The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Plays Like a Comicstrip Allegory for Authoritarianism Told Through the Lens of the Godfather

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is a 2½-hour play written in 1941 by Bertolt Brecht about the rise of Nazism, told through the lens of Chicago gangsters. Brecht. The rise of Nazism. Two and a half hours. Sounds like heavy stuff, right? Perfect material for a Sunday afternoon nap at the theater. But while the show deals with dark, all-too-topical themes, it’s entertaining as hell.

I’ll admit it, I’ve caught myself almost nodding off at more shows than I’d care to confess lately. Luckily, I’m the type who jolts himself awake the second his head tips forward, so I rarely miss anything. It’s never a reflection of the show, I’m just exhausted most of the time. Despite that tendency, I still refuse to give up my favorite seat: the front row. And I’m proud to say there wasn’t a single moment of head nodding during this performance. Partly because the room was a crisp (and probably only to me, comfortable) 65 degrees, but mostly because the show is completely engaging.

The play is an allegory for the rise of Adolf Hitler, reimagined through the story of Arturo Ui, a Chicago gangster who takes control of the cauliflower market and runs protection rackets on local grocers. The tone is distinct, a product of Brecht’s epic theatre philosophy. Brecht wanted audiences to remember they were watching a play, not reality, so actors occasionally break the fourth wall and address the audience directly. The makeup is stylized, almost a subtler Kabuki style, and the performances are broad without being cartoonish. Everything about it, from the make up to the costuming, evokes the visual world of the old Dick Tracy comicstrips. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s not strictly dramatic either, “entertaining” really is the best word for it.

The cast is terrific. David Beukema shines in multiple roles, starting as the announcer who humorously introduces the major players and later in a great scene as a washed up Shakespearian actor brought in to give Arturo tips on how to come off more polished to the everyman. Jim Ramlet is sympathetic as a politician seduced into corruption in a moment of weakness. E.J. Subkoviak stands out as Ernesto Roma, Ui’s right-hand man, exuding both dry humor and menace. But the undeniable star of the show is Gary Briggle as Arturo Ui. His performance feels like a cross between two Al Pacino roles from 1990, The Godfather Part III’s Michael Corleone and Dick Tracy’s Big Boy Caprice. Yet it’s entirely his own creation, filled with menace, manipulation, weariness, and a darkly comic edge. Briggle commands the stage with equal parts charm and danger.

Frank Theatre’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui runs through November 23 at the Ivy Building for the Arts in South Minneapolis. For more information and tickets, visit franktheatre.org.

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