Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin by Dianne Nora, winner of the Panowski Playwriting Award. With the former USSR as its backdrop, the dark comedy revolves around two men—loosely inspired by real figures—who bear such a strong resemblance to Stalin that they are forced into dangerous service as political decoys to thwart his enemies and alleviate fears for his safety. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 pm. Thursday, May 15, through Saturday, May 17, in NMU's Panowski Black Box Theatre.
According to her website, Nora has assisted her mentor, the playwright and actor Tracy Letts, on seven productions and workshops at Steppenwolf Theatre and on Broadway. She's a winner of Inkwell Theater's Lerner Fellowship and Playhouse on the Square's New Works at the Works Playwriting Competition, and a recipient of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Creative Engagement grant.
Nora was a member of Goodman Theatre's Playwrights Unit, where she was commissioned to write Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Living Document. She is also a comedy writer who contributes headlines and features at The Onion, America's Finest News Source. Her humor writing has appeared on Funny Or Die and The Hard Times. She also co-hosts a podcast about streaming television titled Streamageddon.
In Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin, Soso is a soldier left for dead on the Eastern Front. When he is pulled from the brink of death by the Kremlin, his fate takes a shocking turn. Because of his uncanny resemblance to one of the most feared men in history—Stalin—he is thrust into a dangerous game of impersonation. Enter Koba, a man who knows the mind and body of the dictator better than anyone. Tasked with transforming Soso into the perfect double, Koba trains him for the most perilous role of a lifetime.
“The play is smartly written to make it very entertaining despite the heavy subject matter,” said Kaitlyn Frotton, director of NMU's production. “These two guys risk assassination by playing the role of Stalin's body doubles, in the Soviet Union, where you didn't know who you could trust and the autocratic government felt it necessary to police creative expression. I think there is a lot of relevance to the current situation. It's presented in a way that makes you chuckle to yourself for a majority of the show, but by the end, you're left with a lot to think about.”
The two lead actors are Copeland Diver as Soso and Liam Fisher as Koba. Understudies Don'Tae Mitchell and Logan Newcomb have been added into the script as Kremlin cops and ensemble members. Frotton said it is advantageous for actors to tackle original works that are less familiar to audiences.
“It's beneficial because they do not have any preconceived notions going in about the way the roles should be played,” she added. “It's a great challenge because they need to be accurate to the text, yet they are also able to use their own unique artistry to create the characters from scratch. There are fewer expectations or boundaries, and they're able to come up with possibly a more authentic performance than if we were rehearsing something like ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,' which has been viewed by many. It creates a more dynamic end product, as director, to explore the text with the actors as well. It feels like a more collaborative process. Our cast is phenomenal.”
Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin premiered at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Tenn., early this year. NMU's Playwriting Award was established in 1977 by Dr. James A. Panowski. This year's winner is being featured during the North Coast Theatre Festival season, which also includes a Drag Cabaret May 29-30 and “Love Letters” June 26-28.
Tickets are $25 for the general public; $22 for NMU employees, seniors and military; $15 for youth; and $5 for NMU students. They are available at tickets.nmu.edu.