"Indecent" by Theater Latte Da at the Ritz Theater

Theater Latte Da is known for their musicals, but about once a season they do a play, with music added. They open their new season with a play that already has music as an important part of it, the 2017 Broadway play Indecent, which received its first post-Broadway production at the Guthrie Theater in 2018. Ingeniously written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, the play tells the story of a play, the history of the world around it, and the interaction of the two. It's about so many things, among them the depiction of a lesbian romance on stage in the early 20th Century, the role of theater in the world, the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust, and the resulting decline of a language and a culture because of it.* These themes are even more relevant today than when the play premiered, with censorship, anti-Semitism, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, and anti-immigrant sentiment on the rise. In just under two hours of uninterrupted music-theater, Indecent so beautifully tells this story and evokes a range of emotions. It's so affecting, and devastating, and inspiring, the kind of thoughtful, thought-provoking, insightful, and entertaining music-theater we have come to expect from Theater Latte Da (continuing through October 18).

The play within this play is God of Vengeance, a Yiddish play written in 1907 by Polish playwright and novelist Sholem Asch, and translated into many languages as it played in theaters across Europe. This tale of a Jewish brothel owner and his daughter who fell in love with one of the prostitutes landed on Broadway in 1923, where the cast and producer were convicted of indecency (hence the title) because the play includes a love story between two women. Lauded all over Europe, but here in the US of A, land of the free and home of the brave, it was censored.*

the company (photo by Dan Norman)

The play is framed by a company of actors introduced by their stage manager Lemml. We then flash back to see the story of how God of Vengeance came to be, Lemml being present at the first reading and staying with it through Broadway. Dates, people, and translations (in English and Hebrew) are projected on the back of the stage as we "blink through time," with bits of the play-within-a-play being acted out on various stages around Europe and the US. It's very cleverly constructed to tell the multiple levels of stories. Eventually we end up back with that troupe of actors who, as it turns out, are presenting the play in an unconventional space, making the performance even more important to the performers and the viewers (we're now in 1940s Europe, if that gives you a clue).*

Ryan London Levin as Sholem Asch (photo by Dan Norman)

The story flows so smoothly and effortlessly across location, time, and languages, thanks to Pirronne Yousefzadeh's direction and Emily Michaels King's choreography. Each scene is crystal clear in emotion and action, with charming dance sequences in between. Even the movement of set pieces in and out is fluid and graceful. This seven-person cast is remarkable in the way that they portray multiple characters and levels of characters, like nesting dolls of performance. Highlights include August Forman as Lemml with a beautifully heart-felt performance in his #TCTheater debut; Ryan London Levin as several characters, but in particular imbuing the young playwright with such depths of emotion, particularly his devastation after witnessing the pogroms in Eastern Europe; and Alia Peck and Ani Tonoyan as the lovers of God of Vengeance, in various incarnations. Ensemble members Robert Dorfman, Tony Larkin, and Ann Michels bring specificity to multiple characters, and kudos to the entire cast for acting in various languages and accents (with help from dialect coach Gillian C. Rosewell).

photo by Dan Norman

But there are more people inhabiting this world than just the above seven; the three musicians (music director Spencer Chandler on accordion and Pat O'Keefe on clarinet, both of whom were in the Guthrie production, and Rebecca Mac on violin) are vital to the story, not just for the gorgeous and authentic music they provide, but also as additional souls in this world and an integral and seamless part of it. Playing Yiddish music, original compositions (by Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva), and popular songs of the period (with the cast at times singing along), the music helps us feel the story more deeply.

The director notes in the program (which is chock full of great dramaturgical info, as per usual) that the Ritz Theater opened just three years after the infamous God of Vengeance Broadway premiere, so it's the perfect setting for this piece. Before the show, the stage is dark except for a ghost light, the set pieces draped in tarps like a home that hasn't been lived in for decades. When the lights come up, we see that the stage is open to the historic and character-filled walls of the theater, draped with rich red curtains. A wooden platform creates a stage-on-a-stage for the play-within-a-play, the set pieces are revealed as the tarps are removed - benches, chairs, and tables moved onto the stage area when needed. The ensemble is dressed in early 20th Century period clothing in muted tones, a base layer that works for all characters, with specific pieces - glasses or a scarf or hat - added to differentiate between them. And when they repeatedly talk about a rain scene, well, wait for it - it's coming, and when it does, it's stunning for multiple reasons. (Scenic and costume design by Sarah Bahr, lighting design by Soren Olsen, sound and projections design by Peter Morrow.)

Indecent is a truly beautiful and deeply meaningful play, the music in the script and enhanced by Theater Latte Da only making it more so.

*Some text borrowed from my review of the 2018 production at the Guthrie.