'The Soap Myth'

Bob Gunton, a two-time Tony nominee, Drama Desk and Obie winner (“Sweeney Todd,” “Evita,” “How I Got That Story”) returns to the New York area stage after a 30-year hiatus to star in the acclaimed drama “The Soap Myth” by Drama Desk winner Jeff Cohen. The show will be presented August 10 to 28 at Southampton Cultural Center (SCC). Joining Gunton on stage will be Tony and Drama Desk Award winner John Rubinstein (“Pippen,” “Children of A Lesser God”), Drama Desk winner Carolyn McCormick (Dr. Elizabeth Olivet in the “Law & Order” franchise), and Rachel Sachnoff. The production is directed by Harris Yulin, Lortel Award winner (“The Trip To Bountiful”) and Emmy nominee (“Fraser,” “Ozark”).

In “The Soap Myth,” 50 years after the end of WWII, Holocaust survivor Milton Saltzman (Gunton) enlists the help of young journalist Annie Blumberg (Sachnoff) in a passionate crusade about a Nazi atrocity that Holocaust scholars (McCormick and Rubinstein) have reclassified from fact to myth. Through the lens of deadline reporting and journalistic integrity, the characters of “The Soap Myth” are caught between many different versions of the same story. Holocaust historians consider “The Soap Myth” one of the most important plays ever written about the Holocaust. The play engages one of the central issues of our time — Who has the right to write history? It confronts the pernicious rise of neo-Nazis and white supremacists while exposing the scourge of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Ultimately, “The Soap Myth” is a call to action: As the survivors of the Holocaust die off, who will be left to tell their story?

“The Soap Myth” will play for 15 performances from August 10 to 28 at the Southampton Cultural Center’s Levitas Center for the Arts, 25 Pond Lane, Southampton Village. Each performance will include a post-performance talkback with the playwright, cast and invited panelists. For tickets and information visit scc-arts.org/the-soap-myth/.