Review: Hauptmann

This evening you will be executed for murder; it was a notorious murder; it made world-wide headlines, as did your trial and conviction.

The only problem is, you didn't do it.

How would you act? How would you feel? Nervous? Scared? Angry?

Last night, we saw local thespian Michael Kharfen answer that question with his impressive performance in the title role of Port City Playhouse's production of Hauptmann at the Lee Center for the Performing Arts in Alexandria. Hauptmann is the story of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the German immigrant who was convicted and executed on April 3, 1936, for allegedly kidnapping and murdering the infant son of famed transatlantic aviator Charles Lindbergh.

John Logan, more popularly known as the writer of the recent Howard Hughes movie The Aviator and the screenplay writer of the blockbuster motion pictures Star Trek: Nemesis and Gladiator, wrote this play, which made its premiere in 1986, joining an ever growing body of writers doing plays, movies, and books questioning the Hauptmann verdict, proclaiming Hauptmann's innocence, and suggesting that the public furor for an arrest and conviction in the Lindbergh baby case led to Hauptmann being framed and tried by desparate New Jersey police and prosecutors.

This was a stark play. It met all of the demands of Greek tragedy, complete with catharsis for those people who still unequivocally advocate for capital punishment. DId Hauptmann do it? We really don't know, and Logan, who wrote the play from Hauptmann's perspective, says that he doesn't take sides. But there is certainly plenty for us to think about.

The spare set consisted of a simple raised platform center stage which at times represented Hauptmann's cell and at other times was the trial judge's bench. Three simple, ladder-back chairs flanked each side of the platform. Colors were all black and dark greys. The entire cast came out at the begining of the play, Hauptmann dressed in prison dungarees and the other characters played by two women and four men dressed in dark grey prison guard uniforms. Large, dark grey mesh boxes were upstage of each chair to hold the collateral temporary props for each actor. As Hauptmann narrated his story, each actor transformed with a simple costume prop to play various other characters: a fedora and camera for a reporter, gown and gavel for the judge, bomber jacket and white scarf for Lindbergh. a crocheted shawl for Hauptmann's wife.

The burden of the play fell to Kharfen, as he was talking and acting constantly throughout the grueling, two act play. He chose to make Hauptmann a nervous, slightly frenetic man with some consistent hand mannerisms and slight shaking and a strong, realistic, German accent. I'd only met Kharfen briefly several weeks ago, so I couldn't recall all of his normal personal mannerisms, and I wasn't sure how much of his acting was him and how much was for the character. In those moments when he broke into playing Hauptmann's defense attorney, though, Kharfen was a completely different person, and I immediately knew he was "acting" for Hauptmann. There were a couple of brief moments of over-the-top histrionics, but I blame those tiny glitches more on the director than the actor. Kharfen wasn't wearing face makeup as did the other players, so his activity and the heat of the stage lights quickly had his face glowing—and eventually dripping—with perspiration. You know, if I were about to be executed in a couple of hours, I might be having a little perspiration, myself! Kharfen normally directs plays around here, but I certainly think he should do more frequent acting.

Port City Playhouse is a community theater. One of the problems with community theater is there is often a great disparity in talent between leading actors and supporting cast. While the six supporting characters each had some very good moments, it was very apparent that this was community theater and they were doing amateur acting, probably overly highlighted by Kharfen's talents. They worked together as a cohesive cast, though, so if one could ignore some of the amateur issues, it was really quite a good ensemble cast. The two women, particularly, did excellent jobs in creating completely different characters for the different roles they played.

Hauptmann has three more performances in this run, on the 11th, 14th, and 15th. If you're a fan of drama and tragedy, be sure to drop in. Tickets are only $14, and that includes free cups of soda and some pretzels during the intermission.