Sometimes the most evocative way to tell a story is to keep it simple. One actor, a table, one (versatile) costume, and a mesmerizing, powerful script is all you need. Layer in some breathtaking audio cues and compelling lighting and you have Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, beautifully presented now by the Jewish Repertory Theatre until November 24.

This is world history on stage: a World War II survival story about an unlikely hero whose fine mind and ear for foreign languages earned him a place in the Polish underground as a courier and diplomat. He was Polish and Catholic who grew up amongst the Jews in Poland. In his wartime role, he saw the horrors of war and hatred. He was brought to the Warsaw ghetto and saw how people were living and dying. He was urged to meet with Allied leaders and heads of state to share what he saw and promote an end to war, peace through propaganda or whatever it took. After the war, Karski emigrated to the US and earned teaching degrees, and that’s how we meet him on stage. He’s the teacher recounting his harrowing story to his students, and teaching a life lesson is the most poignant way.

It’s the superb work of actor David Lundy that brings Jan Karski’s story to life again, 24 years after his death. When Karski is beaten, Lundy reacts so strongly, you can almost see the fists, the straps, the billyclubs doing the beatings. The rise and fall of voice, his exquisite expressions eloquently portray the destruction he saw and his determination to advocate for his homeland and its people. You can see his hatred for Hitler, his minions, and their Nazi politics. You feel his empathy in every word and gesture. Lundy is the perfect actor for this role. He vividly channels Karski’s strength, his wonder, his determination. Director Robert Waterhouse got it just right, too, letting the power of Clark Young and Derek Goldman’s words command the story as Lundy interprets the poignant words. Tom Makar’s sound design is gentle and experiential, dropping in subtly in the right moments.

This is a production that will draw you in and won’t leave your headspace for a while: a true theatre hangover that provides a perspective on world history and the human condition. At its heart, it’s painful reminder of the terror and inhumanity that people can have for one another when leadership is disturbed and misguided. This is Karski’s lesson.

Remember This is performed in one dramatically enriching, 90-minute act with no intermission. Find details and tickets at https://www.jccbuffalo.org/jewish-repertory-theatre/ and please vote on Tuesday.