'A Swedish Tiger' is a powerful story of Swedish collaboration with the Nazis

Posted by Susanna at 6:51 AM, Apr 25, 2009 (Comments)

Category: People

Actors Daniel C. Edwards and Goran Gillinger

"A SWEDISH TIGER," a play that exposes the deep dark side of the Swedish "neutrality" and accommodation with the Nazis in World War II, opened Wednesday night for a five weekend run at the award-winning Synetic Theater at 4041 Campbell Ave. in the Shirlington area of Arlington, Va.

GORAN GILLINGER, a born and raised Swede who plays the lead role, and directs and co-wrote "A Swedish Tiger," drags out of the Swedish closet his country's and his own family's dramatic angst-ridden story of how "Sweden didn't actually participate in World War II, but it did allow Germans to use our railways for transporting and building prison camps."

WITH DRAMATIC acrobatics and staccato dialogue, Mr. Gillinger's superb performance makes his point, alternately entertaining and shocking his audience, exorcising the sordid historical baggage of his country and his family. Daniel C. Edwards joins Mr. Gillinger on stage, playing the role of a fun-loving, not-so-bright "tiger,"and serving as a foil for Mr. Gillinger's anxious dramatics.

DURING THE WAR, the Swedish government designed a logo portraying a tiger in the colors of the Swedish flag and instituted the motto "A Swede is always quiet." The word "tiger" in Swedish not only means the wild animal, but it also means "to be quiet." The message was that Swedes were to keep quiet about their government's cooperation with the Nazis. Hence, the name of the play, "A Swedish Tiger."

MR. GILLINGER explains further, "During World War II, Germany was allowed (or more demanded) to use Sweden's railroads to transport prisoners and equipment to Norway, which Germany occupied. We also built prison camps in the north of Sweden to imprison Norwegian refugees and made substantial changes in the Swedish Constitution in order to help German forces. Not many know this... one might say 'The Swedish Tiger' campaign succeeded. The Ghost of history never leaves us...."

AS HE DRAMATIZES in his performance, the additional background for the play's story is that after his grandfather died, Mr. Gillinger discovered that his grandfather was not only a Nazi sympathizer, but an honored collaborator.

GORAN GILLINGER was classically trained at the Royal Academy of Acting in Stockholm and at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatres in Los Angeles. He has played lead roles in drama and comedy productions on Swedish National Television, Sweden's TV4 and in several major motion pictures. He has played on Sweden's largest stages in productions of Molière, Shakespeare, Sam Shepard and many more. In 2008, Mr. Gillinger was part of the ensemble cast of Hamlet at the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, D.C.

"A SWEDISH TIGER" first played at the National Theater of Stockholm in 2005 to rave reviews. Sweden's largest daily paper Svenska Dagbladet described it as "a complex self-examination worthy of exporting to other countries." In 2007, Goran played five sold out performances of "A Swedish Tiger" at Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Fringe Festival and many were left wanting more!

"A SWEDISH TIGER" plays Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. at the Synetic Theater, 4041 Campbell Street in the Shirlington District of Arlington, Va. Tickets are $20 for everyone except students and people under 25 years of age who pay $10. To reserve tickets, call (703) 824-8061.

Actors Meghan Grady and Goran Gillinger

  Martin Johansson, Solveig Mårtensson, Niklas Bengtsson and Johan Ellborg

Gunnel Gyllenhoff and Marianne Gustafson

Actors Daniel C. Edwards and Goran Gillinger

Actors Meghan Grady and Goran Gillinger

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