Max Ehrlich Association
Total Verrückt
(Totally Crazy)
June 1944
This last production by the Westerbork Theater Group has its premier, but there are no further performances after that.
The Americans have already landed in Normandy and time is running out for Germany ...but sadly also for most of the remaining theater troupe members as well as other Westerbork inmates. Certainly encouraged by the news that trickles in despite all attempts to censor such information, Max Ehrlich boldly entitles this revue "Totally Crazy" and includes scenes that symbolically express his consternation about all that he sees or guesses is going on around him.
Allusions include the repeated use of terms such as "crazy", "insane" and stupid". One scene humorously depicts the invention of the guillotine, calling it "10 minutes of inventive folly". Another scene decries a general outbreak of insanity; in still another, women turn into hyenas. Remarkably, during the finale of the first part of this revue, the musicians symbolically revolt by refusing to sit in the orchestra pit. Then, following the intermission, the program announces "Oh! Are we crazy - now we are going to perform an opera for you!" It's entitled "Ludmilla or Corpses Without End". Then, in the midst of all this comes a solemn plea for "a happy ending".
But no happy ending ever came for most of the 107'000 persons who passed through camp Westerbork Almost all perished...

 
The program lists 13 scenes:
 
1. Die Vorbereitungen (Das Ensemble), The Preparations (The full cast)
2. Jetty Cantor ist verrückt geworden - sie ist unter die Lawa Verkäuferinnen gegangen., 
Jetty Cantor has Gone Crazy - She has Joined the Lava Saleswomen.
3. [Wir kommen jetzt ernst - sowas Verrücktes!] Die Liebe der Gräfin [Trauerspiel in einem Akt] 
[We are getting Serious Now - What Insanity!] The Loves of the Countess.  [Tragedy in One Act]
(Mara Rosen, Otto Aurich, Max Ehrlich, Franz Engel)
4. [Wir sind vollkommen blödsinnig - wir spielen nicht mehr im grossen Saal - wir spielen ---]
In dem kleinen Café von der Kantine. 
[We are Completely Stupid - We are No Longer Playing in the Big Hall - We're Playing--- ]
In the Small Café of the Canteen.
(Esther Philipse and The full cast)
5. Wahnsinnige Zahnschmerzen  [und was einem noch alles dabei passieren kann! 
An Insane Toothache [And Everything Else that can Happen to you with this!]
(Jetty Cantor, Max Ehrlich, Franz Engel, Mara Rosen)
6. Der Gaurisankar des Grössenwahne
[Lisl Frank und Otto Aurich versteigen sich ganz hoch.
Bei dieser Darbietung werden endlich auch einmal die hinteren Platzinhaber auf ihre Kosten kommen.]
The Gaurisankar (ed. high peak in Himalayas, near Everest) of Megalomania 
[Lisl Frank and Otto Aurich Sell Themselves Very Well. 
In this Presentation, the Audience in the Back Rows Will Finally, for Once, also get their Money's Worth.]
7. [10 Minuten Erfinderirrsinn! Nichts für Nervenschwache!!] Die Guillotine
[10 Minutes of Inventive Folly! Not for the Faint of Heart!!] The Guillotine 
(Max Ehrlich, Otto Aurich, Franz Engel, Mara Rosen)
8. Der Wahnsinn der schlanken Linie: Lisl Frank gibt den Damen Gymnastischen Unterricht.
The Insanity of Staying Thin: Lisl Frank Gives the Ladies Gymnastic Lessons.
9. [Sie werden Zeuge, wie der Irrsinn ausbricht!] "Herr Kritzler" oder "Der Regenschirm".
[You'll Witness How Insanity Breaks Out!] "Mr. Kritzler" or "The Umbrella"
(Franz Engel, Otto Aurich, Max Ehrlich, Mara Rosen)
10. [Da werden weiber zu Hyänen!] Klatsch...!!!
[There, Women are Turning intoHyenas!] Gossip...!!!
