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This last production by the Westerbork Theater Group
has its premier, but there are no further performances after that.
The Americans have already landed
in Normandy and time is running out for Germany ...but sadly also
for most of the remaining theater troupe members as well as other Westerbork
inmates.
Certainly encouraged by the news
that trickles in despite all attempts to censor such information, Max
Ehrlich boldly entitles this revue "Totally Crazy"
and includes scenes that symbolically express his consternation about
all that he sees or guesses is going on around him.
Allusions include the repeated use
of terms such as "crazy", "insane" and stupid".
One scene humorously depicts the
invention of the guillotine, calling it "10 minutes of inventive folly". Another scene decries
a general outbreak of insanity; in still another,
women turn into hyenas.
Remarkably, during the finale of
the first part of this revue, the musicians symbolically revolt by refusing to sit
in the orchestra pit.
Then, following the intermission,
the program announces "Oh! Are we crazy - now we are going to perform an
opera for you!" It's entitled "Ludmilla or Corpses Without End". Then,
in the midst of all this comes a solemn plea for "a happy
ending".
But no happy ending ever came
for most of the 107'000 persons who passed
through camp Westerbork Almost all perished...
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The program lists 13 scenes:
| 1. |
The
Preparations (The full cast) |
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Die Vorbereitungen (Das Ensemble) |
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| 2. |
Jetty
Cantor has Gone Crazy - She has Joined the Lava Saleswomen. |
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Jetty Cantor ist
verrückt geworden - sie ist unter die Lawa Verkäuferinnen gegangen. |
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| 3. |
[We are
getting Serious Now - What Insanity!] The Loves of the
Countess. [Tragedy in One Act] (Mara Rosen, Otto Aurich, Max
Ehrlich, Franz Engel) |
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[Wir kommen jetzt ernst
- sowas Verrücktes!] Die Liebe der Gräfin [Trauerspiel in
einem Akt] (Mara Rosen,
Otto Aurich, Max Ehrlich, Franz Engel) |
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| 4. |
[We are
Completely Stupid - We are No Longer Playing in the Big Hall - We're
Playing--- ] In the Small Café of the Canteen. (Esther Philipse and
The full cast) |
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[Wir sind vollkommen
blödsinnig - wir spielen nicht mehr im grossen Saal - wir spielen
---] In dem kleinen Café von der Kantine.
(Esther Philipse and
The full cast) |
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| 5. |
An Insane
Toothache [And Everything Else that can Happen to you with this!] (Jetty
Cantor, Max Ehrlich, Franz Engel, Mara Rosen) |
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Wahnsinnige
Zahnschmerzen [und was einem noch alles dabei passieren kann! (Jetty
Cantor, Max Ehrlich, Franz Engel, Mara Rosen) |
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| 6. |
The
Gaurisankar (ed. high peak in Himalayas,
near Everest) of Megalomania [Lisl Frank and Otto Aurich Sell
Themselves Very Well. In this Presentation, the Audience in
the Back Rows Will Finally, for Once, also get their Money's Worth.] |
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Der Gaurisankar des
Grössenwahne [Lisl Frank und Otto Aurich versteigen sich ganz hoch.
Bei dieser Darbietung werden endlich auch einmal die hinteren
Platzinhaber auf ihre Kosten kommen.] |
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| 7. |
[10
Minutes of Inventive Folly! Not for the Faint of Heart!!] The
Guillotine (Max Ehrlich, Otto Aurich, Franz Engel, Mara Rosen) |
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[10 Minuten Erfinderirrsinn! Nichts für Nervenschwache!!] Die
Guillotine (Max
Ehrlich, Otto Aurich, Franz Engel, Mara Rosen) |
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| 8. |
The
Insanity of Staying Thin: Lisl Frank Gives the Ladies Gymnastic
Lessons. |
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Der Wahnsinn der
schlanken Linie: Lisl Frank gibt den Damen Gymnastischen Unterricht. |
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| 9. |
[You'll
Witness How Insanity Breaks Out!] "Mr. Kritzler" or "The Umbrella" (Franz
Engel, Otto Aurich, Max Ehrlich, Mara Rosen) |
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Sie werden Zeuge, wie der Irrsinn ausbricht!] "Herr Kritzler" oder
"Der Regenschirm".(Franz
Engel, Otto Aurich, Max Ehrlich, Mara Rosen) |
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| 10. |
[There,
Women are Turning into Hyenas!] Gossip...!!! (Jetty
Cantor, Lisl Frank, Esther Philipse, Mara Rosen) |
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[Da werden weiber zu
Hyänen!] Klatsch...!!! (Jetty
Cantor, Lisl Frank, Esther Philipse, Mara Rosen) |
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| 11. |
[The
Insanity of Visiting a Medium.] Clairvoyance. (the medium: Franz
Engel, the assistant: Max Ehrlich) [Careful! We Know Exactly What
You're Thinking!!] |
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[Der Wahnsinn des
Mediumismus.] Hellsehen. (Das Medium: Franz Engel, Der Assistant:
Max Ehrlich) [Vorsicht! Wir wissen genau, was Sie sich denken!!] |
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| 12. |
a) The
Musicians have also gone
Megalomaniac - They No Longer
Want to Play in the "Pit"!
