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Hope In A Haystack
By: Jasper Cunneen
The Holocaust was and still is one of the most horrific acts to have ever occurred in history. Everybody has heard about the terrifying and disgusting way that the Jews were treated by Nazi Germany. But what can almost always be found in a chaotic, maelstrom event such as this one is a story of hope. This is the surely case in Irena’s Vow, a new play written by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva. It is a true story based on the life of one very determined Polish woman during Germany’s occupation of Poland from 1939-1945.
Irena, played by a very capable Tovah Feldshuh, captures the audience from the moment the spotlight hits her. The cozy atmosphere of the Baruch Performing Arts Center forces you to focus solely on her. She immediately begins speaking directly to the audience, almost catching them off-guard. It soon becomes clear that she is speaking to us as a special guest speaker to a high school audience. The 90-minute play proceeds as a well-paced narrative by Irena. Michael Parva deserves credit. His directing made it very easy to follow Irena around stage and know when she was narrating or speaking in her mind. A spotlight would appear just as the rest of the stage would dim when Irena was changing her frame of reference.
As the play moves on, we learn that Irena is an ordinary Polish woman who is forced to work in a German factory. The work is physically demanding and Irena is soon struggling. As mentioned in the play, were it not for her German looks, she would have probably been killed. She is instead transferred to work directly for the commanding officer, Major Rugemer. Major Rugemer, played by Thomas Ryan, takes an immediate liking to Irena. Ryan’s portrayal of Major Rugemer was indeed very well done. He captured the strict, proud, and clocklike manner of a real German commander. While working for the major, Irena becomes close friends with the small Jewish contingent that also work there. Ida Hallar, played by Maja Wampuszyc, Lazar Hallar, played by Gene Silvers, and Fanka Silberman, played by Tracee Chimo are the three Jews who throughout the play are supposed to represent more than three times as many. Their individual performances were well done but they were not able to give the illusion of representing more than just three people.
Irena also becomes friends with Schultz, a butler under Major Rugemer. Schultz, played by Steven Hauck, was one of my favorite characters. However, Steven Hauck had an inconsistent accent and this took away from his otherwise charming performance. Irena soon finds out that the Jews are being exterminated. Unable to bear the death of her new friends, she decides to smuggle them into the unlikeliest of places. It is at the eye of the storm that one of the most powerful scenes in the play occurs. It is here that a true message of hope bursts out from the dark shell that is war and genocide. Irena and the Jews then become linked together in a way that anything one does affects the other. Using extreme cunning, resourcefulness, and an uncanny determination, Irena feels her way through the maze that has become not only her own survival, but the survival of twelve other innocent people.
Irena’s story of survival is a marvelous one and Tovah Feldshuh’s performance only enhanced the impact of the memoir. Tovah was able to keep the entire audience focused on her throughout the play and bring us into Irena’s deepest thoughts. Thanks to Dan Gordon’s very clever writing, Tovah is able to show us a lighter, more humorous side of Irena that make us fall in love with the character and helps break the heavy tension that is constantly present on stage. By the end of the play, we are brought back to the present and Irena is once again, speaking directly to the audience, imploring us to comprehend the pain felt at that time. She tells the audience that not just the Holocaust, but also the actual emotions of the Holocaust can never be forgotten and that it is our job to pass these stories and feelings on.
Irena’s Vow is a dramatic and intriguing new play by Dan Gordon, performed in limited engagement at the Baruch Performing Arts Center until November 2nd. Presented by The Directors Company and directed by Michael Parva, Irena’s Vow pays homage to an unsung heroine of World War II. Four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh stars as Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic woman who daringly risked her life to save twelve Jews during the Holocaust.
The play begins with Irena speaking before high school students about her experiences during the Holocaust. We, the audience, learn that during World War II, Irena was captured and raped by Russian soldiers fighting the Nazi regime in Eastern Europe. As the survivor’s life story begins to unfold, characters emerge onstage to recreate scenes from her past. After escaping the Russians, Irena worked at a German munitions plant, where we meet SS officer Major Eduard Rugemer (Thomas Ryan). He appointed her to supervise a laundry. She befriended the Jewish workers and after hearing they would get transferred to concentration camps, Irena made the difficult decision to rescue them. While serving as Major Rugemer’s housekeeper, Irena hid, clothed, and fed the Jews in the cellar and later, the gazebo. Major Rugemer discovered the Jews and threatened to kill them unless Irena became his mistress. She obliged and summoned the strength to overcome other challenges as well, including helping the twelve Jews escape unseen during the final stages of German rule. Both Irena and the Jews survived the Holocaust thanks to her extraordinary courage and intelligence.
Despite small mistakes like forgetting accents, the performers in Irena’s Vow really committed to their characters. Feldshuh, in particular, embodied Irena’s passion, spirit, and humor, which sometimes brought light to the play’s intensity. For example, when a pregnant Jewish refugee gave birth, Irena covered up the woman and baby’s cries by loudly playing music and singing along until Major Rugemer stormed away in exasperation.
