Two Weeks ago, My wife and I went to a play thanks to the season tickets to the Schwartz Center for the performing arts that I won. The first play on our list: Good. The play started out pretty good; it was set in Germany just before all hell breaks loose. The play chronicles the main characters reluctant joining of the Third Reich and ends with is complete 180 and seeing it as "not so bad" to put it lightly. The play itself wasn't too bad, my only main complaint being I don't see the main character as being all that good to begin with; very early on he starts having an affair.
No, the play itself was "good" up until the last 45 seconds. At the end, he has dawned his Uniform and begins the official salute. During this time, flags bearing a symbol used by the Nazi's is lowered. Since it is the end of the play, I feel as though I should clap because it was worthy of applause. During the applause, banners begin to fall with the swastika on them as well...suddenly I feel like I'm in a rally for nazi; not the place I would ever want to be.
I understand the director's thinking behind it. It helps drive home the point. I guess I am a bit more observant/sensitive than others. I could have done without the final banner droppings, but it did help me realize that people get into habits and sometimes don't even realize what they are doing is something they wouldn't have done before, all because the change was slow enough to not be noticed.
