James Wilson takes a look at Camp Siegfried at Second Stage:
The slogan, "Work sets you free," greeted new arrivals to many Nazi concentration camps. Although not explicitly stated, this is a guiding principle in Bess Wohl's Camp Siegfried, currently running at Second Stage Theater. Chopping wood, hauling planks, and building a deck are just some of the strenuous chores the play's two characters perform throughout the show's eighty-minute runtime. The title refers not to a concentration camp, but to an actual Long Island summer camp that catered to families and youth. Organized by the German-American Bund and operating from 1936 to 1941, the resort also provided a space for rejoicing in German jingoism and cultivating Nazi ideals. |
