Theater Review: SENSE OF DECENCY (North Coast Repertory Theatre in San Diego)

JUST A SENSE

The North Coast Repertory Theatre is currently presenting the world premiere of Sense of Decency, a psychological drama adapted from a 2013 book by American author Jake El-Hai titled The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. The book has been adapted by Jake Broder, who is the play’s co-director with David Ellenstein. The original title is extended by the addition of Hermann Goring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of Minds at the End of WWII.

Brendan Ford, Frank Corrado

El-Hai’s book portrays how U.S. Army officer Kelley (Brendan Ford) was assigned to watch over the captured Hermann Göring (Frank Corrado) in Nurnberg, Germany, shortly after the end of World War II. Kelley’s job was to keep track of the Nazi’s mental fitness as he sits in a dingy cell awaiting trial as a war criminal. Several Nazi leaders had already committed suicide and the Allies wanted to ensure that Göring, the number two Nazi in Hitler’s defeated Germany, survived to stand trial and a 100% chance of execution.

For 90 minutes with no intermission, virtually the entire play is enclosed within a dingy prison cell and consists primarily of talk between Kelley and Göring. Their meetings are separated by several brief appearances by Lucy Davenport, who plays Dukie Kelley and Emmy Göring, the wives of the two principals.

Lucy Davenport, Brendan Ford

Göring and Kelley share numerous personality traits, notably a lust for attention. Kelley intends to publish a book about his interviews with Göring that will feed his theory that a hidden Nazi “pathogen” can turn average men into psychotic monsters. Kelley sees his advocacy of this “virus” as a huge career boost and the American is furious that he is losing out to a more popular book on the subject by a rival writer.

The bilingual Göring has an edge in verbal expression over Kelley, as well as a certain eloquence and even a sense of humor. Although facing certain execution, for most of the play the German remains calm and even witty while the increasingly agitated Kelley gradually loses his mental moorings.

Frank Corrado, Brendan Ford

Broder’s play has its high spots but it also needs polishing, not uncommon for a work getting its first public viewing. On the minus side, the directors need to energize the first 40 minutes, which tend to plod as Kelley and Göring talk back and forth, with the manipulating Göring winning the actionless verbal battle with his wit and savvy. It’s an unequal match. Göring establishes himself as the more interesting and eloquent man, even approaching likability. Surely the American military could have assigned someone with more expansive intellectual resources for this sensitive watchdog job and give more dramatic balance to his confrontations with Göring.

Brendan Ford, Lucy Davenport

On the positive side, Kelley grabs the audience with a fiery speech he delivered in 1958 attacking the failures of the American society of his day. Many audiences today will shudder in recognition of Kelley’s bitter diagnosis, but the intense scene comes out of nowhere. Still, the play offers much food for thought garnished by an absorbing performance by Corrado.

As usual, North Coast Rep supplies a terrific physical production, supplied by the usual panel of splendid designers. Marty Burnett designed the set, Matt Novotny and Eric Montierth the lighting, Elisa Benzoni the costumes, Steven Leffue the sound, Matt FitzGerald the projections. Audrey Casteris the props, and Peter Herman the hair and wigs.

The play’s title gets one mention in the dialogue but its significance eluded me.

Frank Corrado