MY STUBBORN TONGUE

By Anna Fishbeyn

Directed by Scott Klavan
Scenic and Lighting Design: Adrian Roman
Production Assistant and Social Media: Laurie Beckoff

Featuring: Anna Fishbeyn

New Ohio Theatre
154 Christopher Street
August 6- 24, 2014, Opening Friday, August 8 at 8pm
http://newohiotheatre.org/ourcurrentseason.htm

Many immigrant stories are full of intrigue, adventure, sadness and determination. Anna’s story is no exception. She immigrated to the States with her family when she was nine years old, as one of the “grain Jews” – Soviet citizens who were traded for wheat. This was during the Reagan era, when Russia was referred to as the evil empire. The play begins at the end, with her graduation from Columbia, and travels forward as she recounts the obstacles and the loneliness in her new home and dealing with the stigma of immigrant life.

Her desire to fit in, get along and belong, propels her to excel in the tongue of her newly adopted country. Despite her efforts, she continuously gets tripped up with what it means to be “American”: from dressing right, suffering through relationships, and even using an alias. Anna undergoes six changes of clothing during the performance. A language and culture counselor mentors her over a loud speaker. She repeats: “I focus, I shift, I imitate. Assimilation is survival.”

Anna comes full circle, determined to be American, while she holds onto her Russian roots without pretension. She stands out with her superior intellect…. and succeeds. The show could benefit from a bit more editing, but in this one-woman show, Anna playfully acts out her adventures, and portrays various characters she encounters along the way, including various family members.

- Gloria Talamas -