Imagine that every time you pick up a fork, it could be your last meal? And imagine that you are forced to pick up that fork, no matter what.
Then imagine that you are a teenaged girl, with all of those possible attendant food issues that might come with that, and you’ll have the barest inkling of what “Hitler’s Tasters” is about.
And it all really happened.
Kind of.
“Hitler’s Tasters,” which will be presented at Guild Hall September 9 through 11, is a dark comedy by Michelle Kholos Brooks (yes, Mel is her father-in-law, Max is her husband) about four young German women who had the “honor” of being chosen as Adolf Hitler’s food tasters.
Based on true events in history, with anachronistic shades of 2020, “Hitler’s Tasters” — winner of the Susan Glaspell Award and Best of the Fringe at Edinburgh (the gold standard in new works) — explores how these girls navigate friendship, patriotism, and poison during the Third Reich.
The idea for the play came about when Brooks heard tell of the Fuhrer’s real food tasters; young women chosen to die for their country. Margeret Wölk, the one survivor, began to speak of it in 2012, when she was 95 years old. She passed two years later.
We had a chance to catch up with Michelle Kholos Brooks and discuss her work, her process, and her family.
JLP: First of all, how did you come by the information about Hitler’s tasters? And what made you want to write about this little-known part of history?
MKB: It was an absolute fluke. I happened to be at a war museum in Indianapolis with my writing partner at the time. As we looked around a WWII exhibit, he said to me, very casually, “Did you read that story about the young German women who were Hitler’s food tasters?” And then he kind of walked away as if he hadn’t just changed my life. “Wait,” I said, “Halt. Reverse. What did you just say?”
Everything that pushes my buttons of concern is encapsulated in this story; the way society treats young women as expendable; the way children are used as tools and shields of war; the complicated relationships young women have with themselves and each other—not to mention the complicated relationship that young women have with food! And the idea of young women stuck in a room together waiting to see if they were going to live or die after every meal? Could there be a riper situation for drama and (dark) comedy? I mean, isn’t adolescence hard enough?
JLP: You chose an anachronistic retelling, with selfies, dancing to modern music, and so on. How did you get that idea? And what are you trying to achieve?
MKB: Times change, people don’t. One day I watched a group of young women take photos of themselves in pursuit of the perfect selfie, and I realized that those women — those girls, really — were likely the same age that the tasters would have been. Their dreams and desires would be the same. I wanted the girls of “Hitler’s Tasters” to feel very present and very alive. I did not want them to be sepia-toned people in history.
It also bears mentioning that I just happened to be writing this piece during the 2016 election. The dangerous rhetoric being spewed was in perfect parallel to that of the 1930s and ‘40s in Germany. The more I worked on this play, the more critical, relevant, and contemporary it felt. Let’s put it this way — the quotes were all over the news. I never actually had to quote Hitler.
JLP: It feels a little like “Waiting for Godot.” Did you base your style on Beckett and the minimalist-absurdists? What style was your inspiration?
MKB: A few people have mentioned that to me and, while I’m deeply flattered by the comparison, it never consciously entered my mind. But there is, in fact, the element of waiting — in the case of the girls, waiting to see if they are going to die after every meal. So, I got to explore how young women would fill up time in that limbo state. It is truly amazing how much drama and comedy can come out of waiting. When you’re bored and scared and you can’t lash out at the monster in charge, people will, unfortunately, turn on each other.
JLP: Without giving too much away, what is true and what is dramatic license, besides the anachronisms?
MKB: To my knowledge, there is very little information about the actual tasters. My research was based on articles published in 2013 about a German woman named Margot Wölk who, in her nineties, came forward with her extraordinary story of being one of Hitler’s food tasters. According to her there were 15 tasters—all German, by the way—how crazy is that? But for the purposes of this play, I focused on a small group to explore personal stories and ever-shifting relationships.
I have been asked how I predicted that events in the play would transpire in current culture — for instance, how did I know that children would be separated from their parents? When I wrote the play, I had no idea that this would happen at our borders. But I did know that it had happened in history. I didn’t have to be clairvoyant to know what takes place when cruelty is in charge.
