‘Good’ lives up to its name

Nearly every outsider has asked him or herself how seemingly ordinary, intelligent men could have come to commit genocide in 20th century Germany. It is a question that has led to debate among historians, students and even playwrights such as C.P. Taylor.

Burning Coal Theatre’s production of Good follows Halder, a professor of literature during the rise of Nazism in Germany who finds himself conforming to a new system that provides the only way to advance. 

Halder, played by Steven Roten, is depicted as a virtuous citizen during the rise of Hitler. 

Halder, convinced the only way to climb the academic ladder is within the Nazi party, reluctantly joins and eventually becomes swept away by Nazi glory. He compartmentalizes many of his values in accordance with the state, and eventually finds himself aligning with the Nazi party, morally unchanged.

Playgoers find themselves attached to Halder and ultimately question what it means to be a good citizen. Roten gave an outstanding performance as Halder, making onlookers feel as conflicted as his character. 

It is difficult, especially in intimate productions like Burning Coal’s, with a seating area of some 85 seats wrapped U-shaped around a floor-level stage, to watch Roten and think Nazi. He executes the desired effect of Halder, that some good men became intoxicated with Nazism, often not at first by choice.

Halder is the friend of a Jewish colleague, Maurice, played by Rob Jenkins, who also serves as his subconscious narrative. The Jewish character unsurprisingly preaches sentiments similar to the mainstream today, that Nazism and anti-semitism were radical and unsympathetic at the very least and sadistic at their core. 

Jenkins’ acting, like most of the Burning Coal crew, is on point. At times, the script is meaningfully unclear whether Maurice has become a figment of Halder’s imagination. Jenkins does a particularly excellent job of developing his character from an outspoken Jew to a hopeless fantasy of Halder’s.

Good does not feel like a musical, but rather a play with music, as Roten and actor Matthew Hager — who plays two small roles, but appears throughout the play in a band — provided the most notable singing performances. Both actors displayed their unwavering, powerful voices that resonated perfectly with the Nazi ideal of perfection.

Halder’s love interest also seemed to represent a similar theme of perfection. As a married man, Halder must cope being in love with a young German named Anne, played by Jessica Heironimus. 

Anne embodies the ideals of Nazi Germany, and the “if you want it, take it” attitude of the time.

Where the production excelled in acting and singing talent, it lacked some in stage organization. Several settings were presented at one time upon the floor-level stage, and beyond lighting changes were often completely imagined, and thus, ambiguous.

Confusing setting and context of dialogue failed to make a definitive timeline in an otherwise historical play. 

Burning Coal’s intimate production of Good poses historical and moral questions that are more likely to be pondered than answered in a definitive way. The high quality performance — both musical and dramatic — serves as just one interpretation of a complicated history.