b) A Dance Tour of the World. (The
full cast)
c) A New Westerbork March.
(Esther Philipse and The full cast) |
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a) Die Musiker sind
auch grösswahn-
sinnig geworden - sie wollen nicht
mehr im "Bak" spielen!
b) Eine Tanzreise durch die Welt.
(Das Ensemble)
c) Ein neuer Westerbork Marsch.
(Esther Philipse und Das
Ensemble) |
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(INTERMISSION) |
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| 13. |
[Oh,
are We Crazy - Now We're Performing an Opera!] Ludmilla [or] Corpses
Without End. (The star role of knight's damsel is performed by the
universally beloved prim Donna Lisl Frank; her earthly
father, the old count, is played by our paternal hero Otto Aurich;
the roles of beautiful Ludmilla's aspirants are placed in the valued
hands of our irresistible comedy duo Max Ehrlich and Franz Engel;
our ingénue Mara Rosen has assumed the role of page, while the
chorus and dancers, embodied by our alert lover Esther Philipse and
our sentimental Jetty Cantor, in their place,
will sing and dance from their hearts; this
piece, presented here for the first time, was created by our house
poet Willy Rosen, while Maestro Ziegler
has written the music; as a special insertion, Willy Rosen has also
composed a happy ending to the piece; our choreographer Otto Aurich
integrated the dance numbers; for the scenery, we spared cost and
effort by using the well-known stage designer Professor Leo Kok, who
also created the expensive period-accurate
costumes for which the material will be found missing at the next
camp industry inventory. With thanks to all honored donators,
service heads and group leaders for bending backwards in their
cooperation.) |
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[Ach, sind wir
meschugge - jetzt spielen wir Ihneneine Oper vor!] Ludmilla [oder]
Leichen am laufenden Band. (Die Tittelrolle des Ritterfräuleins
Ludmilla wird von der allseits beliebten Primadonna Lisl Frank
performiert; ihren leiblichen Vater, den alten Grafen, spielt unser
Heldenvater Otto Aurich; die Rolle der Bewerberder schönen Ludmilla
liegen in den bewährten Händen unseres unwiederstehlichen
Komikerpaares Max Ehrlich und Franz Engel; unsere Naive - Mara Rosen
- hat sich der Rolle des Pagen angenommen, während der Chor und das
Ballet sich in Gestalt von unserer munteren Liebhaberin Esther
Philipse und unserer Sentimentalen Jetty Cantor in Ihre p.p. Herzen singen und tanzen werden; das hier zum ersten Mal aufgeführte Werk
wurde verfasst von unserem Hausdichter Willy Rosen, Maestro Erich
Ziegler schrieb die Musik; als besondere Einlage komponierte Willy
Rosen noch einen Happy-End-Schluss dazu; Unser Balletmeisert Otto
Aurich studierte die Tämze ein; für die Dekorationen haben wir
Kosten und Mühen gescheut und den bekannten Bühnenausstatter
Professor Leo Kok gewonnen, der auch die stiehl-echten Kostüme
erdachte - das Material dazu wird die Industrie bei der nächsten
Inventur vermissen... Allen verehrten Gönnern, Dienst- und
Gruppenleitern ergebensten Dank für die geneigte Mitarbeit!) |
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The performers named in the
program are:
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Jetty Cantor |
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Esther Philipse |
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Mara Rosen |
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Otto Aurich |
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Max Ehrlich |
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Franz Engel |
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Willy Rosen |
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Erich Ziegler |
Also named:
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