| SONDERKOMMANDO |
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Synopsis of the Production
SONDERKOMMANDO tells the story of a man oppressed by the
circumstances of his life, as well as by three Dybbuks. The
Dybbuks torment the Sonderkommando, demonstrating to him
the truth about his life experience. Using modern and classical
dance, the performance of Georg Trakl's haunting poetry, and
ancient text, SONDERKOMMANDO seeks to get to the heart of
the experience of humanity.
The Sonderkommando has the extreme misfortune to be a Jew
interned the death camps in Europe during the Nazi Regime.
Sonderkommando were chosen from strong young males in the
death camps, to perform tasks including leading people into the
gas chambers and afterwards disposing of their bodies, in
exchange receiving special privileges such as food, though
themselves being killed at regular intervals.
Here, the Sonderkommando has just retired to his quarters from
his first day of duties, and another Sonderkommando with whom
he was interned is suddenly gone, having been killed. Before
him are their rations, bread and vodka, provided as special
privileges of the position.
Suddenly, three Dybbuks appear, spirits of folklore who return to
the world to complete their own uncompleted life tasks by
attaching themselves to a human being.
Each of these three Dybbuks had a different life before she died
and became a wandering spirit.
Johanna was a German woman from a Jewish family that
converted to Catholicism to avoid persecution. She was accused
of being possessed by the devil and drowned in the Gera River
near Erfurt in the year of 1543. In reality, she had epilepsy, and
her seizures were taken for demonic possession.
Rebecca was a rabbi’s daughter and devoted wife and mother,
with 3 boys ages 3, 5, and 9. She lost her husband Moshe in
Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Rebecca died by a shot to the head in the
Krakow Ghetto.
Rachel was student at University of Heidelberg in 1936, who was
removed from school for being Jewish. She hid from the Nazis in
her neighbors’ cellar for a year and half, but then was found and
taken to Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Rachel tried to escape in middle
of the night and was caught several weeks later in the forest.
She was hanged in the main compound of the camp in front of
other prisoners.
The Dybbuks come to the Sonderkommando’s quarters at the
end of his first day on the job, in their own way relating to him
the truth about his life experience.
Sonderkommando
The death camps set up in Europe were extermination factories
and places of the most extreme human cruelty and suffering.
Brought in to be murdered were Jews, along with other
racial/religious groups, on an enormous scale. The SS guards in
the death camps had some work that they wished to shift to
others, due to its volume and its messiness. For this work, they
used Jews sent to the camp. These workers were known as the
Sonderkommando - 'Special Commandos'.
The jobs of the Sonderkommado were to bring fellow Jews into
the gas chambers, lying to them about what was to become of
them, then afterwards to clear out the gas chambers once those
inside had been murdered, and to dispose of the bodies. The
Sonderkommando had to remove gold teeth from the victims,
work in the crematoria, burn the bodies, and basically anything
the SS told them to do.
Young males who appeared to be in good health were the
primary choice to become Sonderkommando. If they refused to
do what the SS required them to do, they were shot on the spot
or sent straight to the gas chambers. The SS were determined
to ensure that there were no witnesses to the crimes committed
at the death camps, so the men in the Sonderkommando were
sure to die one way or another. Groups of Sonderkommando
were killed at regular intervals.
At most of the death camps, the Sonderkommando lived 'better'
lives than those forced to do work of a more basic nature and
they were kept strictly
away from other prisoners still alive in the camps. The
Sonderkommando usually got more food and could frequently
wear their own clothing. However, they were always living on
borrowed time.
SONDERKOMMANDO tells the story of a man oppressed by the
circumstances of his life, as well as by three Dybbuks. The
Dybbuks torment the Sonderkommando, demonstrating to him
the truth about his life experience. Using modern and classical
dance, the performance of Georg Trakl's haunting poetry, and
ancient text, SONDERKOMMANDO seeks to get to the heart of
the experience of humanity.
The Sonderkommando has the extreme misfortune to be a Jew
interned the death camps in Europe during the Nazi Regime.
Sonderkommando were chosen from strong young males in the
death camps, to perform tasks including leading people into the
gas chambers and afterwards disposing of their bodies, in
exchange receiving special privileges such as food, though
themselves being killed at regular intervals.
