Currently on stage at the Atwater Village Theatre in Los Angeles is Dietrich Smith’s adaptation of Kafka’s Amerika or, The Man Who Disappeared – which has returned for a limited six-week run at Open Fist Theatre Company. The story follows 17-year-old Karl Rossmann, who is banished from Germany and embarks on a bewildering journey through New York City. This production features playful animations by John R. Dilworth and a soundscape by Academy Award-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom. Oqalile Tshetshe takes on the role of Karl, with returning cast members including Tambrie Allsup and Matthew Goodrich.
Amerika (also known as The Man Who Disappeared or Der Verschollene) is the unfinished first novel by Franz Kafka, written between 1911 and 1914 and published posthumously in 1927. The story follows 17-year-old Karl Rossmann, who is banished to America by his parents and navigates a surreal, often nightmarish version of the United States, highlighting themes of alienation, innocence, and exploitation. Having written only complete novels, Franz Kafka is a towering figure of 20th century literature, producing an epithet for his style of story-telling as “Kaskesque,” relating to his often times bizarre and surreal narrative. While Amerika or The Man Who Disappeared is not as unconventional as The Metamorphoses, the picaresque is a major element. Written between 1911 and 1914, the unfinished manuscript was published posthumously, following Kafka’s untimely death from tuberculosis in 1924.
Following adaptations of Amerika into films, television movies, an audio drama, and even a graphic novel, director Dietrich Smith has adapted it into a three-hour stage show following 17-year-old Karl Rossmann (played by Oqalile Tshetshe) as he emigrates from Germany to the United States in the early 20th century. It’s a Dickensian story, tracking Karl the misadventures and exploits as he tries to find his way in the United States. In a run-time of three hours with two intermissions, the story is chunked out into scenes:
Act I: The Ship to Amerika, as he leaves Germany for New York and the Statue of Liberty and gets lose in the ship in the engine room of the stoker; the City of New York with his wealthy uncle who tries to reshape him into a businessman; the Country House with some dubious business partners of his uncle.
Act II: The Road, with drifters who steal his papers; the Lifts, at a fancy hotel where he finds work as a elevator boy.
Act III: The Trial, where he is accused of absence from his work and fired; The Tenement where he is taken in and abused by his former drifter friends; The Train to a strange place of opportunity in a Theater in Oklahoma.
Charming animated vignettes from the creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog, John R. Dilworth, show characters maneuvering their way around the ship, in cars, and in elevators. With 46 characters attached to 16 very convoluted set changes, the story is moved along with the clever use of drop screens, in concert with well-executed stick-figure cartoons. The shadowy, moody lighting by Gavan Wyrick and sound design by seven-time Academy Award winner Gary Rydstrom are tremendously effective, especially in some of the more Gothic scenes. Inventive set direction by Frederica Nasimento brings many different worlds to life, especially with the projected animated stick-figure cartoon figures on backgrounds used to mirror the scene and amplify the action effectively and often comically. The large cast is required to take on many different roles in the play – with smart, colorful costumes by A. Schoenberg with so many required costume changes.
The ensemble is excellent, the performers playing many roles and each getting their shot to really shine. Pat Towne has a pomposity that is both intimidating and amusing. Jack Sharpe plays smarmy and sniveling, chewing just the right amount of scenery to be half a step from grounded. Grace Soens as a timid hotel maid is the perfect mix of awkwardness, desperation, and befuddlement. But the real center of the show is the dynamic Oqalile Tshetshe, who inhabits his role as Karl with complexity, depth, and grace. He is a fresh face and a raw talent and he carries the entire production. All the actors are good, but if the role of Karl was played by Tshetshe is a most confident embodiment of the character.
Oqalile Tshetshe is an emerging actor and performer, known for taking on the lead role of Karl Rossmann in the 2026 Los Angeles remount of Kafka’s Amerika, Or the Man Who Disappeared at the Atwater Village Theatre. He is actively involved in theater, including Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) auditions, and has shared his work on Instagram. Tshetshe was cast as Karl in the Open Fist/Circle X co-production of Amerika. His work often involves, as he describes, raw and unfiltered performances. The castine of Tshetshe is especially interesting in a tale about mostly German immigrants in America around 1914. The sense of foreignness is amplified by Tshetshe’s own background as a South African. Amerika, or The Man Who Disappeared is basically a satire but its relevance to the America of our time in 2026 is quite apparent.
The production of Amerika opened at the end of March and only has a few dates left: Friday, May 6, at 7:30 PM; Saturday, May 2, at 7:00 PM; and Sunday, May 3, at 3:00 PM. The location of the Open Fist Theatre Company and is the Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., in Los Angeles. Tickets range from $26 to $45. For tickets, go to: www.openfist.org.
