From Russia With Angst

Death of a Government Worker,
written by Jonathan Periera, directed by Katrin Hilbe

In Country,
written and directed by Timothy Scott Harris

Joy,
written by Robert Strozier, directed by Elena Araoz

Misery, Apathy and Despair,
written by John McKinney, directed by Richard Kent Green

We’ll take a Cup of Kindness Yet,
written by Scott Sickles, directed by David Gautschy

Workshop Theater Company

312 W 36th Street, 4th Floor Mainstage

212-695-4173

 

Review by Kristyn Ciccone

 

YouTube Nation: Sutton Crawford, Joseph Franchini and Carrie Isaacman in From Russia With Angst.

 

 

The WorkShop Theater Company’s From Russia with Angst is composed of five one-act plays that give contemporary, 21st-century twists to Anton Chekhov’s indelible short stories. Without changing much about the actual plots of the pieces, the numerous playwrights each work to show that, from the time of Chekhov’s work to the present day, things may not have changed as much as we think.

 

The first play, Death of a Government Worker, shows how men will always be faced with the relentless demands of providing for their families without necessarily getting the same devotion in return. The piece features a government worker who works unhealthy amounts to do right by his wife and new baby, all while his spouse and his boss are having an affair behind his back. We know that this happens all too often in society today, but in recalling that this plot was originally Chekhov’s, we are reminded that such affairs are nothing new. 

 

In We’ll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet, it is rather the daunting question of human compassion, or lack thereof, that lingers with the audience when the piece concludes. Will people always be celebrating while others mourn? On a lighter note, Joy reminds us that teenagers will be teenagers and adults will never understand the mindsets of young people — and vice versa.

 

The last play in the series, however, Misery, Apathy and Despair, inspires the audience to work toward change. A satire depicting the mindless lives of the wealthy upper class in Russia, the piece encourages us to at least attempt to improve upon the world, rather than sit back and insist that change is not possible.

 

Fine performances add much to the show’s excitement. For each individual one-act, new and talented actors and actresses, ranging from their twenties to their golden years, grace the stage. An especially memorable performance is given by actress Sutton Crawford, who lights up the stage in Joy as a teenage girl who is elated that her one night as a songstress ended up on YouTube. Her incredible dramatics emphasize her feelings that her parents, who are not so thrilled about her drunken escapade being broadcast on the popular Web site, truly do not understand her teenage mentality — this could be her ticket to fame, after all. 

 

From Russia with Angst, in its entirety, raises many significant questions about human nature. Has the world always been the way it is now, and if so, will it ever change?