Word: luba
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...crisp Saturday morning, and exercise instructor Ludmilla Fedina is barking orders like a drill sergeant. "Don't be lazy. You have five more seconds," she cries to Luba Yeremeeva, 27, a machine-tool worker who is pumping away on a Soviet-made stationary bike. Galina Usochina, 47, a factory engineer, turns red as borscht as she works out on a rowing machine. And retiree Zinaida Kolmakova flashes a gold-toothed grin while she demonstrates how, at 61, she can do a dozen chin-ups. Business is brisk at the Krylatskoya Physical Fitness Clinic in west Moscow...
...next lover in the lineup is Jack, a married man who is torn between his responsibilities to Luba, to his family, and to his job. Brian Howe injects the role with much needed energy and sincerity. Despite the patently absurd situation in which his character finds himself, Howe presents Jack as a highly believable and sympathetic fellow. He also is also very, very funny. Jack's outrageous telephone calls home are undeniably the high point of the play. In fact, Brian Howe truly outclasses the rest of the cast, not only in energy but also in his breadth of emotion...
WITHOUT SHEDDING TOO many tears, Jack finally leaves, as he inevitably must, since there is one more name on the bill, and we are presented with the story of Luba's marriage to George. Richard Snee has a difficult job in this role: to keep the audience awake in a play that has already run too long. He has a few things working for him--including strong delivery of a few funny lines--but a lot more working against him. The chief enemy of this scene is the dullness of the character; George is an older man whose only amusement...
After George's departure (Luba is keeping the house too clean) we return once more to the present, as Luba despairs of her date ever arriving. She yammers on a bit longer, talking about her hopes for the future, the need to break free of the past, and so on, until finally the doorbell rings. The lights dim as, lo and behold, the (hopefully) new man in her life appears and embraces her as the lights dim for the last time. Unfortunately, the New Ehrlich Theatre seems to be somewhat low on performers, for the actor who appears...
...performers who spend the bulk of the play on stage, Durham and Forsythe, are both barely adequate for their roles. Durham plays melodiously, but his repertoire is too limited for the length of the production (just under two hours). Forsythe lacks the emotional range that the role of Luba calls for; she is also ill-equipped to handle the artificial monologues. She should be given credit, however, for keeping her energy up throughout the entire marathon...