The design team helped fulfill the play’s purpose. The set (Kevin Judge) was a simple ensemble of wooden floors, crates, and steps. A large screen in the background showed photos that related to the play’s different settings. Sometimes the screen was distracting and at other moments, it made a powerful impact. For instance, Irena remembered witnessing the capture of a German family that was caught hiding Jews. Their punishment was not clear until, after a brief moment of silence, the screen flashed with a picture of the guilty families hanging in public. Accompanied by loud, dramatic music (Quentin Chiappetta), intense moments like this startled me and stirred horrified gasps from several audience members. Besides the music, the lighting (David Castaneda) added theatrical effects as well. When Irena addressed the high school students, the spotlight focused only on her, and the other characters froze in the darkening background. When Irena continued her life story and referred to her past, the other characters resumed action and the stage became fully lit once again.
In the 1980’s, Irena began speaking about her experiences to students after she saw skinheads denying the Holocaust on television. She wanted to make sure the future generations realize the Holocaust occurred and millions perished under Nazi dictatorship. Their memory must never be forgotten, and as the last generation to hear survivor testimonies, our generation must fulfill that responsibility. Irena demonstrated incredible courage in the face of grave danger and risked her life to save twelve others. Irena’s Vow is entertaining and inspiring, and I encourage the public to see this performance.
-Ramandeep Singh
Life and death; two themes that are nauseatingly presented in numerous plays and movies makes its appearance once again in Dan Gordon’s Irena’s Vow, with a surprisingly fresh perspective. Director Micahel Parva recreates Irena Gut Opdyke’s heroic story of the Holocaust brilliantly on the stage. Four time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh, a four time Tony Award, gives a spectacular and convincing performance as Irena, a young, Catholic girl who has the lives of 12 Jews thrust into her hands. Irena makes a life threatening decision to hide the Jews in Nazi occupied Poland and they journey together through the unknown horrors of the Holocaust. Other memorable performances were given by Thomas Ryan (Major Rugemer), and Tracee Chimo (Fanka Silberman).
Though Irena’s Vow was a very well presented production, I was often times distracted by the sketchy accents of the many actors. Lead actress Tovah Feldshuh had a Polish accent that would often disappear when she spoke faster. However, it was Mr. Steven Hauck who played Schultz, whose accent detracted from the overall effectiveness of the play because it made the play seem less professional. Not to place all the blame on Hauck, Gene Silvers also gave a less than stellar performance as Lazar Hallar, a Jew saved by Irena. Silvers would frequently forget the situation his character was in, and in turn sound extremely indifferent. Nevertheless, these mishaps in the production did not divert my attention from the overall purpose.
Kevin Judge, the set designer in Irena’s Vow was able to create a clever design consisting of very simple, but effective props. The stage was mostly bare, with only a few crates that lay around the edge of the stage. A chandelier would also hand during certain scenes in the Major’s house. This chandelier created an ironic glow on the stage in the Major’s house because it was the hiding place where Irena hid the Jews. This simple light exemplified the harshness of the conditions that the Jews were forced to live in. In addition to the simple set design, there was a large screen behind the props that gave the stage a sense of depth that would not have been normally been possible. This projection was an entirely new experience for me, and aided me in the visualization of the casts’ surroundings. For example, there was a horrifying scene in which Irena was the witness of the murders of a street full of Jews. Behind the place where Irena stood, the projection flashed a bright red, emphasizing the horrors that Irena was witnessing.
For those afraid of a play that is too serious, it may bring ease to know that in order to counteract the grimness of the situation, there were refreshing moments of wit and humor that were ingeniously placed to create lightness in dark times. This humor, however, in no way undermined the purpose of this production: to spread Irena Gut Opdyke’s story not only in New York, but hopefully, throughout the world in hopes of preventing another mass genocide. Irena’s Vow is an inspirational and dazzling play filled with hope, leaving much of the audience teary-eyed by the end.
-Jessica Yin
Poland. 1940’s. That is the setting for the play Irena’s Vow by Dan Gordon. This play is adapted from the memoir of Irena Gut Opdyke. It recounts her experiences in a Jewish ghetto, and of the risk she took in hiding twelve Jews (thirteen if one include the unborn baby) inside a German officer’s home during the Holocaust. I saw the play while it was still in previews at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. Even though little kinks were still being worked out, I was blown away by the performance of Tovah Feldshuh, the lead actress. Ms. Feldshuh really owned her part. She spoke with great conviction and made eye contact with the entire audience so I felt like I was truly listening to Irena’s firsthand testimonies. Ms. Feldshuh was also able to throw in a bit of humor successfully, which can be very difficult when dealing with a sensitive topic such as the Holocaust.
I personally have been to Poland and have seen the actual concentration camp of Auschwitz, and the death camps of Birkenau, Treblinka, and Majdanek. I have also been to the mass graves and have recited psalms in memory of the fallen Jews. Therefore, I can truly verify how realistic the production was done in terms of setting and mood. Seeing this play brought back those awful memories. One such example was when Irena is describing how she witnessed a family hanged by Nazis because they were caught hiding Jews. At this point, I would give kudos to the director Michael Parva, set designer Kevin Judge, and lighting designer David Castaneda for bringing this horrific event to realization by use of the background, lighting, and photography. As Irena is describing this scene, a black and white photograph of the actual ganging was projected onto the screen behind her.
