Ro Reddick’s new play entertains and endears with humor, cults, and Russian intrigue.

A couple of weeks ago, I watched the new play Cold War Choir Practice as part of my University Writing: Film and Performance Arts class outing. Written by Ro Reddick and directed by Knud Adams, Choir Practice finishes its off-Broadway run at MCC Theater this weekend.

Set in December of 1987—the tail end of the Cold War—Choir Practice stars Alana Raquel Bowers as Meek, a curious and sweet ten-year-old girl. As part of a children’s choir who sing for peace between Russia and America, Meek bounds across the stage with infectious energy and innocence, yet she is also world-weary enough to prepare for nuclear armageddon. Her father, Smooch (Will Cobbs), runs a roller rink and shakes his fist at Reagen-era politics, while her grandmother, Puddin (Lizan Mitchell), helps Smooch take care of both family and business. Together, the three form a touching and hilarious family unit that does their best to weather the Cold War day by day. However, when Smooch’s brother Clay (Andy Lucien), who works for the Reagan administration, drags over his mysteriously ill wife (Crystal Finn) to the family roller rink, brotherly drama, cultish intrigue, and Soviet conspiracy erupt.

One of the play’s defining strengths is its screwball wit. Although the entire cast was hilarious and dynamic, comedic kudos belong to the three-person choir that prance around the stage in various roles, elevating the whole play with their vocal acrobatics and dramatic flair. Whether playing queer cult leaders or Soviet pen pals, the women of the choir provoked huge laughter from the audience and gave the play a sense of dynamism. Other cast standouts included Cobbs, who commanded the stage as a proud and passionate single-dad. Finn was also hilarious throughout; her quavering line-readings conveyed her character’s troubled machinations with sly wit.

Other elements that helped buoy the play’s energy included costumes by Brenda Abbandandolo, which grounded each character in their personality while showing off their quirks. Such costumes ranged from an E.T. sweatshirt for Meek to red and white ensembles for the choir, which called to mind both Santa’s jolly costume and a Soviet uniform. Imaginative use of sparse props and the actors’ bodies to create scenery helped transport audiences to the play’s various locations, keeping the show fresh and lively from scene to scene.

Yet the show is not all fun and games. By situating itself during Reagen’s presidency, Choir Practice grounds its surreal Cold War comedy in a time when people lived in constant fear of nuclear extermination. The slapstick height of its jokes match the extent of paranoia and injustice that prevailed during an era of splintering trust. Choir Practice occasionally oversimplifies its timely message about the pitfalls of unchecked greed and unwise power, and it resolves its cult plotline a little too neatly. Yet the play’s lively, screwball spirit and sharp political messaging still entertain with sobering hilarity.

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