“Amerika or, The Man Who Disappeared” at Open Fist Theatre Company (Photo – Keats Elliott)Franz Kafka, who never visited the United States, wrote his first novel in the early 1900s, introducing 17-year-old Karl Rossmann (played by Ethan Remez-Cott, who also appeared in Open Fist’s recent hilarious production of Bat Boy). Kafka died at age 40 in 1924, having made his friend Max Brod promise to destroy all his writings due to Kafka’s lack of belief in their value. Fortunately for literary enthusiasts, after Kafka’s passing, Brod broke that promise, recognizing the importance of organizing and publishing Kafka’s works. Generations since have reaped the benefits of that “betrayal.”
By Carol Germain
Emmy Award–winning director Dietrich Smith has reimagined the story as a stage play, directing Kafka’s tale of young Karl’s fantasy of becoming invisible by blending into the rhythm of the times in America, a dream sparked by the fact that he was being banished from Germany by his family because of a scandal.
Says Director Smith: “‘Amerika’ was the first work of Kafka’s I ever read, and I instantly fell in love with its adventurous, comedic spirit. It has a youthful energy that’s unique in his canon. According to his diary, one of Kafka’s inspirations for this novel was Charles Dickens, specifically David Copperfield. I hope I’ve captured the bold Dickensian style that he so masterfully turned to his own ends. It’s a great story, and inherently theatrical. And being a tale about the trials of an immigrant, it has an ever-increasing relevance.”
So that’s the background and basic setting of the adventure. After that, buckle your seatbelt and keep your eyes moving in every direction as you follow Karl’s journey. The shifting set is a masterpiece of technique and imagination, with countless inventive uses of music, lighting, real and imaginary characters, sound, and quick scene changes. It runs just over three hours—longer than most—but it’s fast-paced, and every minute grabs your attention. From the moment young Karl boards the boat to America, it’s a rollercoaster of interactions, humor, adventures, people, and places.
“Amerika or, The Man Who Disappeared” at Open Fist Theatre Company (Photo – Keats Elliott)
A truly unique aspect of this production is the brilliant background visuals and lighting effects that transport you from one location to another. Smith has recruited seven-time Academy Award–winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom to create a soundscape for the show and John R. Dilworth, creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog, to design the animation sequences. In the hotel, the audience hears every elevator; when Karl enters a creepy Gothic house, they hear the wind and eerie creaks. “The sound really has that ability to tell you where you are and take you to a level that’s not necessarily realistic, it tells you that you’re in a strange world,” Smith said. “Gary’s really great at that, it’s what he’s done in film for a long time. He’s been really superb.”
Rydstrom designed sound for such films as Jurassic Park, Titanic, Terminator 2, and Saving Private Ryan—but this marks his first foray into theater.
Amerika, Or The Man Who Disappeared
Adapted from the novel by Franz Kafka by Dietrich Smith
Directed by Dietrich Smitha
Assistant Director: Barbara Schofield
Starring Tambrie Allsup, Matthew Goodrich, Marc Jablon, Kelsey Kusinitz, Ethan Remez–Cott, Debba Rofheart, Chima Rok, Jade Santana, Jack Sharpe, Grace Soens, Jeremy D. Thompson
Produced by Amanda Weier and Derek Manson
Martha Demson, artistic director
Through Nov. 22
Saturdays at 7:00 pm
Sundays at 2:00 pm
Location
Open Fist Theater Company at Atwater Village Theater
3269 Casitas Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Free parking in the ATX (Atwater Crossing) lot one block south of the theater
Tickets: openfist.org or 323/882-6912
Chima Rok, Marc Jablon, Matthew Goodrich, Jade Santana and Jeremy D. Thompson (Photo – Keats Elliott)