JLP: I know this was recognized at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Can you tell me about that?
MKB: Edinburgh Fringe was an absolute dream! The all-female cast and crew went there with absolutely no idea of what we were getting into.
We were warned that, with over 4000 shows, our little production would likely fall through the cracks. But we started getting buzz before we even got to Edinburgh, and we ended up with a 100 percent sold-out run, turning away people at every show. We were even voted one of the 10 Best of Fringe by The Stage.
At face value, it helped to have an extremely winning cast of young women. But what I don’t think people expected was the depth of talent and the breadth of bravery by our actors and director, Sarah Norris. I’m very fortunate to have worked with this cast and crew in New York, Chicago, Edinburgh, and L.A., and I’m thrilled that they all agreed to get back on stage at Guild Hall. I have had some terrific theater experiences, but this is a group of magical unicorns. No exaggeration.
JLP: Another member of your family is well-known for including Hitler in his works — your father-in-law, Mel Brooks, who wrote “The Producers” and the song “Springtime for Hitler.” (James Lane Post interviewed the show’s director and choreographer, Susan Stroman, in its August issue.) What kind of feedback or advice did you get from him (if any) about how to inject comedy into a very serious situation?
MKB: Mel and I have an agreement that I have Hitler on loan for this show. But in all seriousness, I didn’t tell him anything about the play until he came to the first reading. He’s been incredibly supportive ever since. He hasn’t given me any direct advice about comedy, but he has always said this, “If you’re going to climb up to the bell, ring it!” So, whenever I worried that I would offend or go too far in this current culture, I remembered the bell. He helped me realize that as long as the moments are honest, boundaries are there to be pushed.
The one direct piece of advice did Mel give me — it was an order, really, was to keep the title. He said it would scare some producers, but that it was more important to state exactly what the play was and to own it. He was correct on all accounts.
Side note: Susan Stroman came to an early show in our tiny New York theater and generously gave us a marvelous quote. She said “Hitler’s Tasters” was “One of the best evenings I’ve spent in the theater in a long time. It was interesting, entertaining, and it made you think.”
JLP: What do you hope the future will bring for “Hitler’s Tasters”?
MKB: I have been approached about turning this play into a series, a book, a graphic novel, a screenplay — all the things you can imagine. But if I could choose just one, it would be for this very production to get back on stage in New York City.
When New Light Theatre Project first brought this play to the city, it was through a residency in a teeny tiny (but wonderful) theater in the West Village. By the time we caught on, the three-week residency was over. After so much success in four other cities, New Light is trying to get this production back to New York in the spring. I know they’re fielding interest from producing partners and possible investors now. New Light is an unusually brave and inspired theater company, and their extraordinary work deserves to be seen.
JLP: I ALWAYS ask this one — what is it like with two writers in the house?
MKB: For us it’s great. My husband and I write very, very different kinds of stories, so we are great readers for each other. We know that if we can make the other love our stories (him: zombies, me: adolescent girl relationships) then we are onto something good.
Also, we both get that we need time alone to create. We trade off dealing with home stuff and our kid’s school stuff depending on who is on a deadline or in a groove. I am very aware of how lucky I am to have a partner that values my work as much as I value his.
JLP: You have a son who’s around the same age as the girls in the play — what has his reaction been to this work, or the reaction of other teens?
MKB: My son, who is 16, has been terrific. He’s very honest about what scares him and what makes him laugh about the play. He’s got quite an interest in history, so it’s sparked great conversations and interesting questions.
I’ve been very pleased by the reaction by other teens and young adults. I’ve been told they especially appreciate the anachronisms in the play, because it makes them feel like these girls could be their friends and contemporaries. I’ve also had parents and teachers tell me that they brought kids back to see it so they could use the play as a jumping-off point to talk about World War II. I could not have hoped for more gratifying feedback.
To get tickets for “Hitler’s Tasters,” visit the Guild Hall website at www.guildhall.org.
To learn more about Michelle Kholos Brooks and her other works, visit www.michellekholosbrooks.com.
