“Dreyfus” A play in commemoration of Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day. Review by: John Joseph Fahey At Oberon Theatre at 2 Arrow Street at the edge of Harvard Square, the play “Dreyfus” was performed on April 29th in honor of Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Day. The background of the story of the play is pertinent to the event, or events that occurred during World War II concerning the victims of Nazi aggression towards Jews; indeed, prejudice, torment and ultimately the process of systematic genocide was played out during 1940s war torn Europe. “Dreyfus” written by Jean-Claude Grumberg, concerns the case of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. This French patriot was wrongly accused and convicted of treason in 1894 and was banished to Devils Island (off the coast of French Guiana, Africa). The overlying reason for the accusation was believed to be because Dreyfus was Jewish and he was up against the military which had strong anti-Semitic sentiment. The case was reopened however, and it was found that much of the evidence against Captain Dreyfus was not substantiated, and despite some additional hurdles, Dreyfus was finally exonerated and reinstated into the French armed forces. The case is salient for one particular reason. It allowed for the equality of Catholics, Protestants and Jews within France. There was no longer any justification for antiSemitism. The state, up to this time, strongly allied with the Church (not the Jewish religion!) became secular. Reason for discrimination based on religion, could no longer be justified. People were now accepted as they were and not due to their religious affiliation. “Dreyfus” is a work that permits one to follow a play rehearsal – a rehearsal where the characters prepare to perfect their production of the accused captain. The young man playing Dreyfus does well playing the actor that just can’t seem to get into his character – to the dismay of his director and fellow thespians. It seems that his character requires a man who is overwhelming in his convictions that he in fact, is not guilty of treason; and this is something that he struggles with. However, when he and the cast are overtaken with a physical anti-Semite attack, the young actor rises to the occasion and defends his honor. He defends who he is and who his cast members are – not just a man wrongly accused but a man (along with the rest of his acting troupe) who happen to be Jewish. The cast members in the production: Sounia Aitelhaj, Kevin Bradbury, Janet Buchwald, Sumona Chakravarty, James Foritano, Jeremy Hanes, Roxanne Morse, James Sanguinetti, Emmanuel Straschnov and Moly Zeff. The dancers: Melissa Alexander, Jennifer Gjulameti, and Cecila Raassina (choreographer.) Singer: Julia Fein. All cast members were commendable, the production’s scenes transitioned smoothly and Grumberg’s strong message, well delivered by committed actors - a message that was further expounded upon shortly after the final scene. The second part of the program was consisted of a panel discussion titled: Yom Hashoah, the Importance of Rememebring, the Situation of Jews in France Today. The discussion was sponsored by: Ambassador Francois Zimeray, French Ambassador for Human Rights, and the panel: Dr. Michael Azaria, CRIF-Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France; Professor Susan Suleiman, Chair, Departmentof Romance
Languages and Literature, Harvard; Professor Jean Baptiste Vallet, Science Po Paris; Professor Stephen Marks, Director Program on Human Rights in Development at Harvard School of Public Health and Rosian Zerner, Former Vice President of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Guila Clara Kessous, Fellow, Carr Center fro Human Rigts Policy at Harvard Kenneedy School. Incidentially, Ms. Kessous also directed “Dreyfus.” Jewish discrimination takes place in the small Polish town where the play is set – and the characters must rise to overcome it – first, trying to produce a play in which the message of discrimination will be overtly addressed, and second, not in hiding from the manifestation that bigotry and intolerance can produce. Members of the panel discussed the situation of the Dreyfus case relative to modern day. While political elements present during the Dreyfus years are not present today, that doesn’t mean that intolerance is no longer a threat; but it will be less of a threat as long as the world still remembers those injustices that this play speaks of – and this can never be forgotten.
