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.