Thursday, April 04, 2019

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of April 5, 2019

Joining the hit list this week are a two-hander at Midnight and a drama at New Jewish dealing with war and its impact.


New This Week:

Popcorn Falls
Photo by Todd Davis
The Midnight Company presents the comedy Popcorn Falls Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through April 13. "The small town of Popcorn Falls is bankrupt. Its only tourist attraction, the Falls, has dried up, and it's about to be taken over by an unfeeling corporation who will turn the whole place into a sewage plant. There's only one chance to save the town - a dusty old grant that will give Popcorn Falls the money it needs if it will produce a play. (Which the town's future landlords demand be produced in one week.) The problem? There's no theatre in Popcorn Falls, there's never been a play seen there, and just a couple of its very eccentric citizens have ever been involved with anything resembling a play. It's up to Popcorn Falls' intrepid mayor and its Head Custodian ("Executive Custodian") to rally the town and lead its people in a heroic effort to prove that art can save the world. (Or at least a town.)" Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: midnightcompany.com

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."


Time Stands Still
Photo by Philip Hammer
New Jewish Theater presents Time Stands Still Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through April 14. "Time Stands Still revolves around Sarah, a photojournalist who has returned from covering the Iraq war after being injured by a roadside bomb, and her reporter boyfriend James who is swamped by guilt after having left Sarah alone in Iraq. The two are trying to find happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy. Theirs is a partnership based on telling the toughest stories, and together, making a difference. But when their own story takes a sudden turn, the adventurous couple confronts the prospect of a more conventional life. Can they stay together amidst unspoken betrayals and conflicting ideals? Playwright Margulies answers these questions, while leaving unanswered qualms regarding the way America deals with war and tragedy coverage." Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.

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:

The Play the Goes Wrong
Photo: John Gitchoff
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the comedy The Play That Goes Wrong running through April 7. "Calamity, disaster, fiasco: whichever word you'd like to choose, the opening night performance of The Murder at Haversham Manor has gone decidedly wrong. A maelstrom of madcap madness ensues, complete with collapsing scenery, unconscious actors and a stage crew pushed to the brink. Will The Rep survive this train wreck of a play? Come find out!" Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org

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.  


The cast of Waitress
Photo by Philicia Endelman
The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the musical Waitress running through April 7. "Inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, Waitress tells the story of Jenna - a waitress and expert pie maker, Jenna dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

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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