Review: Raúl Esparza stars in an Eerily Relevant “Arturo Ui”

Bertolt Brecht’s 1941 allegory play “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui” adapts the rise of Hitler to Chicago mobsters taking over the cauliflower industry. This dense text is not frequently performed and when it is, it is usually not well received. However, in our modern political climate, a play about the rise of fascism seems more relevant than ever.

John Doyle’s production of “Arturo Ui” at Classic Stage Company leans very heavily on the more-than-obvious parallels between Ui, Hitler, and Trump. Just in case you missed it, a long red tie makes an appearance and the ensemble shouts Sieg Heils to a “Lock her up!” track. Brecht’s epic theater is all about educating the masses, stylized performance, and allusions. This production is certainly quite Brechtian, but even by these standards it may lack some subtly.

The larger issue of the production is a confusion of plot events and characters, which is equally the fault of the play and the director. The eight person ensemble are all double and triple cast, jumping from murderers to henchmen to victims and grocers to lawyers and back again. In attempt to help you follow the allegory, a voice announces between scenes the German history event that each scene about Chicago gangsters and groceries is supposed to represent. Pay attention, it all moves very quickly.