A play at the New York Theater Workshop in Manhattan challenges perspectives on Auschwitz by focusing on the day-to-day lives of Nazis through the controversial Höcker album, triggering discussions on artistic representation of historical events.
The play “Here There Are Blueberries,” running until June 16 at the New York Theater Workshop in Manhattan, showcases a different perspective on Auschwitz by focusing on the day-to-day lives of Nazis, as captured in the so-called Höcker album. This controversial album, obtained by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007 from an anonymous donor, features 116 photographs of Nazis rather than their victims, taken by Karl Höcker, the assistant to the commandant of Auschwitz in 1944.
Directed by Moisés Kaufman and written by Kaufman and Amanda Gronich, the play employs a documentary-style format that explores how these images were discovered, studied, and eventually made public. Besides archival work, the production incorporates actual Holocaust testimonials, providing a powerful contrast to the largely impersonal portrayal of the perpetrators.
In its approach, “Here There Are Blueberries” uses a method known as “dramatic pointillism,” where the story is told through a series of 31 short scenes. The imagery of the archival desks and the thoughtful actions of the archivists intend to shine a light on the often overlooked heroes who work to keep history alive and accurate. Multimedia elements such as live foley sounds also add a dimensional experience to the play.
Despite its ambition, the play has garnered mixed reactions due to its unique focus on Nazis’ lives, lacking a direct engagement with the atrocities they committed. This choice has sparked discussions about the portrayal and remembrance of historical events within artistic expression.
