The experiences of the German women who resisted, evaded, or supported Hitler make for compelling stories, but Shirley Lauro, who also wrote the hankie-wringing Piece of My Heart, doesn't trust us to comprehend them. In this world premiere by the Chicago Jewish Theatre, Nazi Germany is reduced to one country-bred maiden, three patrician schoolgirls, and a recruiting-poster Reichsfrau whose accent and swagger fall just short of Mel Brooks parody. Under Greg Kolack's direction, the performers attack their roles with gusto--especially Anna Carini as the hearty country girl (whose faint German accent is only slightly more exotic than the schoolgirls' straight-English acting-class deliveries). But as the atrocities pile up amid triumphant chortling from the leather-clad villainess, the resulting comic-book effect only detracts from any potential emotional response. Through 7/10: Thu 8 PM, Sat 8 PM, Sun 2 and 7 PM. Red Hen Productions, Kenneth LeTraunik Theatre, 5123 N. Clark, 773-728-0599. $25.
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