David Strathairn Vividly Embodies Polish Hero & His Warning by Jeanette Quick In a brilliant one man show, David Strathairn dramatizes the story of Jan Karski, a young Polish Catholic diplomat during the Holocaust. Karski struggled to tell the outside world what was happening in the Warsaw Ghetto and in the Death Camps—horrors he…
Timothy Near Beautifully Details Quotidian Life Onstage by M. Ani A family of four stands, clutching one other, in the bleak rain. The bewilderment at being marked “other” is reflected in their strained eyes and the garish yellow stars which loom on the breasts of their coats. From its striking first image, “The Diary…
Millennial Notes Foer & Block Show Why History Matters by Rachel Norby Simon Block’s adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Everything is Illuminated exposes the unfortunate ignorance that swirls around us. Foer articulates the urgent need for empathy, today. Jonathan (energetic Jeremy Kahn)—channeling a young, self-important Rick Moranis—arrives in Ukraine intent on finding…
Millennial Notes Roger Grunwald Embodies Holocaust Stories by Ishai Padawer I was excited to see “The Obligation” at Potrero Stage in San Francisco. Not because I had any idea about Roger Grunwald’s acting (it’s great), or about Nancy Carlin’s directing (it’s excellent). I was excited because I have an unhealthy obsession with the Holocaust…