Byline: Richard Duckett

COLUMN: Stage Lights

Marc P. Smith's revised version of his play "A Journey to Kreisau" will have its U.S. premiere next month at the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Center, 19 Temple St., Worcester.

The play debuted last March in Hamburg, Germany.

It is based on the true story of Helmuth James von Moltke and Freya von Moltke, central figures in the German resistance to the Nazis. Helmuth James and Freya held many meetings of resisters at their estate at Kreisau, Germany, which is now part of Poland. The meetings focused on plans that envisioned a democratic Germany in a democratic non-racist Europe that would be able to come about after Hitler. This was dangerous business, and things would unravel. Helmuth James was executed in January 1945. After World War II, Freya, 97, moved to the U.S. and now lives in Vermont.

A first draft of the play had three staged readings in January and February of 2005 at Worcester Foothills Theatre, Boston Playwrights Theatre and Smith College (attended by Freya).

"This is the final draft," said Smith about the version that will be performed at 8 p.m. Feb. 18, 19 and 20 at the Hibernian Cultural Center.

Smith is the author of more than a dozen plays as well as and the retired co-founder of Foothills and also the co-founder of Blue Pumpkin Productions.

The new version is 20 minutes shorter than the original, he said. "I just tightened it." The play also has a different opening. It will be presented in minimally staged fashion with five actors with scripts in hand in a way that lets the words reverberate with power. The cast consists of several well-known faces - Mark Cartier, Cha Cha Connor, Mike Dorval, Barbara Guertin and Bill Sigalis.

Smith said he deliberately chose to his hometown for the play's U.S. premiere. However, he joked, "If Broadway had beckoned I would have thought about it."

The play has had quite an impact in Europe. Smith, who is Jewish, has said his goal in writing the play was reconciliation. The play has helped initiate a dialogue about the Holocaust, German resisters and re-establishing "commonality," he said.

Upcoming U.S. performances will be in the spring in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. In Europe, performances are being planned in Berlin, Lubeck, Hamburg, Oslo and London.

"So it is crossing the international boundaries in Europe," Smith said.

The most recent staging of "A Journey to Kreisau" was in November at The Academy of Management in Lodz, Poland. The Academy is affiliated with Clark University's COPACE division, and Clark sent Smith to Lodz.

"I think it went well. The people who saw it really liked it," he said.

However, the production was scheduled at the end of a long day of activities at the Academy that included graduation ceremonies. Also, the time of the performance coincided with the kickoff an important soccer international match between Poland and Belgium. If Poland won they would qualify for the 2008 European soccer championship. Poland won, and hundreds of young people were dancing in the streets. All of which meant that they weren't at "A Journey to Kreisau."

But Smith took it all in good humor and philosophical stride vis-a-vis his play.

"They were happy about being part of Europe," Smith said of the Polish soccer fans.

"I thought that was a beautiful piece of historic poetry."

Tickets for "A Journey to Kreisau" are $15; $10 for students and for groups of 10 or more. Members of the von Moltke family may be in attendance, Smith said. For reservations, call (508) 757-1472 or send e-mail to bluepumpkinprod@verizon.net.

When the Stratton Players of Fitchburg announced that the play "Sin" (A Cardinal Deposed)" would be part of their 2007-08 season, board member Rick Woods expected that there would be objections in some quarters.

Michael Murphy's play - which opens Jan. 18 - is described as a theatrical documentary that takes "a vivid look at how Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston responded to charges of child abuse in his archdiocese." The script is taken from actual deposition material.

"The whole play is a deposition of Cardinal Law," Woods said.

Some people did, in fact, decline to buy whole season subscriptions opting for tickets for every Stratton show except "Sin," Woods said. However, ultimately the numbers were "not much," he said. "I figured we would lose some people but that we would also pick up some people. People who don't just want to see another Neil Simon play."

In the play Murphy creates a composite attorney (played in the Stratton production by Michael Tobin) out of the many who represented victims. The attorney painstakingly leads Cardinal Law (Rich White) through the voluminous evidence concerning two priests - Paul R. Shanley and John J. Geoghan (who was subsequently killed in prison). Four actors appear on the stage most of the time, while three actors have spotlight roles as multiple characters.

They play was written in 2004, but still has great relevance said Woods, who is directing and is also a member of the cast. "It's almost a local story."

"Sin" is not a play that takes sides, but rather, makes you think, Woods said.

"It's fascinating stuff. That's the type of theater I like ... I've always been drawn to theater makes people think, that leaves the audience with something to discuss on the drive home."

Performances are 8 p.m. Jan. 18, 19, 25 and 26; 2 p.m. Jan. 20 and 27. Tickets are $15. Reservations are recommended. Call (978) 345-6066 or send e-mail to strattonplayers@hotmail.com.

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Smith