‘Mother Russia’ Review: A Play as Funny as It Is Smart

In Lauren Yee’s “Mother Russia,” two friends savor a first Filet-O-Fish and, mid-chew, marvel at its tangy tartar sauce. The moment — Evgeny asking, “Is this what capitalism tastes like?” — frames a 1992 Russia where McDonald’s arrives as a symbol of freedom and opportunity.

By the end, Dmitri and Evgeny learn that capitalism can taste as much like greed, violence and betrayal as it does fried fish. Opening Monday at the Signature Theater and directed by Teddy Bergman, the production features Steven Boyer as Dmitri and Adam Chanler-Berat as Evgeny, with Rebecca Naomi Jones as Katya.

Dmitri runs a cramped shop that doubles as the base for a surveillance operation; Evgeny, son of a once-powerful bureaucrat, helps when he realizes the target is the singer he’s long admired. He arranges a meeting on a bus, they strike up a friendship, and he keeps the spying to himself.

Russia

mother russia, lauren yee, signature theater, teddy bergman, steven boyer, adam chanler-berat, rebecca naomi, mcdonald's, 1992 russia, filet-o-fish