By Tracy Hawkins
There are three people performing in the Wilma Theater’s World Premiere of “My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion” who could arguably be considered the hardest working cast in show business. Someone somewhere is doing “Noises Off,” and could perhaps give them a run for their money, but this show is a rush – for the cast and the audience.
Ukrainian playwright Sasha Denisova has written a love letter to her own mamma, Olga, who, at 82 years old, refuses to leave her lifelong home of Kyiv. Directed by Yury Urnov, the Wilma’s Co-Artistic Director, and featuring Holly Twyford as Mother/Olga, Suli Holum as Daughter/Sasha, and Wilma’s other Co-Artistic Director, Lindsay Smiling as Man (I lost count of how many men he played, but it included President Biden), the show is fast-paced, and a helluva a lot of fun.
Sasha imagines that Mama is directly engaged in the fight against the Russians. She’s harassing world leaders about providing more aid, she’s attacking drones, she’s rallying everyone everywhere to continue the struggle. Holly Twyford manages to portray this old woman with a charming and funny blend of maternal care, caustic wit, frailty and vitality.
Sasha’s character is exactly what you would imagine a daughter would be, faced with her mother in a war zone she refuses to leave. Sasha’s stubbornness in try to get Mama to leave (or to let Sasha visit) is no match for Olga’s. Suli Holum expresses Sasha’s frustration, but also her guilt that she can’t do more to help her mother. Or even to be the daughter that she thinks her mother wanted.
Lindsay Smiling plays not only several male characters, but also takes a comical turn as Olga’s mother. I won’t give away some of the best moments, but his performances in all those parts with all their quirks, voices, and expressions are just terrific.
Scenic Designer Misha Kachman has put together a wonderful set that serves as Olga’s home, but we see it from every imaginable angle, and every nook and cranny. It brings to mind a tiny apartment so crammed with necessities that the set itself couldn’t contain it all, and so there are wings on either side, which serve to address the overflow.
The lighting (Venus Gulbranson) and projections (Kelly Colburn) are an integral part of the show, as is the sound (Michael Kiley). It’s Kyiv, so there are bombs, drones, and planes – there is also Bach, and pop music. Costume Designer Ivania Stack had to prepare for not just some zany costumes (Putin!) but also allowing for quick changes. And with all of the elements of the production, most particularly the acting onstage, you are fully immersed in Olga’s (and Sasha’s) struggle.
But it’s not a story about the conflict in the Ukraine – it’s about family and their own struggles to understand and express their love for one another. It is, in particular, how mothers take care. They take on the world, and they make stuffed peppers. They feed us, they guilt us, and heaven help anyone who threatens their family, their home, or their city.
Do yourself a favor and see this show. And if you still have the option, call your mother.
If you go: The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Performances are through Feb. 18, and tickets are available at wilmatheater.org. There are many cautions in the program about the disturbing content, including violent themes and profanity. There is also cigarette smoking.