|
||||
|
||||
|
Saturday, Nov 07, 2009
|
||||
|
||||||||||||
|
![[Valid RSS]](images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Leni Reifenstahl: Genius or propagandist?
|
|
 |
|
| Leni Reifenstahl: Genius or propagandist? | |
| by Miryam Gordon -
SGN A&E Writer Leni By Sarah Greenman Directed by Rhonda Soikowski Starring Amy Thone, Alexandra Tavares Strawberry Theatre Workshop Through August 9 It's an intriguing idea to write a play about one of the most reviled women in recent history, Leni Riefenstahl, considered Hitler's propagandist. Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (1902-2003) was a dancer and actress who became enamored of Hitler's power as a public speaker. She was commissioned by Hitler to document his rise to power at the Nazi party rally at Nuremburg in 1934. Out of this, Riefenstahl created Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will). The film garnered great praise, at the time, and was given all kinds of awards, including a gold medal at the 1935 Venice Biennale, and the Grand Prix at the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. Later, it was vilified as a propaganda tool of the Nazis, swaying millions toward their cause. However, Riefenstahl subsequently denied that her intentions were to produce any sort of propaganda, and insisted that it was just a film and an artistic expression of a documented moment in time. Even now, she is considered a genius of groundbreaking filmmaking, and she pioneered techniques we consider modern film standards, including cranes, tracking rails, and multiple cameras working at the same time So, is Leni an artistic genius, a propagandist, or both? In Leni, produced by Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Sarah Greenman attempts to bring Riefenstahl to life to answer those questions for us, or for herself. In this play, Leni has died and is making a film of her life, presumably in some afterlife filmmaking studio. We see her as both a young woman and an older self, answering questions at a sort of post-death inquisition. In a wonderfully accurate set by Greg Carter, wearing great pseudo-period costumes by Heidi Ganser, actresses Amy Thone and Alexandra Tavares take turns with the story, using a film script that each appears to have memorized. Several movie screens allow for clips of Riefenstahl's actual footage to be screened, and several cameras are set up to film this script they are working on. We see the cameras turn on and project them onto a screen with instantaneous activity. A never-seen camera operator, Horst, is in the booth, starting and stopping the filming. Greenman's play is full of tight dialogue, intricately revealing and hiding Riefenstahl's thoughts about her life. It's sharp, smart and challenging, both for the audience and the actors. Riefenstahl denies her complicity in the rise of the Nazi party, yet the script continues to question her reasoning. Some script writer is making her defend her life. Thone and Tavares are kind of magical. They are both commanding figures, yet they are in service to the film they are making. The older Leni is fed up with having to answer the same questions over and over again, and makes the point that there were many filmographers of Hitler's party, yet she is the only woman and the only one held up to scrutiny. Greenman has Leni claim that, because she created great art, she is therefore being penalized for being "too good" at what she does. The question ultimately remains in your hands to decide, since there is never one hard and fast way to look at this conundrum. One can look at the documentary Blue Planet and decide it is a propagandist piece for global-warming advocates. Or not. For those who like a good mental workout, this is a highly recommended production. Plan to go, and then get some drinks and bat the concept around your table. Until July 26, the production will be at Erickson Theatre Off Broadway, 1524 Harvard Ave (just south of Pine) and July 31-August 9, the production will move to Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway Ave (at Pine). For more information, go to www.strawshop.org or www.brownpapertickets.com or call 800-838-3006. Comments on reviews go to sgncritic@gmail.com. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 post your own information onthe Seattle Gay Blog |
 |
USA Gay News American News American Gay News USA American Gay News United States American Lesbian News USA American Lesbian News United States USA News