The Enemy at Hand
Between 30 June and 2 July 1934, multiple high ranking Nazi party members were purged on the false suspicion of plotting a coup. Ernst Röhm and members of the Sturmabteilung were apprehended in a surprise attack on the Hanselbauer Hotel in Bad Wiessee. This event originally codenamed "Operation Hummingbird" is commonly referred to as The Night of the Long Knives. Röhm was not the only homosexual Nazi purged, Hitler’s chauffeur later reported that when he and Hitler entered the hotel, an 18 year old paramilitary was found in bed with a leader of the Breslau SA. The Enemy at Hand, a 50 minute solo show, is about the things people are driven to when their understandings of themselves are warped and clouded. A blackmail web unraveling from 1925 to today reveals the patterns of mutually assured destruction and self hatred underlying fascism. From teenage Weimar prostitute turned Brownshirt youth leader, to California hedge fund manager turned IDF camouflage specialist, everyone has to rely on people they can't trust.
Details
- Presented by: Liam Forest
- Genres: Performance Art, Solo Show, Storytelling & Spoken Word, Theater
- Venue: Asian Arts Initiative Project Space – 1219 Vine St
- Run time: 50 mins
- Tickets: General Admission $25; PWYC Options
- Advisory: ages 18+ Violent Content Adult Language Discussion of Nazis, the Israeli army, sexual assault, homophobia, racism, genocide
- Festival tags: LGBT+ Artist, Trans Artist
Part of the 2026 Philadelphia Fringe Festival (September 8-27, 2026). Full listing and tickets: phillyfringe.org
