)
under Ken Booth's stark, forboding light design. Authentic period
costumes are by Shon LeBlanc.
In the end, the duplicitous silence of so many people made us all
"accomplices" to the unspeakable tragedy of World War II. Even now the
beat goes on: Those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it.
Today the world bears witness to racial cleansing in Bosnia, Darfur,
Cambodia, South Africa, Lwanda, etc., and the silence is deafening.
"Accomplices" continues at The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain
Ave., Los Angeles through August 24. You can not afford to miss it. For
tickets, call (323) 663-1525 or on line at www.FountainTheatre.com