Review: Is that all there was?

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

L-R: Jeffrey Hayenga, Robbie Simpson
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

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In his program note for the Repertory Theatre's well acted and smartly directed world premiere production of "Nonsense and Beauty," playwright Scott C. Sickles recalls that the play's genesis dates from 1994, when the author read an entry in Leigh Rutledge's "The Gay Fireside Companion" on Bob Buckingham, the English policeman who had a decades-long relationship with famed author E.M. Forster. He was intrigued by the story, and with good reason.

Forster and Buckingham were apparently attracted to each other from the moment they met at a party during a Cambridge-Oxford boat race in 1930, despite the large gap in their ages (Forster was 51, Buckingham only 28) and social status (Forster's: upper; Buckingham's: not so much). "EM Forster wrote several entries in his diaries about the next few years," writes Darren Marples at Smart Gay Life, "during which they began a lifetime on-off affair. Married and considering himself heterosexual, Buckingham spent many weekends at Forster's flat in Brunswick Square and time away together."

L-R: Robbie Simpson, Jeffrey Hayenga,
Lori Vega, John Feltch
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The relationship endured despite Buckingham's marriage. Forster became a close family friend, was a godfather to the couple's son Robin, and was even nursed by Buckingham's wife, May, towards the end of his life. They somehow managed to (in Forster's words) "only connect," despite the difficulty of their situation. May claimed to have been ignorant of the real nature of her husband's relationship with Forster which, given the draconian cultural and legal conditions of the time, is not as outrageous as it would seem today.

All of this ought to make for compelling drama, and while there's no doubt that there are many wonderful moments and a few truly moving scenes in "Nonsense and Beauty," I ultimately found it a bit disappointing, largely because of the character of Buckingham.

In Mr. Sickles's treatment of the story, Buckingham actively courts both Forster and May. He claims to love both of them, but is honest with neither. More seriously, the script reveals so little of his inner life, that it's difficult to understand why either Forster or May find him attractive. He's rather like one of T.S. Eliot's "hollow men": "Shape without form, shade without colour, / Paralysed force, gesture without motion."

Lori Vega, Robbie Simpson
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

It's a tribute to the acting skills of Robbie Simpson that he makes Buckingham as interesting as he is. He makes the character believable moment to moment, even if the script leaves him something of a cipher up to the end.

Mr. Sickles has given the other actors in this superb cast more to work with, and their performances could hardly be better. Jeffrey Hayenga perfectly captures Forster's loneliness, insecurity, and self-deprecating wit. Lori Vega shows us all of May's intelligence and fundamental decency. Donna Weinsting is a perfectly acerbic treasure as Forster's mother Lilly. And John Feltch delivers the Oscar Wilde-ish epigrams of Forster's friend, the writer and broadcaster J.R. Ackerley, with real relish, while making the character's unrequited love for Forster painfully real.

Director Seth Gordon's pacing is excellent, both in and between scenes, and his blocking generally avoids the "obstructed view" trap of working in the round, although I did feel that I saw more of J.R. Ackerley's back than was necessary. Felia K. Davenport's costumes are well chosen for the characters and period. Rusty Wandall's sound makes effective use of brief musical clips to cover the lightning-fast changes of Brian Sidney Bembridge's minimalist set, and his choice of Leiber and Stoller's world weary "Is That All There Is?" to open and close the show felt very appropriate..

Donna Weinsting, John Feltch
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

With a run time of around two hours and twenty minutes including intermission, "Nonsense and Beauty" is perhaps a bit long-winded, particularly towards the end when the playwright leaps ahead by a full three decades in order to pull in Forster's last days on earth. Some of the final scenes felt a bit redundant, especially given the lack of any discernable changes in the characters during the interim. Still, it's good to see a new script that doesn't appear to be a screenplay in waiting.

"Nonsense and Beauty," in short, is a fundamentally sound work that could use with some fine tuning, largely around the character of Buckingham, but it's a worthy addition to the Rep's studio season nevertheless. Performances continue through March 24th in the studio theatre at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis on the Webster University campus.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of April 13, 2018

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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The Monroe Actors Stage presents the drama An Inspector Calls Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., April 13 - 22, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

My take: I won't be able to see this production, so this recommendation is based entirely on the fact that the play itself is a powerful indictment on the smugness and moral rot that can accompany material comfort. As such, it's as relevant now as when it was first performed in 1945, if not more so. An Inspector Calls neatly subverts the conventions of drawing-room drama to deliver a radical message which, sadly, still needs to be delivered today.

