Review: JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG at MET's Warwick Theatre

“Judgement at Nuremberg” at Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre’s (MET) Warwick Theatre is a fictional rendering of the 1947 Judge’s War Crime Trial held at Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. “Judgement at Nuremberg” is a painful remembrance of an attempt to both punish those accountable for the barbarisms committed in the name of the German state and to be consciously impartial in the administration of an accused’s trial rights.

Eighteen million people died at the hands of the Third Reich and its National Socialist (NAZI) leaders. Six and a half million of the dead comprised two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population.  It had a determined and deliberate stated goal of genocide of a people.

Post war, many of Europe’s surviving Jews fled places they had lived for millenniums in favor of reestablishing a sovereign state in their ancestral homeland where they could finally feel safe. It is ironic that this play opened in Kansas City on the very day that South Africa brought an accusation of genocide against the descendants of the survivors, today’s Israelis, at the International Court of Justice.  

The play centers on three main characters. One is Dan Heyward, a retired American District Court Judge called to lead a panel of three non-biased jurists in the trial of three NAZI era judicial officials.  The second is a German Judge named Ernst Janning. Janning had once sat in the chair similar to America’s Attorney General during pre-NAZI days.  The third character is a youngish defense attorney named Oscar Rolfe, a volunteer defender of the estimable Ernst Janning. Janning initially refuses to recognize the authority of the court.

It is two years since the end of the war in Europe.  The scope of the evil that was done has become clear.  The question facing the court is how far down into the German bureaucracy must consequences for the German people reach?

Usual suspects have already been tried, convicted, jailed, executed, or committed suicide.  What is left to adjudicate are those who have allowed the worst to happen and understand why they allowed it.  Were they true believers? Were they people who went along in hopes the system would self-correct?  Is there any defense for crimes against humanity? Judge Heyward is our eyes as we attempt to understand how this monstrosity that was the Third Reich could have ever happened.

“Judgement at Nuremberg” by Abby Mann is sixty-three years-old, yet it mirrors the Donald Trump era in exquisite detail.  The arguments put forward in the staged court and from Judge Heyward’s investigation are heard in today’s legal briefs almost word for word.  This makes “Judgement” frightening and important for 2024 audiences to see.  When you see this play, you will recognize modern, living associates of the past administration mouthing dialog written before they even reached their majority.  

MET has done an excellent job of casting. Director Karen Paisley has choreographed an exquisite twenty-four scene, two-act play in precise detail using minimal, yet effective set pieces.   The few conceits adopted for this production work exceptionally well.  Most acting is restrained and understated; except for two or three explosions from wholly appropriate characters when needed.  Ms. Paisley has incorporated vintage documentary film from the era and what almost seems like a motion picture score backing up the action.

“Judgement” is the third iteration of this story by Abby Mann, born Abraham Goodman, a son of Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States.    The story first appeared as a television episode of Playhouse 90 in 1957, a feature film in 1961, and this version, a Broadway play in 2001.  The Broadway version of “Judgement” was performed a total of fifty-six times.  The expanded filmed version recently became available on “Prime Video.” 

The leading cast members in the MET production are John Clancy as Judge Dan Heywood, Tim Ahlenius as Ernst Janning, and Michael Dragen as Oscar Rolfe.  They are backed up by a fine supporting cast.

All the characters in this play are products of the playwright’s imagination.  They are inspired by similar, real life people. True, historic situations influenced the plot and the legal arguments. 

“Judgement at Nuremberg” continues at the Warwick Theatre through January 21.   Tickets are available at the link below or by telephone at (816) 569-3226.

Photos courtesy of Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre.

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