Fringe Festival's 'Letters to Clio' tells of Argentina's disappeared

In "Letters to Clio -- Part II, Margarita," writer-performer Jennifer S. Jones is rigorous and efficient. In 55 minutes, she summarizes the agony of Argentina's "dirty war," the period in the 1970s and '80s when thousands of citizens suspected of subversion were abducted and "disappeared."

It's a lot to take on, but Jones concentrates it by assuming the role of a well-to-do woman named Margarita, whose cardigan, pearls and pulled-back hair suggest comfort and confidence. Without changing costume, Jones also voices the rest of the characters in this drama -- Margarita's husband, their daughter and the people Margarita encounters as her daughter disappears, shattering Margarita's tranquillity.

Jones's assured acting is cool and unforced, which puts the emphasis squarely on the fruits of her firsthand research. The story is based on interviews, and though this scenario is already deeply familiar, the aftershocks are still being hashed out, and Jones still feels it all urgently. The show is unabashed activism: Each playbill has a photo of one of the desaparecidos (the disappeared) on the back, with biographical details on the "Letters to Clio" Web site.

"Part II," which runs through July 24 at the low-ceilinged Bedroom in Fort Fringe, means this is a series chronicling women's issues around the world (Jones has already grappled with India and next turns her gaze to the Congo). This installment, with its combination of discipline and passion, suggests the ongoing project will be worth watching.

-- Nelson Pressley