Adam Kraar’s new drama, The Karpovsky Variations, is a memory play about a dysfunctional family of driven people and the music that inspired them. Unfortunately, in its current form it is both confused and confusing. Without a family tree, it is difficult to keep straight all of the names of characters both seen and mentioned. Director Tasha Gordon-Solmon has eliminated almost all of the scenic elements described in the script which does not make it any easier to follow. There is a fascinating story hidden in this material but it hasn’t been allowed to surface yet.
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The story that seems to be struggling to emerge concerns Julia Karpovsky…trying to connect with her family [and] trying to find her sound…. But playwright Adam Kraar is not content to focus on Julia…The play, which is being given a minimalist production with an uneven cast, features just as many scenes about Larry, Harry and Barry…The choice of what scenes to include too often feels arbitrary.
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"The 'Karpovsky Variations' has strong Jewish thematic value and speaks to universal issues. Moreover, it encapsulates some of the emotional push-and-pull that family members feel when they are together, and when they long to be."
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"The individuals who populate 'The Karpovsky Variations' always feel authentic and well-observed, even in its most unusual plot point. Complementarily, the production's effectively spare staging keeps the focus on the superb cast, whose work is nuanced (down to a subtle shift in accents in one flashback) and enthralling. A symphony-sized story told as an intimate chamber piece, 'The Karpovsky Variations' really sings."
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