'A Nightmare of Crime' Opening Act Tonight

Brecksville Theater on the Square will kick off A Nightmare of Crime at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Brecksville Old Town Hall. The production illuminates the not well-known story of World War II’s Sonderkommandos, or Jewish prisoners forced to do the murderous work of Nazis.

“I discovered in my research that there were so many people who believed the Holocaust was a figment of our imagination,” said director and writer, Jack Winget.

Such a deep subject for the play had the actors doing a little history homework to prepare.

Nick Royak, , will play the American Soldier Joe. Royak said he read memoirs and used photographs of veterans to get a better idea of the characters in A Nightmare of Crime. Royak based his character off Winget’s father in-law, who served in World War II.

At Wednesday's night rehearsal, it was clear he and the others had done their research. Royak, who served as soldier and narrator, entered with a crisp American uniform and a proper demeanor to match. He began by introducing himself to the small rehearsal audience with, “Nice to see you this evening, I’m Joe.”

Natalia, played by Kristen Fisher, acted as narrator alongside Joe. Her character had been a prisoner, and Joe had been a reporter for the Stars and Stripes Newspaper. Those acting as prisoners filled their eyes with suffering in effort to show the audience what someone might have felt at Auschwitz.

“The script is so thick that each person in the cast took something away from their character,” Royak said.

Producer Mary Ann Hippsley hopes the audience takes something away from the production, too. She hopes people can learn from it and know not to repeat history's mistakes.

At the finish of the rehearsal, the cast practiced a 700-year-old Jewish song. Its slow moving and layered melody gave the room a haunting effect.

“That, to me, is so powerful when they are singing that song,” Hippsley said. “It just really bridges them all together and gives a sound to their sorrow.”

That, along with the intimate 70-seat placement around the stage, can make the audience feel part of the Holocaust scene and drive home Winget’s message during upcoming performances.

Tickets can be bought online, by calling 440-526-3443 or at the door.  The production runs this weekend and March 4 to 6 at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $12 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors.