"Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need." – Psalm 79: 7-9.
When the son of an escaped Nazi war criminal (still alive and living in Paraguay) and the American-born daughter of an Auschwitz survivor meet and fall in love in Berlin, what they choose to reveal to and conceal from one another brings the past crashing down on them. Love, guilt, and recriminations mix in the regional premiere of this riveting theatrical gut-punch from the author of last season’s smash hit production of “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes”, coming to Catskill’s Bridge Street Theatre from May 25 – June 4, 2023.
‘East of Berlin’ was a Nazi euphemism for the deportation of Jews to the death camps, where, unbeknownst to his son, Rudi’s father conducted brutal “experiments” on prisoners. Estranged from his family after the true extent of his father’s war crimes are revealed to him by a classmate, Rudi flees to Berlin where he falls in love with Sarah, who is Jewish, but reveals nothing to her of his family history. It is only after she becomes pregnant with his child that Rudi feels he must return to Paraguay to confront his father. The play is a genuine nail-biter, with the tension mounting higher and higher until a last-second climax as shocking as it is unexpected.
Hannah Moscovitch is an award-winning Canadian playwright who also created “Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes”, presented by Bridge Street Theatre during the Fall of 2022. That acclaimed production was helmed by the magnificent Margo Whitcomb, who'll also be directing “East of Berlin”. Featured in the cast are Orlando Grant as Rudi, JD Scalzo as Hermann, and Kara Arena in her BST debut as Sarah. The costumes are by Michelle Rogers, with sets and lighting designed by John Sowle. Kiara Vedovino is the production stage manager.
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