Seeking Nietzsche

Named the Most Impressive Production of a Drama in 2023 by Daniel Shock of A Seat on the Aisle, Seeking Nietzsche chronicles the life, relationships, and madness of a philosopher who shocked the world and created modernity.

With the nationalist composer Richard Wagner as Friedrich Nietzsche’s surrogate father and the Nazis’ appropriation of Wagner’s music and Nietzsche’s philosophy, many have questioned whether Nietzsche and his works are on the right side of history. Seeking Nietzsche ponders who determines the answer to this question. When Nietzsche falls into madness, his nationalist sister, Elisabeth, takes over the management of his literary estate, but knowing that the siblings disagree on just about everything, Nietzsche’s friend, Lou Salomé, takes it upon herself to recover Nietzsche’s legacy and reveal his inner psychology. Meanwhile, Elisabeth outlives Nietzsche by thirty-five years and becomes close to Hitler. Influenced by Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence, as well as his madness at the end of his life, the narrative jumps back and forth in time and into the afterlife to tell the tale of the ever-suffering philosopher.

“I love plays and movies that have ideas or something to say. This is such a play. I was never bored in all of its 90 minutes. I will say that sometimes I would find my mind wander briefly as I considered ideas that were coming at me. But that is not a criticism, it is a joy to be engaged intellectually in a performance.” ~ Daniel Shock

“The balance and insight of Seeking Nietzsche goes beyond the documentary tasks that Eppich-Harris undertook when her fascination with Nietzsche assumed this particular form. Nothing about her examination of the Nietzsche tragedy goes too far in a search for relevance to continuing cultural anxieties. Seeking Nietzsche is on territory that honors both art and philosophy, even when both head in disastrously wrong directions.” ~ Jay Harvey

Southbank Theatre Company is a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to enriching the Indianapolis community – and beyond – through producing plays and musicals by both Indiana playwrights and playwrights of historical and contemporary significance. What makes us unique are our interests in history, politics, philosophy, and literature – and how those subjects can contribute to critical thinking, self-awareness, and social change.

For more than 100 years, the JCC Indianapolis has been a neighborhood and community resource in Indianapolis. From its start in 1914 in downtown Indianapolis at 23rd and Meridian as a place for Jewish immigrants to eat, shower and socialize to its current location on Hoover Road, the JCC has been dedicated to serving the Indianapolis community and responsive to its needs. As a people who know what it’s like to be excluded, it’s important to us that we truly embrace people of all backgrounds and faiths. For more than a century, the JCC has maintained a multi-generational, inclusive environment where all people can live, learn, play, and connect.

The mission of the JCC's Arts & Education Department is to educate, inspire, and entertain our audiences through meaningful arts and humanities programming. These programs include author talks, concerts, film screenings, dance performances, and, for the first time in many years, theatrical performances.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Arthur M. Glick JCC, 6701 Hoover Rd, Indianapolis, United States