Toys: A Dark Fairytale - Theatre Review

A Review by Rachel Flanagan

Julia Ubrankovics & Tunde Skovran

Toys: A Dark Fairytale is anything but your average run of the mill fairytale.  Instead, it is a dark story of two young women who grew up in two completely different worlds but come to find that they actually share a secret from their past. The play, written by Samuel French Award-winning playwright Saviana Stanescu, directed by internationally renowned director Gabor Tompa and starring Julia Ubrankovics and Tunde Skovran, brings the pizzazz of European theater to Los Angeles.  If you have ever looked at someone from a very different background and wondered if maybe they had it so much better (or worse) than you did, this play is for you.

The set is white and blank, allowing the two actors to paint a wonderfully captivating and painful story before your eyes.  Clara, played by Julia Ubrankovics, is light, bright and still sleeps with her teddy bear and admires her toys.  In contrast, Shari, played by Tunde Skovran, is dark, mysterious, and angry.  Clara wants to know all about Shari's life growing up in a war-torn country without the joys of childhood and adolescent crushes on boys or even toys.  Clara, on the other hand grew up with all of the freedoms and opportunities of America, is soon to be married and learning Shari's story for part of her PHD.

As the story unfolds, you learn a little about each of them until the truth comes out in a unique and emotional sort of way.  How will the fairytale end?  TOYS will make you think about how your decisions may not only have a lasting impact on your life but also on the lives of others and how you should never judge anyone because of where they seem to come from.

TOYS is a 70 minute play showing at the Hudson Guild, one of three Hudson Theatres on Santa Monica in Hollywood through December 13 ^th.  Thursday and Friday shows are at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm.  There will be no performance on Thursday, November 26.  Head to the Hudson Theatre early to stop in their café for a coffee and snack before enjoying one powerful dark fairytale.

Hudson Theatres

6539 Santa Monica Blvd.,

Los Angeles, CA 90038

323-856-4249

http://www.hudsontheatre.com/

http://www.toystheplay.com/