Review: TOYS: A DARK FAIRY TALE at 59E59 Theaters is Engaging and Unforgettable

"Different people can have different truths."

From Toys: A Dark Fairy Tale

The New York City premiere of TOYS: A Dark Fairy Tale, written by the renowned Romanian playwright, Saviana Stanescu and directed by Gabor Tompa is being performed at 59E59 Theaters through November 26. This two-hander is an engaging play, one that stirs the imagination.

In the show, the lives of two young women converge. Shari is from a country ravaged by war where she has struggled to survive. Clara, who has led a comfortable life, is a graduate student at NYU working on her doctoral dissertation, "Women in War Zones." When the women first meet, there is a definite clash of cultures. But they soon realize that they share a common background and a mutual understanding of the challenges that girls and women can face. The adult fairy tale is completely original as merges reality and fantasy in surreal settings.

Tunde Skovran as Shari/Madonna and Julia Ubrankovics as Fatma/Clare excel in their demanding roles as they master both the dialogue and the action of the show's enthralling scenes. Skovran and Ubrankovics are also the producers of the show.

The Creative Team has brought Toys: A Dark Fairy Tale to life with set design, lighting design, and original music and sound design by Gabor Tompa. The costume design is by Elisa Benzoni. The Assistant Director and Production Stage Manager is Kate Jopson.

Toys: A Dark Fairy Tale is an inventive show that challenges ideas about people's backgrounds and lifestyles. It is truly an unforgettable production.

Produced by J.U.S.T. Toys Productions, Toys: A Dark Fairy Tale is at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59thStreet, between Park and Madison Avenues) through Sunday, November 26. The show runs for 50 minutes with no intermission. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:15 PM, Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 8:15 PM; and Sunday at 3:15 PM. Please note, there are no performances on Wednesday, November 22 and Thursday, November 23; there is an additional performance on Saturday, November 18 at 2:15 PM. Single tickets are $25 ($20 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at 212.279.4200 or visit www.59e59.org.

Photo by Mihaela Marin

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