THE INTERPRETER Comes to The Theater Project This Week

David Tillistrand, an actor whose credits include King Lear and other Shakespeare plays, will appear in the challenging role of Reichsmarschall Herman Göring in The Interpreter, Joseph Vitale’s fictional drama inspired by the true story of the Nazi leader and his Jewish interpreter during the Nuremberg trials. The production, presented by The Theater Project, will run for eight performances from August 15 – 25 at the Oakes Center Theater in Summit.

In addition to Shakespeare’s tragedies and comedies, Tillistrand’s varied career has

encompassed roles in works by Bertholt Brecht, George Bernard Shaw, and Jean Anouilh. He performed in productions staged by Jean Cocteau Repertory and The Pearl Theater Company, both in New York, and in regional productions in Texas, Vermont, and Canada. As a singer, Tillistrand has appeared in Le Nozze di Figaro and other operas and in several musicals, including South Pacific. 

In discussing his decision to play the infamous Nazi, Tillistrand said, “I’m afraid of

dedicated family men who loved music, art, and good food and who persuaded themselves and others around them that deciding who has the right to exist was the only way forward. Why play Göring? He scares the hell out of me.”

Sam Saravolatz will appear as Private Richard Rosen, the titular interpreter. Saravolatz’s prior credits include the History Channel’s Rebels Who Built America and

Food That Built America, a Theaterlab production of Tennessee Williams’s The Magic Tower, and a Columbia University production of Romeo and Juliet.

Rounding out the cast are Gary Glor (Union), Mike Marcou (New York), Dominick Mastrodonato (Union), Brian Nowak (Ocean Grove), and Yefim Somin (Lexington, Massachusetts). Tillistrand resides in Rahway, and Saravolatz in NYC.

Tickets for The Interpreter 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.

The Theater Project’s production of The Interpreter is made possible by the company’s

many donors, particularly Lynn Heyns in memory of Bohdan Lukaschewsky, Carol Simon and Gary Levin, Gil and Claire Zweig, Doug Sarini, Ann Fagan, Bill Glovin, and Stephanie Fein. The nightly post-performance discussion series is made possible by a grant from the NJ Council for the Humanities.

Founded in 1994 and based in Union, The Theater Project introduces New Jersey audiences to new plays and supports rising playwrights and theater artists. It develops new audiences for theater by service to the community, providing programs for children, and using theater as a forum to address current issues.

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