Varian

Solo | Historical | Bio-Drama
Part of The Resilience Series
By Michael London

1 M | Age 35

90-100 mins without an intermission

VARIAN is a new solo play about the journey of Varian Fry, an American writer and editor, who traveled to Vichy France during World War II.

He helped rescue Anti-Nazi and Jewish refugees, including artists Marc Chagall and Max Ernst, writer André Breton, and philosopher Hannah Arendt.

A determined, clever and, at times, a very naive man, Varian used his energy to save thousands of lives. When traveling to a world that was not his own, he managed to employ a variety of legal and illegal efforts to rescue a collection of celebrated scientists, intellectuals, and artists, as well as everyday refugees from across Europe.

Varian is the second play in The Resilience Series.

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Cast List

Varian is a Solo Play. There is only one actor on stage. There are no voices that the audience hears except that of the solo actor. The audience never hears the voice or the words of Dr. Glaz. They only know what Dr. Glaz has said, when they hear Varian’s response or reaction to the voice that only he hears. This play is a conversation with Varian and his therapist , not a conversation with the audience.

During the course of the play the single actor voices many characters along with his primary persona, Varian Fry. These are designated with a Character Name, but there is always only one actor. Here is a list of characters that are voiced:

VARIAN | mid 30’s, dapper dresser, very Ivy League – East Coast, Standard American Accent
EARNST HANFST AENGL | German Accent, a bit slimy, very chummy
BRITISH PROFESSOR | Posh British Accent
GERMAN ACTIVIST | German Accent with high pitch voice
PAUL HAGEN | German / Austrian Accent with a very quick clip to the voice.
REVEREND SHARP | Strong Boston east coast accent
BEAMISH | German accent but also fluent in French; very deliberate speech pattern
FRANZI | Posh British Accent, crossing into a bit of American
LENA | Multilingual
MIRIAM | American Accent , Feminine but practical
AUSTRIAN SOCIALIST | Austrian / German Accent
FRENCH POLICEMAN | Clear French Accent

Setting

The setting is simple. It is 1943.

There is a comfortable chair for the patient in this doctor’s office and we see a coffee table with a teapot and cup, and maybe an end table with a lamp. It is all of the 1930’s.

Behind the Story

ARTISTIC COMMISSION
This new play is the result of a special commission by the Dayton Holocaust Resource Center that was funded by an Innovation Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, with the support and assistance of the Human Race Theatre Company.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I extend a special thank you to Dr. James Fry for his assistance and kindness as I developed this play.

Media

Jared Mola
Photo credit: Adam Alonzo

Jared Mola
Photo credit: Adam Alonzo

Testimonials

“Anschel is an incredibly powerful play that provides accessible and engaging Holocaust education for audiences as young as 6th grade. At the JCC of Greater Columbus we welcomed over 230 attendees, of which 60 were students. There are very few Holocaust education programs that have such broad appeal to audiences of different ages. The story itself is inspiring and the performance captivated everyone in our theater for the entire time. I would highly recommend bringing Anschel to your community.”

— Ronnie Conn (Jewish Community Center, Columbus, OH)

“What an amazing and rewarding experience to participate in Anschel, last night in Springfield. 90 minutes of attention, concentration and emotion. It was very personal and the setting felt very right. The young actor was electrifying – and this must be hard duty as the story is as hard to watch as it is compelling. No looking away.”

— Audience Member (Springfield, OH)

“Touching, moving, and beautifully told story.”

— Audience Member (Columbus, OH)

“It was a very moving and spiritual experience!”

— Audience Member (Dayton, OH)

Performance History

DATES	TYPE	VENUE	LOCATION
Apr 15, 2026	Staged Reading	Jubilee D-Lab Theatre Wright State University	Dayton, OH
Feb 2, 2026	Staged Reading	Loft Theatre Human Race Theatre Company	Dayton, OH
Jan 25, 2026	Staged Reading	Jewish Community Center	Centerville, OH