Review: When History Speaks, We Must Listen - THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH at DCPA

In the wake of all that is miserable in our country, I have been delving deeper into books. Among my readings are a couple non-fictions that have helped me cope. What I have learned (so far) is that in thousands and thousands of years of recorded history, human beings haven't changed at all. We only have more resources available to us. I have also learned that while authoritarian regimes never last, they always come at a price to the people. For many, the burden of that price can be overbearing and yet, even so, there are those who overcome those burdens and find true happiness. 

In the premiere of DCPA's 2025-2026 season, The Happiest Man on Earth chronologs the times and trials of Eddie Jaku, a Jewish man who recounts his hardships evading capture and death at the hands of Nazi Germany. Now in his old age, Jaku takes the audience down a memory lane that many may struggle to sit with, yet it remains captivating in its realism and importance of being told. Based on The New York Times best-selling memoir, this play only elevates the written word through creative storytelling and incredible deliverance. While the show focuses mainly on the trauma, the "yellow brick road" leads to the moment when Jaku releases his grief and replaces it with joy. 

The poignancy of time and place has a tendency to add value to the profound nature of artistry. DCPA has produced the right show at the right time with the right team of creatives. Directed by Ron Lagomarsino, the production doesn't have the usual bells and whistles that have come to be a staple of DCPA's locally produced work, though I would entertain debate over whether or not they are necessary. Regardless, the show certainly stands on its own. 

As Eddie Jaku, Kenneth Tigar truly brings the character to life. He is everything you'd imagine and so much more. Tigar's entrance at the top of the show allows for some brief audience interaction that works quite cleverly as a way to begin. Tigar quietly takes the reins to set the cart in motion and before you know it, he is taking the audience along with the theatrical telling of Jaku's life. Tigar is funny; he is heartbreaking; and by the end of the show he is The Happiest Man on Earth.