01/12/2025
𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗱'𝘀 "𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗱" - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘻𝘦𝘤𝘩-𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘛𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺, "𝘓𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘵," 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 20𝘵𝘩-𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢. 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘙𝘈𝘋𝘐𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕'𝘴 2024 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯-𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 Hannah Shapiro 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘥'𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦:
Tom Stoppard’s play, Leopoldstat, masterfully weaves together the stories of six generations of the Merz family in order to illuminate the complex emotional journey and harsh realities of Jewish existence in Vienna, between 1899 through 1955. The drama depicts the devolution of a once flourishing and vibrant Jewish community through the celebration of Jewish holidays. We witness key events in Jewish history occurring during these fifty years, from the Austrian Jewish encounter with modernity, to intermarriage and assimilation, through the World Wars and their tragic aftermaths. The audience is mindful that contemporary Jewish society continues to grapple with many of these events and ideas.
Leopoldstadt opens with an 1899 Christmas dinner, where we meet the Merz family, integrated into Viennese society, enjoying complete civil rights and liberties. We are introduced to Hermann and Eva Merz, children of matriarch Emilia Merz, both of whom have intermarried. The family discusses metropolitan ideas, ranging from Herzl’s theory of Zionism to Viennese art and culture.
Following this enlightened exchange of ideas, the play progresses to 1900, where the family reconvenes over a Passover Seder, during which it is revealed that Gretel, Hermann’s wife, has engaged in an affair with an Austrian officer. Hermann dismisses his wife’s transgression and the family proceeds to celebrate the birth of Hermann’s niece. The scene reflects the duality of the Jewish experience, that fine-tuned ability to simultaneously live in joy and heartbreak.
Jumping ahead to 1924, we grieve the impacts of Bolshevism and World War I, alongside the bereaved Hermann and Gretel, whose son fell in battle. A second son, Jacob, lost an eye and functionality of one of his arms. The family convenes for a brit, and the juxtaposition of tragic loss and new life is poignant, calling us to contemplate that life and death are two sides of the same coin.
We then advance to 1938, to encounter the Anschluss through the eyes of the Merzes. The family gathers to contemplate their escape; their discussion is cut short by the arrival of N**i soldiers, who seize the family’s belongings, requisition Hermann’s business, and expel the family from their home, to leave on transport the following day. It is revealed that Jacob was the product of Gretel’s affair and, as an A***n, retains legal ownership of Hermann’s company.
The play closes with a heart-wrenching scene in which the sole family members to survive the Holocaust, Leo, Rosa, and Nathan, convene to piece together their scarce and broken memories of the vibrant Jewish family of which they were once apart. The three painstakingly recall the tragic fates of their lost loved ones and attempt to cobble together the shards of painful memories they each managed to retain.
Leopoldstadt calls its audience to contemplate the dichotomy between personal Jewish identity and worldly perceptions, through the lens of one Viennese family, raising themes that continue to ring true nearly a century after its summation.
