Family Stories: A Slapstick Tragedy

Family Stories: A Slapstick Tragedy emerges from the wreckage of a bombed out Yugoslavian playground, where a group of four children are caught “playing house.” Playing house in the rubble of a broken playground, Milena becomes the mother, Vojin the father, and Andrija, reluctantly, the angry and abused teenage son. In a fascinating development, a shell-shocked girl, mute and damaged from something unspeakable, joins the group as the family dog. She remains, chained in the corner, watching an endless cycle of grotesque sketches. The slapstick element of the play, outrageously funny at times, is rooted in violence, and has often been compared to the classic Punch and Judy puppet shows, which arose as a satirical response to the misery of the urban poor brought on by the industrial revolution. The tragedy, of course, is rooted in history. These children live in the shadow of Milosovic and his repressive regime. In this broken country, emerging from the ruins of Tito’s communist government, terrorism, civil war and an invasion from Western Forces are constant threats.

There are additional shows on Saturday, May 3 at 10:30pm and Saturday, May 10 at 5pm.