I’ve been fascinated with the backstories of the 2008 financial crash since it happened. I’ve wondered many times about what could possibly have led to such immense chaos. The Lehman Trilogy, currently running at The Belfry Theatre, gives those of us who wonder a closer look into the crash—starting out with an innocent dream of new life and freedom and ending up with those dreams being taken over by cruel capitalism.
The Lehman Trilogy brings us on the journey of three brothers—Henry, Mayer, and Emmanuel Lehman—as they arrive in Montgomery, Alabama from Rimpar, Bavaria in 1844. The brothers are starry eyed and full of hope as they open up their new fabric and clothing shop. The audience is immediately taken in; it’s easy to feel what they’re feeling, what it’s like to have to start over with nothing but hope and uncertainty to keep them afloat.
The Lehman Trilogy is never dull. We watch these three brothers get seduced by the fantasy of endless wealth wrapped up in the drama of life and world events which will surround it. The acting is superb; I can’t favour any one actor of the three because they are all really good. They each play several different people as their family changes generations, and, as difficult as that is, they pull it off very smoothly, with humour and empathy.
The set, designed by Shawn Kerwin, is a standard-looking boardroom, but it rotates, perhaps to symbolize the fluctuation of capitalism.
I think anyone would enjoy this performance. The story of how the Lehman brothers started off with a tiny fabric store to quickly become one of the most successful financial institutions ever to exist (and crash) is pretty riveting. The play explores many other important topics: slavery, anti-Semitism, and even love, and it’s all wrapped up in their growing obsession with wealth.
I highly recommend The Lehman Trilogy. It’ll have your mind whirling for days.
The Lehman Trilogy
Various times and days, until Sunday, May 19
Various prices, The Belfry Theatre
belfry.bc.ca