[NEohioPAL]Berko review: POLISH JOKE (Beck)

[Roy Berko]

POLISH JOKE AT BECK IS FUN, BUT.....

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


The Beck Center’s present production is ‘POLISH JOKE.’
 

Were you offended by the title of the play?  Did you
think that many of the lines in such a play would
start with “Did you hear about the Pollack who....? or
“How many Pollacks would it take to ....?” 

Well, if so, you weren’t alone.  When David Ives’
satirical comedy opened in Hartford, Connecticut, a
letter was sent to the editor of a local paper.  It
read, in part:  “As a member of the Polish Cultural
Club, I was surprised the production was not
advertised in our local Polish newspapers. I
understand why now. I was completely unprepared for
the level of ridicule and defamation in this
production.  Part of this is the fault of the
playwright, David Ives, born David Roszkowski, and now
writing under an Irish pen name. The depiction of
Polish Americans  in the play was a vehicle for his
own self hatred as a Polish-American and lack of
connection to his own deep patrimony, which is used
only as an occasion for ridicule.   From the first
scene, Poles are caricatured as fat, dirty, working
class drunks, sometimes crawling out of pipes with
toilet plungers, at other times pulling shiny, greasy
kielbasas out of their pockets. The Polish psyche is
repeatedly called one of "disappointment,
discouragement, and despair."   When I left the
theater, I approached a member of  the board of
directors to voice my complaint, and she retorted
"obviously you didn't  get it!"

On some levels both of these people are right.  The
letter writer took the jokes and the stereotypes
literally.  He did not recognize the use of stereotype
to try and make the point of self-hatred by many
immigrants, and the need for some people to attempt to
deny their heritage as part of their coming to terms
with what it means to be an “American.”  He couldn’t
see the satire because of his deep abiding pride in
being Polish.  Part of the problem was also the poor
writing structure of the play.  This is no great work
of literature.

On the other hand, the board member was correct.  
Ives was telling the story of many immigrant groups
who tried to escape from their pasts because they did
not want to be thought of as “greenhorns,”
“foreigners,” not “real” Americans.   They didn’t want
to be part of the people who ate strange foods, spoke
strange languages and wore strange clothing.

POLISH JOKE had its world premiere in Seattle in 2001
and was subsequently produced in New York in 2003.

It recounts the tale of Jasiu through the myriad
ramifications of ethnic identity in America.  His
journey starts, innocently enough, in the Polish
working class neighborhood of Chicago called “The
Bush.”  As a nine-year old, he is influenced by his
Uncle Roman who utters the life-altering questions
that will send the young man on his pilgrimage, “ Are
you sometimes overwhelmed by a tragic feeling of
hopelessness and despair?” and “Some days do you get
this profound feeling of utter, total futility?”  When
the boy admits he does have those feelings, Uncle
Roman pronounces the cause: “ It’s because you’re
Polish”. This begins young Jasiu’s quest to escape his
destiny and adopt another ethnic origin with fewer
dire consequences.  

The play has been called, “hilarious,” “inventive,”
and “thoughtful.”  I would have used words like “funny
in parts,” “poorly structured,” “stretching
believability,” and “written more like an extended
comedy sketch than a compelling play.”  The
fragmentation and the feeling that this is an
over-extended one joke reflect from Ives best being
known as “the master of the comic one-acter.”  

Beck’s production, under the direction of Jerrold
Scott, is quite acceptable.  Greg Wenz is consistently
excellent in a role that requires him to grow from age
nine to adulthood.  He makes Jasiu real in spite of
being given lines that often fringed on the ludicrous.
 Leslie Feagan, though he stumbled over some of his
lines, changed from one character to another with
ease.  He was especially effective as a priest.  John
Busser, Sheila Maloney and Kim Weston all took on
numerous roles with general success.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  “POLISH JOKE’ will offend some,
hit personal chords with others, and entertain some. 
It’s one of those theatrical experiences that brings
neither boos nor resounding applause.

‘POLISH JOKE’ runs through MAY 1 at The Beck Center
for the Arts in Lakewood.  For ticket information call
216-521-2540.

The final three plays in the 2004-2005  Beck season
are:  ‘THE IMAGINARY INVALID’ from May 20-June 12,
‘MOBY DICK!  THE MUSICAL’ being presented June 3-July
3 and ‘DISNEY’S AIDA’ running from July 15 to August
14.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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