Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – History through the fantastical lens of theater: MARCEL ON THE TRAIN at CSC and MOTHER RUSSIA at Signature

• By drediman
• February 25, 2026
• No Comments

As we all know, history is a slippery, tricky thing. Currently on the boards, there are two new Off-Broadway plays that have chosen to cut through the thick gauze of time with colored lights, thereby fantastically illuminating pivotal eras from the past. Read on for my thoughts to find out more about my thoughts on these new works.

MOTHER RUSSIA
Signature Theatre Company
Through March 15

This week saw the opening of Lauren Yee’s new play Mother Russia (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) courtesy of Off-Broadway’s Signature Theatre Company. In essence, Yee’s inspired and very funny post-Soviet satire depicts the absurdities of the power grab following the fall of communism in Russia — which eventually led to the rise of the oligarchy — as seen through the eyes of two hapless young men trying to get ahead in their country’s shifting political and economic landscape. Teddy Bergman’s sharp and tonally on point production features heightened and comedically brilliant performances all around. As the aforementioned duo, Steven Boyer (maxed out on obnoxious bravado) and Adam Chanler-Berat (hilariously middling) are a cross between a vaudevillian act and headliners of a Dumb and Dumber-like flick. As the mysterious woman who comes between them, the reliably great Rebecca Naomi Jones brings welcome depth and humanity to the proceedings, while David Turner’s dry turn in the conceptual title role is nothing short of a masterclass in sardonic camp. His sporadic appearances are some of the most delicious passages in the play, certainly one of Yee’s smartest, tightest, and most confident to date. Conveying absurdity with absurdity is its masterstroke.

MARCEL ON THE TRAIN
Classic Stage Company
Through March 22

Over at Classic Stage Company, you’ll find Marcel on the Train (RECOMMENDED), Marshall Pailet and Ethan Slater’s harrowing but theatrically vibrant new play chronicling the heroic deeds of legendary mime Marcel Marceau, who — as a young man before finding worldwide success as a performer — guided Jewish children from a French orphanage to safety in Switzerland during the midst of the horrors of World War II. Although based on true events, Pailet has given the imaginative production a heightened stylization that gives the tale the air of a folk tale rather than a cut and dry history lesson. In the title role, Slater — who is perhaps best known for headlining SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway and playing Boq in the Wicked films — shows off both his superb physicality (for which he is well known) and considerable dramatic acting chops (for which he isn’t necessarily). He depicts the escalating psychological toll of Marceau‘s strenuous plight in an affectingly subdued performance that strikingly contrasts his gifts as a physical actor. It’s an elegant and thoughtful turn that’s surely a step forward for the popular actor. The rest of the ensemble cast — who largely portray the agitated children in Marceau‘s charge — aren’t slouches either. Most notably, they don’t condescend to these young characters, successfully conveying the intelligence and layered complexities that lie within them.