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.
Speaking of what attracted him to the text, Denver further says, “When we talk about World War II, the first name that comes to mind is that of Hitler. This play talks about all the others who were under Hitler — those who carried out orders, like [Adolf] Eichmann for instance.”
The great thing about Weisenthal was that it was not just about vengeance for him, says Denver. “He spent 58 years of his life tracking down Nazi fugitives and brought them to court! For him, it was all about justice. Usually, when we see documentaries, movies or shows on WWII, it is always about vengeance.” The resilience that Weisenthal had, to go by the book and find the war criminals even if it took three to four years, is what makes the story inspiring. “At the end of the day, he is just a normal man,” says Denver.
Since it is a biographical piece, Denver hopes to make the performance as authentic as possible: Karthik has adopted an Austrian-Hungarian accent, and efforts will be underway to make the actor look like Weisenthal. “We are not trying to imitate him. We are trying to emulate him in some way. It has more to do with capturing the essence of the person he was, than physically being him,” says Denver.
Weisenthal will be staged on August 28 at 3pm and 5pm at Allaince Francaise of Madras, Nungambakkam.
