Gulag Girls - Shea Ketchum and Rising Tide Productions

For those who have forgotten their world history course, Gulags were forced labor camps for those deemed “undesirable” during the post-revolutionary years of the newly formed Soviet Union, housing political prisoners and everyday criminals together in an attempt to reign through fear. These prisoners were often arrested under Article 58, which criminalized “any action aimed at overthrowing, undermining or weakening of the power of workers' and peasants' Soviets.”

“Gulag Girls,” presented by Shea Ketchum with Rising Tide Productions, dramatizes the real-life stories of the women imprisoned and the atrocities they underwent throughout this dark period. The cast, comprised of, in alphabetical order, Chris Arnone, Katelyn Baron, Emily Anne Coffin, Dri Hernaez, Casey Jane, Sarilee Kahn, Shea Ketchum, Megan Reynolds, and Erdin Schultz-Bever, excel in portraying the utter heinousness of the events that occurred sensitively.

The ensemble cast, some of whom portray multiple historically researched individuals, effectively transport the audience into the early days of the USSR under Joseph Stalin's control. Chris Arnone, the sole male, skillfully portrays all 4 masculine presenting characters, from the charming yet untrustworthy Pavel to the threatening guard, creating deeply troubling situations for the audience to witness. The cohesive female ensemble effectively brings out the underlying theme of loyalty, elevating the performance to a fantastic level and ensuring the audience experiences the depth of the situations on stage.

However, the show was sometimes challenging to follow due to the short length of scenes and the thick dialects used. While the dialects were helpful in the piece's geographical positioning, they reduced the work's accessibility, as the emotionally charged moments became almost unintelligible. The brevity required of shows presented in the Fringe format demands cuts, which were obvious in this play as only certain characters had backstories while others were fully defined individuals. This production has the seedlings of becoming a beautiful production; however, it would be better suited outside of the demands of a one-hour runtime.

“Gulag Girls” tells a story that needs to be maintained, especially in these politically difficult times. The idea of party before self works both ways. Remaining loyal to a person is different than maintaining loyalty to an idea. “Gulag Girls” immaculately portrays this important theme as everything is acceptable until their community becomes the target. Once declared an “enemy of the regime,” a person, turned into a shell of themselves, must choose whether to maintain hope or be lost to prisons created for them.