I also got choked up when Irena describes how she witnessed a mass execution and burial in a field and how she was able to do nothing about the situation. Being in control of one’s own destiny is a very basic human need that is sometimes taken for granted. In this situation where virtually all hope is lost it really made me think of how lucky I am to be living in a free country. From my seat in the audience, I saw how this scene affected others the same way it affected me.
The message of the play was even more powerful than the production itself. The message was that we should never forget these atrocities that were committed. Our current generation is the last generation that will be able to hear firsthand testimonies of what happened during the Holocaust. There are also people such as the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who outright deny that the Holocaust ever occurred. These people call the whole thing a fabrication and I’m sure I’m not the only one who is personally offended by these statements. Conferences denying the Holocaust are being held all over the world brainwashing people to their twisted thinking. We must be able to learn from the past and not allow such a horrific occurrence to ever happen again. Currently, genocide is being committed in Darfur, Sudan. As human beings we must be able to look at what we learned from the Holocaust and not let such horrible acts happen once again.
All in all, I fully enjoyed Irena’s Vow and would recommend for anyone to see it. The plot line of how Irena was able to hide twelve Jews inside a German officer’s home is unbelievable. The message imparted transcends all race, religion, and/or nationality. Therefore, I believe that anyone who goes out and spends the $55 or $25 if they’re a student will experience an amazing show and will feel very much enlightened.
~~~Morris Dabbah
A Tale of Perseverance
Story time doesn’t get more compelling than Dan Gordon’s new drama Irena’s Vow. This enthralling play is in preview at the Baruch Performing Arts Center and is running through November 2nd. Gordon’s visual adaptation of one woman’s heroic deeds during the Holocaust is both captivating and heart warming. The play is set in an American High School classroom and begins with the protagonist, Irena Gut Opdyke, telling her story to the students (the theater audience).
Throughout the play Irena recounts the obstacles and struggles she is faced in Nazi ruled Poland while hiding 11 Polish Jews from Nazi regime. During the Holocaust, Irena takes in 11 Jews that she befriends when she works in the laundry at a concentration camp. She hides then in the basement of Major Rugermer, played by Thomas Ryan and tries her hardest to keep them safe until the war is over.
Irena’s Vow uses a small cast to give life to the most central of characters, while Tovah brings life to the less important ones. Whilst reenacting characters, Feldshuh makes it clear that she is not Irena anymore, but in fact, some one such as a Nazi soldier as she switches between different roles. This could have been disastrous if it wasn’t for Tovah Feldshuh’s superb and powerful acting. Perhaps by having Tovah switch between characters, director Michael Parva’s intention was to remind the audience that this was still a story being told and not a glorified Hollywood production of history. The acting gave off a sense of nostalgia and the audience was reminded of the stories that their parents or grandparents would tell them and the way their voices would change when they wanted to represent a new character. The direction brought the play to life and made it seem a lot more real.
However, there were extreme disparities in the play’s historical accuracy. Although the direction and script kept up with the historical period, aspects such as accents and costume designs at times ruined the historical vision. Schultz, Major Rugemer’s butler played by Steven Hauck, would sometimes lose and gain different accents throughout the play. In another instance, costume designer Astrid Brucker’s negligence towards historical accuracy by dressing Strumbannfuher Rokita with boxer shorts took away from the play. The scene was one of the few comical moments in the play. It involved a drunken Strumbannfuher Rokita, played by John Stanisci about to engage in sexual activities with a woman when suddenly Irena abruptly stops him in the act. Her intentions were to get Rokita away from the balcony that presided right above the area where she was hiding the 11 Jews. The scene prompted a burst of laughter from the audience. Regardless of the intentions of the scene, the play should keep up with its historic context.
Nevertheless, these inconsistencies were barely noticeable and could never take away from the overall outstanding production of Irena’s Vow. One scene that had me holding my breath involved a heartbroken Major Rugemer and a petrified Irena. Terrific acting by Ryan set an intense mood. The spotlight, courtesy of Curtis Castaneda, was set on the two actors, while pain, confusion and betrayal were emotions worn on the Major’s face. Major Rugemer discovered Irena’s deception. At that moment he was faced with a life altering decision. He could either kill Irena and the Jews or give in to his desires. Ryan had me at the edge of my seat. The scene is heart tugging and inspirational as Irena selflessly gives up her body to save the lives of her Jewish friends.
Although the audience consisted of mainly older people, Irena’s Vow is for all ages. Actually, the message is particularly aimed for the younger generation. Irena pleaded with the audience at the end of the play and asked us to spread the word of her story. She wanted to make sure that in the future no one would deny that the Holocaust ever happened and hoped that people would learn to take risks and stand up for what they believed in.
Irena’s Vow is a must see for the Fall but unfortunately it is only in preview at the Baruch Performing Arts Center for a limited time and seating is limited. Be sure to be one of the few people to get to see this Off Broadway hit before it ends!
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