New This Week:
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| Popcorn Falls Photo by Todd Davis |
My take: This is one of those examples of theatrical sleight of hand, on the order of The 39 Steps or Stones in His Pockets, in which a small cast (two actors, in this case) quickly take on a wide variety of roles to tell a relatively straightforward story. Fortunately, those two actors are the very talented Joe Hanrahan and Shane Signorino. "The implausible script," writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "offers a coterie of interesting townsfolk to recruit for help, a satisfying villain and a budding romance along with secret fears and unresolved personal truths. The actors work through each challenge in ways that are laugh out loud funny and totally entertaining." At Ladue News, Mark Bretz writes that "Hanrahan and Signorino have a grand time playing 21 parts, often successfully conveying those good feelings to the audience. It’s especially humorous to see Signorino switch identities in the quick time it takes him to walk behind an on-stage curtain and emerge as a different character with just guile and gesticulations."
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| Time Stands Still Photo by Philip Hammer |
My take: Here's a play that deals with some serious issues and, if reviews are any indication, does so very effectively. "Margulies is a superior writer," says Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "and his thought-provoking, two-act drama is currently being given a telling rendition at New Jewish Theatre...Director Doug Finlayson keeps the focus correctly on the players and while doing so brings out stellar performances." "It’s fine ensemble work, certainly," writes Ann Lemmons Pollack. "Director Doug Finlayson has created a very worthwhile group to offer a thoughtful experience for all audiences."
Held Over:
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| The Play the Goes Wrong Photo: John Gitchoff |
My take: As an old theatre guy myself, I'm something of a sucker for shows (like Michael Frayn's Noises Off) that get comedy out of backstage disaster, if only because anyone who has acted for any length of time will have his or her own tales of theatrical mishap. The Play That Goes Wrong appears to take this genre to dizzying heights. "Farce," writes Steve Callahan at KDHX, "is technically the most difficult form of theater, and low farce--slapstick farce, like this one--is the most difficult kind of farce. The cast at the Rep are intensely energetic, intensely disciplined and occasionally quite athletic in portraying (and surviving) all their various injuries and embarrassments." The production is unquestionably a tour de force for all involved and generally hilarious, although the script tends to be a one-joke affair that could stand a bit of trimming.
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| The cast of Waitress Photo by Philicia Endelman |
My take: As I wrote in my review, this is a damn near perfect piece of small-cast musical theatre. Jessie Nelson's heartwarming book (based on Adrienne Shelly's 2007 film of the same name), Sara Bareilles's eclectic score, and the outstanding performances by the ensemble cast combine to produce an evening of theatre that's as perfect as one of the protagonist's pies. "The beauty of 'Waitress,' writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "is in its portrayal of real life, filled with real people doing their best from day to day and trying to find a little happiness in their struggles. The performances are compelling, the songs are varied and emotionally resonant and there's an authenticity and warmth to the story that lingers long after the last pie comes out of the oven."
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