Follies evokes simple but strong emotions

Condensed milk.

Never would I have guessed that a simple grocery store product could evoke such emotion. I hear those words and am suddenly uncertain of whether I should laugh, or cry, or hope, or doubt. But these are the emotions Gulag Follies cycles through in its 70-minute run, drawing even the most casual of viewers inexorably closer.

Follies is an original performance adapted by director Jody McAuliffe, professor of the practice of theater and Slavic and Eurasian studies, and based on Russian author Varlam Shalamov's Kolyma Tales. The play's title comes from the internment camp, the Gulag, which Shalamov was kept in for extended periods of time between 1927 and 1951.

The theater production is an adaptation of the autobiography, recounting several scenes from Shalamov's life in the Gulag. The play itself mounts five different tales converted into a 10-cast ensemble performance piece. McAuliffe began producing the pieces in summer 2008, incorporating both live music and choreography.

"I think the stories are strong, beautiful and powerful," she said.

Indeed, the stories cover a range of emotion, giving the audience brief glimpses into the dark life of internment prisoners. Some tales prompt sadness, anguish, guilt. Others incite hope and joy.

One such scene involves the starving prisoners fantasizing about eating a can of condensed milk. Despite the basic set and costuming, this simple item inspires emotion and passion that overflow the bounds of the stage and touch the audience.

"It's both funny and profoundly serious," said senior Brett Aresco. "You really feel with the actors on stage. You really feel like you're in the Gulag."