The new play, Vilna, is now open Off-Broadway at the Theatre at St. Clement’s. Written by Ira Fuchs and directed by Joseph Discher, Vilna is a drama inspired by a news report of the discovery of the escape tunnel at the site of the Vilna ghetto from World War II. The play follows the lives of actual people, Motke Zeidel and Yudi Farber, from the ages of 11 through 28. Their story is set during the decline of this remarkable city in the years before World War II and its destruction during the war. There are moments of happiness replaced by the constant need to find ways to survive. The story of Vilna can be difficult to watch at times. However, this play gives the opportunity for the story to be told to a new generation of people in the hopes that it will not be forgotten.
Background
Vilna was a highly evolved center of civilization where Jews lived since the tenth century. In the 18th century, Vilna was the center of Jewish learning in Europe. Napoleon called it the “Jerusalem of the North.” It was distinguished as a highly evolved center of economic, cultural, educational, and charitable activity. It was a railroad hub for merchandise traveling between Russia and Germany. It also manufactured ready-made clothing, gloves, beer, tobacco, and had sugar plant. There were mills, printers, and tanneries.
So picture a prosperous city that also had hundreds of Jewish educational institutions in which 13, 000 children studied. But in 1921, Vilna was renamed Wilno when Poland was reconstituted. This is when the Jewish community began to be persecuted. The Nazis completely eradicated the Vilna Jews between 1941 and 1944. The city was renamed Vilnius after World War II when it became part of Lithuania.
Vilna, the play, covers the years that led to that complete eradication – 1922 – 1943.
The Story Unfolds
The story is presented in a form of a flashback as told by the deceased spirit of Motke Zeidel. Played by actor Mark Jacoby, the character opens the play on a runner that goes across the top level of the stage. The distant, eerie sound of a train passing plays in the background. With a spotlight on the character, he speaks to the audience and introduces them to what they are about to see. This opening is very detailed and it sets the stage for what is about to happen.
It begins in 1926 when Motke and Yudi first meet. They are young boys. However, the first signs of Jewish discrimination are beginning to take root. As time progresses, more and more restrictions are placed on the Jewish population culminating with the creation of the ghetto.
Motke’s mother, Naiomi, is a doctor at the local hospital during the entire time period. Her role becomes a very important one as the story continues to emerge because the hospital becomes a refuge for people. Her character also represents the Jewish health professionals who prevented outbreaks of Cholera, Typhus and other diseases in the ghetto. Their rigorously enforced health and hygiene procedures stand even today as procedures cited as best practices for preventing the outbreak of disease in disastrous situations.
When the Nazis installed Jewish Councils known as Judenrats, many decisions had to be made that were painful and emotionally difficult to those involved. Required to supply skilled Jewish labor to support the war effort, the Vilna Judenrat is shown trying to do what is best for all but with results that no one can be pleased with.
The final section of the show deals with the digging of the Ponar killing pits where 80,000 Jewish bodies were buried in an attempt to hide what was done. Eventually, both Motke and Yudi are forced to burn bodies buried there. Their lives as beyond horrible and the play does a good job of portraying this. Yudi, a trained engineer, devises a way to dig an escape tunnel out through the pits. About a dozen Jews made their way out to freedom through this tunnel with Motke being one. The play ends with his addressing the audience about his life after this time period.
Staging Could Use Some Adjustment
There is no doubt that Vilna is a fine play. The story it tells needs to be understood. There is a plea in a handout from the Playbill that “It is our obligation to keep it from becoming a frail memory.” This is not a widely known story and it is remarkable that so many years after the Holocaust of World War II, we still learn of these horrendous events.
There are numerous scenes used to tell the story. In fact, there are too many changes particularly in the first act. These changes call for props to be moved in and out. Some new setups on stage could eliminate this very easily and add some better coherence to the action as it unfolds.
Good Use of Dates, Music, and a Good Cast
Good use is made of an area on the right side of the stage where the date is posted as a scene begins. This posting helps to keep the audience aware of the amount of time passing as the play goes on.
Another very fine aspect of the show is the inclusion of a night club singer. This allows us to see some form of the arts surviving through the devastation taking place. There is also some other music played throughout the show with the cast singing “Vilne, Vilne” written in the early 1930’s by A.I. Wolfson to music by Alexander Olshanetsky which is a tribute to the city. Also heard is “Unter Dayne Vayse Shtern” with words by Avraham Sutskever and music by Abraham Brudno written in the Vilna ghetto.
The hard working cast includes Mark Jacoby, Sophia Blum, Brian Cade, Paul Cooper, and Sean Hudock. Also Nathan Kaufman, Tom Morin, Seamus Mulcahy, James Michael Reilly, Patrick Toon, and Carey Van Driest.
Additional Information
Vilna is on a limited run now through April 14, 2019.
Performances are Monday, Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7pm, with matinees Wednesday & Saturday afternoons at 2pm & Sunday afternoon at 3pm.
Tickets may be purchased online at Telecharge.com, by phone at 212/239-6200, or in person at the St. Clement’s box office (423 West 46th Street, between Ninth & Tenth Avenues) one hour prior to show time.
To read more about Vilna including more background information, visit their website at https://vilna-the-play.org