Dr. Wilhelm Furtwangler was the director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra during World War II. Unlike many other German artists, he chose not to leave Germany when the war began. Moreover, he was admired by Hitler and Goebbels and the like, so when World War II was over and the Allies' Denazification Committee arrives, he is the perfect target. He is put on trial as a Nazi, and Taking Sides is the fictional examination of his guilt or innocence. It is a contest of wills between Furtwangler and Major Steve Arnold who takes it upon himself to doggedly pursue Furtwangler to prove his guilt. Arnold is working with Lt. David Willis an American Jew who may be Furtwangler's defence, and Emmie Straube , the secretary.
The various interviews serve as an appetizer to the main course, which is Arnold vs. Furtwangler. The two could not be more different, Arnold is like a bulldog. He sneers, yells, and does pretty much all he can to intimidate Furtwangler, who is the opposite. Withdrawn, sickly, and desperately trying to prove that he is not a Nazi. The more that Arnold attacks, the worse Furtwangler seems.
All the facts seem to contradict themselves. For every indictment that Arnold has, Furtwangler has an answer that makes sense, but this tends to lead to another contradiction. If he wasn't a Nazi, then why did he stay? Artistic reasons don't seem to be the whole truth and if he was a Nazi, why did he protect some of the Jewish members of the orchestra? An unusual and thought provoking play.