“The Interpreter” is a journey back in time at The Theater Project

Mark Spina, Director, and Joseph Vitale, Playwright, take us on a journey back in time to World War II in Vitale’s play The Interpreter.  The play takes it’s inspiration from the lived experience of Richard Sonnenfeldt. He is among the remaining living interpreters from the Nuremberg Trial of Nazi war criminals. And this examination of zeitgeist has deep resonance today. 

I found myself wincing at the casual racism of 80 years ago when the Silent Generation was saving the world in some ways while perpetuating “-isms” in others. Sometimes, when we get a reminder of what the world was like, we see simultaneously how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.

We meet Lieutenant Jimmy Cosgrove (Brian Nowak) and his new boss, Colonel Kenneth A. Erickson (Mike Marcou), as they are about to begin the Nuremberg Trials. Erickson has hand-picked his team, and finding an interpreter for the “big fish” war criminal Hermann Goering (David Tillistrand) has been very difficult. Ultimately, Erickson settled on Private Richard Rosen (Sam Saravolatz) in part because he was born in the same village as Goering and is equally proficient in English and German.

The fact that Rosen is Jewish — is this surreal juxtaposition intentional on Erickson’s part? Plus, the shared hometown may spur some spurious connection that will lead Goering to share something he might not otherwise do. It is folly to underestimate one’s enemy.

There is magic in the interaction of Tillistrand’s Goering and Saravolatz’ Rosen. The final scene of the first act reminded me of Wild Kingdom, watching a snake mesmerize its prey. Pearso’s lights complemented Stephen Sallach’s sets, Barbara Canace’s costumes, James Mezzo’s sound, and Bryan Clarendon’s projections with Chase Wolff’s haunting videos will live in memory. 

Be sure to stay for the post-show discussion that is part of every performance at the Oakes Center where the play is being performed. This is an important show for all ages — those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. How this lives in your memory and what you do with what you feel is entirely up to you.

This show closes Aug. 25, 2024, so get your tickets NOW and experience this brilliant show. It’s excellent preparation for the upcoming election season. thetheaterproject.org/summer-season-2024#SUMMERSEASON2024