By James Bean
Published: October 13, 2009

By James Bean
For the Daily Titan

After waiting several years to see it produced on the Cal State Fullerton campus, “Ivanov” has finally opened to students, the incredible cast and visionary director have not let this stunning Russian classic down.

The play opened to a nearly sold out crowd last Friday, and the Saturday night performance received a standing ovation at the end. I was absolutely blown over by this gem of theater.

The Hallberg Theatre’s intimate seating (I was an arms length from the actors at least 10 percent of the time) suited the show perfectly and brought the intensity that the play needed. And it was intense.

Before going into plot details, I must first commend Svetlana Efremova for her elegant and majestic turn as Anna. She gave her character a tired, fun-loving, yet viciously fiery coloring that illuminated her performance and brought a beating heart to the production. Every moment she was on stage, I found my heart drawn to her, and it cried to her on more than one occasion. If Efremova is the heart of the show, director Maria Cominis must have been the brain.

Cominis offered a feast of delicious imagery, ending with one of the most beautiful moments I have seen in theater. People, use the term “visionary director” way too often to describe mediocre helmers these days, but Cominis stepped up to the plate and delivered a chillingly gorgeous theater experience that refused to let me go. Her vision, combined with the outstanding work of set designer Natalie Rich allowed the show to explore hidden dimensions and brought the audience into the labyrinth of “Ivanov’s” complex story.

“Ivanov” follows the story of Nikolai Ivanov, a man who has grown tired of his life and seeks to renew it. His wife, Anna, has resigned from her Jewish heritage, Jewish family and even her Jewish name to be with him. And yet, Ivanov leaves Anna in her sickly state to attend parties in the city. When Ivanov meets a young Sasha and falls in love with her, he makes plans to leave the dying Anna to marry her. The public reacts in an outcry, claiming that he only wants to marry Sasha for what would surely be a large dowry.

Ben Lambert was terrific as the incredibly twisted and confused Ivanov.

You can tell he is a talented actor when you can sympathize with a character who leaves his dying wife for a younger woman.

And this is only the first half of the show. It is after the intermission that the tensions break like an enormous dam, flooding the audience with a wave of drama that they just did not see coming.
When I read the play in my freshman year of college, I had always seen it as just an incredibly sad show. I was delighted when I saw it to find that in addition to being the first tear-jerker of the fall season, some parts were really quite funny. Leave it to Cominis and guest artist James Young to lighten up this otherwise macabre and tortured piece of work.

Young plays Ivanov’s heart-warming, yet cranky uncle, and he brought the audience’s spirits up whenever he merrily trotted onto the stage.

Although Efremova and Young were the highlights of the show, the entire company was terrific, and I was hard-pressed to find a real weak link in the cast.

The show found its share of faults, however. A few scenes had dramatic issues that took me out of the show, and a few stylistic choices confused me and brought a nervous laugh from the audience. These were minor speed bumps.

By the end of the shows breath-taking finale, I had no doubt that what I had experienced was magical.

“Ivanov” will continue its run in the Hallberg Theatre on campus this Thursday, Oct. 15, continuing through Nov. 1.

Tickets are $9 for students, and $10 general admission.