A Nanking winter (March 9, 2008)

Organizer: Nightwood Theatre
Cost: Pay what you can on Sundays
Pre-event estimate: 3 out of 5 based on reviews in press e.g. Now
Post-event rating: 5 out of 5!!!

Those who receive my event reviews regularly know that I rarely give out a 5 out of 5!! (The last one was for “Ratatouille”). I was completely blown away by the team’s ability to present such a powerful message with five actors and minimal props. I was shocked to learn that it was John Rabe, a German businessman and highest ranking Nazi in Nanking, along with Minnie Vautrin, an American Missionary who ran Ginling College, who fought to set up a safety zone and protected as many women and young girls as they could. I was in tears when Sister Anna (the character resembling Minnie Vautrin in the play) pointed her finger at the audience and counted out 20 girls for the Japanese troops in return for food and safety for the others at the Ginling College. I felt the anguish of the author (a character in the play) when others refused to face the facts and prefered to take the matter lightly. I also had empathy for the author’s husband, a Japanese-American in the play: He was torn between supporting his wife and keeping his fond memories of his grandfather who was in the army at the time. Most importantly, I questioned whether people today have learned from tragedies like this, and what I can do to make a difference. This is certainly a play you don’t want to miss; Bring a friend for a shoulder to cry on if you can.