Polish Joke

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

How many Polacks does it take to change a light bulb?

What bus runs into a Polack?

What?

Politically incorrect Polack jokes on stage in full view for everyone to hear?

Yes, indeed, when the Denver Repertory Theatre takes on David Ives Tony Award autobiographical play Polish Joke at the John Hand Theatre.

Nine-year old Jasiu sits close to his Uncle Roman (Dave Brandl) paying attention to his uncle’s words of wisdom on what it means to be Polish. Nine-year old boys don’t just sit and listen, they fiddle with whatever happens to catch their attention. In this case, shoelaces. Nine-year old boys just don’t tie their shoelaces and be done with it. They experiment. What would happen if you tie them together? Can long laces be tied around the knee? Nine-year old boys can be totally absorbed in the fiddling and still pay attention to an uncle. Nine-year old boys have been multi-tasking long before the term became fashionable.

Wait a minute.

This isn’t a nine-year old boy under the baseball cap. That’s David C. Riley engulfed in a nine-year old boy’s psyche. For the first few moments of Polish Joke, directed by Kris Hipps with skillful expertise, the scene is worth double the price of the ticket. Not only does Riley mesmerize, Brandl runs a close second. Lost in memories of Roman’s Polish heritage working in a mill, adding eggs and salt to his beer, confessing all Polish jokes are true, and if one wants to escape the cloistered stereotype, what Roman calls the Polish Gong, one needs to change one’s identity.Constantly amazing that the melting pot of the world, the U.S., continues to stress differences in color of skin and ethnicity rather than the similarities. Having grown up in South Chicago, known as the Polish Catholic realm, Ives attacks the issue with humor, very funny humor, without a mean stroke anywhere.

All the while Roman philosophizes on being Polish, and Jasiu fiddles with his shoe laces, the young boy’s father, Wojtek, (Bob Wolper) sleeps in a most relaxed let-it-all-hang-out way.

Six actors float smoothly through 24 different characters, maintaining each character’s unique individuality through what appears to be individualized sketches. Ives ties them all together through Jasiu’s striving to find the meaning of life. As a Polish man, is he destined to be reduced to a particular life style because of expectations and perceptions? If he changes his name adopting another nationality does that really change him? What difference does it make if he’s Polish, Jewish, or Irish? Even with a name change isn’t he still Polish? Ives explores these questions with wit and clever humor that doesn’t offend anyone but still navigates through the mire if why is a person’s differences more important than the similarities? Why is where he’s from more important that who he is?

Stuart Bell’s lighting and set design on the small stage plays into Jasiu’s odyssey to find meaning in life in an attempt to escape the stereotypical Polish preordained station in life.

Jasiu’s answer? He’ll be Irish. Choosing the name John Sadler he immediately runs into difficulty with the World Corporation Human Resources interviewing with Portia Gales hysterically played by Sara Martin Michael. She wants to know his nationality. The name Sadler confuses her, not exactly fitting her notion of “Irishness.” John launches into a heart-tugging rendition of Danny Boy; she’s still not convinced. Pressing on in hyper animation, she asks point blank if he is Polish and did he change his name. Responding by asking her the same question, Portia comes unglued in laughter. Michael’s gregariousness with Portia offsets rattling John’s determination.

In high school, he insists on talking with a priest, wonderfully portrayed by Wolper. John has a problem, a serious problem. He’s obsessed with girls dressed in red and white, the colors of the Polish flag. What significance does this have on his inner world? Dare he explore it with the Priest, or should he just stumble along?

A scene that jumps right off the stage comes when John enters a flower shop. Jason Rueter rolls himself into a manic Florist who can’t see John. Somehow the Polish Irishman has become invisible. A sign reads Russian Roses, Irish Irises, Polish Posies. A classic comedic scene, this one calls for spontaneous flexibility and Reuter and Riley deliver non-stop. The harder Rueter pushes the Florist, the more intense Riley pushes back with John, digging deep into laughter about invisible people created in our world.

On his way to a party at his girlfriend’s, Rachel, (Michael) John actually lives a Polish joke by getting hit by the bus he was trying to catch.

One way to solve the problem is for John to move to Ireland. Not as simple a decision as one would think. Encountering Miss MacFlanigan (Anita Harkness), Mr. O’Flanigan (Rueter), and Mrs. Flanigan (Michael) dressed in their Irish green sporting shamrocks; they want to know his name. Avoiding previous mishaps, he thinks, John tells them his name is John Flanigan, whereupon he’s asked “Are You a true Flanigan or a fake Flanigan flying the Flanigan Flag? An optional quiz is provided for John, who just wants to be happy. All things aren’t what they seem to be and John gets the surprise of his life.

What does Poland have that everyone wants? Rachel queries. “How many times are you going to change your name?”

John encounters a doctor (Rueter) when he ends up with a broken foot. The diagnosis: he’s Polish.

Nothing sags in this production as John’s odyssey carries him from Polish Joke to Polish Joke his nationality always under suspicion. The cast maintains the energy as though every scene is the most important. Brandl not only plays Uncle Roman but a Sanitation worker as well. Wolper adds Officer Gaelic, Leon and Thaddeus Koachuszka to his characterized list. Harkness subdues Magda, Zosia, Flower Shop Assistant, Enid, Nurse, Flight attendant, and Olga with equal animation. Michael along with Portia, Rachel and Mrs. Flanigan parlays with the Myterious Woman in Black and Rueter completes his role playing Ladislaw Sadiouski.

Strung together in sketches that could stand alone, with their comedic timing fast paced upside down sense of humor, all tied together making sense always asking the question What is more important? Where someone comes from or who they are?

Polish Joke provides a very funny look at a very serious sociological problem with an energized highly talented cast who work together and bounce off each other as though some unknown feature ties them together.

This is an important piece of work not only for the subject matter, but also for the mastery the Denver Rep Company packages and delivers it. For a rib tickling thought provoking experience, Polish Joke should not be missed.