Prisoner 1793 (Christopher Daftsios) stands at attention as Kapo (Seth Trucks) leads Prisoner 9355 into the room.
By Aaron Krause
Dan Clancy’s acclaimed 2001 play, The Timekeepers, shares something in common with composer Giuseppe Verdi’s music. Both feature emotional power and dramatic storytelling.
Certainly, superb performances in a current South Florida co-production of The Timekeepers enhance the potency of Clancy’s narrative, which includes references to Verdi and his music. In fact, The Timekeepers is a play with music that features not only Verdi’s work (1813-1901), but Giacomo Puccini’s as well (1858-1924).
It may be a cliché, but we share more in common with each other than the differences that separate us. And in The Timekeepers, a shared love of opera unites two concentration camp prisoners – a Jewish man and a non-Jewish homosexual — during World War II. In fact, discussing opera helps the characters get through each day during an unimaginably horrific time in their life.
A powerful co-production of The Timekeepers between Plays of Wilton (POW) and Ronnie Larsen Presents continues through April 27 in the intimate Foundry space in Wilton Manors. Any serious live theater fan will want to experience this co-production.
The play takes place from the Summer of 1940 through Spring 1941 at Sachenhausen, a concentration camp outside Berlin.
Under Bruce Linser’s precise direction, the co-production stars John Brodsky, Christopher Daftsios and Seth Trucks. Their performances seem so raw, so real that the stage essentially disappears. Indeed, within the small Foundry space, we feel as though we are eavesdropping on real-life action or part of the action.
Before the show officially begins, theater staff members dressed as SS guards seat us. In addition, they give us numbers to wear, as though we, too, are concentration camp prisoners.
In The Timekeepers, which played at Island City Stage in 2013, Clancy introduces us to three characters. In his script, he refers to the prisoners at first only by their numbers – 1793, a Jewish man in his early 30’s, and 9355, a gay Christian man in his late 20’s. Later, we learn the Jewish man’s name is Benjamin, and the other’s name is Hans.
A third character is an unnamed “Kapo.” That person is a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp assigned by SS guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks within the camp. The term comes from the Italian word capo, meaning “head” or “chief.”
In The Timekeepers’ case, the unnamed Kapo supervises Benjamin and Hans as they fix broken watches. “These watches, who are they for?” Hans asks Benjamin. After the Jewish man does not respond, Hans sarcastically guesses that the watches belong to S.S. officers, “so they will know what time to send another box load of Jews to hell.”
Such humor exists throughout The Timekeepers’ roughly one hour and 50 minutes with no intermission. Comic lines help offer a respite from the piece’s truly dark moments. Also, people trying to survive tense times often turn to humor to help them get through each day.
There is something darkly humorous or ironic about concentration camp prisoners fixing watches; in reality, they have no power to stop, slow, or speed up time, despite how frightened they may be about what the next second will bring.
Speaking of time, the 2013 production was mounted by Island City Stage, earning the company six Carbonell Awards. Unquestionably, the current production is Carbonell Award worthy as well.
The political and social climate was definitely different in 2013. For instance, Barack Obama, the first Black individual to be elected U.S. president, was into his second year at the time and optimism was high.
In the 12 years since Island City Stage’s production, the country has elected Donald J. Trump, whom many consider a fascist and racist, twice as president. A post from just about a year ago on Human Rights Campaign’s website (http://www.hrc.org) indicate that anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes continue to spike. Anti-Semitic incidents are sky high as well. Within this ominous climate, The Timekeepers, which has received international productions and translations into multiple languages, can serve as a chilling cautionary drama about what can happen if power in the wrong hands remains unchecked.
But when it comes to incidents of hate, the victims are not always completely innocent, as we see in The Timekeepers.
At least once, the characters admit that they remained silent when they heard or saw taunting against other minorities. And in an exchange that may remind you of Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece Waiting for Godot, the characters hurl one-word insults at each other. The rapid-fire, vulgar dialogue may also call to mind Mamet Speak (playwright David Mamet’s signature style).
Hans: Did you yell out ‘You’re Wrong’ when someone spat at someone and called him queer?
Benjamin: It’s different.
Hans: What’s f—ing different?
Benjamin: You can’t compare us with you – you degenerates!
Hans: Degenerates?
Benjamin: Degenerates.
Hans: That’s just you –
Benjamin: No- that’s everyone…maybe not to your face – but when you pass—that’s what they say—degenerate!
Hans: You Jew bastard!
Benjamin: Freak!
Hans: Shylock!
Benjamin: Deviate!
Hans: You Jews caused all this!
