In “Dark Night Bright Stars,” which has its American premiere on June 3-19 at La MaMa E.T.C. in Manhattan, Virlana Tkacz and Yara Arts Group use the relationship between Ukrainian bard Taras Shevchenko, played by Sean Eden, and the African American actor Ira Aldridge, played by Jeremy Tardy, to address themes such as serfdom/slavery, cross-cultural friendship and the meaning of home.
The action takes place in St. Petersburg in 1858 after Shevchenko was set free after 10 years of imprisonment for criticizing the tsar. Then he met Aldridge who was touring Russia as a Shakespearian actor for the first time and drew his portrait. The show is based on the diary of Ekaterina Tolstoy Yunge, played enthusiastically by Maria Pleshkevich, who wrote about their relationship.
The show opens with the bandurist Julian Kytasty in an alcove that is part of the simple yet beautiful set design by Watoku Ueno. A bare background is outlined with woodcuts and used to show off the projections by Waldemart Klyuzko, the first of which is a painting by Shevchenko depicting a girl in bright Ukrainian costume.
When Shevchenko and Aldridge met, they discovered that they were both deeply affected by the loss of their mothers when they were 9. Aldridge’s mother appears in flashback scenes. Shona Tucker stuns with her strong voice as she sings to her son, the young Ira played by Barak Tucker.
Though they came from different places, Shevchenko and Aldridge shared similar histories. Shevchenko was a serf and, as he explains to Aldridge, his friends had to buy his freedom after they saw the beautiful painting he had done in the Bolshoi theater. Aldridge came from the U.S., where slavery was prevalent. When Ekaterina Tolstoy Yunge tells Aldridge that Shevchenko comes from Little Russia and Aldridge attempts to explain how he was born free, he refers to the South as Little America, showing their similarities.
In one scene Aldridge uses stereotypes of his time in his depiction of Mungo in “Padlock.” Shevchenko and Yunge follow suit, flailing their arms and legs. Then Aldridge remembers his mother scolding him for doing similar imitations as a child. Their actions are put to a stop, but not before Shevchenko draws a parallel. He throws his tie beneath his nose like a handlebar mustache and swings his legs showing how people have made fun of Ukrainian stereotypes.
When the translator wasn’t present, Shevchenko and Aldridge learned to communicate through the use of a few words. One of these is “beautiful,” referring to their mothers, their countries and the drawing that Shevchenko did of Aldridge. They also communicated through their love of Shakespeare and art. When Aldridge performs a scene from “Othello,” Shevchenko understands it and responds with a cry of “Bravo!”
This is where the acting really shines. Even though Messrs. Eden and Tardy are both speaking English, we are convinced that they don’t understand each other. They use exaggerated gestures and expressions to convey meaning. Finally they come upon a word they both understand and form a bond.
Both Shevchenko and Aldridge were estranged from their homes. This theme is brought to a climax with the hymn “Jerusalem My Happy Home.” This is an especially touching moment as all the characters join in. Mr. Kytasty sings in Ukrainian along with Shevchenko and Yunge, and the languages blend seamlessly into one another.
Another poignant moment is Shevchenko’s recitation of “It’s All the Same to Me” translated by Virlana Tkacz and Wanda Phipps. He says, “But it’s not all the same to me,/ If evil people put Ukraine to sleep.” Mr. Eden’s powerful voice adds to the touching and inflammatory nature of the poem.
Ms. Tkacz and Ms. Phipps created a booklet of poems by Shevchenko in their translations. Shevchenko wrote six of the poems clandestinely, while he was imprisoned. One of the last poems in the book also marks the end of the show. “We sang, then parted/ Without tears, without a word,” writes Shevchenko, revealing the uncertainty of the separation of Shevchenko and Aldridge. Would they ever see each other again?
Moments like the singing of Jerusalem and the recitation of Shevchenko’s poem help make the show something that everyone can relate to. Although the events presented took place long ago, the warm friendship between Shevchenko and Aldridge is one that transcends time.