Greenwood’s Taproot Theatre presents “The Beams are Creaking,” a true story from Nazi Germany, from March 23-April 23. It was written by Douglas Anderson and directed by Karen Lund.
Left to right: Matt Shimkus as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Don Brady and Nathan Jeffrey. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.
Set in Germany in 1933, the Nazi party has taken power. In the face of the greatest evil of the 20th century, Dietrich Bonhoeffer battles questions of morality, political allegiance and religious conviction, and must make choices that could change the course of history.
Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, but also a member of the Abwehr, the German Military Intelligence during Nazi Germany. Originally forming as a defense organization, the Abwehr was secretly in opposition to the Nazi Party and worked to undermine Hitler’s initiatives from the inside. That connection allowed Bonhoeffer to travel abroad and pass information about the resistance to foreign contacts, all under the auspices of conducting business in the interest of Nazi Germany.
“This is a story of a man who gave his life for something he believed in,” said Lund. “In the face of the same issues would any of us have had the same courage? It’s a thrilling ride—a spy story, a romance, a philosophical debate all at once… and it’s true!”
