Brecht With a Chilling Sense of Dread

Although the supremely intellectual German playwright Bertolt Brecht resolutely slammed the door on cathartic emotional release, not all feelings were banned from his theatrical work. In “The Jewish Wife” and “The Informer,” a pair of stylistically more traditional Brecht playlets at the Lee Strasberg Creative Center, concept and ideas--though never in short supply--take a back seat to an all-consuming mood: pure, unadulterated dread.

That’s entirely appropriate, given the Nazi-themed subject matter. Written during Brecht’s period of exile in America during World War II, both works are savage indictments of the dehumanizing climate of fear under the Hitler regime.

The horrors of that era become immediately visceral in Hildy Brooks’ riveting performance as “The Jewish Wife.” Following Hitler’s voiding of German-Jewish marriages, the wife of a well-to-do doctor (Jim Antonio) contemplates her narrowing options.

As she sits in her elegant Bauhaus apartment--which has taken on the steely shades of a prison--penning a farewell note justifying her decision to flee the country and the marriage, Brooks assuredly guides us through layers of protective self-deceit to arrive at painful truths.

Her initial explanation--protecting her husband’s career--soon gives way to an admission of selfish survival, and a recognition that his growing nationalism has taken precedence over their relationship. When he arrives home as she prepares to depart, his pretense of concern is purely formal; their dialogue is so steeped in alienation, there is no way for them to connect as man and wife.

Equally chilling is “The Informer,” in which Antonio and Brooks play a teacher and his wife terrified that their son (Claus Pedersen), a fanatic member of the Hitler Youth, will denounce them for their critical comments about the regime.

Even the maid (Anna Lerbom) evokes fear through her Nazi party connections. This time, it’s Antonio who undergoes a voluntary dismantling of his own identity, as he desperately concocts cover stories to make his behavior more “acceptable.’

Speaking with urgency and authority to the ever-present prejudice that spawns hate crimes and the complacency that tolerates them, director-designer Jack Betts’ staging is sharply focused and relentless. Even the set change is performed by a stamping, brown-shirted ensemble that encourages the audience in a cheerful sing-along as it works.

Their enthusiasm--along with the stony silence that greets it--is a creepy, sardonic touch that would certainly have pleased Brecht himself.

BE THERE

“The Jewish Wife” and “The Informer,” Lee Strasberg Creative Center, 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m.; Thursday performances available for group requests. Ends July 9. $8. (323) 650-7777. Running time: 1 hour, 5 minutes.