A German prisoner of war camp is something you never forget, and Oflag 64 was a very special one. Here is a look at those grim, and not-so-grim, days a half century ago.

"REAL ENTERTAINMENT"

It was the plays, concerts, skits and revues put on by the
Theatre Group that the kriegies enjoyed most at Oflag 64. Here a
Charter member of the group tells how it all happened.

BY DON WAFUL

Sometime in the fall of 1943, at Schubin, Col. Thomas Drake called together a group of kriegies and charged them with the mission of providing a morale-building program of entertainment for the camp.

Taking the name of "The Theater Group," these officers, among them Frank Maxwell, Russ Ford, Bob Rankin, John Glendenning, Dick Van Syckle, "Boomer" Holder and Larry Phelan, totaled about 15. They set about arranging a general schedule of plays, skits, concerts, revues and camp celebrations that would provide a regular weekly schedule.

It was a rewarding task to select the plays to be presented, choosing the producers to cast and direct each one, picking men who would create skits and revues, build the sets, develop the costumes and make-up, schedule rehearsal times, and set up a calendar of "opening nights." At first there was just one performance a week, but after D-Day, the camp grew so fast that every performance required four nights to allow everyone a seat in our home-made "Little Theater."

The group was deeply indebted to Henry Soederberg and the International YMCA for the basic resources needed to put on all of this entertainment: the play scripts, musical instruments, costumes, make-up and sheet music. Henry got it all in somehow.

Broadway shows were the most popular. The first "hit show" was Three Men on a Horse. Another early production was The Petrified Forest, directed by Bill Hooker: But the most ambitious of these super-shows was The Man Who Came to Dinner, starring John Hannan as Sheriden Whiteside.

Then there was an original three-act musical comedy, Full Swing, written by Dick Van Syckle and Larry Phelan. The music was composed by Vic Danylik, Sammy Saxton, Jack Cook, and others, with a special Spanish lyric provided by Bommer Holder.

In the weeks between these major plays, shorter revues and vaudeville-like presentations were offered, put together by different teams and featuring many very funny characters like "Mouse" Waldman.

Musical performances were especially welcome, and highly professional. Bob Rankin with his trumpet put together a Big Band, using as his theme song Harry James' "You Made Me Love You." Members of the band included Tom Holt, Tex Chappell, Don Waful, Irv Yarock, Ken Goddard, Jack Cook, Sammy Saxton, and Jim Cockrell When they expanded this into a "symphonic sound," violinists Joe Friedman, Lu Wilcox, and Ted Pawloski were added.

The band shows were called "Danceland" and featured ballads, swing, and vocalists such as Len Vaden, Frank Maxwell, Russ Ford, Don Waful, and sometimes a trio.

Periodically, the band did a special musical news show, emphasizing the hit songs and major news events of different years.

Probably the most memorable show was presented on D-Day, June 6, 1944, which by an unbelievable coincidence was the anniversary of the first American arrivals at Oflag 64 a year before. An all-day celebration show was put on, at the end of which the actors spread across the stage, each carrying one large letter, spelling out "LET'S GO IKE!" The Germans never did believe that we hadn't known the date of the big invasion long before, to put together such a celebration. They were very nervous that night.

Another highlight: on Easter, 1944, Russ Ford conducted a 35-man chorus singing Sir John Steiner's famous oratorio, "The Crucifixion." It was great, and it was the thrill of my musical life to play the piano accompaniment.

On Christmas Eve, 1944, there was a special 45-minute show featuring glee club presentations of songs like "White Christmas" that was put on nine times in order for everyone in camp to enjoy it at 3, 4 and 5 in the afternoon and 7, 8 and 9 in the evening. We all cried like crazy.

Looking back on nearly 18 months of weekly shows, here is one consensus:

Biggest whistle-getters were the kriegies who agreed to play female roles: Wilbur Sharpe, Russ Ford, Don May, Jack Carpenter, and Bill Cory among them.

Handiest guy in the theater was the talent and set-builder, Lou Otterbein.

Funniest actors: Leo Farber acting as "Queenie," Bill Fabian, Sid "Mouse" Waldman.

Best Show: The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Finally, dozens of other kriegies worked hard to make the theater presentations as popular as they turned out to be, among them characters like Lew Lowe, Jim Bickers, Veris Hubbell, Carlos Burrows, Kermit Hansen, Ormond Roberts, Tom Holt, and Sid Thal.

We hope you enjoyed it, too

Author: Becky Driscoll
E-Mail: bdriscoll@dcccd.edu