Theater productions offer different feelings. This can range from amusement, amazement, a frisson of fear, and an insight into the human condition. An important moment is when the playwright presents an event from history that speaks to today’s events.
In Hans Litten: The Jew Who Cross-Examined Hitler, Douglas Lackey makes the events of Germany during the 1930s come alive. German Jews had made significant contributions to German culture, science, and economy. These loyal patriots faced the rise of Hitler and escalating Nazi persecution. This consisted of boycotts, discriminatory laws, and finally expulsion from public life.
Hans Litten was a German lawyer who represented foes of the Nazis during political trials between 1929 and 1932. In 1931, Litten subpoenaed Adolf Hitler to appear as a witness in a trial of a court case involving two workers stabbed by four SA men. During his cross-examination, Litten threw a spotlight on Hitler, his beliefs, and his followers. He showed that Hitler had urged a campaign of violence against any enemy of the Nazis. This was significant because, in his appeal to the German electorate, Hitler presented himself as a conventional politician and asserted that the actions of the Nazi Party were legal. Hitler’s revenge was to have Litten arrested on the night of the Reichstag fire. Litten spent the rest of his life being tortured in various concentration camps. Five years after his arrest, he was transferred to Dachau. There, he lost contact with the outside world, and his condition deteriorated further. He committed suicide.
Douglas Lackey portrays Litten’s life and the changes in Germany. Daniel Yaiulllo is Hans Litten. He clearly shows the arc of Litten’s life – from a young, idealistic student pushed into studying law by his father, to the defender of the weak, and finally, the prisoner holding on to his ideals of the rule of law and the importance of music. Stan Buturla portrays Litten’s father. He is a totally assimilated Jewish law professor who dislikes the Weimer Republic and feels that Hitler can be controlled. Barbara McCulloh is a talented actress who portrays Litten’s mother, Irmgard. She clearly demonstrates the evolving attitude towards Hitler’s followers. The first time she visits her son in a concentration camp, she whirls on a Nazi guard to protect her son. She is so fierce that the guard backs down. Five years later, when she visits Litten in Dachau, she is cowed by the guard. Zach Calhoon is Hitler. He precisely outlines Hitler’s character, including his anti-Semitism and intentions. Robert Ierardi assumed the responsibilities previously held by Marco Torriani. Ierandi did this so smoothly that no one noticed the difference. Dave Stishan, Whit K. Lee, Mark Eugene Vaughen, and Robert Ieradi play various roles ranging from judges to guards, to stormtroopers, and finally to prisoners. This use of actors reminds people that no one was safe from the violence unleashed by Hitler and the Nazis. After all, the SA that Hitler defended in court was purged during the “Night of the Long Knives.”
As the play moves from the reasoned atmosphere of a Berlin courtroom to the brutality of concentration camps, the one thing that remains consistent is Litten’s commitment to the rule of law. Litten refused to remain silent as authoritarianism rose. He risked—and ultimately sacrificed—his life for civilization based on law.
Hans Litten: The Jew Who Cross-Examined Hitler reminds us how fragile democracy is. There are points throughout the play where connections to today’s world are clear. Litten’s story reminds us how important individual actions are. Everyone should be made aware of Litten’s story. This powerful play by Douglas Lackey does that.