In the category of truth-is-stranger-than-fiction, Irena’s Vowtells the remarkable story of a young Polish woman in 1939. Although she was raised in an affluent, protective Catholic family, her world is shattered at age 18 when the Russians, then the Germans, seized her area of Poland. She ends up hiding 12 Jews in the basement of a villa temporarily occupied by the area’s top Nazi officer. The play is based on the true story of Irena Gut Opdyke.
The play is told as a flashback, as an aging Irena reflects matter-of-factly on what she saw and did in Poland following the 1939 invasion. After being beaten and raped by Soviet soldiers, she escapes, only to be caught later by the Germans and sent to work under slave-labor conditions. She is “promoted” to a number of higher positions as the Jews with whom she works are shot or sent to internment camps. Horrified by what she observes, Irena vows to save a dozen Jewish workers.
As she ponders how to achieve this near-impossible task, Irena is named as the housekeeper of a top German officer. He “liberates” a large, nearby villa for living and entertaining. Irena, just as terrified as the Jews she protects, often entertains dozens of Gestapo leaders who come to the villa for parties.
Irena’s Vow first opened in New York and then went to Broadway in 2009 at the Walter Kerr Theater. Tovah Feldshuh was cast in the leading role. The show played for 121 performances.
The Milwaukee production blends professional and student actors. Irena is portrayed by Julie Swenson, a local actress and co-founder of Renaissance Theaterworks. Blond, blue-eyed and upbeat, Swenson is an ideal choice for the irrepressible Irena. She also has the admirable stamina to be onstage for almost the entire play.
The set is broken up into several areas, which makes for easy transitions between scenes. At stage right is a nondescript area where a few props transform it into several places. Eventually, it is a secret underground room which becomes more suitable quarters for the Jews than a cramped coal bin directly beneath the main house. At stage left is a more elaborate set of the villa’s living/dining quarters.
In addition to Julie Swenson as Irena, another Equity cast member is Drew Brhel, who plays Major Rugemer. Over time, Rugemer lets down his guard and confides to Irena that he has little respect for the Nazi interlopers with whom he must maintain a cordial relationship. Brhel demonstrates far more than the cardboard cutout this character could be. In their private villa, the Major shows a more sensitive side than he displays during his public appearances. Brhel slips easily between the Major’s sympathetic side and the dehumanizing way he treats others, particularly the Jews.
Philip Sletteland impresses as Sturmbannfuhrer Rokita, a less-developed character than those of Irena and the Major. Other characters, consisting mainly of Jewish workers and Nazi partygoers, are portrayed by student actors. It is a winning combination under the direction of Suzan Fete.
In addition to the set’s more static elements, a series of projections lends a sense of authenticity to the play’s events. Photos of the real Irene, as well as Major Rugemer, are seen in photo montages that also depict interactions between the Germans and their prisoners. The projections heighten the play’s sense of drama and urgency, and they are a powerful addition to several key scenes.
Irena’s Vow ends on a more hopeful note than experienced by the majority of millions of Holocaust victims. It may be a more satisfying ending than a play of this era deserves, but it gives the audience a message of hope during a dark time in world history.
