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dancing ... music
by Billy Rose
JET's Sonia Flew
Ronelle Grier
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amily drama and political
intrigue combine in the Jewish
Ensemble Theatre (JET) pro-
duction of Sonia Flew, a show rich
with meaning, excitement and univer-
sal themes. A multi-talented cast and
crew bring to life a multi-layered story
with multi-generational appeal.
Written in 2004 by Melinda Lopez,
this is a play that requires its audi-
ence to pay attention, but the rewards
are well worth the effort. Six actors
portray a dozen different characters in
a story that goes from a Minneapolis
living room in 2001 to a villa in
Havana 40 years earlier.
The play is a co-production by the
Will David Young and Sarab Kamoo
JET, where it runs through Jan. 2, and
in a scene from JET's Sonia Flew
Performance Network Theatre in Ann
Arbor, where it received kudos from crit-
ics and audiences earlier in the season.
characters, and countries.
Set and Props Designer Monika
The opening scene shows Sonia, a
Essen brings equal authenticity to a
Cuban-American wife and mother,
variety of locations; foreign battle-
played by Milica Govich, preparing
fields, tropical villas and Midwestern
to celebrate Christmas/Chanukah/
dining rooms. Lighting
Shabbat, complete with a
Designer Daniel Walker
fully decorated Christmas
and Sound Designer Phil
tree flanked on either side
Powers do an excellent
by a menorah.
job providing the realistic sights and
Joining Sonia are her Jewish hus-
sounds of exploding bombs. The back-
band, Daniel (Jon Bennett), two
ground of Cuban songs and music
teenagers Jen and Zak (Christina
Flynn and Russ Schwartz, and visiting adds a nice touch.
Mary Copenhagen's costume designs
father-in-law Sam (Will David Young).
make each character unique, even
Tempers flare after Zak announces
that he has enlisted in the military and those played by the same actors. Sarab
Kamoo, thanks to excellent acting skills
will soon be departing for war-torn
and creative costuming, is equally con-
Afghanistan. As might be expected,
vincing as Pilar, Sonia's Cuban mother,
Sonia is distressed by the idea of her
as she is playing the tough soldier Nina
only son putting on a uniform and
in a brief, but powerful combat scene at
going off to battle.
the end of the first act.
Bit by bit, the audience learns that
Of the many themes that run
Sonia came to the United States as a
teenager, sent by her parents to escape through this play, most notable is the
concept of forgiveness. Sonia ulti-
the new Cuban regime. Her exile was
mately realizes that only by coming to
part of an early 1960s program called
terms with the past she has worked so
"Operation Pedro Pan (Peter Pan):'
hard to forget can she live peacefully
where more than 14,000 children
in the present. Her journey is a flight
and teenagers carrying falsified visas
you won't want to miss.
boarded airplanes that took off under
cover of darkness.
Their families were told that the
JET presents Sonia Flew through
separation would only be temporary;
Jan. 2 at the Jewish Community
but most of the children, like Sonia,
Center in West Bloomfield.
never returned.
Performances are 7:30 p.m.
Director David Wolber, artistic
Thursdays,
5 and 8:30 p.m.
director for Performance Network
Saturdays
and
2 and 6 p.m.
Theatre, does an outstanding job of
Sundays,
with
a
2 p.m. perfor-
meeting the challenges of this complex
mance Wednesday, Dec. 29. (248)
production. The action flows smoothly,
788 2900; www.jettheatre.org.
despite constantly changing scenes,
REVIEW
MN Mal =I
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42
December 16 • 2010
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