Here, the Sonderkommando has just retired to his quarters from
his first day of duties, and another Sonderkommando with whom
he was interned is suddenly gone, having been killed. Before
him are their rations, bread and vodka, provided as special
privileges of the position.
Suddenly, three Dybbuks appear, spirits of folklore who return to
the world to complete their own uncompleted life tasks by
attaching themselves to a human being.
Each of these three Dybbuks had a different life before she died
and became a wandering spirit.
Johanna was a German woman from a Jewish family that
converted to Catholicism to avoid persecution. She was accused
of being possessed by the devil and drowned in the Gera River
near Erfurt in the year of 1543. In reality, she had epilepsy, and
her seizures were taken for demonic possession.
Rebecca was a rabbi’s daughter and devoted wife and mother,
with 3 boys ages 3, 5, and 9. She lost her husband Moshe in
Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Rebecca died by a shot to the head in the
Krakow Ghetto.
Rachel was student at University of Heidelberg in 1936, who was
removed from school for being Jewish. She hid from the Nazis in
her neighbors’ cellar for a year and half, but then was found and
taken to Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Rachel tried to escape in middle
of the night and was caught several weeks later in the forest.
She was hanged in the main compound of the camp in front of
other prisoners.
The Dybbuks come to the Sonderkommando’s quarters at the
end of his first day on the job, in their own way relating to him
the truth about his life experience.
Sonderkommando
The death camps set up in Europe were extermination factories
and places of the most extreme human cruelty and suffering.
Brought in to be murdered were Jews, along with other
racial/religious groups, on an enormous scale. The SS guards in
the death camps had some work that they wished to shift to
others, due to its volume and its messiness. For this work, they
used Jews sent to the camp. These workers were known as the
Sonderkommando - 'Special Commandos'.
The jobs of the Sonderkommado were to bring fellow Jews into
the gas chambers, lying to them about what was to become of
them, then afterwards to clear out the gas chambers once those
inside had been murdered, and to dispose of the bodies. The
Sonderkommando had to remove gold teeth from the victims,
work in the crematoria, burn the bodies, and basically anything
the SS told them to do.
Young males who appeared to be in good health were the
primary choice to become Sonderkommando. If they refused to
do what the SS required them to do, they were shot on the spot
or sent straight to the gas chambers. The SS were determined
to ensure that there were no witnesses to the crimes committed
at the death camps, so the men in the Sonderkommando were
sure to die one way or another. Groups of Sonderkommando
were killed at regular intervals.
At most of the death camps, the Sonderkommando lived 'better'
lives than those forced to do work of a more basic nature and
they were kept strictly
away from other prisoners still alive in the camps. The
Sonderkommando usually got more food and could frequently
wear their own clothing. However, they were always living on
borrowed time.
Dybbuks
Dybbuks are malevolent possessing spirits who under Kabbalah
and folklore are the dislocated souls of dead persons.
Fascinating and the subject of several renowned ballet and opera
productions, including by the New York City Ballet, "a 'dybbuk'", as
explained by Time Magazine, "is the soul of someone who dies
without fulfilling his destiny; to earn eternal rest, the soul must
return to earth and find fulfillment in the body of somebody else."
The Texts
SONDERKOMMANDO interweaves the performance of several
texts. Those are the poetry of Georg Trakl, the Biblical text from
the Book of Isaiah, an anti-Semitic essay from 1543 entitled “On
The Jews and Their Lies”, and the Mourner’s Kaddish.
Georg Trakl
SONDERKOMMANDO features the poetry of Georg Trakl (1887-
1914), one of the most notable Austrian expressionistic poets,
whose admirers include Kafka, Rilke, and Wittgenstein.
Wittgenstein has said of Trakl's poetry that it has “the tone of true
genius." Trakl being a tragic yet remarkably talented figure unable
to overcome his suffering and mental illness, presents
uncommonly moving poetry offering images of darkness.
The Book of Isaiah
Isaiah was Judean prophet from the 8th-century BC who declared
all the world to be under God's control, and who warned his
people that their nation would be destroyed if they turned from
God. SONDERKOMMANDO features a selection from Isaiah.
“On the Jews and Their Lies”
This theological treatise, written in 1543 by Martin Luther, German
monk, theologian, and church reformer, demonstrates severe anti-
Semitism and hatred, calling for harsh persecution and murder.
