Winnipesaukee Playhouse will commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day with 'This Savage Parade'

For the third consecutive year, The Winni Players, in conjunction with Temple B’Nai Israel in Laconia, will be presenting a staged reading of a Holocaust-themed play to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. On Saturday, March 20, the Players, the community theatre branch of the Award-winning Winnipesaukee Playhouse, will be presenting Anthony Shaffer’s "This Savage Parade".

Shaffer’s play takes place in 1962 when a high-ranking Nazi, Rudolf Bauer, is hunted down in South America by the Mossad and brought to Tel Aviv. In the aftermath of the publicized and controversial Eichmann trial, it is decided to have a secret trial where three “judges” will establish Bauer’s identity and confirm his guilt as a war criminal. Yet nothing in this case is as simple and straightforward as it seems as the South American agent who apprehended the criminal has a few questions of his own and tricks up his sleeve. Shaffer is the playwright behind the Playhouse’s very popular 2009 summer production of "Sleuth", another play with many surprise twists for the audience.

According to the Playhouse’s Executive Director and Temple B’Nai Israel Trustee Bryan Halperin, “'This Savage Parade' is an exciting choice for this year’s reading. It will provoke discussion about Israel and the aftermath of the Holocaust, and specifically the role of the Mossad, and the desire of the Jewish people to search for and bring to justice Nazis who escaped prosecution at the end of the war. The Playhouse is very pleased to be able to partner with other organizations like Temple B’Nai Israel to present plays with social value that spark community dialogue.”

As mentioned, "This Savage Parade", is the third play performed to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2008 the Players performed "Denial" by Peter Sagal and in 2009 the selection was "A Shayna Maidel" by Barbara Lebow. According to Halperin, “we’ve purposely selected different types of plays in this series to foster different discussions and provoke different reactions. 'Denial' was very much an intellectual piece dealing with Holocaust deniers in the modern world, whereas 'A Shayna Maidel' was a very emotional play dealing with the Holocaust’s impact on one fictional family putting itself back together immediately following the war. 'This Savage Parade' is more of a mystery where the play itself will keep you entertained and guessing while still presenting ideas and issues regarding the Holocaust for the post-show discussions.”

Continuing with the format of prior years, immediately following the performances a discussion between the performers, director, and audience will take place to allow people to share ideas and feelings about what they’ve just witnessed. Past discussions have had community members sharing personal stories of suffering and tears as well as expressing thoughts on anti-semitism and the lingering affects of the Holocaust on Jews today. According to Rabbi Hannah Orden from the Temple, "The Jewish community of New Hampshire is fortunate to have the resource of The Winnipesaukee Playhouse. Theatre is a powerful tool for understanding the lessons of the Holocaust with our hearts as well as our minds, and we are grateful to the Playhouse for commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day with staged readings that both entertain and present complex moral issues."

This Savage Parade will be performed on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. A minimum donation of $5 per person is requested. As the theatre has limited seating, reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling 603-366-7377. More information about the Playhouse and its productions can be found at www.winniplayhouse.com.