NEW YORK—The history of World War II is filled with unsung heroes who did the best they could when facing unwinnable odds. Out of the Forest Theatre’s production of “The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria,” at 59E59 Theaters, tells one such man’s story: The battle a king waged against impossible circumstances.
In 1943, war is raging across Europe. Bulgaria’s King Boris III (Joseph Cullen) can either order his people to resist a Nazi invasion, at the cost of many lives, or he can choose to ally with the would-be occupiers and hopefully be allowed to continue life as usual. Boris’s preferred choice, that of complete neutrality, is not an option. After extended discussions and consideration, Boris chooses to accept the Nazi presence in his country, as the Third Reich has promised they will return land Bulgaria had lost in World War I. It’s a loss that still rankles the country, especially Boris, since his father was king at the time.
While Boris has chosen to join with the Nazis, he has little appetite for actually working with them, particularly when it comes to Bulgaria’s so-called “Jewish problem.” Following the suggestion of his wife Giovanna (Sasha Wilson), Boris attempts to keep the Nazis mired in bureaucracy as he stalls, delays, and deflects their demands—despite the ever-increasing impatience from his Prime Minster, Filov (Lawrence Boothman), and Home Secretary, Gabrovski (Clare Fraenkel), both of whom have clear Fascist leanings.
But when the veiled threats and continued intimidation from the Reich’s representatives become impossible to ignore, Boris finally puts his royal signature to a series of policy changes, crying out in desperation: “What else could I do?” after agreeing to their demands.
It isn’t long before Boris realizes the Nazis are moving the goal posts for returning Bulgarian land, and that certain policy decisions are being made without his knowledge. Determined to prevent his people from being sent to their deaths, a process which he realizes, to his horror, has already begun, Boris begins a dangerous game of public statements versus private actions. He risks his life and others’, culminating in a fateful summons from Germany.
The Cost of Peace
“The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria” is a story presented through comedy (with performers sometimes breaking the fourth wall) and Jewish and Bulgarian folk tunes. Yet, it also has moments of deep conviction, as the company attempts to fill in the blanks with what history is unable to supply: It recounts how nearly 50,000 lives were saved, yet many others were not, and it leaves at least a few unanswered questions as to what actually happened to Boris.
Despite the occasionally uneven pace and abrupt, off-putting tonal shifts, the core elements are intriguing enough to inspire curiosity about Boris and others in the story. Among them are a Jewish busker (Fraenkel) who plays the flute and fears losing the home her family has lived in for generations, and a metropolitan bishop (David Leopold) baptizing Jews in the hope that once they become Christians, they will be safe from deportation.
The show drops in some interesting bits of trivia, such as how neither Boris nor his father were actually from Bulgaria, despite both being king. It’s a sad realization that Boris is the country’s penultimate monarch.
Mr. Cullen cuts a compelling figure as Boris, a man constantly searching for the right path, but never truly finding it until he realizes that ignorance, or perhaps deliberate ignorance, is no excuse for a ruler. His epiphany occurs when he finds himself in a train depot filled with empty cars waiting to carry Bulgarian Jews to the death camps.
Mr. Boothman and Ms. Fraenkel are excellent as pro-German members of the Bulgarian government. Their confidence in Germany’s eventual triumph is only surpassed by their determination to bend the king to their will.
While the play is at times uneven, “The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria” looks at a forgotten figure in World War II and his efforts to stand up to his country’s invaders. It’s a story that definitely deserves to be told and seen.
