Part of what makes the horrors of Nazism in Germany doubly disturbing was the Third Reich's obsession with beauty. By representing their pernicious views with propaganda posters featuring pretty blond-haired, blue-eyed, cherub-nosed youth, the Nazis created a culture where an attractive and placid veneer masked a dark, inner complexity. The same could be said of the Hypothetical Theatre Company's production of Michael McKeever's "The Garden of Hannah List." McKeever's play, set in Nuremburg just before World War II, consistently surprises and compels with plot twists that bring a fresh perspective to a subject that would seem to have exhausted all possibilities for originality.
For much of the pedestrian first act, the play presents itself as relatively standard anti-Nazi fare as the varying attitudes of the socially prominent List family are shown vis a vis the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. Oscar List (Anthony Hagopian), the family scion, is trying to arrange for an exit visa so he and his fiancee Karma, an actress (Kimberly Kay), can flee to America. Oscar's sister Lottie (Kendra Bahnerman) loathes the barbarity of the Nazis but is held in check by her practical, ultra-realist husband Rudy (David Fitzgerald). Although Rudy shares the Lists' distaste for the Nazis' fanaticism, he believes their policies have benefited Germany and sees their anti-Semitism as a cheap ploy to stir up the masses. Meanwhile, the steely matriarch of the List clan, Hannah (the radiant Christine Jones), seems to care nothing about politics but only for her family and her beautiful garden.
Perhaps McKeever feels the need to educate audiences on the history of the rise of the Nazis in Germany. The slow first act is weighted with didactic speechifying that seems little more than an excuse to stake out each character's political position. "Seems" is the key word, however. Stay with this one. A genuinely startling plot twist worthy of "The Sixth Sense" comes just before intermission regarding Hannah's unique garden fertilization methods. Besides building suspense, the twist also raises important moral questions about how far it is morally permissible to go in order to confront evil. The tension only continues to build in the near-flawless second act not only because of the imaginative narrative but also because of some impressive performances.
Christine Jones radiates grace and intelligence, and even a bit of black humor, as Hannah. Jones dominates every scene she's in, projecting a sturdy, dignified charm even when her control breaks down. Jones' performance alone would make this play a must-see, yet she's backed up by an enormously able supporting cast: Anthony Hagopian as her son Oscar, registers self-righteous stiffness of a young Al Gore; David Fitzgerald brings an imaginatively Wildean air to the character of Rudy; and Ryan Hilliard as Hannah's fiercely loyal butler Herr Kubizek manages to suggest his deep affection for his mistress simply with his eyes. Finally, Callum Keith-King as uber-Nazi Otto Frick finds pathos in what could have been a cartoonish role. The truly gorgeous garden designed by Mark Symczak deserves special mention. Although the entire play takes place in Hannah's garden, the audience never tires of examining its feast of color and form. This production ends up deserving the most florid praise. —Aaron Hamburger