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Jesus Christ Superstar
Photo by Justin Been

Stray Dog Theatre presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar Thursdays through Saturdays, April 12 - 28. There will also be performances at 2 pm on Sunday, April 22, and 8 pm on Wednesday, April 18 and 25. "Jesus Christ Superstar has captivated audiences for more than 40 years. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, this timeless rock opera follows the last week of Jesus' life, exploring his personal relationships and struggles with Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, and the Roman Empire" Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

My take: Here's another one I'm recommending in advance purely on the strength of the material and on the track record of the producing company. Stray Dog has had quite a string of critical and commercial success lately with its seasons in general and in particular with its musicals. Last year's Ragtime (in which, to be fair, I performed) walked away with multiple St. Louis Theater Circle awards and sold-out houses. This production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which features some of the same stars as Ragtime, is already selling out as well. Hence the early inclusion.

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New Jerusalem
Photo by Eric Woolsey

New Jewish Theater presents David Ives' New Jerusalem, the Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Torah Talmud Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656 through April 22. The play is the true story of Jewish philosopher Baruch de Spinoza who was excommunicated from the Jewish community of Amsterdam in the mid-1600's in order to keep the peace for that city's Jews." 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: I'm a sucker for this kind of intellectual drama, and New Jewish appears to be doing an impressive job with it. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer says that director Tim Ocel and his cast "work in unison to create a moving and effective show that allows history to reverberate with issues of contemporary concern...The impact of Spinoza's genius is still felt in our national conversation, and the captivating and sharply performed show contains enough story and dramatic tension to engage a broad audience."

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Rosenkrantz and Guildernstern Are DeadPhoto by Ron James

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Tom Stoppard's Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through April 15. "This comedy, penned during the height of the absurdist movement, follows the two hapless friends of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as they go on a journey from which they never return. On a day like any other, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's peaceful morning is suddenly disrupted when a messenger from Elsinore castle raps on their window informing them that they have been summoned. Thus, begins the journey for our befuddled travelers as they explore fate, their purpose and very nature of existence." Performances take place at the Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan in the Carondelet neighborhood. For more information, call 314-361-5664 or visit stlshakespeare.org.

My take: Speaking of lively intellectual theatre, Stoppard's play is still a classic example of how to pour old wine into new bottles. It's "Shakespeare through the wrong end of the telescope" concept is brilliantly executed and always worth seeing. "The dizzying imagination of Tom Stoppard's razor-sharp mind," writes Mark Bretz at Ladue News, "is in evidence throughout this brisk, brilliant comedy currently being given a delightful rendering by St. Louis Shakespeare."

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Held Over:

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Cardboard Piano
Photo by John Lamb

The West End Players Guild concludes its 107th season with the St. Louis premiere of Hansol Jung's drama Cardboard Piano Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, April 6 - 15. "In civil war-torn northern Uganda a missionary's daughter and a local teenaged girl exchange secret wedding vows and plan their escape, but they cannot evade the reach of the encroaching civil war. The play explores the deep but tragic relationship between the two young women and a troubled child soldier they try to save. The cardboard piano is their symbol of the hope and courage needed to carry on in a hopeless world. But can anyone have the courage to forgive the unforgiveable?" There will also be a show on Thursday, April 12, at 8 pm. 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: I'm on the play reading committee as well as the board of WEPG, and was a strong supporter of this play from the beginning. I first saw it at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2016, where I was very impressed with the writing. In my review, I wrote that Cardboard Piano manages to balance the immediacy of it's "ripped from the headlines" story with a contemplation of deeper issues. As our own domestic political process plays out the conflict between a version of Christianity based on mercy and compassion vs. one based on anger and judgment, the issues in Cardboard Piano feel both immediate and timeless.

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Hamilton

The Fox Theatre presents the musical Hamilton running through April 22. "HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation's first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R and B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now." The Fox is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

My take: Yeah, like you need my encouragement to see this massive hit. Reviewing the Chicago production in 2016, I wrote that Hamilton is a flat-out brilliant piece of musical theatre that manages to be both educational and entertaining at the same time. In nations, as in nature, diversity is a source of strength. Hamilton is a reminder of that strength. We are, as JFK wrote in his book of the same name, "a nation of immigrants," so it's encouraging to note that, when we saw Hamilton, spontaneous applause burst out when Jefferson and Hamilton sang "immigrants: we get the job done."