Sara's Cave an award winner TINA DEPKO, Staff Writer The Holocaust has served as fuel for the creative arts for more than six decades. The horror of the event has incited playwrights, composers, visual artists, dancers and filmmakers from around the world to depict their interpretation of those dark years during the Second World War. Sara's Cave, written by Toronto playwright Donald Molnar, is a thought-provoking work far more thorough than the typical portrayal of heartless German soldiers and suffering Jews. While there is some emphasis on the trials of the Jewish people, Molnar also strives to show that not all the German soldiers were heartless and that the people caught between the Germans and Jews also suffered. Molnar's play is set in 1942 in Nazi-occupied Poland. A young mother living in poverty named Anna is sheltering two Jewish women in her root cellar-- Fruma and Sara. Two German soldiers, Klaus and Martin, have also taken residence in her tiny house. The two soldiers have very different ideologies on the war and what they are really fighting for. Misunderstanding leads to hatred, creating explosive situations that keep the audience on the edges of their seats. This intense script demands a group of versatile actors who are prepared to completely give themselves over to their craft. The group of seasoned actors selected for the production by Arbez Drama Projects does justice to Molnar's writing. Klaus, who embodies the Third Reich, is exceptionally performed by Alan Lee. The actor portrays an officer who is terrifyingly cruel and inhumane. Molnar adds depth to the character by giving Klaus lines that explain his disposition. Lee takes these well-crafted sentences and flies with them. Everything about Louise Gauthier, from her mannerisms to her appearance, is ideal for the role of Anna. She makes it easy to sympathize with this desperate woman torn between doing what she believes is right and betraying the family in her root cellar in exchange for food for her baby. Shira Leuchter is the only rookie actor in the production, but her relative inexperience is unnoticeable. She meshes well with the rest of the cast, especially with Anna. Chemistry between Sara and Anna is essential for a successful production. This is abundant thanks to Leuchter and Gauthier. The prime source of sympathy in Sara's Cave comes from Martin, the conscience-plagued German soldier. Jon Vladimir Cubrt is convincing for most of the production, but falters during several essential moments. Robert Nasmith is an effective sergeant. The only problematic part of this production and the script itself is Elijah. Molnar's writing for this character is ineffective in portraying the strife of a Jewish victim. Actor Sam Moses overemphasizes his lines, adding to the unrealism. Both Molnar and Moses should go back to the script and reexamine the part. Regarding other aspects of the production, it is evident that a lot of thought and detail went into the construction of the set, allowing action to occur in the root cellar, forest and Anna's kitchen. The dead plum tree at the side of the stage is looming and substantial, reinforcing its symbolism. The costumes complement the set, with Anna in a ragged dress and the German officers in realistic uniforms, complete with the squeaky, black leather boots. There are numerous lighting cues in the production, mostly using spotlights to illuminate only small sections of the stage. The prominence of darkness is symbolic of life in Poland at this time in history. The props also add realism, with actual food, candles and a water-filled basin. Sara's Cave has not yet had a full professional production, but has already won several awards. The work deserves recognition for its handling of sensitive subject matter and its exposure of the plethora of human emotions the Jews, Pols and Germans experienced. Sara's Cave is a striking commentary on a tragedy that human civilization is still trying to come to terms with. |
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There's a gritty realism of war in the play Sara's Cave