On a cool Sunday afternoon, students, faculty, families and friends came out to witness the remembrance of the actions taken against those of Jewish descent.
“Hitler’s Daughter” was showcased Sunday in Eisenhower Auditorium to a packed crowd and acted as an entertaining outlet to inform those about the history and context surrounding the former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The play focuses on the hypothetical story of Heidi, which starts as part of an imaginative story that Anna, a schoolgirl, tells her friends to pass the time waiting for the bus. It later evolves into a deeper question about morality and parent-child responsibility.
Amanda Hibbler, a sophomore at Central Mountain High School who is taking a Penn State course on the history on Nazi Germany, said “everything seemed to be in a good context and it was not too complicated to understand.”
The play focuses on the past and present perspective of the account of the Holocaust. Told by four modern day Australians waiting for the school bus, the present day perspective allows for those of younger ages to relate.
Steven Magenheim (sophomore-energy business and finance) said the quirky demeanor of the actors made it “very relatable to the awkwardness of high schoolers.”
Magenheim said that the transformation between Anna, the modern day Australian, and Heidi, Hitler’s daughter, allowed for a better understanding of the Holocaust.
Nina Abbott (senior-photojournalism) said parts that involved the transitions between Anna the storyteller and Fraulein Gelber, Heidi’s guardian, was presented in a seamless and interesting way.
Hitler’s imaginary daughter acted as the gateway to the past perspective of the Holocaust and the confusion seen by Hitler’s followers to accept his ostracized beliefs.
A special component was the point of view that the play took.
“I am Jewish so I’ve always looked at it from a Jewish perspective,” Magenheim said. “I never looked at it as affecting the Germans or the British.”
Magenheim said that in the play, it was clear that the German characters were distraught and upset, which made it “interesting to see it from a non-Jewish perspective.”
Erika Graefe (freshman-nursing) said Heidi’s message was presented in a creative and interactive manner for the audience.
The play is currently on a 10-week United States tour in an effort to inform high school students on the Holocaust.