(Jetty Cantor, Lisl Frank, Esther Philipse, Mara Rosen)
11. [The Insanity of Visiting a Medium.] Clairvoyance. 
[Der Wahnsinn des Mediumismus.] Hellsehen. 
(the medium: Franz Engel, the assistant: Max Ehrlich) [Careful! We Know Exactly What You're Thinking!!]
(Das Medium: Franz Engel, Der Assistant: Max Ehrlich) [Vorsicht! Wir wissen genau, was Sie sich denken!!]
12. a) Die Musiker sind auch grösswahn- sinnig geworden - sie wollen nicht mehr im "Bak" spielen!
a) The Musicians have also gone Megalomaniac - They No Longer Want to Play in the "Pit"!
b) Eine Tanzreise durch die Welt. (Das Ensemble)
b) A Dance Tour of the World. (The full cast)
c) Ein neuer Westerbork Marsch. (Esther Philipse und Das Ensemble)
c) A New Westerbork March. (Esther Philipse and The full cast)
(INTERMISSION)
13. [Oh, are We Crazy - Now We're Performing an Opera!] Ludmilla [or] Corpses Without End. (The star role of knight's damsel is performed by the universally beloved prim Donna Lisl Frank; herearthly father, the old count, is played by our paternal hero Otto Aurich; the roles of beautiful Ludmilla's aspirants are placed in the valued hands of our irresistible comedy duo Max Ehrlich and Franz Engel; our ingénue Mara Rosen has assumed the role of page, while the chorus and dancers, embodied by our alert lover Esther Philipse and our sentimental Jetty Cantor,in their place,will sing and dance from their hearts; this piece, presented here for the first time, was created by our house poet Willy Rosen, whileMaestro Ziegler has written the music; as a special insertion, Willy Rosen has also composed a happy ending to the piece; our choreographer Otto Aurich integrated the dance numbers; for the scenery, we spared cost and effort by using the well-known stage designer Professor Leo Kok, who also created the expensive period-accurate costumes for which the material will be found missing at the next camp industry inventory. With thanks to all honored donators, service heads and group leaders for bending backwards in their cooperation.)
[Ach, sind wir meschugge - jetzt spielen wir Ihneneine Oper vor!] Ludmilla [oder] Leichen am laufenden Band. (Die Tittelrolle des Ritterfräuleins Ludmilla wird von der allseits beliebten Primadonna Lisl Frank performiert; ihren leiblichen Vater, den alten Grafen, spielt unser Heldenvater Otto Aurich; die Rolle der Bewerberder schönen Ludmilla liegen in den bewährten Händen unseres unwiederstehlichen Komikerpaares Max Ehrlich und Franz Engel; unsere Naive - Mara Rosen - hat sich der Rolle des Pagen angenommen, während der Chor und das Ballet sich in Gestalt von unserer munteren Liebhaberin Esther Philipse und unserer Sentimentalen Jetty Cantor in Ihre p.p. Herzen singen und tanzen werden; das hier zum ersten Mal aufgeführte Werk wurde verfasst von unserem Hausdichter Willy Rosen, Maestro Erich Ziegler schrieb die Musik; als besondere Einlage komponierte Willy Rosen noch einen Happy-End-Schluss dazu; Unser Balletmeisert Otto Aurich studierte die Tämze ein; für die Dekorationen haben wir Kosten und Mühen gescheut und den bekannten Bühnenausstatter Professor Leo Kok gewonnen, der auch die stiehl-echten Kostüme erdachte - das Material dazu wird die Industrie bei der nächsten Inventur vermissen... Allen verehrten Gönnern, Dienst- und Gruppenleitern ergebensten Dank für die geneigte Mitarbeit!)
  The performers named in the program are:
 
Jetty Cantor
Esther Philipse
Mara Rosen
Otto Aurich
Max Ehrlich
Franz Engel
Willy Rosen
Erich Ziegler

Also named:
Leo Kok : costume design