Drama Department performs new play this fall

This year’s fall play dives into the history of the White Rose Society in Nazi Germany.

Aspen Konowalchuk, Staff Writer|October 16, 2017

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Ginny Lyons

Ellie Turk prepares for her leading role in the fall play.

This fall, BSM will be one of the first groups to perform the play Antigone in Munich, written by Claudia Haas. Antigone in Munich is about a girl named Sophie Scholl, who was a member of the White Rose Society in Nazi Germany. The White Rose Society was a group who fought against totalitarianism governments and, specifically, Hitler. The play follows Sophie’s involvement in the group as she grows into a young woman. The cast has eleven people and will be performed on October 27, 28, and 29.

The director, Marilee Mahler, hopes that the students are able to connect the theme of the play to today’s problems.“[I hope the students’] feel resonance with what’s going on today… [and] that they are made aware of this group and bravery of the White rose society who I had never heard of before this play,” Mahler said. 

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Haas was inspired to write this play from a trip she took to Munich she took last year. “I went to the [White Rose] memorial and [already knew] about Sophie, but the memorial just spoke to me and I came home and just started writing and researching,” Haas said. She started her research by clicking on every link she could find about the group; she then wrote to every White Rose Society in Germany, and they helped guide her to which websites were accurate, and which weren’t.

It took Haas a total of nine months to write this play, and it is ready for high school performances, but Haas may rewrite certain parts after the initial performances. “I will probably re-write [the play] after this production,” Haas said.

After each performance, she takes input from the cast and changes the play accordingly. “I’m going to listen to what [the cast] says today about the play, and any of their confusions. I will also watch, and if there are any places I think the writing is dead; I will change, heighten, or just cut [the parts],” Haas said.

Haas is honored that BSM is doing this play for numerous reasons. “[BSM] is a faith based school and these were faith based people so I thought that was a good match… I wrote [this play] for [high school students]. I want them to know Sophie and to realize the strength of what young people can do and the strength of convictions so it is hugely moving to me that [BSM] is doing [the play],” Haas said.