Goring on Ley's Suicide

Written by James Vanderbilt for the drama Nuremberg, this two-minute duologue captures a chilling late-night exchange inside a prison cell. Following the suicide of Robert Ley, Hermann Göring uses the opportunity to probe the fragile mental state of his military psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley. Instead of behaving like a compliant prisoner under evaluation, Göring shifts the power balance by sharing an unsettling story from his childhood about betrayal, wealth, and false alliances.

Göring is charismatic, predatory, and exceptionally perceptive, skilled at identifying and exploiting cracks in another person's professional armor. He presents himself not as a helpless prisoner awaiting judgment, but as a seasoned mentor offering hard-earned wisdom about human nature. Kelley represents an educated authority figure under immense stress, striving to maintain his clinical distance while his subject steadily strips away his certainty. Their interaction functions as an intellectual cat-and-mouse game where the cage does not diminish the predator's danger.

This piece offers performers a rich showcase for psychological manipulation, status negotiation, and nuanced subtext. Rather than relying on physical action or high-volume conflict, the scene hinges on stillness, active listening, and the gradual delivery of an allegorical anecdote. It gives actors the room to display sophisticated vocal control, compelling pacing, and the ability to command a room using subtle psychological pressure.

This drama is tailor-made for performers playing ages 45-55 who fit sophisticated, villainous, or intense authority figure casting profiles. It is an exceptional selection for self-tapes, agent showcases, or scene study practice requiring a focused, claustrophobic atmosphere with strong character objectives.

Resist the urge to play Göring with theatrical villainy; the true power of the storytelling lies in its warm, confiding, and conversational tone. Treat the childhood anecdote as a direct tactical assault aimed at eroding Kelley's faith in his superiors. For both roles, pay careful attention to the rhythms of stillness and observation, letting the subtext hang heavily in the quiet spaces between lines.