GOOD directed by senior Elizabeth Alderfer for her senior project debuted this past weekend.

“Good follows the life of John Halder, a German literature professor, as he gets slowly sucked into the Nazi party,” Alderfer said. “The show follows his interactions with both his family and friends.”

The play takes place in 1940s Germany during the Nazi regime, telling the story of a man living through it. Hadler originally didn’t believe in the party’s ideology, but he joined to protect himself. He is drawn into the party in the hope of protecting his teaching position at the University, since only Nazi Party members were getting promoted,” Alderfer said.

He is conflicted during the play about his true feelings and what he wants to do, versus the actions he takes.

“He looks first at protecting himself, never stepping back to understand why others are doing the same thing,” Alderfer said.

The play explores several different themes, but there is one that can be connected to modern everyday life.

“The general ‘theme’ of the play follows the corruption of a good person into a bad cause,” Alderfer said. “The show can be analyzed in many ways, and the audience can draw their own conclusions about Halder’s mental state and how someone becomes a ‘bad’ person.”

Senior Cage Elliot is taking the lead role in GOOD.

“I think everyone has had a little bit of peer pressure in their life,” Elliot said. “I definitely have been.”

This is one of the main reasons Alderfer chose the play.

“I think the main reason I chose it was because of how it made you question your life, how you interact with others, and the increasing polarization of politics around the world,” Alderfer said.

Alderfer believes the message is important to understand and to incorporate into your own life.

“I think it’s important to question your beliefs and test them, and Good, at least for me, studies that under a microscope,” Alderfer said. “No one ever realizes how far they’re being pushed into ‘bad’ when they are slowly sucked in.”

Elliot describes more about the play’s message.

“It’s just standing your ground,” Elliot said. “You have to have your mindset and have to make that be your own. Just don’t fall, hold your mindset.”