Celebrate the Significance of Theatre with Trolls and Men at The Ritz
by Shannon Red
In the 1867 play Peer Gynt, the troll king asks Peer Gynt “What is the difference between trolls and men?” While at first Peer Gent notes that there is no difference because both humans and trolls will do what their leader asks, the troll king goes on to share that the difference lies in humans’ ability to be true to themselves with moral reasoning and independent thinking. This scene movingly portrayed in Trolls and Men by Alex Wilke currently on stage at the Ritz Theatre also sums up the heart of this impactful historical drama.
Part of their new works initiative, this work is written by local South Jersey playwright Alex Wilke. During a talkback for the production, Wilke noted that he wrote this play after visiting The Resistance Museum in Norway. There, he learned about Henry Gleditsch the director of a theatre in Trondheim, Norway who used his theatre as a way to resist the Nazi invasion. A dramatic recreation of this story, Trolls and Men follows Julius Thorson (John Jackowski), the director of the Transformation Theatre, and his associates Marie Helberg (Abigail Bernesky), Leif Joseph (Steve Phillips), Astrid Thorsen (Allie Coeby), and Ella Lasson (Janet Wilke). Beginning after a performance of Twelfth Night, the group is seen celebrating their success and looking forward to a successful future for the theatre. After a visit from Oscar Lang (Mike Flynn), the Norwegian Minister of Culture and Enlightenment, however, the night begins to sour with talks of Norway’s alliance to Germany. The story then follows the theatre troupe through the German occupation which brings about great change in the rules that theatres are expected to follow. Despite the push from the government to conform to the new regime, the troupe finds ways to push back. Their resistance includes destroying the flag poles to ensure they don’t have to hang Nazi flags, selling out a theatre performance commissioned by Germany to an empty audience, and most notably depicting trolls as Nazi’s during a performance of Peer Gynt. Each of these actions comes with pushback from the government consistently delivered by Lang and later more significantly by Gestapo police officer Heinrich Gosse (Bobby Callaway). Despite this, Thorson remains steadfast, noting that the theatre isn’t insignificant “ plays have power…good plays can change things, change people.”
I attended the performance on Sunday, October 11th which included a talk back with the cast, director (Lori Aleixo Howard), and playwright. Being able to hear first hand about their process and the history of the play allowed for a deeper connection to the significance of the history, however, the actors did a tremendous job portraying the story that much of this impact was felt through their portrayal alone. Actors remarked about the benefit of having the playwright readily available to assist with understanding the text and collaborative decision making around changes. Bernesky noted that she enjoyed getting to originate this role and develop who the character was with Coeby adding that she had invited former professors in to help the cast understand the history to develop accurate character portrayals. As an audience member, I felt myself connecting with each of the characters as the actors portrayed them authentically and with such pure emotional depth. Comedic scenes and lines were delivered with the same nuance as the emotional ones which contributed to the authenticity of these characters.
As lessons were learned by each character, actors masterfully helped the audience see and ask these moral questions as well. Bernesky and Wilkie’s characters portrayed an initial dismay of the Nazi’s. Their performance in this role set the baseline for how the themes of resistance and doing what’s right were portrayed. Phillips portrayal of Leif as the only Jewish actor in the troupe was truly emotionally masterful. As he is running to safety, his speech about never feeling different until now reminds the audience of how unnecessarily decisive the policies of the time were. Jackowski and Coeby’s depiction of the tear of families was heart wrenching to watch as they each navigated the characters decisions around what is right for the country and the greater good versus what is right for them. Flynn also showcased the ability to portray opposing emotions as Lang. His actions allowed the audience to ponder the question of how guilty someone is who is just following orders. Lastly, Calloway’s portrayal of Gosse allowed for the audience to see the true depravity of the situation to create the conflict. All of this was underscored by the seamless choreography of the production elements. Stage Manager, Lisa Palena, with the assistance of Assistant Stage Managers, Gabe Slimm and Zachary R. Taylor, navigated the numerous scene changes flawlessly without any hiccups or delays. Set Designer Matthew Weil and Master Builder, Seth Chaffin, Master Electrician and Sound Designer Brian Gensel, Lighting Director, Jen Donsky, Costume Designer Megan Iafolla, and Properties Direction by Alexio- Howard and A.Wilke allowed the audience to be fully immersed into the time period and setting. Sound technician, Gensel and Allen Jay, coordinated with this as well to perfectly time elements of sound with movement or lights.
During the talkback, cast noted that the lessons of this play are not far off from the lessons of today. As Coeby noted, many of those who lived through the period of WW2 have passed. It is therefore our job to keep their stories and the lessons learned alive in the theatre.
This beautiful piece is on stage at The Ritz Theatre through October 25, 2026. Tickets are available at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/RitzTheatreCo/6520.
