STAGE REVIEW 'Polish Joke' puts humor in ethnicity

Those offended by the F-word should probably choose another play.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
If you're looking for some local theater that's a bit off the edge, check out Youngstown State University's production of "Polish Joke." This BlackBox (student) production, directed by Joseph Nahhas, is a comical look into one man's quest to discover what it means to be Polish.
The story begins as Jasiu's Uncle Roman sits on a lawn chair in a dirty undershirt, drinking a beer with egg and salt.
He explains all the disgusting traits that make Polish people unique, such as eating duck blood soup, which, he points out, not even cannibals eat. Polish, he notes, is the only language in the world where K is a vowel, with names no one can pronounce. Polish people are naturally gloomy, depressed and overcome by feelings of futility, several times a day -- even when they're in the bathroom doing personal things. He further said that everything always goes wrong for Polish people, like the man who was killed by the bus he was running to catch.
In short, he concludes that all Polish jokes are true, and advises Jasiu to be something other than Polish. He recommends Irish.
Surreal
The rest of the play becomes surreal: little scenes from Jasiu's miserable adult life, as he attempts to hide his ethnicity and to become what he is not. It's almost like he is caught in a nightmare from which he can't awaken, where people behave in the strangest manner toward him, and all because he's Polish.
The more he tries to hide from his background, the more people uncover his truth. That is, until he accidentally ends up in Warsaw on a flight to Ireland. There, he meets Olga, who points out that he could not possibly be Polish, because real Polish people don't act as he does: ashamed of Poland.
Adding to the surrealism, the same five actors play all the different characters who interact with Jasiu.
The set consists of little clusters of props set all over the stage, and the cast moves to each one as the play progresses.
The dialogue is fast-paced, witty and tongue-in-cheek. But one word of warning: If you are offended by the F-word, you should probably choose another play. Though the dialogue is filled with profanity, it is all said in a humorous way and meant in good fun. Nevertheless, this is not a performance for children.
Cast
To say this is a challenging play for the performers is an understatement. English is mingled with Polish and a variety of accents, including Irish and Jewish, and the character (and costume) changes happen practically in the blink of an eye. But the cast stepped up to the challenge, and their performance was awesome.
Philip Kold stars as Jasiu, and Bernard Wilkes plays Uncle Roman and numerous other personalities, including the priest who is relieved when Jasiu confesses he has an interest in girls, and not boys or sheep.
Alyssa Connelly portrays many diverse characters, including the blissfully happy Mrs. Flanagan, who is so filled with glee, she seems unaware that nearly every word she spews is an obscenity.
Jennifer McCombs turns Jasiu on throughout the play by wearing red and white, including her underwear, as the drug-addicted Nurse. And Krista Barr, as Enid, is hot for Jasiu, until she finds out he's not really Jewish. Brandon Smith had one of the few serious roles as General Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who returned from the dead, and lamented the division of Poland.
This is a fun and entertaining play. It runs tonight at 8 and Sunday at 3 p.m. Call (330) 941-3105 for ticket information.