New this week: Gritty drama at Actors' Studio and an energetic rock musical at the Fox.
New This Week:
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Annapurna
Photo by Patrick Huber |
St. Louis Actors' Studio presents
Annapurna by Sharr White running Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through February 23. "After twenty years apart, Emma tracks Ulysses to a trailer park in the middle of nowhere for a final reckoning. What unfolds is a visceral and profound meditation on love and loss with the simplest of theatrical elements: two people in one room. A breathtaking story about the longevity of love." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit
stlas.org.
My take: Whle widely praised by my fellow critics, Sharr White's play is certainly not for those looking for light entertainment. As Tina Farmer writes
at KDHX, the production "takes us on a trip inside a blistering hot trailer home at the foot of a picturesque mountain range. The desolate location bears witness to the final, painful chapter of a marriage and divorce reconciling itself with mortality in a beautiful, bittersweet story that resonates with truth and aches with longing."
On her blog, Michele Kenyon calls this "a compelling and memorable tale of relationship, regret, and a wide range of emotions, deliberately and expertly paced." It's a "a magnetic combination of lyrical writing and powerhouse performances," according to Lynn Venhaus
at PopLifeSTL. If you're up for compelling drama this weekend, this just might be your ticket.
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Rent
Photo by Amy Boyle |
The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the rock musical
Rent Friday through Sunday, February 21-23. "In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway… and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson's RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning masterpiece returns to the stage. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters-love." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information:
fabulousfox.com.
My take: On the other hand, if you want something a bit more upbeat, here's a show that, at the age of 34, can now probably be regarded as a "classic." I've always been a fan of this musical. Jonathan Larson's score is inventive and stylistically eclectic and his lyrics are artful and intelligent. What strikes me about
Rent is how much this exuberant and unconventional show reminds me of another one to which those same adjectives were applied back in 1968:
Hair, the show that defined the genre of rock musical. Like
Hair,
Rent takes jabs at the older generation--mine--and thumbs it's nose at the American
status quo from the bottom of the economic pyramid. Unlike
Hair, though, it's less overtly political, covers a wider emotional spectrum, and may actually be a better piece of theatre.
Held Over:
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Three Tall Women
Photo by John Lamb |
Stray Dog Theatre presents Edward Albee's drama
Three Tall Women through February 22. "A young lawyer has been sent to sort-out the finances of an elderly client, although more than money is at issue. With a nurse companion steadily alongside, the old woman's conflicted life is laid bare in all of its charming, vicious, and wretched glory. Winner of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize, Three Tall Women, a semi-autobiographical view of the playwright's mother, is often seen as Albee's most personal and compelling play." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit
straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.
My take: Albee's plays are not always the most approachable form of theatre, but
Three Tall Women is pretty compelling if done well.
At the Post-Dispatch, Calvin Wilson calls this a "compelling and wonderfully performed production". "Stray Dog artistic director Gary F. Bell," writes Mark Bretz
at Ladue News, "is meticulous in adhering not only to Albee’s script but also to the show’s mood and tempo." "This well-directed production," says Tina Farmer
at KDHX, "is a marvelous opportunity to introduce the play to any unfamiliar St. Louis audiences. For spectators already acquainted with the script, the production's quality makes it a worthwhile occasion to refamiliarize one's self."
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Ghost
Photo by Jennifer A. Lin |
Metro Theatre Company presents
Ghost Fridays at 7 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through March 1. "Metro Theater Company presents the rolling world premiere of a new play adapted by Idris Goodwin from Jason Reynolds's award-winning best-seller for young readers. Running is all that Castle Cranshaw, a.k.a. "Ghost," has ever known, but he runs for all the wrong reasons until he meets Coach, who sees something in him: raw talent. The story follows Castle as he tries to stay on track, literally and figuratively, harnessing his aptitude for speed on an elite local track team while battling the difficult realities of his past and present. Ghost also highlights the importance of allyship. As his teammates become friends and Coach stands in as a father figure, Castle finds a place where he belongs " The performances take place at The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information:
metroplays.org.
My take: Metro has a long history of presenting children's theatre that can appeal to adults as well while still delivering powerful messages. Plus, the script is by Idris Goodwin, whose hip-hop play
How We Got On so impressed me at the Humana Festival in 2012.
At Ladue News, Mark Bretz calls this "enchanting, persuasive tale of a modern kid with contemporary problems."
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