Eating Baba Yaga: An Evening with Brian Rohr

Storyteller Brian Rohr presents two tales—"The Necklace Story" and "The Maiden Tzar"—in this no-frills stage presentation from Chicago's Elastic Arts Foundation. Wearing an embroidered cap and brocade vest, Rohr drums on a tabla while talk-singing about a beautiful girl in a small village, envied by the other young women, who also covet her powerful necklace, so they trick her into sacrificing it by claiming that they've all thrown their own into the bay. After the truth is revealed, the heroine dives to the water's bottom, where she encounters an old woman who makes an unpleasant request. Rohr describes her as a Baba Yaga, a Russian term for something terrible that a person must face in order to move forward. Rohr's second tale concerns Ivan, who enjoys an idyllic life until his mother dies, his father goes away, and a jealous stepmother prevents him from finding the happiness that lies across the sea. During his Princess Bride-like travels, Ivan tangles with a trio of Baba Yagas before finding his destiny. The program ends with Rohr discussing the moral behind this Russian fable, which also features a firebird, a good witch, and 30 foster sisters. Especially given the relative dearth of engaging storyteller DVDs, this is recommended. Aud: E, P. (K. Fennessy)