- University of Alberta’s Studio Theatre’s presentation of Paula Vogel’s play Indecent is heartwarming, entertaining, and heart wrenching. The dedication of the actors and the director, Benjamin W. Smith, to the rich essence of the script is evident in the emotional draw of the play.
Indecent is essentially a play within a play and tells the true story of Jewish playwright Sholem Asch’s revolutionary play The God of Vengeance. Indecent follows the evolution of Asch’s play from inception and subsequent success as a Yiddish language drama. Tension arises when the play is translated into English and the important parts of the play are lost in translation and subject to the indecency laws of 1920s America. Indecent, like the play it portrays, is sharp-witted and poignant in showcasing true creative courage in the face of tradition, the intricacies of identity, censorship, and love.
There are plenty of moments that make Indecent the brilliant play that it is, but there is one key moment in which the play truly shines. This scene takes place in the Lodz Ghetto, in which Lemml, a simple yet courageous country tailor, played by Maxwell Vesely, leads a troupe in performing The God of Vengeance. This scene is both heartwarming and harrowing, as it shows creativity and extreme courage in times of uncertainty and danger.
Indecent is a must-see play that will have you both laughing-out-loud and near tears, but most significantly, it teaches its audience about the importance of integrity and courage.
Indecent | till December 9 - Timms Centre for the Arts | 87 112 Street
