Synopsis of the play
Germany, 1932. History is going to face Hitlar’s fascism. The story revolves around Professor Hans Mamlock, a conservative Jewish doctor, who wants his life to be devoid of politics. But when the city gets attacked, even the shrine would not not be spared. His son, Rolf, being a young communist, tries hard to make him realize the fact, but fails.
April,1933. After the election Nazi government takes the charge and bans Jews, Communists and all the ‘potential enemies’ from practicing medicine or holding other high posts. Things have been changed drastically. Ruth, the daughter of Mamlocks returns home traumatized with a yellow star drawn on her back. Dr. Helpach, the subordinate of Dr. Mamlock, now being the SS Official deters the Professor from working in his own hospital. Mamlock defies to obey him.
The very next day is crucial. The law lifts the ban on veterans of the first World War and so, the Professor is permitted to work in the hospital. But he faces another challenge as Dr. Helpach terminates the job of Simon, the Jew ward boy. Mamlock revolts and refuses to take refuge behind the new amendment of the law.
Dr. Helpach, as a result, gets enraged and issues a reportage accusing Mamlock of various false crimes. He asks everyone to sign it. Mamlock, to his utter dismay, sees that all his friends, horrified by political power, have turned against him to sign it. Only Dr. Ingey, being an exception, refuses to sign. Disappointed, heartbroken and defeated, Professor Mamlock shoots himself to death. Ironically, the politics that he wanted to keep out of his life has driven him out of it.
Director's Note
In the midst of all the hysterical appeals of globalization, when porn mixes with food in a frenzy, when people just want to suffer (I mean, actually suffer) from various ills by covering their faces with advertising face masks and floating towards their utopian horizon – then, of course, this is a false drama. So I did the wrong thing. There are many mistakes in the format of time, in acting, in dress, in words, in art thinking, in direction.
Dystopian states – whether in the first world or the third – are neither good nor bad for poisons. Of course, they can be interchangeable. I ran so far in the magic of that metaphor, just because I needed to fight a fight. Remember, you are in this fight today. We believe you will continue to fight. It was in this belief that the poet wrote – “I think it is better to turn around…
Turn around, at least once, fight back please…
Cast And Credit
On stage
Dr. Inge: Mandira Banerjee
Nurse Hedvig: Moumita Bhattacharya
Frau Ruoff: Sutapa Mukherjee
Simon: Pushkar Chakraborty
Dr. Helpach: Shirshendu Nandy
Dr. Hirsch: Sukumar Chakraborty
Dr. Karlsen: Pavel Das
Verner Seidel: Joydip Mukherjee
The labour: Siddhartha Maity
Professor Mamlock: Raja Bhattacharya
Allen Mamlock: Minaxi Mukherjee
Rolf: Dut Kumar Patra
Ruth: Noirita Chakroborty
Ernst: Etas Saha
Guard: Etash Saha
Off Stage
Play: Fridrish Wolf
Translation: Utpal Dutta
Light: Bablu Sarkar
Make Up: Bidhatri Deb Sarkar
Sound Projection: Shantanu Paul.
Stagecraft: Arun Mondal
Properties: Pushkar Chakraborty
Assistant Director: Mandira Banerjee
Stage Manager: Joydip Mukherjee
Debt: Pujan Sahil, Dr. Ayan Roy, Chinmay Malakar, Palash Paik, Sudip Ghosh, Sudeshna Chakraborty, Soma Chakraborty, Dr. Anuradha Sarkhel, Suman Banerjee, Debajit Chakraborty, Abhishake Lahiri, Monalisa Saha, Abhijit Dutta, Jaysankar Mukherjee.
Edit, Design & Direction
Raja Bhattacharya