Director of WWII-Set BONHOEFFER'S COST at Agape Theatre Blasts Sean Spicer for Holocaust Remarks

Jeff Davis, Director of Agape Theatre's upcoming Texas Premiere of the WWII-set BONHOEFFER'S COST, blasTEd White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer for his recent remarks regarding Hitler and the Holocaust.

On Tuesday, April 11th, when speaking on President Trump's recent air strikes against Syria, Spicer said, "We didn't use chemical weapons in World War II. You know, you had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." When reminded that Hitler used gas chambers to execute millions, Spicer replied, "[Hitler] was not using the gas on his own people the way that Assad is doing," before referring to Concentration Camps as "Holocaust Centers."

In response to Spicer's outlandish and false statements, Davis writes "It baffles, saddens, angers, and greatly concerns me-both as someone who identifies as half-Jewish and simply as a human being-that a key White House representative ignores the atrocities of the Holocaust and then, when reminded of history, downplays its significance and importance. [...] But Spicer is a microcosm of a bigger issue. There are thousands of people worldwide who deny the Holocaust ever happened, as if 6 million people just mysteriously disappeared. There are millions more, particularly among the younger generations, who live in ignorance of the Holocaust because they've yet to hear about the horrors perpetrated during World War II. And I'd wager there are billions worldwide who are oblivious that a new Holocaust is currently happening in Chechnya as homosexuals are being sent to Concentration Camps. It's for these reasons and more that Agape Theatre has chosen to tell the story of Bonhoeffer's Cost. [...] As the final Holocaust survivors die off, it becomes the responsibility of artists and storytellers to tell the stories of those who are no longer with us."

You can read Mr. Davis's full response to Spicer's statements here.

BONHOEFFER'S COST tells the incredible and inspirational true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The play finds Dietrich Bonhoeffer imprisoned in Berlin's Tegel Prison during the darkest days of WWII. As the war rages around him and his faith is tested, Bonhoeffer deliberates the cost attached to acting from one's convictions. In a blind race between the forces of good and evil, will Dietrich make it out alive?

A Lutheran pastor and theologian in Germany during WWII, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was extremely vocal in his resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, including the Nazi persecution of Jewish people. Out of his resistance to the Nazi regime and their attempted control of the religious community, Bonhoeffer founded the underground Confessing Church. He was also a member of the Abwehr, a German military intelligence organization at the center of the anti-Hitler resistance. In addition to his political resistance, Bonhoeffer is known for writing countless books and essays on theology and Christianity, especially The Cost of Discipleship.

BONHOEFFER'S COST stars Agape newcomers Cory Grabenstein as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Keoni Ramo as prison guard Klaus Klopstock, Frank Benge as the evil Judge Advocate Rott, Rachel Bremer as Bonhoeffer's fiancée Maria, and TJ Condit as Bonhoeffer's brother-in-law Hans Dohnanyi. Agape Theatre alum Zach Bond rounds out the cast as Bonhoeffer's brother Klaus.

BONHOEFFER'S COST plays The Sanctuary at Palm Valley Lutheran Church, located at 2500 East Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock, TX. The play runs Thursday, May 11-Sunday, May 21, 2017. Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm with matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm. A free post-show reception will follow the opening night performance on Thursday, May 11th. A post-show discussion with the cast and creative team will follow the performance on Friday, May 12th and the evening performance on Saturday, May 20th.

Tickets are $12-20 with discounts available to Seniors, Students, Teachers/Educators and Current/Ex Military. To reserve tickets, visit www.ticketor.com/agapetheatre or call us at 512-88-STAGE. For more information, visit www.agapetheatre.org/bonhoeffers-cost.html or call 512-88-STAGE. BONHOEFFER'S COST is recommended for audience members age 13 and up.

Agape means "unconditional love," and at Agape Theatre, we exist, first and foremost, to unconditionally entertain. We strive to produce quality, thought-provoking theater about universal themes regarding the human condition while simultaneously providing young performers and artists a safe environment in which to hone their craft. But first, we entertain.

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