by Geoff Hoff~

Duel Citizens is actually two distinct plays with little in common besides that in each, all the characters are played by one person.

In Look, What I don’t Understand, a young family man from communist Bulgaria tries, with his family, to enter the United States as a political refugee in 1969.  Through flashbacks we follow him through military experience in World War II, through his extended family’s subversive activities, his wife’s employment as a teacher in Africa, then their escape from there when the country they live in is taken over by a dictator.  We are jolted back and forth between the immigration intake holding pen, the war, a communist interrelation/torture room, a political rally in Africa and parts in between and the overall effect is a foreboding sense that the man will never be able to get beyond the cyclone fence and enter the promised land of milk and honey.  The man obviously did, he was the grandfather of writer/performer Anthony Nikolchev, and among his small family, entrapped as in a cage awaiting their fate, is his son, Mr. Nikolchev’s father.

Mr. Nikolchev is very effective, switching between the refugee, a political subversive, a crippled political snitch, a young, pregnant woman, an interrogator/torturer, a drunken military commander bent on desertion, the refugee’s young son and many others in quick succession.  The story doesn’t quite switch as effectively as Mr. Nikolchev — there are times when it is difficult to know exactly where you are, especially in the beginning when all the groundwork is being laid.  The story does, however, end up being fairly powerful, leading to a sense of resigned dread as it becomes less and less clear whether or not the family will finally be free of political repression and fear.  It is a stinging rebuke of communism, but the American Way doesn’t hold up much better.

Broken Nails: A Marlene Dietrich Dialogue is a puppet show, a dream play, about the Madam (Dietrich) in the twilight of her life, and her young assistant, who seem to have a violent, ambivalent, co-dependant relationship.  According to the program the play is set in Ms. Dietrich’s Parisian Apartment at the end of her life, but it takes place entirely in a steamer trunk “portable dressing room.”  Ms. Dietrich is a full sized Muppet-type puppet controlled by Anna Skubik, who is also the assistant.  Ms. Skubik is an amazing performer, simultaneously embodying the Madam and the assistant as two very distinct personalities, at one point even becoming the legs of the Madam who dances and seduces while still arguing with and baiting the assistant.

A measure of Ms. Skubik’s assurance on stage was her aplomb during a technical glitch the night I was the performance.  The sound system popped and then disappeared right before one of her songs and after an extremely brief moment, Ms. Skubik dove into the song and most of the audience didn’t even realize it wasn’t meant to be a capella.  Thankfully, (and, I understand, due to the heroic efforts of the tech crew) the sound was back in full force for the next number.

The story of Broken Nails is less stunning than Ms. Skubik’s performance.  It is the usual story of an aging star using power and manipulation to keep her flame alive while alternately abusing and relying on her faithful help, who has anger and resentment of her own.  There is a twist in the end that only almost makes sense and doesn’t help to explain the story.  I left feeling awe at the performance, but had a “what’s the point” feeling about the show.

Mr. Nikolchov developed his show while in college in Chicago, then brought it to Poland, where he has lived since last May.  He met Ms. Skubik there and they decided to put their shows together.  The two have traveled extensively with the shows, both together and individually, through Europe, Russia and the States.  I chatted with Mr. Nikolchov after the performance and he told me that it was a bit frightening performing it in Russia.  He did it there in English and the reaction seems to have been chilly at best.  Ms. Skubik has performed her piece variously speaking Greek, Spanish, Polish and English.

Look, What I Don’t Understand had several directors.  Yuriy Kordonskiy was the “Unifying Director”.  Joe Stankus did Part I, Lily Wahrman did Part II.  Part III was by Justin “Je Luis” Denis and part IV by Martha Jane Kaufman.  There were no obvious distinction between moments on the stage, so who directed what is a bit of a mystery.  The set, a stark cage that moved to become a cramped, communal apartment, a trench in a battlefield, the podium for various political oratory and a torture room was designed by Mr. Nikolchev.

Broken Nails: A Marlene Dietrich Dialogue was written and directed by Romauld Wicza-Pokojski from a concept by Ms. Skubik.  The set was designed by Mr. Wicza-Pokojski.  The wonderful, expressive Madam puppet was built by Ms. Skubik and Barbara Poczwardowska.

The lighting for both plays, by Anna Cecelia Martin, was stark, simple and effective.

Both performers, especially Ms. Skubik, are worth watching.  They are in development of new pieces together and I anticipate great things from them.

Dual Citizens is performed Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 pm through March 28th, 2010.

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles 90025, just north of Olympic Blvd..

Ticket prices Wednesdays through Fridays: $25.00  – Saturdays and Sundays: $30.00.  “Pay-What-You-Can performances February 18, 19, 20 and March 14 & 26.

Reservations online at www.odysseytheatre.com or by phone at (310) 477-2055.