Set
in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, Rusalka is
simply a killer feminist show with excellent casting and blood-stirring music.
in Polish folklore, Rusalkas are mermaids who,
through their songs and beauty, lure men to woodland lakes to kill them. That
sisters Aletta (Elizabeth Kensek) and Nessa (playwright Erika Phoebus) used to
play Rusalkas when they were kids turns out to be prophetic. During World War
II, as young women in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, they join the resistance and are
tasked with a mission. The older Aletta must seduce a Nazi officer, Paul (Ben
Quinn), and bring him for a stroll in the woods—where he will be shot while the
younger Nessa serves as lookout. But things don’t go quite as planned.
 |
| Elizabeth Kensek, Harlan Short, Anna Stefanic, Erika Phoebus, Grant Parker, Ben Quinn, and Chris Cornwell in Rusalka. Photo by Felipe Beltran. |
Rusalka presents an explosive mixture of eroticism and danger, but not in a cheesy, action-film-like way. Erika Phoebus's “femme fatales" Aletta and Nessa have real-life prototypes who operated in a similar way in the Netherlands resistance. In her play, Phoebus masterfully captures the strength and anxiety of women who get this close to the enemy, continuing the topic of sexual awakening from her early play Kiss It, Make It Better, but this time putting her heroines in more oppressive circumstances.
Rusalka opens with Aletta and Nessa wearing only slips as they go
through the seduction/self-defense routine in the dark woods, a picture evoking
folklore images of Rusalkas. The innocent Nessa can’t help but giggle, throwing
Aletta on the ground playfully—“Again!” she abruptly commands. But for Aletta,
this is not a game, but an essential tactic of resistance and survival. This
sparsely worded prologue is a perfect introduction to the determined and
fearless Aletta, and the feisty, yet deeply scarred, Nessa. As the play
continues, Phoebus and Kensek embody these two sisters with a bone-chilling
truthfulness.
It's
in an underground jazz bar where the sisters are to meet their target. Bartender
Daniel (Chris Cornwell) and the four musicians have known the two sisters since
they were kids, yet there is something uneasy at this joyous reunion. Everyone
knows that women come here to seek out patronage by powerful German officers,
which implies “spending time” in a small adjoining room. Fear and uncertainty
reign—they are lucky to be allowed to play music, but only at gunpoint. Paul
(Benn Quinn), seemingly sweet and nonthreatening, is seen here first as an
enemy in Nazi uniform. When his superior Officer (Harlan Short) shows up, the
tension can be cut with a knife.
Rusalka is at its best when the dialogue yields to the dynamic,
dance-like staging by directors Isaac Byrne and Alicia Rodis (the
fighting/intimacy director)—for two reasons. First, the contrast of power and
weakness is masterfully achieved through physicality and the score, whereas the
spoken words sometimes over-explain and slow the plot. It also can be
difficult to hear the dialogue since music plays throughout the show. And while
this constant music is one of the main components in the show’s success, the
volumes need to be adjusted.
The
score, a seamless blend of modern and wartime songs in jazzy arrangements
(music curating is by Chris Cornwell), is an emotional barometer of Rusalka. The
music peaks and then softens as a tide, responding to what is happening in the
room. Occasionally the dialogue and vocals intertwine, transferring the
audience into the consciousness of the characters. The effect is magical. And
the fact that the musicians are also characters makes the music more than just
ambient background. In Rusalka, the music comes from real people playing both
out of pleasure and out of fear; it holds an equal part in the conversation.
The
minimalist set—a bar, table, and two chairs—suits the play, which is busy with
intertwining dialogue. Having the audience on three sides of the stage might
not provide an equal experience for everybody, but the ever-flowing movement of
the choreography won’t leave you staring at somebody’s back for too long. Rusalka is an
irresistable and intricate dance of seduction and threat, a play that grips you
with its poetic beauty and morbid horror, yet is incredibly empowering.
__________
Rusalka plays at The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, 107
Suffolk Street, through July 31, 2018. Running time is 90 minutes
with no intermission. Performances are 7/12 at 9:30, 7/14 at 9, 7/18 at
5:30, 7/24 at 8, 7/28 at 3:45, and 7/31 at 9:30. Tickets are $25 and are available
at planetconnections.org.
Rusalka is
by Erika Phoebus. Directed by Isaac Byrne. Music Coordinator is Chris Cornwell.
Costume Design by Ben Philipp. Fight/Intimacy Director is Alicia Rodis. Stage
Manager is Kaira Karnad.
The
cast is Elizabeth Kensek, Erika Phoebus, Chris Cornwell, Ben Quinn, and
Harlan Short. Musicians are Travis Emery Hackett (Percussion), Alana Rader
(Trumpet), Anna Stefanic (Piano), and Grant Parker (Bass).
[This review was published on theasy.com on
7.16.18]
