Review: THE H TWINS at District Fringe

The H Twins is a welcome debut at the District Fringe (as well as worldwide). This compelling piece is alternately intriguing, dramatically involving, suffused with touches of bittersweet dark comedy, and continually surprising in its narrative development.

There is no listed director but the author and one of the leading performers ---Hope Campbell Gundlah (as Hilda) ---might possibly have something to do with this enticing blend of satire, dark humor, and horrid dramatic reality --that is infused in this absorbing and penetrating play.

The superbly astute writing by Hope Campbell Gundlah, in this highly trenchant and enigmatic play, brings this play to vivid life at every twist and turn. A lot of potent material is packed into a little more than an hour’s running time. The writing is replete with dramatic license enriched with fictional and non-fictional/historical incidents blending with finesse. (This often reminds me of the highly regarded literary style of author E. L. Doctorow).

Satirical and dark humor is fleshed out with the horrid undercurrents of Hitler’s regime (all too relevant to today). The use of Uncle /Dr. M. (for Dr. Mengele –the hated monster of the Nazi Regime who killed and experimented on thousands of victims) and Nurse A and Nurse B as the assignations of the nurses, reminded me of the same unique format that esteemed playwright Edward Albee used in his brilliant play Three Tall Women.

Songs that are American hits such as “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”, “Side by Side” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” are on focus here to show the twins (Hope Campbell Gundlah and Tessa Cameron Gundlah) deep love of American popular songs. This love of American music is considered verboten by their German Doctor, and they are encouraged to pursue becoming prima ballerinas or becoming opera singers (part of the Nazi regimen’s wish to eliminate any “subversive” American music). This show-biz interest brings up the subject of how much individuality each twin is able to keep while still sharing in their sibling connection.

The main duality of this production is that the twins (Hilda and Helga) are initially portrayed as idealistic youth passionate about singing (shades of the Hilton Sisters as portrayed in the Broadway show Side Show) when they are, in reality, members of the infamous Lebensborn program that encourages non-Germanic Aryans to become part of a reproduction and reconditioning program for those they deemed to be genetically valuable.

The satiric tone of the production shifts gears as reality rears its ugly head via the themes of reconditioning and the terrible reality of the twins potentially being transferred to a concentration camp if they cannot adjust their psyches to the demands of the authoritarian regime they live in.

Hope Campbell Gundlah as Hilda and Tess Cameron Gundlah as Helga are sublime in their portrayal of the “H Twins.” Aside from evoking the gamut of emotions from innocence to passion to complacency to anger and to resignation and courage ---both performers sing with sensitive precision.

John Elmendorf as Uncle M, Lisette Gabrielle as Nurse A, and Rebecca Husk as Nurse B are all exemplary.

Occasionally the fourth wall of the stage is dropped as the audience is reminded about certain facts and that there is no intermission ---this creates a disarming ambience to the play.

The theatrically technical device of a white-clothed gauzy panel where the authoritarian figures of Dr. M, Nurse A and Nurse B are only shown via their shadowy profile is extremely effective. This device creates the impersonal quality that is needed for these authority figures.

I must be careful not to give too much of the narrative away because, indeed, doing so would ruin the experience for many audiences.

This stellar production and debut of The H Twins bodes well for many future performances in many differing venues.

Running Time:  One Hour and five minutes with no intermission

The H Twins has performances on various dates from July 11- 27 at the District Fringe located at the University of the District of Columbia (Phoenix) Lecture Hall 44A03 located at 3305-3365 Van Ness Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008.