West Boca Theatre Company presents Taking Sides by Ronald Harwood at the Sandler Center Beifield Auditorium Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Centre in Boca Raton from January 21 – February 7, 2016.
Taking Sides is the provocative story, based on true events, of Wilhelm Furtwängler, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1922, and arguably the most distinguished conductor of his generation. After Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, many Jewish artists were forced to leave. Furtwängler, a non-Jew, chose to stay, serving as one of the Nazis’ foremost cultural assets. Though he claimed he was never a member of the Party, Furtwängler was the recipient of government honors and appointments associated with party members. However, the conductor used his position and contacts to save hundreds of Jewish musicians from the concentration camps.
The action takes place in the American Zone of occupied Berlin in 1946, where as part of the de-Nazification process, Major Steve Arnold is given the task of carrying out pre-trial investigations against Furtwängler. The Major’s aim is to prove that the conductor’s artistic genius contributed to the Nazi propaganda machine and their destructive ideology. Conversely, Furtwängler insists he chose to stay to preserve the glorious musical traditions and culture of which he felt he was a guardian. Despite his protestations, he was humiliated and pursued. Was it justified? It all depends on which side you take.
Taking Sides features, in the central role of accused Nazi Wilhelm Furtwangler, Professional theatre veteran Jeffrey Bruce, in the most provocative role of his extensive career. Also joining the cast is Stella Adler Alumni Nick Rapuano.
Running concurrently to Taking Sides, New York artist-activist Linda Stein brings her newest, gender-bending traveling exhibit of tapestries depicting heroic women who risked their lives to save others during World War II and her Spoon to Shell box sculptures which explore exploitation, survival and protection in the context of women in the Holocaust. Holocaust Heroes: Fierce Females runs at the Nathan D Rosen gallery in the Sandler Center from Dec. 6, 2015 through January 29, 2016. Next Generations, a second generation holocaust survivors organization, will be partnering with the JCC on the Thursday January 21st evening performance and the Sunday January 24th matinee performance..
Taking Sides will run for 12 shows including several matinee options the Sandler Center Beifield Auditorium Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Centre located at 21050 95th Ave S, in Boca Raton, FL 33428: Thursdays January 21, 28 and February 4, 2016 at 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm, Saturdays January 23, 30 and February 6, 2016 at 7:30 pm, Sundays January 24, 31 and February 7, 2016 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available online at levisjcc.org/theater or by calling the Levis JCC box office at (561) 558-2512
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