**** If you are the type of theatre-goer who enjoys productions like TimeLine Theatre, where you walk into the theatre expecting a play and walk out having learned something about history, then Shattered Globe Theatre’s Vladimir is definitely a production you should see. Directed by Lou Contey, Vladimir is a powerful drama that sometimes feels less like a traditional play and more like a documentary unfolding right in front of you. It is a story about journalism, truth, Russia, and what can happen when someone becomes determined to uncover what those in power would rather keep hidden.The story takes place in Russia in the early 2000s, during the Second Chechen War, a conflict that lasted from 1999 until 2009 and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. One of the darkest events of that period was the 2004 Beslan school siege in North Ossetia. Armed terrorists seized School Number One, taking more than 1,100 people hostage, most of them children and their parents. After three days, Russian security forces stormed the school amid explosions and gunfire. 334 people were killed, including 186 children.
This is where Vladimir becomes more than a history lesson.Rebecca Jordan stars as Raya, a Russian journalist and author who I would describe as the Barbara Walters of Russia—only with absolutely no off switch! Raya is smart, determined and completely unwilling to accept the official story simply because the government says it is true. She wants answers, and she is willing to put herself in danger to get them.Raya recruits young data analyst, Yevgeny, played by Tristen Odenkirk, to help her dig into what really happened. She knows exactly what she is asking of him—and she also knows that getting too close to the truth could have serious consequences. Her friend Kostya, played by Adam Schulmerich, is an editor at her newspaper He wants to report the truth, but he has to deal with government officials, Russian Interior Ministry pressure and the demands of the television network. The play also takes us back to the resignation of Boris Yeltsin on New Year’s Eve 1999, when the television station was tasked with broadcasting the historic moment. Cameraman Tristan Odenkirk has the unenviable job of capturing the president looking focused, composed and exactly where he is supposed to be on camera.
But in Russia, telling the truth can be dangerous.
As Raya continues investigating, the government begins finding ways to stop her. Threats aren’t enough, so the intimidation becomes much more personal. At one point, Raya is even poisoned through tea in her own home.
The supporting cast adds considerably to the production. Juliana Liscio plays Raya’s daughter, Galina who is preparing for her wedding and desperately wants her mother alive to see her get married.
Kseniya Jamyan, as Chovka, takes on several different roles throughout the production. Her Russian accent adds another layer of authenticity to the characters without becoming so heavy that the audience struggles to understand what is being said.
And that deserves special recognition. Dialect coach Elise Kauzlaric has done an excellent job. The Russian accents sound authentic but never overpower the dialogue. You never find yourself thinking, “What did they just say?”—which can sometimes happen when actors attempt strong foreign accents.
The production runs approximately 120 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission, and the pace keeps you engaged. There is plenty of drama, tension and history packed into those two hours, and the ending is particularly effective.
There is also an interesting piece of Raya’s story that the production leaves out: her dual citizenship and the efforts by the U.S. State Department to encourage her to remain in the United States during a book tour because of concerns for her safety. But perhaps that omission also emphasizes something important about her character. Deep down, Raya is Russian—and despite everything happening around her, she wants to help her country.
The technical elements of the production are equally impressive. Joe Schermoly’s set design is efficient and convincing, creating the feeling of living and working in Russia without overwhelming the stage.
Stage manager Tina Jach deserves credit for helping create some very effective scene transitions. Rather than simply turning the lights off and moving scenery around, the production uses semi-darkness, performers with covered faces and striking red lighting during the transitions. It creates an unsettling atmosphere that fits the story perfectly.
Vladimir is not necessarily an “easy” night at the theatre. It asks you to pay attention, absorb history and think about journalism, government power and the price of telling the truth.
But that’s exactly what makes it worth seeing.
If you enjoy theatre that entertains you while teaching you something, Vladimir belongs on your list. Like the best productions of TimeLine Theatre, you may leave the theatre wanting to go home and start researching what you just watched.
And when a play can make you do that, it has accomplished something pretty special.
Shattered Globe Theatre’s” Vladimir” runs through November 14, with performances :
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets range from $20 to $60.
Tickets are available through SGTheatre.org or the Theatre Wit box office at (773) 975-8150.
Parking is available across the street in the restaurant’s back lot. There is a charge.
My recommendation: See it.
Come for the drama. Stay for the history. And be prepared to leave with a lot more questions than you had when you walked in.
Photos by Michael Brosilow
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Vladimir”.
Paul Lisnek, Curtain Call Chicago
***/4
Truth Pays a Price in Shattered Globe’s Vladimir.
I have lived in the world of journalism for over 40 years. So I know that there are places where reporting the news may, unfortunately, mean becoming the news. This is the danger that underscores Vladimir, Erika Sheffer’s drama about the professional and personal cost of telling the truth when those in power demand silence. Shattered Globe Theatre’s Midwest premiere at Theater Wit, directed by Lou Contey, takes on this important and sadly timely subject with fine performances and a seriousness of purpose.
The story begins with the rise to power of Vladimir Putin and is based on all too true scenarios, and follows an independent journalist living in Russia who uncovers information that could expose uncomfortable truths and corruption in a country we watch shift toward authoritarian rule. Sound familiar? Pursuing the story means much more than getting the facts right: here, every source becomes a target, and every decision risks consequences beyond the newsroom. Sheffer asks: how much can someone be expected to sacrifice in the establishment of the truth?
What makes that premise compelling is the striking difference between admiring the courage of the journalists, and watching them practice it. It is easy to applaud a journalist’s determination from the safety of our audience seats. It is much harder to weigh the value of pursuing an investigation and its truth, against the very safety of those people. Vladimir does not merely allow us to simply congratulate ourselves for being on the right side of the issue. It makes us watch and feel the risks.
The performances are strong and dramatic which is essential here because the play must be about more than the urgency of the message itself. We have to feel the performances, the human dimension, and we do. The ensemble includes Rebecca Jordan, Drew Schad, Adam Schulmerich and Steve Peebles, alongside Isabel Alamin, Kseniya Janyan, Juliana Liscio, Laila Malak, Tristan Odenkirk and Ben Perry. Their collective work as an ensemble makes the evening much more than an exercise to conclude: censorship is bad and independent journalism critically matters.
The play’s importance does not guarantee great theater, but it does establish a meaningful purpose; and the fine acting keeps us engaged beyond its political concerns to its humanity.
You’ll leave the theater asking: if truth matters, and disclosing or defending it becomes dangerous—how many of us will simply let others bear the cost.
Shattered Globe’s Vladimir is a worthwhile evening of theater. The subject deserves both our attention and our discomfort. No wonder on opening night that Shattered Globe’s new artistic director Ian Frank welcomed us at the onset nothing that the run of the performances would be dedicated to the journalists who do what they do to keep the truth alive. This is a must see for journalists and all who respect their work to bring out the truth, no matter the professional or personal risk.
Vladimir has a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes including an intermission, and continues through November 14 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave in Chicago. Tickets can be purchased at www.TheaterWit.org
Paul M. Lisnek, J.D., Ph.D.
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