As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.
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New This Week:
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Of Mice and Men
Photo: Joey Rumpell |
Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents
Of Mice and Men Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. through November 18. "George, an affable migrant farm worker and Lennie, a towering, simple-minded, pleasantly humble young man, have just arrived to work at a ranch. They are bound together by George's devotion and Lennie's seeming-helplessness, but George's guardianship soon leads to an ominous slippery slope. With an approaching lynch mob and blood on Lennie's hands, George is faced with a moral question: spare his friend or allow the ranchers to take matter into their own hands." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information:
slightlyoff.org.
My take: The relevance of this story to a present-day American that seems intent on returning to the bad old economic days seems obvious, but SATE has taken the subtext and put it front and center. "John Steinbeck's short novel", writes Tina Farmer
at KDHX, "...springs vibrantly to life in Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble's (SATE) riveting production. Director Jacqueline Thompson and the company intentionally cast the emotionally powerful show to authentically reflect our country's migrant workforce, adding poignant relevance to a story originally set in 1935." Does the unusual casting, which includes some cross-gender roles, work? Ms. Farmer thinks so, and Ann Lemmons Pollack, in her
St. Louis Eats and Drinks blog, says this is "[f]ine work in an intimate space." YMMV but it looks like SATE has once again produced an innovative and provocative show.
Held Over:
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Stones in His Pockets
Photo: John Lamb |
The West End Players Guild continues its 107th season with the comedy
Stones in His Pockets Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, November 16 - 19. "The play offers a sharply satiric look at what happens when an American movie company sets up shop in a down-on-its-luck village in County Kerry, Ireland, to film a major motion picture. Enticed by the prospect of making more money as film extras every day than most can make in a week, everyone in the village wants in on the action. Most do get involved but some are left behind, and the village soon learns that there can be a steep price to pay for a few weeks of easy money and Hollywood excitement." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit
www.westendplayers.org.
My take: Full disclosure: I'm on the board and play reading committee at West End, but I have also been a great admirer of the remarkable comedy/drama since my wife and I first saw it in London many years ago. It's a virtuoso exercise for the two-man cast, who have to shift characters rapidly and often to portray around 30 roles in the course of the evening. I have shared the stage with both of the guys in this cast and I can tell you from personal experience that they've got the goods. Mark Bretz's review
at Ladue news is typical of the show's notices: "Marie Jones’ whimsical, bittersweet story is given a touching tribute by director Steve Callahan and the talented twosome of Jared Sanz-Agero and Jason Meyers in a sparkling West End Players Guild presentation."
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| Titus Androgynous |
YoungLiars presents
Titus Androgynous running through November 18. "Did you know that Shakespeares most brutal tragedy is actually a comedy? YoungLiars aim to prove the point with a vengeance in this riotous reimagining of Titus Andronicus - where the Italian Commedia smashes into All-American Splatter, and Shakespeare comes along for the ride. Titus Androgynous is YoungLiars deliciously deranged deep-dive into the perverse passions and vaudeville violence of the Bard's bloodiest play." Performances take place in in the hundred-year-old basement of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive Street in Grand Center. For more information:
brownpapertickets.com.
My take: I'm not a fan of
grand guignol theatre in general, but if (say)
Evil Dead: The Musical is your particular cup of stage blood, you might want to take a look at this unapologetically outrageous revision of Shakespeare's most violent play (which, to be fair, is often cited as an early example of
grand guignol). Over at Ladue News, Mark Bretz
praises the production's "inspired silliness" and says this Hallowe'en-themed show is "as much treat as trick."
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