Irena’s Vow Review

The dark stage and the even darker material make Irena’s vow a very serious portrayal of the true story of a young, courageous Polish woman. This play tells the real life story of Irena Gut Opdyke who made a daring decision to hide several Jewish people from the wrath of the Nazis. The play is told in unique fashion with Tovah Feldshuh introducing the story as an elderly Irena, and then she continues to narrate the story while pretending to be the youthful Irena. This unique way of telling the story gives you a more personal connection with the character. The story is told fluidly with the different characters all playing their roles quite well. The only character issue that I had was with Ms. Feldshuh herself, she sought to portray herself for most of the performance as the young Irena but the transition was not very visible.

 It was not easy to picture Ms. Feldshuh as the courageous, young blonde when there was no physical transformation. I acknowledge her acting skill and am not trying to diminish it but the use of makeup to appear younger would have definitely added to the effect of her performance. The other characters did their jobs well but no one performance really stood out. The plot had its moments of suspense and throughout the performance there was a sense of uncertainty about how it would end.  The suspense gave the  story an even darker undertone because the audience always understands that if Irena’s secret is discovered then the effects will be cataclysmic for all those involved. The events of the play are rather extraordinary when one thinks of the knife’s edge that Irena and her charges were walking, it is made all the more extraordinary when one realizes that they actually happened.

The other elements of the play from the wardrobe and the set are what you would expect from a small performance; quality but only enough to get by. The performance by Ms. Feldshuh is what makes the performance worth seeing. In terms she is very convincing in her portrayal of the confusion and moments of sheer terror that the original Irena had to have felt. There is a definite sense of authenticity in character of Irena and the performance does this brave woman justice. Do not go to this play if you are expecting a huge spectacle of a performance, but go if you want to see a very good actress, a solid supporting cast, and a story that must be seen to be believed.