Playwright: William Spatz
At: Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Tickets: 773-404-7336; GreenhouseTheater.org; $32-$35
Runs through: Nov. 18
My father said Harry Truman supported Israel because of Eddie Jacobsen, his lifelong Jewish friend.
They met in 1905—when Truman was 21—served together in World War I and were partners in a failed business venture. As president ( 1945-1953 ), Truman informally sought Jacobsen's opinions concerning Jewish affairs, and Jacobsen ( Peter Nerad ) appears in this world premiere play, but as a character witness rather than an adviser. He defends Truman against charges of racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Catholic bigotry apparently leveled at Truman by a journalist in 1953, shortly after Truman's Presidency ended.
Alas, there's evidence to support the charges: Truman's family were Confederate racists, his early letters are peppered with ethnic epithets and racial prejudice, he joined ( and quickly resigned from ) the KKK early in his political career in south-leaning Missouri, his mother-in-law didn't allow Jews in her home ( which Truman and his wife respected when they moved into and, later, bought the house ). It's all dredged up as Truman ( Tim Kough ) meets with two attorneys to prepare a liable suit against the journalist. Is it enough to debunk Truman's place in history as essential to the founding of modern Israel in 1948? One attorney, Don Muller ( Andrew J. Pond ), believes so, but he carries particular baggage as a non-Jewish survivor of a Nazi death camp.
It's fascinating history but rather detailed and picayune, especially when Truman and Muller dissect complex post-WWII Palestine policy and politics. The result is an impassioned play to be sure, but not a good play. For example, playwright William Spatz recounts considerable Truman biographical information, ostensibly to prepare his legal defense, but much of it has been covered theatrically well before this, and much of it is unconnected to Israeli history. The play may need a narrower focus.
But the main structural issue is the strongly-telegraphed revelation of Muller's personal history, right down to the greatest cliché of Holocaust drama, the number tattooed on his arm. It's am unacceptable bait-and-switch which wrenches the play from Truman to Muller. Suddenly it's a play about Muller's Survivor's Guilt rather than about Truman and/or Israel. It cannot be both.
FYI: The other young attorney preparing Truman's case is ardent feminist Bella Abzug ( Catherine Dvorak ), prior to her political career. I couldn't confirm whether or not a Truman-Abzug meeting actually occurred, but portraying it has little value if it never happened. Also, I'm not sure the word "feminist" was in common use in 1953.
Under director Randy White, Pond is fiery as Muller, Dvorak is cool and brash as Bella and Kough's Truman is prickly but personable. The scenic design ( David SS Davis ), costumes ( Kate Setzer Kaumphausen; great Bella dress ) and projections ( Clara Tomaz ) add period detail and depth.
