'The Danube' examines the effects of war

Originally published Nov 11, 2004

Cuban-American playwright Maria Irene Fornes structured The Danube around a series of recorded Hungarian language lessons. This may sound like the setup for a play about the difficulties of understanding a foreign culture. But Fornes' early 1980s drama - which is receiving an interesting but uneven production by Run of the Mill Theater - is about the difficulties of dealing with war and its aftereffects.

Most of the scenes begin with a taped voice announcing: "Unit One (or Two or Three) - Basic Sentences," then segue into more normal dialogue. Fornes cleverly uses this format to tell the story of Paul (Jon Ferreira), an American working in World War II-era Budapest, who marries Eve (Janel Miley), the daughter of a Hungarian acquaintance (Richard Cutting).

The plot initially seems as innocuous as the banal language exercises, but quickly turns menacing. Paul, Eve and her father become mysteriously ill. Paul is shipped off to a hospital, and then to the battlefront.

They are finally reunited, ailing and in ragged clothing. One scene - of Paul and Eve packing - is re-enacted with puppets, which look even more broken-down than the actors.

By this time, the actors are wearing protective goggles, suggesting not only that their characters are trying to shield themselves from radiation, but that they have lost their vision - literally and symbolically - as well as their health.

Under Kathleen Amshoff's direction, the production has some striking film-noir imagery. The actors start out confidently, but seem awkward after their characters become debilitated, which takes some of the chill off Fornes' disturbing drama.

Run of the Mill has framed Fornes' play with two short comic pieces by modernist writer Djuna Barnes, each peripherally related to The Danube.

One piece, Five Thousand Miles is set on a desert island, populated by two shipwrecked people who longed to get away from civilization. Because Amshoff casts the same actors who portray Paul and Eve in The Danube, Barnes' playlet seems to offer the slim hope that the couple might have escaped to a better place.

But for the most part, the pieces come across as tacked-on comedy sketches and do little to illuminate Fornes' play, which is substantial enough on its own.

Run on the Mill performs in the Mobtown Theater, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, at 8 p.m. tonight, tomorrow, Saturday and Nov. 19; 7 p.m. Nov. 14 and 21; and 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Nov. 20. Tickets are $12. Call 410-796-1555 or visit www.runofthemilltheater.org.