Fringe Theater

An in-your-race remembrance of the Holocaust

The lobby of The Ballroom of Hotel Intercontinental Manila was lined with black and white photos of faces we thought we'd only see in history books-gaunt and haunted, stark in their fright and humiliation. It was the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Nazi Concentration Camps and in Manila, members of the Israeli community, the diplomatic circle and other distinguished guests went beyond pausing for a few minutes of silence in memory of the victims of the genocide.

The Embassy of Israel thought of a far more interesting way for people to never forget. They flew in members of the Acco Theater Center, a group that balances its aim of artistic creation with active social involvement. Located in the old city of Acco, inhabited mainly by Arabs, the Center offers the development of mutual relations between Jewish and Arab actors and the community as well. For the Manila commemoration, the Center boldly offered the Fringe Theater experience.

Fringe Theater involved holding stage performances in small venues for the purpose of actively engaging audiences in the performance. The point was to shake people, rouse them out of their apathy.

At the Intercon, the chandeliers were turned off with chairs pointed to a draped grand piano adorned with glasses, a flat Tanduay rum bottle and candles. An old woman, who looked like Maria Ouspenskaya (known for old Hollywood classics such as "Love Affair") clinked the glasses and began chanting with her eyes closed. It was reminiscent of a séance, I thought.

Then the character began telling her story. She said she was Zelma Greenwald, Holocaust survivor who managed to make it through the years with her music and the company of her son. They relived the war years, and told the story of how the son was unable to live past the tragedy and existed in a state of dysfunction. Zelda's music was itself a testimony of the terrible sadness that pervades her life.

But lest you think that it was all doom and gloom, the occasional and unexpected jokes that punctuated the show proved to be both welcome and startling during the nearly 90-minute performance. It helped that Moni Josef, who played the dysfunctional son, was a ringer for famed Hollywood comedian Steve Martin. A few one-liners, related to current events in the Philippines managed to further draw in local guests.

It was a one-of-a-kind experience, as the audience was transported to another time when they entered the Ballroom. Smadar Yaaron, who portrayed Greenwald, was a wonder. We were surprised during the cocktails after the show that beneath the make-up, accessories and ornate dress, the actress was quite young.

But the interjections of humor didn't help much during the latter part of the show, as the enveloping experience of the Holocaust relived took its toll, which was perhaps the intention. Which meant that the whole idea of fringe theater-up-close, in-your-face involvement-was more than fitting for an occasion the world should always remember.

(First published in What's On & Expat on March 20-April 2, 2005)