Review: 'Indecent' Probes Homophobia, Antisemitism in 1923 New York

Paula Vogel's Tony award-winning "Indecent," now being performed by Wilbury Theatre Group, asks fundamental questions about freedom, bigotry, sexual expression, and the responsibility of artists to their art and their communities.

In 1923, Polish playwright Sholem Asch's "God of Vengeance" opened on Broadway and was soon shut down. The cast was charged with obscenity and found guilty in a court of law. Their crime? A scene showing two women kissing in the rain.

"God of Vengeance" was set in a brothel and depicted the love between a prostitute (Manke) and the daughter of the brothel's owner (Rifkele).

"This play will cause a sensation," says Sholem's wife Madje while reading his manuscript.

It certainly does, but not before meeting with skepticism and discomfort from Asch's peers, who accuse him of depicting Jews in a derogatory light and thereby fanning the flames of antisemitism. When he is advised to burn his play, Asch declines and forges ahead.

"God of Vengeance" was performed all over Europe for nearly two decades before being translated from Yiddish into English for American audiences.

Asch was accused of promoting "sexual immorality" and "undermining the family" in his writing. Sound familiar?

A Rabbi (Dave Rabinow) laments the negative effect of Asch's play, noting Jews go to the theater for "relief," not condemnation. The honor of the Jewish people is at stake, he argues.

Guided by Susie Schutt's imaginative direction, the story is brought to life with some haunting imagery. At one point, the actors don coats with the gold Star of David as they prepare to meet their fate at the hands of the Nazis.

There is a great deal of music in the show (written by Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva), which works brilliantly at establishing a mood of melancholy and foreboding. The performers include Dylan Bowden, on accordion, Stephen Toro on clarinet, and Florence Wallis on violin.

Chris Stahl is endearingly lovable as the bookish stage manager Lemml, whose passion for Asch's work is all encompassing. Stahl doesn't portray Lemml as a cartoon but as a sensitive man searching for fulfillment in a cruel world.

When the play is closed, Lemml realizes America is not as free as he believed and announces he is returning to Poland. It's shattering to witness his disillusionment with a place where he hoped to live out his life.

As Asch, Patrick O'Konis is also terrific. He's hurt by the criticism of his play and becomes deeply disenchanted with the world of theater. Eventually, Asch found greater satisfaction as a novelist.

Anna Slate and Aimee Doherty are engaging as Reina and Dine, the actresses playing Rifkele and Manke, who are in a romantic relationship of their own. Their relationship is jeopardized when Reina is fired due to her problems learning English and is replaced by an inexperienced American actress.

Scott Levine ("How I Learned to Drive") is dynamic in multiple roles, including Rudolph Schildkraut, a theater actor, and Asch as an older man.

In a time when books are being banned and so-called "offensive" art is being censored or removed from public view, one has to wonder when it will all end.

"Indecent" is a powerful indictment of oppression and censorship, as well as a tribute to the men and women who are willing to risk their lives for the chance to express their inner selves.

"Indecent" runs through May 7. Wilbury Theatre Group. WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St., Providence, RI. For tickets, visit www.thewilburygroup.org. Face coverings are encouraged.