Benjamin: Always the Jews.
Hans: And their money. Your control of the economy allowed Hitler…
Benjamin: Propaganda – we’re scapegoats.
Hans: No! We’re the scapegoats. We did nothing.
Benjamin: We’re innocent.
Hans: No!
Benjamin: Yes!
Hans: No!
Benjamin: We don’t name names.
Hans: Don’t have to – can always smell a Jew.
Benjamin: You Judas!
Hans: You Christ killer!
Under Linser’s careful direction, tension is at times thick and the heat is intense between the two prisoners. Also, a dog would probably be able to intensely smell fear when the unnamed Kapo enters the room.
As the Kapo, a terrific Trucks, a veteran South Florida performer, sometimes combines sadism and casualness to create a unique brand of intimidation. At other times, a thunderous menace erupts from Trucks, likely sending chills into audience members’ bones. Trucks is a versatile actor. You may have seen him portray a Lenny Small-like mentally handicapped man with convincing childlike good-naturedness in Zoetic Stage Company’s terrific production of Martin McDonagh’s powerful play, The Pillowman. Trucks was convincingly gentle and innocent then, and is believably ferocious this time in The Timekeepers. However, he curiously does not speak with a German accent.
Prisoner 1793 (Christopher Daftsios) concentrates heavily on repairing a watch.
Trucks’ castmates, who believably speak with that accent, deliver great performances as well. Behind dark-framed glasses that include a magnifying glass, Daftsios, as Benjamin, bends over and peers into a watch with the concentration of a brain surgeon. Often, Benjamin does not respond verbally to Hans’ repeated questions and comments. In place of words, Daftsios’s Benjamin shoots the other prisoner looks of annoyance, disgust, or even contempt. But the actor, whom you may have seen in Palm Beach Dramaworks’ production of August: Osage County, ensures that we care about his character. The performer injects him with humanity. That is particularly true when he hears news about his family. Suddenly, Daftsios’s Benjamin breaks down sobbing, and we wish we could comfort him.
Brodsky, a New York based actor making his Foundry debut, radiates affability, youthful charm, and flamboyance as Hans. At times, he clasps his hands together and crosses his legs in an effeminate manner. Brodsky’s Hans is also often dramatic and animated. To his credit, Brodsky also conveys vulnerability and humanity when necessary.
Linser’s direction and staging includes smart choices. For instance, Benjamin sits farther away from Hans when the latter has annoyed the former. Effective pauses add tension to the action.
When the Kapo unlocks the door and enters, the door seemingly opens automatically. It is creepy. Of course, it is also unsettling that the Kapo locks the door from the outside so that the prisoners cannot escape.
Linser has re-arranged the seating configuration in the Foundry for this production. It feels especially intimate; be careful not to rest your foot too far in front of you, because you may trip an actor. A downside to this seating configuration is that if you sit in one area, an actor’s back will face you at times. Normally, we want to not only hear the actors, but see their facial expressions as well. Also, perhaps the tension would be even thicker with a ticking clock as a sound effect.
Normally, after a live performance, the actors come out and bow to acknowledge clapping audience members. However, to keep a solemn aura, there is no curtain call in this production.
We must also credit fight director Ted deChatelet for believable physical struggles.
Cindi Blank Taylor designed the simple, realistic set, which befits a dark disturbing story. It includes a wall that is missing some parts, as though someone tore away chewed away chunks of it. Dark stains dot the pieces of light-colored wall that remain. A desk with tools on top, a chair, and a box to sit complete the simple set. Its minimalism allows us to concentrate on the play and its characters.
Kirk Bookman’s lighting is mostly realistic. Sometimes the light moves around the theater to, perhaps, suggest a change in time. Tim Bowman designed the fitting period costumes. And Roger Arnold’s clear sound design helps us hear and understand the performers.
Perhaps the end of the story could be a but more
The best plays about the Holocaust do not just present statistics and a history lesson. Indeed, they humanize history by presenting relatable individuals trapped in a sea of inhumanity. Such plays also ask tough questions and do not necessarily provide easy answers.
By immersing us into seemingly real horrifying action, this co-production causes us to shiver, and perhaps think about what we would do if we were the characters. Sadly, such a scenario does not seem that farfetched these days.
The Timekeepers by Dan Clancy from Plays of Wilton (POW) and Ronnie Larsen Presents through April 27 at The Foundry, 2306 N. Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors. For tickets, go to https://www.ronnielarsen.com.
Kapo (Seth Trucks, left) means business and he lets Prisoner 9355 (John Brodsky) know that.
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