Stalin’s Master Class is presented by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Ron Sossi Artistic Director, in association with Isabel and Harvey Kibel. Written by David Pownall. Directed by Ron Sossi. Produced by Beth Hogan.
Although the meeting depicted by playwright David Pownall didn’t actually happen, the characters and some of the events mentioned were real. During Stalin’s regime, the so-called Zhdanov Doctrine was used as a mechanism to align all artists to the Politburo’s propaganda.
In 1948, the Soviet Communist Party held the Moscow Composers’ Conference, where six of the leading composers, including Prokofiev and Shostakovich, were censored for being considered formalistic, undemocratic, and their music labeled as a cacophony. In Stalin’s Master Class, Pownall imagines what transpired in a meeting before the 1948 Conference.
Concerned that Soviet music is not patriotic enough, Joseph Stalin (Ilia Volok) and Soviet cultural minister Andrei Zhdanov (John Kayton) summon composers Sergei Prokofiev (Jan Munroe) and Dmitri Shostakovich (Randy Lowell) to the Kremlin.
Stalin decides to introduce socialist realism into Soviet music and tries to teach the two composers a lesson on patriotism, Marxism ideology, and the idyllic image of Georgian pastoral life. Exasperated by their lack of commitment, Stalin instills fear on the two musicians, forcing them to compose a cantata that fits the triumphant spirit of the Soviet proletariat.
Displaying anti-cosmopolitan attitudes as a way to keep any western influences at bay, Stalin despises jazz and other genres popular in the 1940s. After a few glasses of vodka, the psychological and physical abuse starts to take effect. Prokofiev and Shostakovich relent to Stalin and Zhdanov’s requests.
In a production that feels a bit static at the beginning, the action starts to build up right before the intermission. The play is mainly psychological, but Director Ron Sossi manages to turn the script into an entertaining spectacle of music and humor, especially when the four characters try to put their minds together to compose the emblematic cantata intended to inspire an entire generation of faithful communist subjects.
The play delves into the mind of one of the most enigmatic figures in the political scene of recent times. From his poor upbringing to the madness of power, Pownall explores Stalin as a political figure and a human being at the edge of implosion, a characterization captured brilliantly in the last scene.
The music is fantastic and so is the scenic design with its 1940s vibe. The humor helps to move the story forward and it is an excellent contribution to the characters, but then the main theme of the play takes over: A troubled sense of regret and the tragic loss of liberties that marked one of the most tumultuous periods of the 20th century.
Stalin’s Master Class
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025
Tickets: odysseytheatre.com
Performances: April 13 – May 26
• Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: April 17* and May 15* ONLY
• Fridays at 8 p.m. (wine nights): April 19**, April 26* **; May 3**, May 10**, May17**, May 24**
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: April 13 (Opening Night), April 20, April 27; May 4, May 11, May 18, May 25
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: April 21, April 28; May 5*, May 12, May 19, May 26
*Post-performance discussions on Wednesday, April 17; Friday, April 26; Wednesday, May 15; Sunday, May 5
**Wine Night Fridays: Enjoy complimentary wine and snacks following all Friday night performances.
Written by David Pownall. Directed by Ron Sossi. Music Direction by Nisha Sue Arunasalam. Starring John Kayton, Randy Lowell, Jan Munroe, Ilia Volok. Produced by Beth Hogan. Presented by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Ron Sossi Artistic Director, in association with Isabel and Harvey Kibel.
Creative team: Scenic designer Pete Hickock; lighting designer Jackson Funke; sound designer Christopher Moscatiello; costume designer Mylette Nora; props designer Jenine MacDonald; and graphics designer Luba Lukova. The stage manager is Jennifer Palumbo.
