January 14th

After breakfast we left for a tour of the Royal National Theatre. Really cool place, 3 different stages, workshops fo background, huge range of theater aspects. Then we had some free time, I went back to the hotel after some gift shopping, to write and send postcards. Then back to the National Theater to see Broken Glass on the Lyttelton Stage. A new play, less then a year old, by Arthur Miller. The British premier was on this stage last Aug. and everyone expect the person who plays Sylvia was in the premier. The play is set in New York during Nov. of 1938, around the famous Nazi Riots know as "The Night of Broken Glass" (Kristallnacht). The play deals with life of two married people, Phillip Gellburg, a man who likes to be conserative and doesn't talk much about being a Jew, and his wife Sylvia who has for some reason lost her ability to walk. Dr. Hyman figures the problem to be mental and starts to work out the pain between Sylvia and Phillip. Syliva seems to know that what is happening in Germany is that no one will stand up and fight for the Jews - America, Britian, other Germans - no one. She fears seem to be that her husband would do the same in American, follow the crowd, play conservative. All this is symbolized by her dreams and fact she can't walk. Phillip doesn't want to look weak, lies and ignores problesm in his marrage and fears of being pre-judged him as a Jew and part of the "Jewish Conspiracy" that Hitler is afraid of and is trying to fight, with his "Final Solution." This ll ends with Phillip dead of a heart attack and Sylvia standing, trying to save hime. I would belive this ending says that hose who stay, fear and do nothing, those like Phillip, Contries like America, will die. An those who "stand up" and fight will live.....

-Peace