Crooked Cross

By Joseph Cervelli

The title of the 1934 novel by Sally Carson "Crooked Cross" refers to the swastika.  She later adapted it into a play for the British stage in 1935, and it was presented again in 1937. It caused a sensation as it deals with the rise of fascism in Germany and the way young men who feel they have no future in the work force join the Nazi Party. Wearing a uniform and being paid was the enticement. Carson wrote of the horrors that just started against the Jewish population. All of this did not go over well with a number of British audiences especially since a good deal of them were pro-Germany. It has never been produced here before and the almost always wonderful Mint Theater Company decided to present it. The Mint for those not acquainted with it produces shows that are basically unknown, since they were from the 20's or 30's for the most part. Most were a joy and even those few that might have felt a bit stodgy had themes that felt years ahead of its time. It is just wonderful they are there to present these plays.  Even if several might not have always worn well the performances in all that I have seen were excellent. 

However, in this production of "Crooked Cross" at the Mint there is a severe misstep. Almost all the performances are below par with amateurish results. Does it hamper the essence of the show? Unfortunately, the answer is yes it does. It is hard to get into the mood of the substance of the play when the actors are giving lackluster performances. And Jonathan Banks's direction is off kilter. More on this later. 

The opening has the Kluger family seen in their quaint home in Bavaria (fine turn table set design by Alexander Woodward) at Christmas time. We meet the Kruger family,  Lexa (Ella Stevens) decorating the Christmas tree with her brother Helmy (Gavin Michaels) along with their mother  (Katie Firth), father (Liam Craig) and brother Erich (Jakob Winter.) Who also appears is Lexa's fiance Moritz Weissmann (Samuel Adams.) Moritz's mother was German while father is Jewish. A friend of Erich's, Otto (Jack Mastrianni), joins the festivities. You know something is up when you see the father giving  unpleasant glances towards Moritz. 

In the second scene which is New Year's Eve things start to turn. Moritz who is a physician informs Lexa that he has been fired from the hospital. He gives her a made up story about the other doctors don't approve of his being involved with members of the Communist Party. The real reason is that he is Jewish which comes out later. There is no doubt this will interfere with their June wedding plans.

For some reason Craig (not sure if under the direction by Banks) plays his role several times for laughs. We see him wearing lederhosen and for no reason seems to be exercising which produces chuckles from the audience. Later on near the end of the play he is in discomfort with his leg but plays it again in a silly way with supposed pain. I can only blame the director for the character to behave like this. 

What starts out as a pleasant time for Lexa and Moritz at a Munich Hotel Bar turns nasty when he accidentally bumps into a Young Man (Ben Millspaugh) wearing a swastika and calling him a "filthy Jew." 

The brothers who have joined the Nazi Party want Lexa to stop seeing Moritz because to them being half German does not matter. For them and their father he is Jewish.  Helmy in full uniform goes to Moritz's basically empty one room flat he shares with his dad (Douglas Rees.) Rees gives what I felt to be the best most authentic performances of the evening.  Helmy tells Moritz he wants him to stop seeing Lexa. The Germans have now taken away their passports which his father feels they will give back so Moritz can emigrate to England and practice medicine. Moritz realizes he will never be granted the privilige to leave. 

In the second act you learn that Erich has been teaching skiing and had sexual encounters with older women for money before he found his niche by joining the Party. He goes catatonic when Lexa confronts him on this. Lexa and Moritz feel their only way to freedom is to get out of the country by crossing a mountain range. While near the Austrian Frontier things take a bad turn for them which you sadly expect.  

The play is an expert indictment of the Nazi Party and how easily they sway young people to join who feel they have nothing in their lives. The play needs to have actors who can handle the transformation in their characters. For the two brothers something as pleasant as enjoying the holidays and being happy to suddenly becoming such unlikable characters is never realized. 

Michaels' basic pleasantness in his character remains when he is in the Party. That is fine if he had shone moments of anger so we see what he has turned into but to keep his general cheery disposition does not work.   

Winter is way over the top in one particular scene and seems unsure how to play the role. And the scene where he falls on the sofa in hysterics never rings true. Mastrianni seems totally lost and little more than a stick figure. Adams was fair enough and could have been better with a director more intuned to his character and a better lead actor to play off of. 

Sad to say but Stevens is, perhaps, the least effective as Lexa. I am not sure if it was the sometimes bizarre direction of Banks who has her in one upsetting moment put her hands to her mouth expressionless when she realizes something terrible has happened. That is what seems to be the key to her performance. There is very little emotion. And why does Banks on several occasions have her come to the front of the stage looking out in bewilderment to the audience. It makes no sense. 

This play deserves passionate performers and a steady directoral hand. It sadly comes away minus both.

PHOTOS: Todd Cerveris

Tickets are available at Theater Row Theaters 410 West 42nd Street.