Review: 'Seder' at Hartford Stage

Photos by T. Charles Erickson

Seder: A Jewish ritual service and ceremonial dinner for the first night or first two nights of Passover.

Hartford, CT - ‘Seder’ is a hard-hitting family drama by Sarah Gancher that runs at Hartford Stage through November 12. The theater has been developing this new play over the past two years; it was directed by the associate artistic director of Hartford Stage, Elizabeth Williamson. Hartford Stage partnered for the first time with the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford on this work.

“Seders observed by Jews worldwide serve as a forum...not only for traditional rites, but also as a living reflection on modern circumstances.” Michael Stotts, Managing Director and Darko Tresnjak Artistic Director

The play is set in 2002 during a secular Jewish family’s first ever Passover seder. The mother’s mysterious past working for the Hungarian KGB clashes mightily with her grown daughter’s outrage over past atrocities. In the prologue, the retired typist learns that her photograph is posted on a Wall of Murderers in a museum dedicated to Community atrocities -- and her estranged daughter is the one who put it there. A lifetime of very dark secrets begins to unravel with intensity and big moral questions are raised as the characters attempt to finish the seder. That the work was inspired by a true story makes it even more dark.

I had some trouble getting into the modern space of the family dynamics at the beginning of the hour and 45 minutes wisely presented without intermission. Once the finely produced flashbacks to the mother’s past began, things started to make more sense. I found the son, a punk who is presumably the youngest sibling, annoying at first, although the young man provided much of the necessary comic (if vulgar) relief. When this character began to speak briefly in heavily accented English, I was confused as to whether the play was presented in English but was actually taking place in Hungarian or visa versa, not that it really mattered. The production is recommended for ages 18+ and I would agree because of the language and adult content.

Audience members on social media called the work powerful, emotional and thought-provoking and I guess I would agree. Some called it universal and even very American, but I wondered if that was the playwright’s intention. Despite the fact that the action takes place during the (constantly interrupted) seder ritual service, perhaps for some the Jewish religion was not prominent enough to make an impression. It was clear that the family was not currently very religious, but the fact that the matriarch was a young Jew was very important in her heartbreaking past.

Mia Dillon (‘Cloud 9’ at Hartford Stage, ‘Our Town’ with Paul Newman on Broadway) led the cast in the role of the matriarch Erzsike and did very well with a most difficult character. The seasoned actress had to go back in time to when she was a young secretary at the AVO and the sexual harassment by her superior Attila was hard to watch. Jeremy Webb, who was awarded a CT Critics Circle Award for ‘The Laramie Project’ at Theatreworks, played the evil Attila.

Steven Rattazzi (‘Indecent’ on Broadway) played the role of therapist/seder leader David and Julia Sirna-Frest, in her Hartford Stage debut, was super in the role of the peace maker daughter Margit (pronounced Margey.) That son Laci was brought to life well by Dustin Ingram in his debut at Hartford Stage. Birgit Huppuch made her Hartford Stage debut as the eldest daughter Judit who comes late to the seder for reasons of her own. Ms. Huppuch was awarded a CT Critics Circle Award for ‘The Moors.’ Liam Craig (‘The Scene’ at Hartford Stage) appeared as the deceased husband Tamas.

The scenic design by Nick Vaughan set an ordinary Hungarian home against the aforementioned wall of shame quite effectively. Costumes by Ilona Somogyi worked well with wigs designed by Jodi Stone. Sound by Jane Shaw was essentially effective.

Next up at Hartford Stage will be the annual holiday classic, the 20th anniversary season of ‘Christmas Carol: A Ghost Tale of Christmas’ directed by Michael Wilson and featuring Michael Preston in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. It runs November 24 through December 30.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues and she posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theater Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417