A connection is something so important that it can transcend distance, cultures, differences, races… everything. The process of creating a connection can be instant and peaceful, it could feel like fate intervened so that it happened. It could also be the opposite, a violent and breaking process that interconnects two ideals that usually don’t connect. It’s this brutal undertaking that drives the plot of “Toys: A Dark Fairy Tale” by Saviana Stanescu, showing at the 59E59 Theaters at the moment.
Shari and Clara are two women from completely different worlds. Clara has lived a privileged life, one that got her through the usual beats of the American life and has rewarded her with a comfortable existence. Shari, on the other hand, has only known violence and death. Clara has loved, is engaged, and has the rest of her life to improve her situation. Shari has never met a man that she could love, or one that didn’t think less of her. As the show progresses, their lives become intertwined, with Clara becoming closer and closer to the idea of Shari to the point in which she becomes Fatma, Shari’s lost sister. By the end, their souls are connected in a way that only a violent procedure could connect people.
Tunde Skovran and Julia Ubrankovics are fantastic as the two women. Every time they have a scene together we are captivated by their battles. We are yearning to be part of their journey. It’s when the linear narratives are broken down by more experimental scenes that interest gets a bit muddled. There are some truly perplexing moments, but most of them either are longer than they need to be or serve as a distraction of what’s happening between them.
Despite this hiccup, “Toys: A Dark Fairy Tale” delivers a strong and powerful tale of the links the human condition creates and how they can help us move forward.
Out of 4 stars:
