The Secretaries

by Omer Abbas Salem

Hannah recounts her life as one of Hitler's secretaries taken with him into the bunker at the end of WWII. Her sons are dead and she's sad. She uses her sadness as an excuse to search for greater importance and find it in her capacity for evil. This absurd comedy looks at complicity and the lies we tell ourselves to act in self-interest and create self-importance.

Hannah recounts her life as one of Hitler's secretaries taken with him into the bunker at the end of WWII. Her sons are dead and she's sad. She uses her sadness as an excuse to search for greater importance and find it in her capacity for evil. This absurd comedy looks at complicity and the lies we tell ourselves to act in self-interest and create self-importance.

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The Secretaries

Recommended by

  • Joe Zarrow: The Secretaries by Omer Abbas Salem
    “

    I've been in a bit of a playgoing funk since COVID started two years ago, but seeing THE SECRETARIES reminded me of the possibilities of what theater and language can accomplish. Thrilling and ambitious and hilarious and horrifying all at once.

    I've been in a bit of a playgoing funk since COVID started two years ago, but seeing THE SECRETARIES reminded me of the possibilities of what theater and language can accomplish. Thrilling and ambitious and hilarious and horrifying all at once.

    ”
  • Katherine Gwynn: The Secretaries by Omer Abbas Salem
    “

    one of the most exciting pieces of theatre i've seen in Chicago--absurd, vile, tender, and meticulous in detail about how Fascism and white womanhood is a snake eating it's own tail. Brilliant.

    one of the most exciting pieces of theatre i've seen in Chicago--absurd, vile, tender, and meticulous in detail about how Fascism and white womanhood is a snake eating it's own tail. Brilliant.

    ”
  • Shaun Leisher: The Secretaries by Omer Abbas Salem
    “

    Didn't think possible for anyone to write an absurdism comedy about Nazis better than Mel Brooks but Omer Abbas Salem has done it? The playwright masterfully gets us to care about these awful women even without giving a reason to why they do what they do. The why is not important. It's all about how they use the authority they believe they wield.

    Didn't think possible for anyone to write an absurdism comedy about Nazis better than Mel Brooks but Omer Abbas Salem has done it? The playwright masterfully gets us to care about these awful women even without giving a reason to why they do what they do. The why is not important. It's all about how they use the authority they believe they wield.

    ”
Hannah- Any age. Any race. Femme. She is constantly lost in daydream. An inherently kind person who is too afraid to question authority. She is smart but naive and learns quickly.

Helga- Any age. Any race. Femme. She is a matriarch and knows how to decide things. Decisions don’t always need to be based on expertise but it does help if they are made confidently. She has been with Hitler the longest and knows the most.

Helena- Any age. Any race. Femme. She knows how to get what she wants and isn’t afraid for you to know that she gets what she wants. She is brazen and will have the biggest hair and the best makeup. Maybe her costumes are just a bit more flattering?

Henrietta- Any age. Any race. Femme. A cherub. Impressionable, ignorant, but so willing to please. She is a blank slate that is very ready to be written on.

Development History

  • Workshop, The Goodman Theater Future Labs, 2021
  • Workshop, The New Colony, 2020
  • Commission, Definition Theatre, 2020

Production History

  • Professional, First Floor Theater, 2022

Awards

  • Amplify Commission
    Definition Theatre
    Semi-Finalist
    2020