The characters in “Russian Transport” sprinkle their conversations with Russian phrases.
Sometimes, they switch over to the language of their motherland for a whole sentence or two. But you don’t need to be fluent in Russian to understand what they’re talking about.
The Slavic accents—and the way these émigrés fluidly move back and forth between English and Russian—give playwright Erika Sheffer’s drama an aura of authenticity. That realism is deepened by director Yasen Peyankov and his excellent cast in this Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre.
The family at the center of this story is feeling the tensions that immigrants often experience: A younger generation is growing up American and rebelling against Old World parents.
Mariann Mayberry plays the bossy mother, Diana, with a constant sense of exasperation and a rueful sense of humor—she’s responsible for many of the play’s laughs. Alan Wilder plays the father, Misha, as a man who is increasingly frustrated. Melanie Neilan portrays their sassy teen daughter, Mira, and Aaron Himelstein is their street-savvy son, Alex, both of them vividly displaying their impatience with their elders. The two young actors are especially adept at abruptly—but naturally—shifting from one emotion to another.
All of this could be the setup for a sitcom, but the tale has a darker hue because of Diana’s brother, Boris, who is just arriving from Russia. As played by Tim Hopper, he’s roguishly charming, but it’s immediately clear that he’s up to some mysterious, and probably shady, business. Although “Russian Transport” drifts along for much of its first half, eventually the young Alex is drawn into his uncle’s nefarious schemes, bringing the family’s long-simmering conflicts to a point of crisis.
By the climax, they’re all facing disturbing facts about their past and some difficult decisions about what to do in the present day. “Russian Transport” fades to black at an unsettling moment of ambiguity, leaving us wondering about this family’s future.
“Russian Transport” continues through May 11 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. For tickets and details, call 312-335-1650 or visit Steppenwolf’s website.
Photo: Aaron Himelstein (standing), Melanie Neilan and Tim Hopper play members of a Russian emigre family in “Russian Transport” at Steppenwolf Theatre. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
