A Historical Musical Confronts Modern Antisemitism
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
The Kennedy Center is set to host the final leg of the national tour of Parade, a Tony award-winning musical that tackles the historical case of Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was lynched in 1915. The show arrives at a time of heightened antisemitic sentiment, underscored by recent controversies involving the Trump administration.
Parade recounts the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan and the subsequent trial of Leo Frank, whose conviction was widely criticized as being driven by antisemitic bias. Despite the case’s age, it remains a focal point for modern-day far-right activists, including figures connected to President Trump’s administration.
Trump’s influence over the Kennedy Center, where he has assumed the role of chairman, has led to cancellations from artists opposed to his changes, dubbed an effort to remove “woke political programming.”
Jason Robert Brown, the composer and lyricist for Parade, has voiced his intent to keep the production unaltered, explaining, “PARADE is playing the Kennedy Center in August and we’re not changing One Word.”
The Historic Leo Frank Trial
The trial of Leo Frank was one of the early 20th century’s most sensational true-crime stories. Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent in Atlanta, was accused of the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. The trial was marked by racial and religious prejudice, ultimately leading to Frank’s conviction and death sentence. However, the Georgia governor later commuted his sentence to life imprisonment due to doubts about the evidence.
The case intensified antisemitic sentiment, with figures like Tom Watson, a white supremacist politician, calling for Frank’s lynching. Frank was ultimately lynched by a mob in 1915, an act that played a role in the revival of the Ku Klux Klan and the establishment of the Anti-Defamation League.
Revival of Parade and its Contemporary Relevance
Alfred Uhry, a Jewish playwright from Atlanta, penned Parade to highlight the historical injustices faced by Leo Frank. The 2023 revival of the musical has gained renewed attention amid rising antisemitic hate, further propelled by protests from white supremacists.
Uhry noted the grim relevance of the production in today’s climate, saying, “Either fortunately or unfortunately, the zeitgeist was with us that the thing got very timely.”
Antisemitic Narratives in Modern Politics
The case of Leo Frank has not only resurfaced in theater but also in political discourse. Kingsley Wilson, now a press secretary at the Department of Defense under the Trump administration, has been criticized for perpetuating antisemitic conspiracy theories akin to those spread by neo-Nazis.
The American Jewish Committee has condemned Wilson, asserting her views align with “antisemitic conspiracy theories lifted right out of the neo-Nazi playbook.”
The Impact of Social Media
Patterns of antisemitic rhetoric have migrated from extremist factions to mainstream platforms, facilitated by social media’s reach. Oren Segal of the ADL points out that while the antisemitic sentiments echo those of the past, their spread is more pervasive due to modern technology.
Playwright Uhry has chosen to focus on the narrative of Parade, while Jason Robert Brown underscores the historical and current significance of Frank’s story as emblematic of broader societal injustices.
Brown reflects on the enduring impact of figures like Tom Watson and Governor John Slaton, remarking, “112 years after the murder of Mary Phagan, the vile racist incitements spewed by Tom Watson continue to be repeated by people at the highest levels of our government.”
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