A Message from Arnold Mittelman After a career in not-for-profit and commercial theater spanning more than 40 years I was honored in 2007 to found the National Jewish Theater / Foundation and in 2010 to assume leadership of its Holocaust Theater International...
Hans Litten: The Jew Who Cross-Examined Hitler
Author(s): Douglas Lackey
Based on a true story, the play centers on the brilliant young Jewish lawyer who, in 1931, did the seemingly impossible: he called Adolf Hitler to the witness stand and publicly exposed the future dictator’s embrace of political violence—two years before Hitler rose to power. It remains one of the most audacious legal confrontations of the 20th century. The play moves from the charged atmosphere of Berlin courtrooms to the brutal reality of Nazi concentration camps, tracing Hans Litten’s unwavering commitment to justice, reason, and human dignity. Refusing to remain silent in the face of rising authoritarianism, Litten risks—and ultimately sacrifices—his life for the rule of law.
Format: Full-length play
Cast Size: 8M/1F plus
Running Time: 2 hours
Notes:
Directed by Alexander Harrington.
Snapshot
Original or Prominent Production:
Theatre Five, New York, NY, February 5–22 2026.
Theatre Five, New York, NY, February 5–22 2026.
Original Source Material: True story of Hans Litten (1903–1938).
Nationality of Author: U.S.
Original Language: English
Production Rights Holder:
Playwright Douglas Lackey: douglaslackeywrites.com
HTC Insights
Views, reference and research of interest.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The National Jewish Theater Foundation presented its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award to Alfred Uhry. The presentation took place as part of the Lincoln Center Library event on January 27th 2025 in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
Lifetime Achievement Award
On September 30, 2024, French playwright, Mr. Jean Claude Grumberg received the Lifetime Achievement Award. It was presented by NJTF HTII President, Arnold Mittelman with Dominique Trimbur, PhD-Manager for the History of Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, Teaching of the Holocaust of Fondation Pour La Memoir de la Shoah Project.