- Polish Joke explores ethnic humor through the life of Jasiu Sadlowski (John R. Johnston), a Polish man who tries to hide his nationality in order to avoid the slurs that come along with his roots.
What if all the generalizations people made about your ethnicity were true? What if the course of the rest of your life were determined by your cumbersome last name? What if you — dramatic pause — were Polish? These questions and more are raised in the Stages Repertory Theatre's, rendition of David Ives' Polish Joke, a frenetic farce playing through Feb. 20.
Those familiar with David Ives probably recognize him from All in the Timing, his zany series of one-acts including “English Made Simple, The Universal Language” and “Words, Words, Words.” As these titles suggest, Ives is fascinated by the dynamics of verbal communication. Polish Joke, the playwright's first successful full-length play, adheres to his lexical preoccupation, this time exploring the reasons why we are affected by ethnic humor.
During his odyssey, Jasiu encounters a bizarre menagerie of characters, which the cast's five actors portray with hilarious overstatement.
With the exception of Johnston, each of the actors plays at least four characters, and the result is reminiscent of a late-night variety show.
Director Brian Byrnes' skill as a world-renowned fight choreographer is evidenced in the production's staging and blocking. The actors' movements are quick, sharp and purposeful, and scene changes are suggested by merely adding a prop or changing the lighting. The set design is simple but versatile, believably recreating the atmosphere of a priest's rectory in one scene and a crowded party in the next. The play is a series of exaggerations, at times even lapsing into the surreal, but this production is so skillfully managed that the audience's focus is never lost.
Underneath the play's humor is a shrewd philosophy that makes all of Ives' work so rewarding to watch. The resolution of Jasiu's personality crisis suggests that while some aspects of our identity are inescapable, our character is in no way determined by our ethnicity. To state the “moral” of the play in one sentence would be reductive, but when Uncle Roman and Jasiu reunite in the final scene, Jasiu learns that his Uncle's advice was a lie. Ethnic degradation has never been exclusively polish, and if these are a flawed people, the rest of us must be too.
Tickets for Polish Joke range from $25-35 with discounts available for students and seniors. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased by phone at (713) 527-0123 or online at www.stagestheatre.com.
Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway
Playing: Through Feb. 20
Verdict: This is a joke everyone can understand.
