Playwright: Jenni Lamb
At: Overdog Prod. at Peter Jones Gallery
Phone: 773-791-0469; $15
Runs through: Dec. 2
By Jonathan Abarbanel
This heartfelt play, given a heartfelt production, is more than it needs to be—and less. A departure for writer/actor Jenni Lamb, known more for her comedy, it's a highly personal tribute to her Polish grandparents and the culture they left behind to come to America. It's not a kaleidoscopic play, not an epic of generations and not a Polish Joy Luck Club, although it might have been. Rather, it features a small number of characters whom Lamb reveals in precisely-focused snapshots through scenes taking place in Polonia in the 1930s-1950s, and in Detroit in the 1980s. The central figure, presumably modeled after Lamb's grandmother, journeys from adolescence to old age and from rural Poland to the United States.
The difficulty with a play of snapshots is that the casual observer—the audience—doesn't know what's gone on between pictures. We don't get the full story. We see the heroine, Beata, as a robust young woman in the old country; as a feisty mother determined to flee a bad situation; and as a fearful old woman. We have enough material to fill the blanks between Points A and B, but not between Points B and C. How did the strong woman become a weak old babushka? As the older Beata, Mary Redmon's performance is compelling, with a most effective use of accent. But the character is not the same as the younger Beata ( played by Lamb herself ) .
The scenes in Poland have vibrancy and are colorfully staged—albeit in a small and physically limited production—by director Karen Yates, who links segments with snippets of folk dance, accompanied by accordionist Daniel Navarro. You'll enjoy learning about the courting ritual of smygus dyngus. But Lamb provides little historical or political context, only minimal character exposition. There's only one scene that suggests the effects of World War II, the Nazis and the Communists on the characters. One does not know from Memento Polonia, for example, that in the 1930s Poland was an independent republic.
Now, you might think I'm shredding this play, but I'm not. The problem isn't with what is there, but with what's missing. If Lamb has the will, she can expand her vision into a much better and more effective play within the structure she already has. The underdeveloped and weak male characters need to grow, especially the older Beata's adult son, who needs a purpose other than as the old woman's foil. Also, the scenes between Beata and her sister go on too long; they are overwritten and need trimming. Lamb would be wise not to act in the play next time, but to listen and adjust. Playwrights must listen to their hearts for inspiration—and Lamb has—but once rehearsals begin they need cold blood.
