You may know him from history, stories, or Boney M's disco anthem. Rasputin is a fascinating character with a particularly gory end. Perfect fodder for Four Humors, who have remounted their titular Twin Cites Horror Festival hit for a short run at Open Eye Theater.
The company-written production takes us to the end of December, 1916, in St. Petersburg. If you know your history, that's just before the most tumultuous year in Russian history, with the October Revolution just months away.
To the rich and powerful men gathered at Prince Felix Ysupov's palace, those concerns were far away. They had only one thing in mind -- end the life of the powerful priest who had bedazzled the royal family and turned upper crust Russian society upside down. By the end of the night, they will have poisoned, shot, suffocated, and finally drowned the man.
Joining the prince are Duke Dmitri Pavlovich and Valdimir Purishkevich (noted, in the program and throughout the show, as a "far-right politician"), who have hatched a plot to end Rasputin.
Or have they? The play is told Rashomon-style, with each conspirator recounting the evening. Not only does this allow for three different perspectives on the events, but allows the company to tell the story in three distinct ways.
The first, from the perspective of the Duke, is a ribald tale, full of dark humor -- Rasputin pulls out a gun and asks the dinner party of they have ever played "Us Roulette" -- and plenty of brutal jokes at the expense of the high-class company at the table. Vladimir's paints the Prince as a pratfalling fool who engages in the murder almost by accident.
And the Prince's tale? Well, there's a reason why this show premiered at the Twin Cities Horror Festival.
The quartet of creators -- Ryan Lear (Felix), Brant Miller (the Duke), Allison Vincent (Validimir), and Matt Spring (Rasputin -- are all gifted comic performers, but they also expertly hit the play's darker notes. That creates an evening that is not just funny, but one that cuts deep, especially as it delves into issues of class, control, and the presence of the devil on Earth.
Rasputin runs through May 18 at Open Eye Theater. Also, Four Humor's vicious take on Lolita (dubbed, a Three Man Show, with Lear, Miller, and Spring as the cast) will be presented Saturday, May 18. Tickets are going fast. Don't sleep on these shows.
Also, if you think "Rasputin" is a cool tune, but want to hear it with a Celtic punk flair, check out this cover by local legends Boiled in Lead.
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