With the Holocaust fading into history, and denier’s falsehoods and fabrications continuing to take hold, The Happiest Man on Earth is a show that needs to be seen. Based on the memoir of Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku, Playwright Mark St. Germain has fashioned a one-man play that is at times harrowing and gripping. But throughout Jaku’s remarkable account of survival and resilience, there is a humanity that weaves its way throughout his story.
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| Robert Resnikoff in The Happiest Man on Earth. Photo by Meredith Longo. |
The play begins as the actor Robert Resnikoff (Jaku) welcomes the audience as his new friends. He asks if he can practice a presentation he will be making at his son’s synagogue the following day on the Holocaust. That is the catalyst for a summary of his life, beginning as a young Jewish boy in Leipzig, Germany. From there, with the Nazi Party taking hold of Germany, Jaku and his parents’ lives are forever changed. The events of his life, from 1939 to 1945, include stints in the Buchenwald and Auschwitz concentration campus, captivating tales of heroism, life-saving escapes, friendship, and love. They are at times breath-taking in detail and scope. As with Jaku’s memoir, St. Germain doesn’t pull his punches as the memoirist relates his story. Sometimes you wince at the atrocities inflicted upon him.
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| Robert Resnikoff in The Happiest Man on Earth. Photo by Meredith Longo. |
The Happiest Man on Earth works as compelling drama due to the outstanding performance of Robert Resnikoff. Working in front of Scenic Designer Chris Ostrom’s unassuming, deeply rich, wood-paneled set, the actor, whose comportment would not be out of place at a Temple Brotherhood brunch, comes across as a natural born storyteller. He eloquently and movingly conveys the angst, horror, and desperation his character faced in wartime Europe. Throughout the production, Resnikoff also nimbly switches his vocal tone and facial expressions to portray a number of different characters during the timeframe of the show.
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| Robert Resnikoff in The Happiest Man on Earth. Photo by Meredith Longo. |
The Director Sasha Bratt has molded St. Germain’s script into a production that has drama and a touch of humor. These are traits the playwright has brought to his other works that have graced Connecticut stages (Freud's Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth). Bratt, incorporating Chris Ostrom’s well-appointed Lighting Designer, and Xi Lin’s opportune Sound Design, brings a sensitivity and straightforwardness that compels audience members to listen and be engrossed. He brings movement into the show – Resnikoff is constantly prowling the stage, sometimes engaging with the audience – which prevents the action from becoming too static.
The Happiest Man on Earth, playing at Playhouse on Park through October 18. Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.




















