 "Photo: Courtesy Hillberry Theatre")
The Hillberry Theatre’s production of “Good,” by C.P. Taylor, premiered Feb. 26 to a nearly full house of patrons who came for a look into the life of a man tormented by his own conflicting feelings during the rise of the Nazi regime in pre-World War II Germany.
The stage, with an industrial minimalist feel, was adorned in gray tones with chairs, a piano and other various musical instruments and a gear-like fan rotating throughout the play.
“Good” tells the story of John Halder, a university professor in Nazi Germany, who must make difficult moral decisions after his novel supporting euthanasia garners the attention of S.S. Officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Erman Jones gives life to Halder with an emotional performance that compels the audience to examine their own moral compasses in light of his scruples on stage.
Dave Toomey plays Maurice, Halder’s closest friend and the sole source of a Jewish perspective in the play. Toomey’s character is the magnetic north in John’s life, the force of ‘good’ in the play, despite a tendancy towards more colorful language.
Jason Cabral’s portrayal of a combination of Hitler and Charlie Chaplin in the first Act borders on profound. He effortlessly switches between comedic and frightening so quickly that the audience is jarred from honest laughter to nervous chuckles in the same breath.
The other cast members gave exemplerary performances, including Lorelei Sturm as Helen, Christina Flynn as Anne and Samantha L. Rosentrater as John’s mother.
The play was enhanced with classical music reflecting the mood of each scene. The music works to ease the audience’s transition into the world of Nazis and serious moral quandaries.
The play remained visually appealing with clever use of lighting that signified change from internal monologues to the external world. Another appealing aspect of the play was the interactions of the characters in the background. They quietly creeped and pantomimed actions, sometimes rising to the foreground of the action to deliver a punctuated line.
In 1981, “Good” originally premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, according to the Hillberry’s press release. A film adaptation of the play featuring Viggo Mortenson as John Halder and directed by Vicente Amorim was released in December 2008.
The existensial crisis that Halder faces calls to mind “No Exit,” a 1944 existentialist play by philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, which was written in Nazi-occupied France. The plays share some similiarities, but unlike “No Exit,” which begins in Hell with characters that have been condemned by their misdeeds, “Good” examines a mans decisions that lead him to the hell-on-earth of a concentration camp.
With a rollar-coaster ride of emotion and moral, “Good” is intended for a mature audience. Although some ideas and images presented in the play may make audiences uncomfortable “Good” is an excellent addition to the Hillberry’s 2009-2010 season.
Grade: A
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