Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski NYC Reviews and Tickets

89%

(52 Ratings)

Positive

98%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Great staging

About the Show

The true story of a WWII hero who put his life on the line to expose the atrocities of the Holocaust

David Strathairn, in a critically-acclaimed solo performance, tells the story of Polish World War II hero and Holocaust witness Jan Karski, who risked everything to bring his report of the Warsaw ghetto from war-torn Poland to the Allied Nations and the US Government only to not be believed.

A true story of moral bravery and individual duty.

Show-Score Member Reviews (52)

100

Riveting, extremely important, superb acting

See it if you care about crimes against humanity, no matter which people are involved and understand that what is going on now is revisiting the past.

Don't see it if you hate people. Read more

100

Profound, Powerful, Great acting, Masterful, Must see

See it if You appreciate a One Man Show w/ the remarkable DAVID STRATHAIRN about the Humanitarian JAN KARSKI who tried to warn the world of the Shoah.

Don't see it if You do not connect with Profound / Autobiographical One Man Shows about the Holocaust. Read more

100

Wonderful heartbreaking show.

See it if If you want to see a solo show brilliantly performed and written.

Don't see it if The subject matter upsets you.

100

Remember the closing date

See it if You love drama. You loved The Pianist and Schindler's List.

Don't see it if You hate one person shows, Brooklyn venues and barely there sets. Read more

Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing, Must see

See it if Rates as on the best solo performance productions I've ever seen. David Strathairn is amazing and the staging is superb. Please see it!

Don't see it if Even if solo shows are not your thing, this one should be seen.

Resonant, Must see, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting

See it if A man, brilliantly portrayed by David Strathairn, told of one of the greatest crimes while there was still time to stop it.

Don't see it if You may not like a bare stage, although that allows us to focus entirely on the story. Read more

Relevant, Must see, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if David Strathairn is a master of his craft in his powerful portrayal of Jan Karski, who tried to warn the world about the Holocaust,

Don't see it if You can’t watch Holocaust stories. However, I think everyone should see this amazing play. Read more

Powerful, Poignant, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You want to see an excellent performance of a quiet hero

Don't see it if You cannot deal with the tragedy of the Holocaust

Critic Reviews (12)

"'Remember This' serves as a remarkable showcase for Strathairn, who moves fluidly among characters and time periods."
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"The play is on surer ground when engaging with Karski on a human scale, and Strathairn is exceptionally able to breathe electricity into it."
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"'Remember This' immerses us much more powerfully in the experience of Karski himself. The culminating scenes are particularly sobering."
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"In all the intellectualizing of Jewish history, it's become rarer to see something like 'Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski' — a plain testimonial that does not ask you to ponder different angles of an argument or gently consider the other side of an 'if' statement."
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Remember This is a vital slice of history, delivered by an extremely accomplished actor…but, just as Karski admits repressing his emotions to keep going, it's hard to not do the same. Before one can take in any of the script's atrocities, it is replaced by something worse, causing one to feel overwhelmed. The climax, detailing with brutal honesty the futility of Karski's mission, offers no relief; a kind of epilogue, tracing his academic career and marriage, also ends in tragedy. This is a story that must be told, but I'm not convinced that this is the ideal format.
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"So, it follows that we live in a world where a theater piece about the immeasurable damage resistance to truth can cause acquires an especially powerful meaning."
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"In this moving, immersive tribute to one man’s efforts to expose the truth, Karski’s adjurations live on. His message does not age: that we must listen and act in the presence of inhumanity and unimaginable evil."
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Aside from his ability to create multiple characters with his voice and body language, Strathairn’s physicality is remarkable in aging from a young man to a senior citizen before our eyes as well as using the table for enacting various events such as jumping off of a train or Karski’s torture by the Nazis. (The masterly movement director is Emma Jaster.) In the brief 90 minutes of playing time, Strathairn is able to establish a quietly heroic man’s entire life and career with modesty, sincerity and simplicity. It is not only a remarkable performance, it is also an impressive reconstruction of another man’s character and deeds.
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Trailer

Creative team

Theatre for a New Audience