The Cast Photo by Dan Norman

Indecent is best described as a play about a play; it is a theatrical exploration of the story of Shalom Asch's 1906 Yiddish play, God of Vengeance, which was performed throughout Europe before it premiered on Broadway in 1923 and the actors and producer were put on trial for obscenity. God of Vengeance is set in a brothel, featuring a Jewish brothel owner and his daughter, who falls in love with one of her father's prostitutes.

The excellent ensemble cast includes musicians Spencer Chandler, Rebecca Mac, and Pat O'Keefe and actors Robert Dorfman, August Forman, Tony Larken, Ryan London Levin, Ann Michaels, Alia Peck, and Ani Tonoyan. Ensemble members play multiple characters and sing and dance with theatrical bravado. Forman, as Lemml, The Stage Manager, introduces us to the theatrical nature of the production at the very beginning by introducing each ensemble member as the actor they play in God of Vengeance. Ensemble members never appear to leave the stage, as the fluid scenic and costume designs by Sarah Bahr evocatively use the bare bones of the historic Ritz Theater.

In her production notes, director Yousefzadeh describes the play as "a love letter to theater." As a play, it is unabashedly theatrical. Ensemble members melodramatically perform portions of the play within a play as well as portraying historical characters; London Levin primarily plays Yiddish playwright Asch but cameos in a memorable scene as American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The ensemble breaks into song during scenic transitions, sometimes as a group, sometimes solo or in duets. The klezmer music is enhanced by the traditional Jewish folk dancing-influenced choreography of Michaels King. Operatic supertitles are used during transitions, often featuring Yiddish and the English translation. Sometimes, supertitles are used to indicate the language the characters are speaking; even though the actors mostly speak English throughout the play, the supertitle might indicate they are speaking Yiddish and then indicate when they switch to English to demonstrate the character's halting English.

Indecent is a fascinating, engrossing and epic play with music. While it is ostensibly a play about the troupe censored for performing God of Vengeance, it touches on so much more. As Artistic Director Justin Lucero notes in his program notes, Indecent is about "immigration, language, belonging, queer love, Jewish identity, artistic courage," among other things. The historical references to the rise of fascism and suppression of artistic expression feel sadly relevant to our current political climate.

The production left me wanting to know even more of the theatrical history of God of Vengeance, as well as wanting to read the script for Indecent. With so many moving parts and ensemble members playing multiple characters, despite Yousefzadeh's clear direction and effective dialect coaching by Gillian C. Rosewell, there were times I was a little confused on details. Indecent is an ambitious play, at times moving, suspenseful, humorous, and horrifying. The images and performances of this production are haunting. It is highly recommended.

Theater Latté Da's Indecent runs through October 18, 2026, at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please call 612-339-3003 or visit www.latteda.org.