THE INTERPRETER A Drama About The Nuremberg Trials, Comes To Oakes Center Theater In August

The Interpreter, Joseph Vitale's play based on the true story of a Jewish man who served as the interpreter for a powerful Nazi at the Nuremberg trials, will have its first live performances August 15 – 25 at Summit's Oakes Center Theater. The play is being presented by The Theater Project, which staged it virtually in 2021 and 2022.

The Interpreter is a fictional work that probes the complex and unsettling relationship between Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and his interpreter, a 23-year-old German-born Jewish U.S. Army private, who, as a teenager, fled his homeland with his family. Vitale developed the idea for the play after reading a newspaper article about the real-life experiences of Richard Sonnenfeldt, one of the last surviving interpreters in the Nuremberg trials.

“In addition to exploring antisemitism, the play examines the larger themes of bigotry and the dark side of the human spirit,” said Vitale, whose plays have been produced at theaters in New York and across the country and who received a 2021 fellowship in playwriting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

“The Theater Project seeks to showcase the power of the arts as a platform for thoughtful conversations about the challenges we face as a community,” said Artistic Director Mark Spina. “In light of the alarming rise of violent antisemitism in the United States, The Interpreter couldn't be more relevant and necessary.”

Following select performances (dates to be posted on the company website), Dr. Rachel Slutsky of Seton Hall University, and Dr. Angela West of Drew University Caspersen School of Graduate Studies will facilitate audience discussions with Vitale, Spina, and the cast on the topics of antisemitism, bigotry, and their relation to current events.

“The Theater Project has been inviting audiences to talk about difficult topics for three decades,” Spina said.

Tickets cost $35 for adults, $28 for seniors, and $20 for students. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.thetheaterproject.org/the-interpreter. For further information and group pricing, write to info@TheTheaterProject.org or call the box office at 908-809-8865.

Oakes Center Theater is located at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit.

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