I have been a huge history buff ever since middle school, with a particularly keen interest in analyzing the events and effects of World War II and Adolf Hitler’s rise to power with the establishment of Nazi Germany.  When I discovered our class was going to see a satirical play about Hitler’s rise called The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, I became pretty excited to see how the play would mirror real-life events and individuals directly related to the Nazi seizure of power.  Written by German playwright Bertolt Brecht in 1941, the play depicts the events of the Reichstag Fire and the Night of Long Knives, both crucial events in Hitler’s ascension to becoming Führer, through the caricature of Chicago mobster Arturo Ui’s desire to control the cauliflower trade in and beyond Chicago during the 1930’s.  Brecht wrote this play to showcase how paranoia, recklessness, precise manipulation, and anger can all culminate into the rise of a hateful authoritarian leader like Hitler, regardless of geographic location and time.  In some respects, this play can be a case study of the past and an ominous warning of caution for society’s future advancement.

The play consisted of stage directions, utilization of props with a particular emphasis on hats to represent different characters, and includes a soundbite of Hitler and the German people shouting “Seig Heil!” playing repetitively in the background during particular scenes.  The setting of the theater was incredibly small and intimate, providing the viewers with a closer, immersive connection with the actors as you witnessed the genuine emotions in their faces and body language.  One element which significantly increased our perception of the play and the actors was when the characters, particularly Arturo Ui, would shout and spit profusely during their rants, adding both disgust and realism to the scenes.  The best moment in the play is when Arturo meets with an actor to learn how to properly walk, sit, and orate to convey power, authority, and capture the attention of everyone in the room.  It was interesting and somewhat scary to watch because, even though the movements were partially exaggerated such as Arturo placing both of his hands over his groin as he walked with large strides as his toes touched the ground first, the movements were significantly similar to how Hitler and other present-day authoritarian leaders walk.  It highlighted how body language, posture, and the amount of emotion in an individual’s tone of voice could have a significant impact as to whether he or she is regarded as average or as confident, articulate, and powerful.

One critical piece of prior knowledge needed before attending the play to completely reap the benefits and enjoyment of the play was to either read the script or a detailed synopsis of the play, or to have an in-depth understanding of the various crucial moments and figures credited to Hitler’s ascension to power.  While it is possible to enjoy the play without any prior knowledge, you will miss out on many of the crucial insights and comparisons between Hitler and Arturo Ui.  Sometimes during the play, I would lose track of the characters the actors were playing and the characters’ real-life counterparts.  However, the play includes snippets of information to clarify the parallels between the scenes in the play and the real-life events that occurred.

The most intriguing part of the entire play was as Arturo gives his final speech full of ruthless anger and fiery passion, there is a soundbite being played in the background.  Initially, I thought it was the same soundbite from before, but after Arturo finishes speaking and the lights shut off, it becomes evident the soundbite is from one of President Donald Trump’s rallies where his supporters are chanting “Lock Her Up.”  Furthermore, it is interesting to hear this soundbite followed up with the final quote, in reference to Arturo/Hitler, “The nations put him where his kind belong.  But don’t rejoice too soon at your escape—The womb he crawled from is still going strong.”  The combination of the sound bite and the quote emphasizes how populism is a dangerous force that could lead to a strongman, authoritarian leader rising to power based on the public’s anger, fear, and ignorance.  This play holds significant value and truth as the world witnesses an alarming increase in authoritarian leaders and governments from Russia, China, Brazil, Turkey, Venezuela, North Korea, Poland, and Hungary.  While it was a pleasure to watch the play, it was also an educational warning for the future.

—Patrick Perrigo