Golyak and Arlekin bring their powerful, Holocaust-related 'Our Class' to the Calderwood Pavilion

The incredibly moving production of Polish playwright Tadeusz Słobodzianek’s “Our Class” (through June 22 at the Calderwood Pavilion), about a group of Jewish and Christian classmates in a Polish village affected by Nazi and Soviet occupation, shows what happens when the chasms between these two groups widen.

In the illuminating Arlekin Players’ show adapted by Norman Allen and superbly directed by Igor Golyak, the play takes a deep dive into the past through the lens of this small group, which demonstrates how quickly neighbor can turn against neighbor under a new regime or when the winds of change shift. And, given the current climate, “Our Class” feels particularly chilling. (See the New York Times’ recent editorial about the rise in American antisemitism.)

The production starts off joyfully enough. There’s excited chatter, singing, dancing, and a budding romance shown through the gifting of a paper heart in the classroom. But soon the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 fans the flames of difference among the villagers and spurs violence and death, with surprising ring leaders.

Onstage there’s a chalkboard that acts as a screen for projections and videos by Eric Dunlap, Golyak, and Andreea Mincic. On it the grave lessons the students learn are written in chalk. These time-stamped lessons help audiences move through a companion paper timeline handed out before the show’s start that provides historical context. For example, in 1918 Poland regained national sovereignty but by 1939 the Nazis invaded Poland and by 1941, members of the Jewish community were set on fire by their Polish neighbors in a barn. The timeline ends in 2024, but also lists another startling fact: “Prior to the Holocaust, there were 3.3 million Jewish people in Poland, 90% of whom were murdered.”

The excellent ensemble — featuring Gigi Watson, Gene Ravvin, Kirill Rubtsov, Martin, Jeremy Brazlie, Zach Fike Hodges, Chulpan Khamatova, Topol, Volok, and Ryan Czerwonko — navigates complicated emotional terrain as they portray young adults who start out loving and then destroying one another. Golyak and the creative team use inventive ways to convey the play’s darkness. For example, red balls —from prop master Irina Vilenchik—are bounced against the chalkboard that stand in for blows thrown during a fight and the dropping of a red flower from a hand as the spilling of blood from a wound. Or Schraiber's choreography also stands out. Brutal scenes would be even more challenging to witness without Schraiber's sensitive movement.

Clever, creative approaches are what Golyak and Arlekin Players have become known for over the last 15 years. In addition to “Our Class” which premiered in New York last year to critical acclaim including four Lucille Lortel awards, Golyak and his team spent much of the pandemic churning out beautiful, virtual productions of “CzekhovOS,”“Witness” with lots of audience participation, and the awe-inspiring stage production of “The Orchard” with Mikhail Baryshnikov.

With “Our Class,”—which follows these people as they age and contend with (or not) what they’ve done —the talented troupe and its leader continue to show their commitment to developing “theater productions that affect and challenge diverse audiences, with a special commitment to the Russian-language community.”

Their consistently artful work does not shy away from tough history. It does, however, act as a cautionary tale that urges us — through looking at our past — to strive for a brighter, united future.

“Our Class” shows through June 22 at the Boston Center for the Art’s Calderwood Pavilion.