Onstage: Лафкадио/Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back.

Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back  premiered last night on the small stage of the Мастерская club/cafe/theater in Moscow.  The show is based on a story by Shel Silverstein, directed by Svetlana Ivanova (An actress at the Praktika theater, Бытие № 2, Рыдания)  and stars Cazimir Liske and Odin Biron.  The set designer is Dmitry Razumov and the light designer is Yevgeniy Vinogradov.   

Before I get down to basics about this show, let me just start out by saying that Caz and Odin are two acquaintences of mine who I've had the pleasure of knowing a long time, and who have never done anything short of impress.  Caz, Odin and I share the same alma mater, but where I graduated as part of a 100% American course (well, lets say closer to 82%...three Russians graduated with us...), Caz and Odin graduated as part of a Russian course, something that always evokes a special respect and love for the two of them.  As a result, they handle the challenges of performing in a foreign language with a deftness and style all their own, making the occasional difficulties of pronunciation or translation work for them and not against them.  The result is a performance that is charming, humorous, witty, full of laughs and not short on brains or relevance.

This is a project that has been percolating for a long time now, taking its first steps last year as part of their (Caz and Odin's) fourth year speech exam.  The work back then was only part of Silverstein's short story, and was impressive on its own, but with the help Svetlana Ivanova and their own individual perseverance, they have taken the work to the next level, producing a piece of fairy-tale theater enjoyable for children and adults alike.  Indeed, it is a rarity to find modern theater that is so adept at appealing to both audiences.  One of the sponsors for this project is the "Будильник" (Alarm Clock) Theater, which has the show listed as part of its repertory.  I don't know much about this theater, except what is written on their website (www.teatrbudilnik.ru/), a theater that wants to tell 'fairy tales that don't put you to sleep, but tell you to wake up'.  If Caz and Odin keep working the way they are, however, my ignorance about this seemingly new theater is bound to be merely passing. 

"Lafcadio" is the story of a lion in the jungle that one day, instead of running from his hunters, eats one, takes his gun and learns how to shoot it, becoming the 'best shot in the jungle'.  As his skill and renown grow, a circus director named Filchfinger arrives in the jungle to sign him to a contract promising to make him not only the best shot in the jungle, but the 'best shot in the world' in his circus.  Lafcadio journeys to the big city, where fame, fortune, and tons of his favorite Marshmellows (in Russian, Marmelade) await him.  However, years later, after he has achieved success, Lafcadio falls into depression because he wants something 'new'.  His friends decide to take him on a safari to the jungle to go hunting, and when he stumbles onto his fellow lions, he faces a terrible choice;  which world is he part of? Human, or Lion?  With both sides pleading and at the same time threatening in their efforts to convince him to join them, Lafcadio drops his gun and bolts, not being able to choose either, never to be seen or heard from again.

With minimal and at the same time highly creative set and light, this show is a testament to the talent of these two young actors, their resourcefulness, creativity, and the story of anyone who is caught between two worlds, no longer able to fully belong to one or the other, forced to forge their own, independent path...

Lafcadio is playing at the Мастерская club (http://www.mstrsk.ru/, http://lafcadio.ru/ ) again on June 28th.  If you're in Moscow, and want to see some budding, young, underground theater light on special effects but heavy on talent, this is the show for you...

-A