The power of these words is intense in the context of the
Holocaust; and the prevailing view among historians is that his
anti-Jewish rhetoric contributed significantly to the development of
anti-Semitism in Germany, and in the 1930’s and 1940’s provided
an ideal foundation for the Nazi’s attacks on Jews.
The Mourner’s Kaddish
The "Mourners' Kaddish" is a Jewish prayer for the death said at
services and certain other occasions. Following the death of a
child, spouse or close relative, it is customary to recite the
Mourners' Kaddish in the presence of a congregation daily for 30
days (11 months in the case of a parent), and then at every
anniversary of the death. Interestingly, the Mourners' Kaddish
does not mention death at all, but instead praises God.
Performers
Ella Barros (Rebecca)
Megan Lane Dickson (Rachel)
Kathryn (“CC”) Sheldon (Johanna)
Wolfgang Thompson (the Sonderkommando)
Production Staff
Director: Wolfgang Thompson
Assistant Director: Elizabeth Hill
Lighting Designer: Dan Weiermann
Costume Designer: Lucy Cottrell
Sound: Thomas Patrick
Make Up and Hair: Rudy Asuncion
Production Manager: Marianna Klebanov
Dybbuks are malevolent possessing spirits who under Kabbalah
and folklore are the dislocated souls of dead persons.
Fascinating and the subject of several renowned ballet and opera
productions, including by the New York City Ballet, "a 'dybbuk'", as
explained by Time Magazine, "is the soul of someone who dies
without fulfilling his destiny; to earn eternal rest, the soul must
return to earth and find fulfillment in the body of somebody else."
The Texts
SONDERKOMMANDO interweaves the performance of several
texts. Those are the poetry of Georg Trakl, the Biblical text from
the Book of Isaiah, an anti-Semitic essay from 1543 entitled “On
The Jews and Their Lies”, and the Mourner’s Kaddish.
Georg Trakl
SONDERKOMMANDO features the poetry of Georg Trakl (1887-
1914), one of the most notable Austrian expressionistic poets,
whose admirers include Kafka, Rilke, and Wittgenstein.
Wittgenstein has said of Trakl's poetry that it has “the tone of true
genius." Trakl being a tragic yet remarkably talented figure unable
to overcome his suffering and mental illness, presents
uncommonly moving poetry offering images of darkness.
The Book of Isaiah
Isaiah was Judean prophet from the 8th-century BC who declared
all the world to be under God's control, and who warned his
people that their nation would be destroyed if they turned from
God. SONDERKOMMANDO features a selection from Isaiah.
“On the Jews and Their Lies”
This theological treatise, written in 1543 by Martin Luther, German
monk, theologian, and church reformer, demonstrates severe anti-
Semitism and hatred, calling for harsh persecution and murder.
The power of these words is intense in the context of the
Holocaust; and the prevailing view among historians is that his
anti-Jewish rhetoric contributed significantly to the development of
anti-Semitism in Germany, and in the 1930’s and 1940’s provided
an ideal foundation for the Nazi’s attacks on Jews.
The Mourner’s Kaddish
The "Mourners' Kaddish" is a Jewish prayer for the death said at
services and certain other occasions. Following the death of a
child, spouse or close relative, it is customary to recite the
Mourners' Kaddish in the presence of a congregation daily for 30
days (11 months in the case of a parent), and then at every
anniversary of the death. Interestingly, the Mourners' Kaddish
does not mention death at all, but instead praises God.
Performers
Ella Barros (Rebecca)
Megan Lane Dickson (Rachel)
Kathryn (“CC”) Sheldon (Johanna)
Wolfgang Thompson (the Sonderkommando)
Production Staff
Director: Wolfgang Thompson
Assistant Director: Elizabeth Hill
Lighting Designer: Dan Weiermann
Costume Designer: Lucy Cottrell
Sound: Thomas Patrick
Make Up and Hair: Rudy Asuncion
Production Manager: Marianna Klebanov
| By Wolfgang Thompson |
| Pangs Theater Ensemble, P.O. Box 225293, San Francisco, California 94122 Tel: (415) 515-0851 info@pangstheater.com |
| Copyright © 2008 Pangs Theater Ensemble. All rights reserved. |
| A Symphonic Multi-Disciplinary Performance |