(Production photo by Meredith Longo, @mereinanutshell)

by Tim Leininger

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A person’s outlook on life is often dependent upon the circumstances one experiences, especially during their formative years, and when you’re a young Jew growing up in Leipzig, Germany in the 1930s, a positive outlook isn’t something that is likely to develop. For Eddie Jaku, his struggle is just that in the incredible true story of enduring impossible trials and tribulations, The Happiest Man on Earth, adapted by Mark St. Germain from the memoir of the same name, directed by Sasha Brätt, running through Oct. 18 at Playhouse on Park at 244 Park Road.

            A harrowing tale of courage and fortitude, The Happiest Man on Earth, is a one-man show, about Eddie, played with fervent passion by Robert Resnikoff, is 90 and about to make a speech about his experiences during the Holocaust. The premise consists of us being his friends whom he tells the story to before he goes off to do his presentation — the real Eddie Jaku was doing TedTalks as old as 99.

(Production photo by Meredith Longo, @mereinanutshell)

            He begins back in the early 1930s in Leipzig, explaining the socio-political structure of Germany at the time, how Jews perceived themselves as just as German as any other German, and expected to be treated equally. This all starts to change when Adolf Hitler rose to power. Immediately, he and his family start devising ways to subvert the Nazis every way they can, from giving Eddie false papers so he can still go to college, to planning escape plans to Belgium. Eddie highlights his life, not only through World War II and his time in Buchenwald and Auschwitz concentration camps, but also how his experiences effected his view after the war, particularly how it effected his marriage with Flore Molho, whom he met after the war ended, and his two sons, Michael and Andre.

            There are many stories like The Happiest Man on Earth, stories told by survivors. What helps this one stand out from others to keep audiences engaged, is the sheer tenacity expressed by Eddie through Resnikoff’s performance as he keeps trying to escape the clutches of the Nazis. Also, he conveys the message that survival required support from others, especially in the darkest of times, encouraging each other to never give up. Eddie honors the people he meets along his journey that help him stay alive when all internal hope has faded.

(Production photo by Meredith Longo, @mereinanutshell)

            The stories he tells are often horrific and disturbing. Director Brätt handles the narrative with sensitivity while not sanitizing the violence that Eddie witnesses. Much of the story’s effectiveness is due to the excellent sound design by Xi (Zoey) Lin, as the sounds of gunfire, tanks, and other mechanisms of war and death wash over the audience with convincing power. Chris Ostrom’s scenic design is simplistic, with a textured wall and door, and several set pieces like a table and chairs that set near center stage.

            But the show belongs to Resnikoff, who, under Brätt’s direction, gives a beautifully layered and textured performance, balancing light and dark narrative with weight and then levity when the scene calls for it. His personable performance allows the audience to virtually embrace his experience and feel his journey.

(Production photo by Meredith Longo, @mereinanutshell)

            The Happiest Man on Earth is a beautiful, but hard play to watch, especially for people who have sensitivities toward the history of the Holocaust. It evokes a deep empathy for Eddie, his family, and the millions of Jews who lost their lives in these horrific events, and how a person can live through the worst of traumas and find happiness on the other side. I hope all audiences take his story of finding happiness even after the worst of people attempt to destroy us and who we are to heart and draw inspiration from Eddie Jaku’s story.

TICKETS: https://playhouseonpark.org/

PRODUCTION

Written by Mark St. Germain; Based on the memoir by Eddie Jaku; Director: Sasha Brätt; Scenic & Lighting Designer: Chris Ostrom; Costume Designer: Lisa Steier; Sound Designer: Xi (Zoey) Lin; Production Stage Manager: Rebecca Donaghy

CAST

Robert Resnikoff as Eddie Jaku