East of Berlin
| East of Berlin | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Hannah Moscovitch |
| Date premiered | October 16, 2007 |
| Place premiered | Tarragon Theatre, Toronto, Canada |
East of Berlin is a play by Hannah Moscovitch. It premiered in 2007 at Tarragon Theatre.
Synopsis
East of Berlin follows Rudi, a young man living in Paraguay with his German family. Rudi's friend, Hermann, reveals that Rudi's father was an SS doctor at Auschwitz.[1] Rudi flees to Berlin where he meets and falls in love with Sarah, whose mother survived Auschwitz.[2]
Development
Moscovitch wrote East of Berlin while a member of Tarragon Theatre's 2006-2007 Playwrights Unit and had originally pitched the script to Tarragon's artistic director, Richard Rose, as a comedy.[3] It was her first full-length play. Moscovitch was influenced by the books Born Guilty by Peter Sichrovsky and Legacy of Silence by Dan Bar-On.[4][1]
Productions
East of Berlin premiered in 2007 at Tarragon Theatre's Extra Space in Toronto, directed by Alisa Palmer and starring Brendan Gall as Rudi, Paul Dunn as Hermann, and Diana Donnelly as Sarah.[5] The production featured set and costume design from Camellia Koo, lighting design by Michael Walton, and sound design by John Gzowski.[6][7] In 2008, it was produced by Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, under the direction of Bob White. The next season, the Tarragon production was remounted at Tarragon and toured to Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver, and Edmonton's Theatre Network.[1][8]
In 2009, 2b Theatre Company in Halifax staged East of Berlin, under the direction of Christian Barry and starring David Patrick Flemming as Rudi.[9] In 2011, East of Berlin played in double bill with Moscovitch's The Russian Play at Signal Ensemble Theatre in Chicago, directed by Ronan Marra. Actors Billy Fenderson (Rudi/Kostya), Melanie Keller (Sarah), Tom McGrath (Hermann) performed both plays.[10] In 2012, it was staged by the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa.[11]
The play made its UK premiere in 2014 at Southwark Playhouse in London, directed by Blythe Stewart and starring Jordan McCurrach as Rudi.[12] It was staged in 2016 at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin, starring Colin Campbell as Rudi under the direction of Lee Wilson.[13]
Awards and nominations
The 2007 premiere production won the 2008 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Set Design for Camellia Koo and was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play.[3] East of Berlin was nominated for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama in 2009.[14]
References
- ^ a b c Morrow, Martin (2009-01-12). "Sins of the father". CBC. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Chamberlain, Adrian (2022-05-06). "Review: Playwright handles heavy subject with touches of dark humour in East of Berlin". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ a b Smither, Sherry (2009-01-15). "One moment, please..." The Canadian Jewish News. Archived from the original on 2025-06-23. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Lewis, Jules (2021-12-06) [2014-02-18]. "Hannah Moscovitch". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Hoile, Christopher (2007-10-26). "Review - East of Berlin - Tarragon Theatre, Toronto". Stage Door. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Ouzounian, Richard (2007-10-31). "East of Berlin". Variety. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (2007-10-04). "Father's Nazi Past Revealed in World Premiere, East of Berlin, in Toronto". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (2009-01-08). "Feast of Berlin: Hannah Moscovitch's play worth a second look". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Flinn, Sean (2009-12-03). "East of Berlin's guilt complex". The Coast. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Maga, Carly (2011-11-08). "In Hannah Moscovitch plays, the pull of the past meets the push of the present". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Meng, Connie (2012-03-27). "Theatre Review: "East of Berlin" at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa". NCPR. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Monks, Ben (2014-06-25). "East of Berlin". Exeunt Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Keating, Sara. "East of Berlin review: A gripping look at the generational effects of evil". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ Canada, Employment and Social Development (2009-10-14). "Canada Council for the Arts announces the finalists for the 2009 Governor General's Literary Awards". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-17.