Good is Better Than Good

Perhaps modesty induced Scottish playwright C. P. Taylor to choose "good" as the title of a play that undoubtedly merits the superlative form of its headlining adjective. Certainly this was the lingering impression after watching the freshman rendition of Good, running from Oct. 22-30th at the Agassiz. Acting, plot, scenery and music all come together in this highly professional production that ultimately makes sense out of a complicated structure and story line.

The complex story in question addresses one of the most frequently debated issues of modern times: what drove otherwise reasonable German citizens to embrace and support the Nazi regime of Hitler. Good is a study of the gradual acquiescence of a nation toward the hatred and genocide that took place in '30s Germany, culminating in the Holocaust. It explores this theme on a personal, individual level--through the character of John Halder (Diego Arciniegas), a humanities professor and a fundamentally good man who ultimately dons an S.S. uniform and heads off for his new position at the Auschwitz death camp. Halder's ascent (or descent) is recounted in a series of disconnected episodes that recall the pivotal moments in his life in the '30s. In the earliest scenes, the audience learns that Halder is a Goethe scholar at the Frankfurt University recruited by the Nazis for a small novel that he publishes on euthanasia, which the party deems advantageous to its ideology.

But Halder, in a smart performance by Arciniegas, a member of the theater department at Wellesley College, is a frustrated soul. His way of coping with stress is to hear imaginary band music, from cabaret numbers to classical symphonic excerpts. And he has much to be stressed about. His wife Helen (Joy Brooke Fairfield '03) confines herself to the home in neurotic fear. His mother (Cheryl Chan '03) is blind and suffers from an annoying senile dementia that drives Halder to publish his pro-euthanasia book during one of his depressed bouts. His best friend is a Jewish psychiatrist named Maurice (Graham Sack '03) seeking to flee Germany, and his only confidant is a young admiring student, Anne (Emily Knapp '03) with whom he eventually has an affair.

Halder is an appealing character because he reacts in much the same way that the audience would--at least initially. Upon first being sought out by the Nazis, Halder is skeptical. In Halder's mind, Hitler (Brendon DeMay) is a babbling idiot, who in some of the evening's most amusing moments, sings a Jewish wedding song and proclaims at an imaginary rally, "I don't know where I am. I don't know what I'm doing." Halder's wife urges him to join the party for the practical purpose of obtaining a more prestigious university position. He does not have to embrace their ideas, after all, but simply wear their uniform. He rationalizes his decision to join with the nave illusion that he can push the Nazis up "to humanity." But what if the Nazis instead push him down to their lower level?

And this is gradually what happens as Halder finds himself first trying to rationalize euthanasia as a compassionate act toward the sick and deformed, then the bonfire of the books, Krystal Nacht, and in what proves to be the play's most shocking (if somewhat farfetched) moment, Auschwitz. As Halder's rationalizations become increasingly strained and desperate, Hitler assumes a more seductive tone in Halder's mind, and his image is accompanied by popular, catchy drinking songs.

Despite its frequent use of music, Good is not a musical. This use of music is simply one of the play's ingenious, innovative touches. The songs and symphonic pieces break up the monotony of Halder's long soliloquies, adding comic relief or exaggerating irony when necessary. As the play's events unfold, the music gradually becomes more serious to match the severity of Hitler's increasingly powerful position. Musical director John Baxindine '00 does an admirable job as band leader, and his three fellow musicians, prominently displayed at center stage, perform even the most intricate pieces with style and success. Only four musicians? It is through its simplicity that Good is effective. A simple, logical rationalization--this is, according to the play, the premise underlying the rise of Hitler's national hysteria.

The cast, as well, is small, with several actors playing multiple roles. Most notable among the student actors are Knapp and Sack as Anne and Maurice respectively. As Halder's lover, Anne tackles some of the plays most contrived lines--"if we are good to those around us...what more?"--without sinking heavily into melodrama. Sack enjoys perhaps one of the most promising roles as Halder's Jewish friend and gives us a sympathetic and powerful performance that lives up to the character's brilliance.

Undoubtedly, much of the professional polish of the play stems from actual professionals' involvement. Arciniegas, who has been directing and performing in the Boston area for several years, lends a special poignancy to the complicated role of John Halder. The professional expertise is also apparent in Daniel Gidron's effective directing, although the efforts of student assistant director, stage managers, and producers, should be noted for their contributions to this extremely mature production. Especially effective is the sparse yet elegant set design of Glenn Reisch '00. Chairs, stairs, and banners form an aesthetically pleasing backdrop.

Good may perhaps lack the universal appeal of more straightforward, conventional theater. But stylistic preferences aside, this production of Good could hardly have been better.