John Heartfield: Making the Musical

The Actor's Process

"For many, the theatre is the abode where dreams are created. You, players, sellers of drugs, in your darkened houses people are changed into kings and perform heroic deeds of safety. In rapture over themselves, or seized with pity they sit in happy distraction, forgetting the toils of daily life." -Bertolt Brecht

Liza Davies (Marlene Dietrich / Gertrud Heartfield )

Liza Davies, who portrays both Marlene Dietrich and Gertrud Heartfield, has a degree in both Art and Theatre, making her role in Heartfield quite satisfying because it embraces both of those worlds. "Both of my roles in Heartfield are distinctly different; always an interesting challenge for an actor. As Dietrich, I play a peer to Johnny Heartfield, and an artist of cabaret and film. Despite her German heritage, Dietrich was supportive of the American war effort, and stands in stark contrast to the peril that the much less famous Heartfield faced in publicity denouncing the Nazi's." Davies describes Gertrud Heartfield's primary role as "a loving, supportive wife to her husband's exhausting but tireless battle from evil." In reference to the musical itself, Davies believes that it "raises great questions about moral responsibility and an individual's ability to effectively communicate that morality without regard for one's personal safety or comfort - doing the right thing instead of selecting the path of least resistance."

Jayne Murphy ( Hannah / Anna )

Jane Murphy portrays both Hannah Hoch and Anna. Murphy participated in the staged readings of Heartfield last February with director Kate Chisholm. "Something that I find really interesting about this project is that I am playing the part of a real person," says Murphy, "Hanna Hoch was a pioneer of photomontage. After reading some biographical information about her I feel really honored to be playing a woman who stayed strong and never compromised her artistic integrity because of political pressures." Murphy really enjoys the music in the show, calling it "a joy to listen to."

Paul Danaceau (George Grosz)

Paul Danaceau, who portrays George Grosz, relates well to the setting in Heartfield. Danaceau explains, "Heartfield has special meaning to me because as a radio correspondent in the early 1960s, I covered the Eichmann trial in Israel for the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company and made a trip to Germany to visit concentration camps and talk to people. I feel I am working from first-hand experience." Danaceau says George Grosz is "the most pragmatic of the characters in the sense that he can see what is coming and urges them to leave while they can." He also says he uses humor to deflect tension and defuse a situation and therefore presents some counterpoint to the far more serious Heartfield.

M. Rohaizad Suaidi (Bertholt Brecht)

M. Rohaizad Suaidi is both excited and terrified to be playing the role of Brecht in Heartfield. He explains,"Brecht, one of my personal heroes, has written extensively about the kind of theatre that strives to awaken and incite the spectators into political action. After ten years of reading Brecht's works, it is with some trepidation that he "tackles" the double feat of playing him, and performing as a Brechtian actor. "It is not easy to put into practice what Brecht preaches, to make that which is familiar strange." he explains. Rohaizad shared with me, that psychological and emotional approaches to character building is not enough for a Brechtian actor, she must also bring to her "demonstration" of the character a commentary, usually, a political one. Rohaizad finds some similarity between Asian traditions, and Brechtian acting techniques; One example he uses is, "addressing spectators directly, and acknowledging their presence in the performance"

James B. Fitzpatrick (Erwin Piscator/Tom Heartfield)

James Fitzpatrick, who portrays Erwin Piscator and Tom Heartfield was very pleased to learn that he was cast in the production of Heartfield. He found the task of researching his part less difficult because the characters he plays actually lived. This is what he has to say about his characters in Heartfield, " My character, Erwin Piscator, was a German born director, producer, and theater manager who might best be described as a revolutionary who brought a great deal of innovation to theater in the early 20th century. He believed that actors in his productions should relate to the audience in such a way as to actively involve them in what was going on, instead of having them be quiet spectators." He went on to explain that you will notice many Epic theater techniques are used in this production.