Last weekend, I attended a wonderful and disturbing performance of Cabaret. Wonderful because I have amazingly talented friends who had key roles both on stage and behind the scenes. I'm writing today's blog post about the disturbing part.
If you're familiar with the musical, Cabaret, it's set before Hitler's rise to power. The director of this production played up the metaphor of the Master of Ceremonies representing the tenuous political period which results in the Nazi regime.
One of the characters, Fräulein Schneider, becomes engaged to Herr Schultz and they decide to have an engagement party. At the party it is revealed that Herr Schultz is Jewish. A benefactor of Schneider threatens to ruin her if she goes through with the marriage (and reveals that the benefactor is a Nazi). The characters handed out the lyrics to Oh Fatherland and insisted that the audience sing along and stand. At the end of the song, much of the cast performed a Nazi or Hitler salute.
At first I thought the director was making an interesting statement. And then, I realized I was one of the few audience members who did not stand up and did not sing along. I watched on in horror as they stood and sung. Mind you, a few needed goating to get up. But still, there they were, standing and singing along with characters that represented a terrifying period of Germany's history.
I kept thinking, do the audience members understand that they are paying tribute to a fascist regime by standing and singing along? Don't they understand what this represents? The horror of it? Even now I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that in 2011 in America, in a suburban theater, that audience members stood and sung Oh Fatherland during a scene that was clearly a representation of the dominance and power of the fascist Nazi regime.
I'm less disgusted by the directors choice and more so amazed that today, so many people would follow such a sing-along.
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8 comments:
You seem to be assuming that the people in the audience understood the symbolism of this act, that they understood the meaning of the song's words and of what it meant to stand respectfully while giving voice to the text.
Those that stood may have felt they were taking part in an interactive experience designed to add texture to the evening's entertainment.
Or, more likely, they were just doing what they were told, singing along like the good sports they try to be, not making waves, not thinking about the meaning of their actions at all.
I'm disgusted by the director's choice. What point was being made? That "good people" will do bad things because of pressure from a (perceived) higher authority—the people on stage? What do your friends in the cast think of this?
Good points. I would hope that the audience members didn't do this blindly. I'm hoping that they viewed themselves as characters in the play.
My friends were quite worried about the director's choices. He made quite a few "in your face" selections. My friends seemed a little uncomfortable (when we spoke outside of the theater) and were worried about the audiences reaction as well as the darkness of the choices.
I think it was awkward attempt to get the audience to realize through participation how easily peer pressure can make us do things as a group. It came off badly (as described). Perhaps there might also be a subtle hint at the current drift towards socialism in our own country (as you recall the Nazi's were socialists) but in the end analysis I think it just turned out to be an awkward exercise, nothing more.
I am disturbed on a few levels, and thank you for starting the conversation about this. I am disturbed for the audience members who stood and sang along; for me it was obvious by the scene that this was a pro-Nazi song, and if those that stood missed it, I'm a little disturbed by their ignorance. And I am very bothered by the director's choice. Sure there is always the choice for the audience not to participate, but the push for it seemed disrespectful to the patrons. Then to have the lead character, the Emcee, giving the finger to the audience at the end of the song was over the top. I'm all for art pushing the limits, but my thought is that it can go too far if it is not justified. I saw an elderly woman in the audience with her hands over her ears and tears in her eyes during that song. I don't know her history, but she was clearly in pain by this moment in the show. I feel the same about the unnecessary film footage at the end of the show. We all know what the Nazi's did, why follow a production with a very long and graphic video that beats the audience over the head with it? Bad decision by the director, unnecessary and indulgent and with no artistic vision behind it. Kind of like the movie Hostel... gore for the sake of gore.
To both anonymous comments: Exactly.
Since I didn't see the production, I know I'm not able to comment as fully as you, Lisa, and if you felt disturbed and disgusted, than I'm sure it was disturbing and disgusting.
But I can't help thinking that making the audience uncomfortable was exactly the point. It's easy to say 'yes, we get it, peer pressure can make people do things they don't want to do' But when you actually feel that peer pressure on you, in public, I think the message is strong. The only thing more terrible than all of these horrible reminders of a vile chapter in history is apathy. Apathy is the key ingredient that allows all the other horrors to exist. As a society, it's all to easy to slip into nice, comfy apathy.
Even if the choices the director made to smash through that apathy were debatable, I can't help but applaud the attempt.
My two cents!
Hi Magpiewrites,
Just to make it clear, I didn't say I was totally disgusted with the director, I said I was disgusted to see the audience respond the way they did. I don't necessarily agree with the director's choices. I think the same affect could have been made in a much more subtle manner.
I agree with you in that we need to keep people awake and aware of what it can mean to follow the crowd. At the same time, I couldn't help but be horrified at the audience's reaction.
Did any of you see "The Producers"- it sounds as though the director was using creative license as they did in that performance. I don't think anyone attending was forced to go. Remember in America we are free to choose the plays we attend and how we participate. If an actor plays a villain does that make him a bad person. If an audience member sings and salutes does that make them a bad person? My heart aches for Hitler's victims and their families. I recently listened to Benny Hochman, a Holocaust survivor tell of his experience. To this day he is so grateful to our Military for saving his life. His book is titled, "From Hell to Here" I recommend reading it.
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