Victory Gardens Theatre Presents IN EVERY GENERATION Review — Trauma Through Generations

Posted on by Lauren Katz

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It’s the first night of Passover, and all of the traditional fixings are on the table: the seder plate is at the center, and the matzah sits alongside it. Mother Valeria (Eli Katz) sits at one head of the table, while Paola (Carmen Roman), the grandmother, sits at the other. Valeria’s two daughters, Yael (Esther Fishbein) and Dev (Sarah Lo), are not so subtly trying to one-up each other in front of the grandparents, and the family’s elders just try to keep the peace.

Victory Gardens IN EVERY GENERATION
Paola (Carmen Roman) and Davide (Paul Dillon) share a toast at Passover in 1954

It's time for the Four Questions in the Passover seder, which the youngest in the family traditionally recites. Everyone looks to Yael, who tries to look away. When Dev offers to take her place, the competitive younger sister loudly finds her courage. Just when this writer thinks the scene unfolding could not be more amusingly familiar, Yael pulls her chair back and steps up on top of it, taking the stage for her Passover tradition. As Yael recites the Four Questions full of dread, the Opening Night audience erupts in laughter, even cheering her along with some applause.

Victory Gardens IN EVERY GENERATION
Yael (Esther Fishbein) and Dev (Sarah Lo) practice their secret sister handshake

Written by Ali Viterbi, this world premiere explores Passover as the Levi-Katz family celebrates it across four generations beginning in the present. However, as the dinner unfolds, disturbing truths rise to the surface—questions of race, curiosities about a Jewish woman’s role in the changing political landscape, and anxieties about past and future traumas.

Victory Gardens’ In Every Generation Explores Moments of Heartbreaking Beauty

Grandparents Paola and Davide (Paul Dillon) are both Holocaust survivors, and Davide is a survivor of Auschwitz. At one point we are transported back to the couple’s first Passover in America in the mid-1950s. Davide encourages Paola to read the next prayer out loud and she refuses. What begins as a flirtatious banter between the couple quickly escalates, and we see Paola brought to tears as she reveals that reciting these prayers out loud terrifies her. It has been almost 10 years. However, she still has not moved past the trauma of the Holocaust, fearing that if she shares a part of her Jewish identity out loud, she might get caught. Davide tries to comfort his wife, saying that .in America, they are free. She simply cannot quite believe him. Meanwhile, the audience is stone silent.

Here, as throughout the script, this dramatic, heartbreaking and somber moment is followed by joy. They dance together around their apartment, singing. We feel their moment of hope. We celebrate the chance for freedom.

Victory Gardens IN EVERY GENERATION
Yael (Esther Fishbein) sings the Mah Nishtana at the Levi-Katz Seder dinner, as her mother Valeria (Eli Katz), sister Dev (Sarah Lo), grandmother Paola (Carmen Roman) and grandfather Davide (Paul Dillon)

. In this way, Viterbi’s script is a fast-paced emotional roller coaster. Every painful memory that arises in this family drama is soon followed and balanced with a moment of humor and joy. DeMayo’s masterful direction and the talented ensemble keep the action fast-paced. As the story unfolds, it kept this writer on the edge of her seat, curious to see what truth might be revealed next.

The Passover seder is rooted in Jewish tradition; however, in this writer’s opinion, the stress of family gatherings and repressed drama are sure to feel relatable to anyone witnessing these scenes unfold. As much as Viterbi’s story exposes the dangers of generational trauma, she also highlights the importance of hope. You too might feel that the uplifting reminders juxtaposed against the stark reality of trauma affecting the generations makes the story even more powerful. A stellar ensemble and a deeply moving script makes In Every Generation a play to remember.

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Title:                                 In Every Generation

By:                                     Ali Viterbi

Directed by:                    Devon de Mayo

WHEN:

Through May 1, 2022

Tuesday-Saturday 7:30pm (except April 2, April 12, April 16, April 19)
Wednesday: 2:00pm (April 20 only)
Saturday: 3:00pm (April 16 only)
Sunday: 3:00pm & 7:30pm (April 3 only)

WHERE:

Victory Gardens Theater
2433 N. Lincoln Avenue
CHICAGO, IL

TICKETS:

$29+

Tickets can be purchased through the Victorygardens Website.

Note: Picture This Post reviews are excerpted by Theatre in Chicago.

Photos by Liz Lauren

CAST:

Eli Katz (Valeria), Sarah Lo (Dev), Esther Fishbein (Yael), Paul Dillon (Davide), and Carmen Roman (Paola). Casting by The Chicago Inclusion Project.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Andrew Boyce and Lauren Nichols (Scenic Design), kClare McKellaston (Costume Design), Heather Sparling (Lighting Design), Jeffrey Levin (Sound Design), Yeaji Kim (Projections Design), Caitlin McCarthy (Props Design), Courtney Abbott (Intimacy Design) and Adam Goldstein (Language and Dialect). The creative team also includes Kat Zukaitis (dramaturg), Adelina Feldman Schultz (Assistant Director), Casie Morell (Stage Manager) and Shandee Vaughan (Production Manager).

Lauren Katz

About the Author: Lauren Katz

Lauren Katz is a freelance director and dramaturge, and new to the Chicago Theatre Scene. She recently moved from Washington DC, where she worked with Mosaic Theater Company of DC in Company Management, as well as directed around town with various theaters.

Click here to read more Picture this Post stories by Lauren Katz.

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