Review: Barnard’s spring production of ‘Fox Toss’

Written for Barnard Theatre, Zuzanna Szadkowski’s (BC ’01) original play “Fox Toss” comedically displays the complexities of life and relationships of different kinds.

Photo by Hunter Canning, provided by the Barnard College Department of Theatre

By Laura Celadon

May 31, 2025

In early March, Barnard Theatre performed “Fox Toss” in the Minor Latham Playhouse. The play was specifically written for Barnard Theatre by alumna Zuzanna Szadkowski (BC ’01), who is famously known for her role as Dorota on “Gossip Girl,” and was directed by Alice Reagan, Barnard Theatre professor. 

Szadkowski based the play on her transformative experience at Barnard and the moments that shaped her into the woman she is now. In the program for the play, Szadkowski describes the inspiration for this show, saying it represents the “spiky transition to college: leaving home, paring and pruning my soul, building my defenses, somehow making myself into the me who trudges through the real world alongside other adults — all of us dragging our formative years with us like heavy fallen trees, while desperately beating through the thorny bushes to naked freedom.” She divides these experiences and expresses each of them through the characters’ plotlines. Szadkowski depicts the turbulence of this time by employing themes of relationships and hardships that are displayed in the several tensions between the characters. 

“Fox Toss” is set in Poland, 1706 at the annual fox toss, an event in which the king, Augustus the Strong — portrayed by Botond Alexander Ekler-Szabó (CC ’25) — throws a fox to display his strength and provide entertainment. The plotline of the fox, played by Emerson Antunes Black (BC ’28), is especially fascinating as the actual fox toss is not shown in any of the scenes. Instead, a sound effect is played to create the illusion of the event occurring in the background of another scene, where two characters meet for the first time. Excluding this scene offers an unexpected twist that feels anticlimactic, and it highlights that the play’s message and significance lie within the themes of relationships and hardships, as relationships can have unexpected challenges and outcomes. 

As an audience member, you hope that the fox survives the toss or is not subjected to participation in the event, however Szadkowski does not give the audience this satisfaction. Instead, she reveals the fate of the fox through the implications of a sound effect in the background of another scene, mixing the fox’s unfortunate ending with the happy beginning of a new relationship forming. 

Szadkowski’s ultimate choice to not give the fox a happy ending, rather insinuating the death of the fox, is unexpected and impactful, and left me reflecting on the polar endings of the different plotlines. After reading about what inspired her to write the play, I understand the motivation behind the mixed ending, which shows the realistic side of life. The cast and crew successfully portray these realities and themes while keeping the overall tone lighthearted and comedic.

While this play is named after the fox toss, it is also about the various tensions where the king is the catalyst, including his relationship with his bastard daughter (Cai Dewrell, BC ’28), his girlfriends (Norah Vlas, BC ’26; Ibadah Adam, BC ’25; Anaitzel Franco, BC ’27; Mason Deas, CC ’28), the alchemist (Eduardo Ramírez Olavarría, CC ’25), and more. The main theme revolves around relationships, focusing on family and romance. For example, the king lives in a palace with multiple girlfriends, which causes tension amongst the many women. Additionally, when his bastard daughter from his deceased lover shows up at the palace, it causes a ripple that disrupts the peace. Szadkowski mixes emotional and comedic moments, creating an intriguing and heartfelt performance that showcases the hardships of personal connections.

As this play is an emotive comedy with themes of different relationships, the cast does an impeccable job of building strong characters with distinct personalities while displaying lighthearted emotions and building tensions. I find myself constantly laughing at the contrasting personalities of the dramatic girlfriends and various moments where the butler, Jeremy (Desislava Kremenlieva, GS ’26), wallows in sadness that none of the other characters seem to care about.

One of the most captivating aspects of the production is the bright and beguiling costumes and set design. Designed by Karen Boyer, the costumes are colorful and intricate, especially those belonging to the king’s many girlfriends. The intention behind the colorful and detailed costumes is to reflect high status and luxury, which strictly belongs to the king and the people who benefit from his wealth, such as his various girlfriends and his butler, Jeremy. On the other hand, the costumes of the other characters are more common and plain, such as that of the alchemist and one of the king’s daughters. This visual distinction of wealth and luxury builds on the tension between the king and the people of Poland.

The dynamic set, designed by Amelia Lang, includes different platforms that separate scenes, assisting the flow of the production. The set pieces are incredibly detailed and are seamlessly moved in and out between the smooth set changes. A scene that really highlights the impressive set design takes place towards the end, when the king throws the alchemist’s large porcelain sculpture. This scene happens in slow motion to emphasize the importance of the moment and to easily depict the destruction of the sculpture. To show the porcelain shattering, the tech crew and cast use light and sound effects to create a slower pacing while the actors remove the sculpture and replace it with a shattered version, made up of smaller pieces. Additionally, the actors move in a manner that makes them appear underwater. The manipulations of these three elements — light, sound, and movement — help dramatize this moment as the climax of the plot. By the time this moment passes, the alchemist is left staring at pieces of his porcelain sculpture on the ground.

Although this play is a dramatic portrayal of Szadkowski’s real-life experiences, which gives the production an authentic feel, the humor of this production makes it easily digestible and engaging. Every detail, from the set pieces to the costume designs, is clearly intentional and plays an important role in making this play more intriguing for the audience.