What is a man? Ignoring for the moment the sexist implications of language (perhaps I’ll tackle that one another time), let us for the moment assume that the word ‘man’ does stand for ‘human’. Bertolt Brecht’s play Mann Ist Mann presents the thesis that one man is no different from another, identity is a construct that can be taken apart and reassembled like any other construct. Directed by Sinai Peter, the Khan Theatre production amuses and then ultimately leaves one contemplative and perhaps even a bit morose, with more questions than answers.
An early Brecht (first performed in 1926), Mann Ist Mann contains much of what we have come to recognize as Brechtian, including his penchant for setting plays in distant and exotic locales, in this case India under British Colonial rule. The unlucky protagonist, Galy Gay, is a porter who sets out to buy a fish for dinner, and ends up having a string of bizarre adventures that alter not only the course of his life, but his identity. Originally an Irish man living in the colony, in this production Galy Gay is a local Indian, which, if one cares to think about it – and I do, complicates the question of identity with the issues of identity under colonialism. Is it possible to form an independent identity while under colonial rule? Something to ponder… More immediately relevant perhaps is Yossi Eini’s moving portrayal of the man, embodying his qualities of pliancy in his body language, incorporating cultural elements in his head and arm gestures with integrity and charm, subdued enough to be just noticeable, yet never slipping into parody.
The opening scenes have a slapstick feel to them, setting up the plot with four British soldiers bungling a burglary. Amusing, and the actors are great, yet the plot itself is not so very funny. I blame Brecht. Compared to Brecht plays such as The Good Person of Szechuan, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, and Threepenny Opera, Mann Ist Mann is not frequently seen on the contemporary stage, and from this writer’s perspective that is likely because it pales in comparison with Brecht’s later works, succumbing to tendency towards plodding didactics in which one thing happens, and then another, and it is neither particularly funny nor dramatic, but it serves to make Brecht’s point. Having said that, I think that Sinai Peter has done an excellent job with this material.
The theatrical aspect of the production is impressive, from acting to set and costume design, as well as music. The set design by Frida Shoham is imaginative and works wonderfully as a visual reference to the underlying themes. A tank rolls onto the small stage of the Khan and four soldiers emerge at once, bursting into song. Later, the tank will be taken apart to become a bar, and later yet – an elephant! An appropriate metamorphosis in a play which plans to take a man apart and “reassemble him like a car.”
All the talk of colonialism and soldiers is reminiscent of a term closer to home – occupation, and one might be tempted to view the play as a commentary on the IDF. Clever costumes by Dalia Penn Heller will soon alleviate that concern as the soldiers are all clad in kilts. Very exotic and attractive – nice legs, guys! Sure, they are also wearing the olive drab T shirts, recognizable gear and sporting very familiar guns, but no need to hasten to local inferences, after all – all soldiers look pretty much alike, don’t they?
What do these soldiers want? They want beer. What does the porter Galy Gay want? A fish for dinner. Meager aspirations. Galy Gay and the soldiers are already very much alike, seeking the fulfillment of immediate needs, whether hunger, thirst, or making sure all goes well at inspection. In reflecting on Galy Gay’s loss of identity, the thought arises that there was not much to lose to begin with. Galy Gay is eager to please, greedy and compliant. He resists, but at least initially, without much vigor. Inside the man there is an absence, an lack of identity, only a desire to be filled… with beer, or fish, money or glory.
“Don’t resist” is the refrain of the barkeeper Widow Begbick’s song, one of several powerful musical moments in the play (such as Guy Gurevich’s song). Odelya Moreh-Matalon’s Widow Begbick is a strong, sexy, savvy, survivor – no sentiment here – who feels like a foreshadowing of Mother Courage. If the soldiers have needs, she is there to anticipate and fulfill them, always ready to pack up and move on, doing what she needs to do to survive.
And Galy Gal? He comes into his own with his death, and the latter part of the play rises to a moving crescendo. The battle scene, with its noise and confusion is very well done, striking fear into the heart as one sees Galy Gal’s transformation into the perfect soldier. Ultimately, Mann Ist Mann is a strong indictment of the war machine, for it is only when we are capable of denying our own identity, when we become nothing, that we are then capable of killing and destruction.
Mann Ist Mann by Bertolt Brecht; Translation: Yitzhak Laor; Adapted and Directed by: Sinai Peter; Set Design: Frida Shoham; Costume Design: Dalia Penn Heller; Music: Paul Dessau; Music: Shosh riseman; Lighting Design: Roni Cohen; Choreography: Noa Wagner; Cast (in order of appearance): Yossi Eini – Galy Gay; Yael Toker – Mrs. Gay; Yoav Hyman – Uria Shelly; David Ben Zeev – Jesse Mahoney; Eddi Alterman – Polly Barker; Itai Szor – Jeraiah Jip; Ofer Shalhin – Sing, Soldier, Music Player; Erez Shafrir – Charles Fairchild – Bloody Five; Odelya Moreh-Matalon – Widow Begbick; Guy Gurevich – Mr. Wang; Soldier.
