Simon Weisenthal is more than just a Holocaust survivor. He is someone who fought tirelessly for 58 years to make Nazi war fugitives kneel in front of justice. Over the course of his lifetime, he legally fought 1,100 war criminals. His story cannot be simply condensed as a tale of survival; it is one of sheer grit and determination. By dedicating his entire life to the prevention of genocide, he emerged as a striking symbol of hope, born out of the horrors of war. American author and playwright Tom Dugan captures all that Weisenthal was in a multiple award-winning monologue that premiered in 2014, titled Weisenthal, which has toured the world. It will reach Chennai this weekend, under the direction of city-based theatre practitioner, Denver Anthony Nicholas, performed by actor TM Karthik.
The play captures Weisenthal, 90-year-old war veteran, on his last day in office. In his direct address to the audience, he recounts his life’s journey as a war prisoner and Holocaust survivor.
Denver has always been a fan of World War literature. “I didn’t know who Simon Weisenthal was until I read the play. I remember watching a movie based on him many years ago. His story is very real and I felt very attached to the text,” he says, clarifying that the play is not an adaptation and will stay true to the original, written by Dugan. After reading the text, both Denver and Karthik read up more about Dugan. “There was a lot more we wanted to incorporate into this performance but decided against it since we didn’t want to touch the script. It’s perfect the way it is,” he says.
