Ravensbrück
historian to
speak at  Bates

GORHAM — “In the Underworld,” a darkly comic operetta by Germaine Tillion and directed by Meghan Brodie, is being presented by University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre at Russell Hall on the Gorham campus. The author, now deceased, was imprisoned at a women’s concentration camp during WWII, and secretly wrote of her experiences in the operetta that turned into a powerful testament to the triumph of humanity.

The work is being performed Thursday, April 24, through Sunday, April 27.

The importance of Germaine Tillion, who was a well-known ethnographer, even before WWII, has been well documented in her studies of tribes and society in Algeria. Tillion was an adviser to DeGaulle as he worked to pull France out and give Algeria independence. She wanted both the concentration camp and the operetta to be better known in the U.S.

The first performance of the operetta, “Le Verfugbar aux Enfers,” which was the title Germaine Tillion gave it, was by Theatre du Chatelet at their theatre of the same name, in Paris in 2007. So the French title, directly translated, means “A ‘Verfuegbar’ in the Underworld.”

Insa Eschebach, an historian and director of the Ravensbrück Memorial, at the site of the former concentration camp of the same name, was responsible for bringing the Theatre du Chatelet to Ravensbruck to perform the operetta in 2010. Many former camp inmates were present as well as Christine Holden of Lewiston, a history professor, who recently retired from USM and taught previously at Bates College.

Holden’s involvement stems from years researching the site of Ravensbruck, the former inmates and the importance of Germaine Tillion’s place in history. She was impressed with the operetta and thought it would be a perfect vehicle for the  departments of music and theatre at USM.

The theatre department agreed to produce the operetta, but in English for greater accessibility. After considerable negotiation, they received permission for the world-premiere performances in English.

 Escheback will be at the Gorham campus during the presentation of “In the Underworld” this coming week and will be giving talks at Bates College and UMA, as well as visiting the Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine in Augusta.

Remaining performance dates, 7:30 p.m. curtain, are  Thursday, April 24,  April 25  and April 26. The final performance is at 5 p.m., Sunday, April 27. Tickets are $15 for general public; $11 for seniors for USM employees and alumni; $8 for students. All performances are at Russell Hall on the USM Gorham campus. www.usm.maine.edu/theatre