Chills ran up and down my spine as I watched Berlin in 1930 and compared it with the United States of 2010. Two groups of people were represented on stage tonight, those who were ignorant, happy and carefree, and those who were committed to solving the problems of the world because they knew the causes of all those problems. Warnings were everywhere - and nobody paid attention. Those who began to ask "Hey?" were either ridiculed or told that this was nothing unusual.
The only survivor of things to come was the supernatural-seeming character called the Emcee - marvelously played by Andrew Turnbull.We stopped over at Old Hickory TapRoom for a beer and chips after to talk over the feelings we had. I was grateful for the effect the arts have to record and transmit feelings. I also have lamented the dropping of arts programs across our country in high schools and colleges. Then I thought of that old saying - "First they came for the gypsies, then the homosexuals, then the communists . . ",, and then I thought "No, FIRST they came for the arts, THEN they came for the gypsies . . .
1 comment:
You are so right. I felt the same way when I saw it. The issues and circumstances are so clearly parallel, they are scary. Just change the religion from Jew to Muslim, and the names of the parties and we haven't learned a thing. Hopefully, this production, and many across the country will have the same impact on other audience members.
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