Check out “Beast on the Moon” April 3, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , trackbackIf it is April, it must be time for another Provision Theater production. This time, this award-nominated troupe is putting on ” Beast on the Moon”. Written by Richard Kalinoski, a man personally familiar with the difficulties associated with growing up in a post-genocide Armenian community, this play examines the trials of a young couple, having survived the genocide themselves, in their effort to start a family of their own. THIS PLAY HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED by the Jeff Awards Committee.
Here is a brief description of the play:
“When his teenage mail-order bride arrives in Milwaukee in 1921, young Aram believes his future can finally begin. His sole desire is for a large family - a family to replace the one ripped from him in the recent Armenian genocide. But when the affects of the atrocities begin to surface for and Seta, their hopes for children are dashed. Can the present heal the past? The desperate couple finds out with the help of an unlikely young stranger.”
“‘Beast on the Moon’ challenges modern-day perceptions of romantic love and offers fresh perspectives on the American dream,” says Provision Theater’s artistic director Tim Gregory. “Playwright Richard Kalinoski spins a beautiful tale that will resonate among all individuals affected by the pains of genocide and war, and eager to start over.”
The play will impress you with its beauty, simplicity and power. Under Tim Gregory’s direction, the superb acting of the 4-person cast creates a memorable telling of a deeply gratifying story. Beast on the Moon is deeply moving; a story that you will cherish, cling to and speak about for years to come. An exhibit is on display in the lobby, telling the genocide story and a brief history of Armenia.
Here is one reviewer’s comments about the New York production:
The play is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and uses the Armenian genocide to counterpoint the story of two of its survivors and their marriage. That marriage begins in 1921, just six years after the 1915 Genocide. Armenia is far away but it’s what brings Seta and Aram Tomasian together and keeps them emotionally apart.
The more usual aspects of immigrant life are spliced into the scenes from the marriage in order to let some much needed lighter moments penetrate the more serious moments; thus Seta’s amusing mannerisms and winning personality intensify the impact of her cowering under the table when it’s time to consummate the marriage. For Seta sex is associated with watching her sister raped. For Aram it’s less an act of passion than a necessity for his determination to replace his lost family. Seta’s charm and the inherent likability lurking beneath Aram’s austere and focused persona make us root for both these young people to be released from their past and find happiness together.
Essentially, Beast is a standard memory play with a theme of redemption through hope and a willingness to move forward instead of bitterly and obsessively clinging to the past. The narrator, an old man known only as Gentleman who turns out to be more than a bystander or witness to their life, adds to the viewer’s sense of flipping through an old photo album and watching a page here and a page there spring to life.
It’s easy to see why this is quiet play about a brutal subject has had such a successful history for its theme of healing and redemption is universal– whether healing the differences between husbands and wives raised with different values and customs or healing the wounds from major disappointments and experiences of traumatizing cruelty.
The play runs from March 31st until April 29th at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave. Chicago. Tickets are $25 each, or $20 each for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased by calling 773-506-4429, or by visiting www.ProvisionTheater.org.
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