Theater Review by Jeffrey Bruce . . .
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” —George Santayana
Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski has been brought to Atlanta by The Theatrical Outfit after successful international and off-Broadway productions. The reasons to see it are numerous—it should be considered a “must-see,” especially in light of the current state of America.
Jan Karski (1914-2000) was a Roman Catholic Polish diplomat and a man of many languages: “I learned many languages. You never knew who would take over Poland.” Born the son of a factory owner, he managed to attend college for law and diplomacy. As time went on he kept his ears open and his mouth closed until necessary.
The Germans invaded Poland and attempted to convert Karski to their side. He was severely beaten and attempted suicide, yet survived.
He listens to the groundwork of the “Jewish problem” and travels throughout the European capitals to warn the heads of state as to what is a certainty to occur sooner rather than later. He is disbelieved, rebuffed, and ignored. When he arrives in the United States, he achieves a meeting with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Felix Frankfurter. Frankfurter is incredulous as to Kreski’s warnings and bids him farewell. Finally, Karski has a meeting with President Franklin Roosevelt who is more appreciative of this news and says “We will win this war.” We all know the outcome of the situation. Over 6 million Jews perished.
There are natural comparisons between Oskar Schindler and Jan Karski. Schindler’s approach was hands-on while Karski’s approach was to go through “correct political channels.” Karski never fully recovered from the disbelief he encountered, yet still became one of the greatest activists in the fight against anti-semitism.
Entering a one-person play, you should not be surprised by the basic setting. Two wooden chairs and a wooden desk are on a black stage. In this type of production, the technical aspects are paramount for a successful presentation. The lighting by Ethan Weathersbee becomes another character in the play by evincing various moods as well as locales. The sound design by Roc Lee not only envelops the actor but scares you with the horrors that occur. The effective, yet basic costuming was created by Kat Dezell.
And, lastly, we have the actor. Andrew Benator portrayed every character in the play. By adding a necktie, buckling up a jacket, and even going shoeless, he was never, truly, alone onstage. His accents were spot-on (Cara Reif is credited as Dialect Coach) and his performance was astounding. His transformation from an American actor adding just enough exposition at the top of the play to inform us what was about to happen, into the titular Mr. Karski takes place very quickly and prepares us for the unimaginable horrors and fewer successes to come. Mr. Benator’s performance must be seen to be truly appreciated. It is 90 minutes of brilliance.
Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski. Through February 18 and presented by Theatrical Outfit at The Balzer Theater at Herren’s
(84 Luckie Street, N.W. Atlanta, GA) Box office: 678-528-1500 www.theatricaloutfit.org
Photos: Casey G. Ford
