By James V. Ruocco
"From ashes they rise."
מאפר הם עולים
Sholem Asch's controversial play "God of Vengeance" caused quite an uproar when it came to Broadway's Apollo Theatre in 1923. In addition to its argumentative viewpoints about Judaism, the play included the "very first kiss ever" between two consenting females on the New York stage.
Set mostly in a brothel, this Yiddish drama, which initially began life in Poland as a table read during 1907, also featured frank depictions of prostitution, religious defiance, sexual situations and lesbianism which eventually landed the producer, the theater manager and the entire cast of twelve in court before a Grand Jury with charges of indecency and obscenity.
According to the New York Times, a detective arrived backstage at the theater on March 6, 1923, to deliver the upsetting news after the conclusion of the second act.
The play, of course, was immediately shut down after being opened for just under a month. And a verdict of "guilty" was delivered on May 23, 1923.
The judge also accused the production of "desecrating the sacred scrolls of the Torah."
But "God of Vengeance" continued to be performed.
Following its closure on Broadway, it moved immediately to the Prospect Theatre in the Bronx.
"Indecent," Playhouse on Park's hypnotic mounting of Paula Vogel's 2015 play, replays those moments and more, with an assured poetic sound and voice that reflects its haunting lyricism, it's justly expressed outcry, it's functioning matter-of-factness and its expressive advocacy.
"We have a story we want to tell you,"announces Lemml, the stage manager of the piece who steps forward to introduce the company of actors and musicians who will assume a variety of 42 roles in the "God of Vengeance" retelling using dialogue and story arcs interspersed with song, dance and music. "It's a story about a play. A play that changed my life."
With edgy defiance, remarkable urgency and a fastidious sense of time, place and tone, "Indecent" is magnificently done - conducted and portrayed with seamless energy, focus, grounding and a thematic texture and commitment that makes it soar, resonate and numb the senses.
This is theatre - real theatre chock full of promise and expectation that surges with eloquence, clarity, color and range.
Vogel - an enormous talent and influence - gets it right at every turn.
As playwright, she presents the "Indecent" story through an important, detailed, reflective lens that portrays the history of Sholem Asch's "God of Vengeance" from its early beginnings in Warsaw, 1907 through the era of World War II and the Holocaust when it was forced to be performed in the tiny attic spaces of the Lodz ghetto of Nazi-occupied Poland.
At Playhouse on Park, crafty, incorporated projections, lighting cues and titles guide the theatergoer through the one hour and 45-minute story carefully addressing the shifts in time, place, location and language (Yiddish or English) spoken during the scenes that are about to be performed.
In terms of execution, Vogel delivers an open-hearted piece that despite its subject matter, is "not grim," but rather a love story of independence and freedom of expression that regardless of the times or consequences, provides "light through the darkness."
Hers is a voice rich in truth, spirit and edge that addresses the play's hypocrisy, anti-Semitism, judgment, censorship, morality, sexual freedom and literary indecency, among other issues, with full-on argument, structure and debate that is fresh, real, surprising and brutally honest. It is a playwrighting conceit enhanced by Vogel's slice-of-life engagement, her eloquent verbiage, her timeline of development for the "Indecent" story, her pivotal characterizations and deft time trekking, and finally, her valued, time-honored "theatre is art" initiative.
Staging "Indecent," director Kelly O'Donnell comes to Playhouse on Park with a keen sense of stagecraft and exploration, which, in turn, makes her the ideal candidate to bring Vogel's epic play to life. Here, she embellishes the context and clatter of the playwright's storytelling with skill and conscience, shepherding the key story points and their multi-rolling evolution with choreographed precision, movement, ripple and refreshing dynamic.
Choice and definition are everything here and O' Donnell's crafty, detailed lyricism is put to great use throughout the production (an invigorating rainfall dance between two female lovers; cascades of ashes falling from above the stage or from the period costuming of the performers to signal the finality of death and persecution, for example) as she delivers instinctive, stunningly orchestrated blocking maneuvers and staging techniques that drives the story forward and achingly reflects the intended purpose of the playwright's mindset, her scene-by-scene trajectory, her tilts and swirls and moreover, the fight to the finish for a group of people whose lives were diminished and silenced by the impact of the times.
Elsewhere, the chronological order of the storytelling - both onstage and off - is often synchronized by dance choreography (Katie Stevinson-Nollet is the play's choreographer), ethnic songs and lusty cabaret numbers (musical direction by Alexander Sovronsky) that O' Donnell incorporates into the framework of her directorial telling with precision, attack, nuance and channeled stylization.
"Indecent" stars Dan Zimberg as Lemml, Noa Graham as Vera & others, Bart Shatto as Otto & others, Kirsten Peacock as Halina & others, Helen Laser as Chana & others, Dan Krackhardt as Avram & others), Alexander Sovoronsky as Moriz Godowsky & violin player, Michelle Lemon as Nelly Friedman & accordion player and Jack Theiling as Mayer Balsam and clarinet player.
Reveling in the language, the beauty, the recreation and the history of the piece, this talented ensemble of chameleon-like players - all of whom are absolutely perfect for the many roles they are asked to portray - dig deep into the snapshot of life and remembrance provided by Vogel using faultless energy, line delivery and pacing to define their well-curated characters, the play's ongoing shifts in time and place and their important connection to the ongoing story.
It's a labor of love (stand-out, radiant performances are delivered by Zimberg, Laser, Peacock and Shatto) greatly communicated and echoed with truth, cultural and ethnic reflection and potent embracement.
A groundbreaking work by one of the theater's cleverest of playwrights, "Indecent" is a magnificent, beautifully rendered drama accentuated by Paula Vogel's inspirational storytelling, dialogue, characterizations and her obvious love of history, the Yiddish culture and theatre as an art form.
The plot is gripping and thrilling. It is exciting and daring. It is courageous and uplifting.
The palpable chemistry of the nine-member cast adds shading and nuance to their already beautifully realized characters.
Kelly O'Donnell's sprawling, emotional, intensely personal direction makes it an early contender for Best Play of the Year. Its haunting tapestry of themes, events and ideas are not only tense, timely and touching- they will leave you broken.
Photos of "Indecent" courtesy of Meredith Longo.
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