With The Characters All The Way In Rock 'n' Roll
Written by DCist contributor Andrej Krasnansky
Tom Stoppard set his 2006 play, Rock 'n' Roll, in the dual locations of Cambridge and Prague during the time of the Soviet takeover of Czechoslovakia (1968-1987). His protagonist is Czech-born Jan, living in England at a time of turmoil in his homeland, much like Stoppard himself was. Unlike the playwright, however, Jan (Stafford Price-Clark) chooses to return to his country during this time of strife. Stoppard chooses to embody the conflict between Western-style democracy and communism within a college student, Jan, who loves rock music, and hardline professor Max (Ted van Griethuysen). As a symbol of freedom, Jan clings to his music throughout the time he is surveiled and, eventually, imprisoned.
It sounds like heady stuff, but Stoppard is the master of taking philosophy and spinning out good stories. In Cambridge, for example, Max and Eleanor (Lisa Harrow) aren't just arguing about a Sappho poem; they're arguing about love and what happens when your lover fades away. Jan and Ferdinand (David Agranov) aren't just bickering over petitions, they're trying to deal with the oppression they face.
Stafford Clark-Price draws you in via the easygoing rapport of his gentle, record-hound Jan. From the beginning, you are with Jan, wincing at his awkward interactions with Esme (Katie Henney, then Lisa Harrow), frustrated for him when he is talked down to by his professor Max, and even more frustrated when his government attacks him and his Plastic People. Clark-Price's talent lies in believability and affability; he doesn't just hit a line or two well, but rather persuades throughout. Other standout performances include Harrow as Eleanor, who burns with life, while Van Griethuysen's Max is the epitome of an academic ideologue, so cut off from reality that he's almost too aloof to be relatable.
Studio chose to perform this play in one of its smallest spaces, the Milton Theatre, bringing the audience close enough to smell the throat lozenge of the spook outside Jan's apartment. The entire play is also in the round, submerging you in the situation. You are not an observer on the politics of Czechoslovakia; you are a participant.
Rock 'n' Roll is playing at Studio Theater through May 31. Tickets are available online.