WWII heroism on display as 'The Beams Are Creaking' opens at Taproot Theatre | Arts & Culture

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor as the Nazis came to power in Germany. Originally a man of peace, Bonhoeffer found himself so appalled at what was happening to his country and to his church that he secretly worked with those trying to assassinate Hitler.

Taproot Theatre is presenting a play, written by Douglas Anderson, The Beams Are Creaking, that tells Bonhoeffer’s historic story. Bonhoeffer ultimately sacrificed his life for his beliefs. The play helps us delve into why someone might choose to take such a difficult path.

Scott Nolte, Managing Artistic Director, thinks many of the plays in Taproot’s 35th season have common strains of heroism. They just finished presenting The Odyssey, where Scott notes that, “Odysseus and Penelope were both defying the odds – whether it was Odysseus trying to get home or Penelope fighting off suitors and thieves.”

Scott also thinks that, “Today's spokespeople and politicians tend to divide the public, inflame public opinion and – in many respects – feed us what we want to hear. Bonhoeffer's love for his country and fellow citizens compelled him to speak the truth passionately, rationally and respectfully. 

“He wanted to call everyone out of the Nazi madness, not just divide the country. We're entering a political season, and too many angry voices will divide us rather than find a unifying, dignifying path for us to walk.

“We still need people of conviction (and faith) to speak up when society is hell-bent on self destruction, and to counter those with political or social agendas who manipulate the faith community. If I could, I’d like to have dinner with Rev. Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both had a deep faith, and the ability to speak against the evil in their society(s) – and both died for it.”

Director Karen Lund describes what it takes to do this play the way the playwright intended. “The playwright uses radios to bring you into historical Nazi Germany so he sets the tone with six radios on stage.

“How we really remember WWII, it was a radio war. The President used to do those fireside chats. Anderson uses the radio to tell the story. Throughout the play, we’re hearing German and American correspondents and getting news through the radio.”

Karen says, “It’s not just a history, it’s a spy story and a love story. It’s a story of martyrdom and I think it has a really broad appeal.

“The story is set in 1930s Germany when Bonhoeffer has just returned from studying in a New York seminary. He is completely surprised at the rise of the Nazi Party. He had no idea of what had been going on.

“The thing that was most disturbing was what the Nazi Party was trying to do to the churches. The Nazis had a 33 step plan that included: stopping publishing the Bible, every Bible would be replaced by Mein Kampf (Hitler’s book), crucifixes would be taken away and replaced with swastikas.

“The Nazis said they were going to protect religion, but their intention the whole time was to take over the church and make it a mouthpiece for Nazism. To be a pastor in Germany, you had to prove your Aryan race for three generations and had to swear allegiance to Hitler.

“Bonhoeffer protested and became an enemy of the state. He is arrested and becomes a martyr. The play shows how he became a spy and was involved in several assassination attempts on Hitler’s life.”

Matt Shimkus is playing Bonhoeffer in this production. He’s been seen most recently in musicals around Seattle, so this is a departure, although he does get to sing a bit. Karen said that when she asked Matt to be a part of the production, she found out some surprising details.

“Matt told me, ‘My dad is a Lutheran pastor and I have grown up hearing about Bonhoeffer!’ He knew more about Bonhoeffer than I did. Matt’s also lived in Germany. He went as an exchange student in high school for a year. He has a wonderful feel for the language, culture and an intimate knowledge of Bonhoeffer.”

For Karen, the lesson is Bonhoeffer “is in this situation where to speak is to die. For many people they chose the lesser of two evils: I’ll take the oath to Hitler so I can still pastor my church.

“Here was somebody who said it’s not worth it to me. If I make this compromise, I’ll have to make the next compromise. I have to wonder if in the same circumstances I would have the bravery to do the same thing.”

Bonhoeffer was friends with Pastor Martin Neimoller, who wrote

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Karen says, “What we’re doing here is we’re wrestling with these deeper moral questions and asking what does complicity look like? If you say nothing, do nothing, are you implying consent?

“Bonhoeffer had the opportunity to go spend time living with Gandhi in India. But he ends up conspiring to assassinate the leader of Germany. For me, it’s a fascinating moral question of how does your thinking get there?”

The Beams Are Creaking plays from March 25-April 23. For more information, go to Taproot Theatre or call 206-781-9707.