Erika Sheffer, Daniel Sullivan, Vladimir, Francesca
Faridany, Norbert Leo Butz, Erin Darke, of Erik
Jensen, Olivia Deren Nikkanen, David Rosenberg,
Jonathan Walker, Manhattan Theatre Club
Francesca Faridany and Norbert Leo Butz are awesome in
this Stoppardian Moscow-set drama where Putin is
reelected again in 2004, solidifying his power.
(Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel)
“I have to take a piss.” So, states tipsy Russian president Boris Yeltsin in a Moscow television news studio before a 1999 New Year’s Eve broadcast. His staff informs him
that as he is to address the nation in one minute, there is
not enough time for him to get to the restroom and back.
Yetlsin’s solution is to empty a vase of flowers and
urinate in it while sitting at a desk. This is the comical
prologue of playwright Erika Sheffer’s
wrenching, Vladimir.
With Stoppardian flair, Ms. Sheffer dramatizes life in
Russia following former KGB strongman Vladimir Putin’s
contrived election to a second term as president in 2004;
he solidifies his power and is still in office. Putin does not
appear in the play but overshadows it. An image of
Mikhail Gorbachev is shown during the presentation,
stirring memories of his revolutionary glasnost
(“openness”). Vladimir searingly charts Russian society’s
abandonment of Gorbachev’s high-minded principles, and
its descent into a widely accepted embrace of old-time
tyranny. A contingent of free-spirited dissidents futilely
continue to struggle against oppression.
Idealists versus pragmatists, the war in Chechnya,
institutional corruption, torturing citizens on trumped up
charges, and the poisoning of a crusading journalist, are
among the painfully familiar situations vividly depicted.
Sheffer’s well drawn articulate characters confront
morality, reality and danger, during her compelling plot. A
neat device is that the actors portraying Russians speak
normally when interacting with each other; when they
converse with non-Russians, they employ a heavy accent.
The magnetic Francesca Faridany is towering as the noble
sleuthing reporter consumed with battling injustice
despite potential personal cost. Ms. Faridany’s regal
bearing, expressive face and authoritatively resonant
voice all enrich her commanding characterization; she is
the play’s heart and soul. Two-time Tony Award-winning
New York stage veteran Norbert Leo Butz’s charisma and
sensitivity are forcefully on display in his pivotal role as
the initially jocular, imbibing newspaper editor. Mr. Butz’s
transformation from earthily heroic to commonly
opportunistic is chilling as he accepts a state-run
television news job, betraying his colleague. Faridany and
Butz’s strong rapport as they morph from confederates to
adversaries is a major facet of the production. Erin Darke
is deliciously feisty as the reporter’s combative daughter,
and wry in several subsidiary roles. The formidable
company of Erik Jensen, Olivia Deren Nikkanen, David
Rosenberg, and Jonathan Walker, all offer fierce turns in
their often multiple parts.
American theater director extraordinaire Daniel Sullivan
stages Vladimir with his customary focus, brisk pacing
and attention to the visual. Scenic designer Mark
Wendland gleaming, black-accented modern components
wondrously represent a variety of locales without the
need for alterations, allowing for instant scene
transitions. Japhy Weideman’s jolting lighting design adds
a vintage dimension while evoking queasiness. Lucy
Mackinnon’s vibrant projection design contribute to the
senses of history and menace. Composer Dan Moses
Schreier’s energetic original music and crisp sound design
aurally complement the presentation. Jess Goldstein’s
business wear-centric and casual costume design
authentically realizes the characters in concert with
Charles G. LaPointe’s grand hair and wig design.
Vladimir’s cautionary and mournful take on recent
Russian history sadly resonates in the present.
Vladimir (through November 10, 2024)
Manhattan Theatre Club
New York City Center Stage I, 131 West 55th Street, in
Manhattan
For tickets, visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com
Running time: two hours and 15 minutes including one
intermission
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