Russian Laggards Stanislavsky Theaterís ëFathers and Sonsí Painfully Laborious by Lisa Troshinsky With Ivan Turgenevís ìFathers and Sons,î adapted by Brian Friel, the Stanislavsky Theater Studio (STS) continues on its downward spiral with another disastrous production of a Russian epic. Despite its impressive credentialsóit was initiated with the Northern Ireland Bureauís cultural affairs officer, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Belfastóthis production is just as languishing and absent of poignancy as the companyís rendition earlier this year of Fyodor Dostoevskyís ìThe Brothers Karamazov,î adapted by Roland Reed and STSís Producing Artistic Director Andrei Malaev-Babel. STSís ìFathers and Sons,î like its ìBrothers Karamazov,î wears out its welcome long before the curtain call that doesnít occur until more than three hours after the play starts. Act II, although only half as long as Act I, seemed to be an afterthought and could have easily been cut by half an hour, which would have made the production a lot less worse for wear. This productionís tortuous duration appears to be the fault of the acting and directing, not necess arily the script. The movement of the production is drawn out, as if the actors, under Babelís direction, were told to appear to be underwater, in space, or under the influence of some disorienting drug. This was evident from the playís first words, spoken by Dunyasha, a servant in Nikolai Petrovichís home, who complains about a heat that doesnít justify the extent of her sluggishness. This is a mere foreshadowing of what the audience must endure for the next few hoursóa mix of overly pregnant pauses, delayed reactions and stagnation. Any of the playís stirring themes or messages are lost in this quagmire and the audience loses out. ìFathers and Sonsî is meant to be an exploration of philosophy, politics, family dynamics, and the roles love and tradition play in oneís life. Set in 1859 Russia on Nikolaiís declining estate, the story centers on Bazarovóa medical school student, natural scientist and ardent nihilistóand his relationship with fellow student Arkady, also a nihilist but more humanistic, and the relationships the two men have with their fathers and the women in their lives. The play begins with Arkady, with Bazarov in tow, returning from the university to be welcomed into his father Nikolaiís estate. They and the other characters, including Bazarovís parents, engage in passionate dialogue over the meaning of life and love during the ensuing couple of months. The script is word heavy, which is appropriate for a Russian play/novel and doesnít inherently contribute to the playís arduous length. Rather, it is the pace of the production that drags and the acting that appears lifeless and uninspired. There are pockets of enthusiasm, but they donít feed off each other. It is as if each actor is in his or her own hemisphere, unaware of the other characters or of the overall shape the play must take. Joe Mills plays Nikolai Petrovich with fervor and poise, but the quality of his acting is reminiscent of his heavyweight role as Dmitry in ìBrothers Karamazov.î In this role, as in the other, he overacts and remains stuck on one level. In this case, he is annoyingly optimistic, which appears sarcastic from its overuse. This adds welcome humor to the production, but in the end it serves as overkill and underestimates the audienceís need for nuance. The character of Bazarov, played by Ian Blackwell Rogers, is even more of a caricature. For the entire play, Rogers dons a relentless dramatic stare and intensity that take on parody-like proportions. It is impossible to take Bazarov seriously, which robs the audience of emotion when he comes to a tragic end. Arkady, the third wheel in the emotional triangle, is convincingly played by Sasha Olinick. This is fortunate, since his is the only character who experiences a significant change in his beliefs over the course of the play. ìArkady is the real hero of the story, and the only character that undergoes a real metamorphosis,î wrote Matushka Nancy Mirolovich in her essay on ìFathers and Sonsî in Orthodox America, a publication focused on Russian Orthodoxy and literature reviews. ìHe went away to the university young and naÔveÖ. Despite his inclination toward poetry and the arts and his appreciation of beauty, he chants obsequiously the dicta of the nihilists Ö eventually he realizes his convictions are not with the nihilists Ö that lasting values are in the classical disciplines and in honest relationships among men and women.î The skills of two Northern Irish actors who were brought in for what STS is calling its ìNorthern Irish Projectî are a head above the other actors, but unfortunately the two are cast in secondary roles. Richard Orr gives a realistic portrayal of the aristocratic Pavel, and Gordon Fulton credibly plays Bazarovís father, Vassily, who cow tails to his rebellious son. Anastasia Simesí set and costumes are neutral, in that they donít add or detract from the production. Surprisingly, the characters wear the same clothes throughout, even though the play spans five months time. The setís sparse qualityórearranged hanging and gathered silk curtains, a piano, a couple of tables and chairs, and a pictureóis an STS trademark and serves as a blank tablet for the imagination to fill. ìFathers and Sonsî runs through April 25 at the Stanislavsky Theater Studio, 1742 Church St., NW. For more information, please call (800) 494-8497 or visit www.sts-online.org. Lisa Troshinsky is the theater reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.