Posts Tagged ‘amelia acosta powell’

Outstanding Performances, Raw Emotion Highlight the Rep’s Intense “August”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , on March 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

August: Osage County
by Tracy Letts
Directed by Amelia Acosta Powell
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
March 22, 2024

Claire Karpen, Yvonne Woods, Henny Russell, Ellen McLaughlin
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Pulitzer Prize-winning caustic comedy-drama August: Osage County is the latest offering from the Rep, and it’s a stunning one. Already a well-known play, this intense portrait of a dysfunctional family in crisis is full of biting humor, over-the-top emotions, and deep tragedy, all brought to the staging with crisp pacing and excellent direction by Amelia Acosta Powell, and featuring a truly stellar cast with no weak links. It also features some truly dazzling production values, including a house you may even want to live in.

This is a story a lot of people can relate to, I think, because all families have their drama and tensions, even if they are not necessarily as extreme as those of the Westons, the large, frequently contentious Oklahoma family featured in this story. As the play begins, celebrated poet and aging patriarch Beverly Weston (Joneal Joplin) is explaining his situation to Johnna (Shyla Lefner), a young, even-tempered Cheyenne woman that he is hiring to be the family housekeeper and caretaker, against the wishes of his ailing and volatile wife, Violet (Ellen McLaughlin), who is suffering from mouth cancer and is also addicted to various painkillers. Soon, Beverly goes missing, and the family is forced to come together, including their three adult daughters, including the eldest, Barbara (Henny Russell), who travels from Colorado with her professor husband, Bill (Michael James Reed) and moody teenage daughter, Jean (Isa Venere). Middle daughter Ivy (Claire Karpen) lives locally but feels neglected and demeaned by her caustic mother, and youngest daughter Karen (Yvonne Woods) shows up later along with her creepy fiancé, Steve (Brian Slaten), seemingly ignoring his increasingly suspicious behavior. Also in the mix are Violet’s opinionated sister, Mattie Fae (Astrid Van Wieren) and her affable husband, Charlie (Alan Knoll), along with their son Little Charles (Sean Wiberg), who is constantly berated and belittled by his mother. The local sheriff, Deon (David Wassilak) is leading the search for Beverly, and brings back memories for former high school prom date Barbara. What ensues is a tale of remembrance, regret, dysfunctional relationships, crushed hopes and dreams, substance abuse, and occasional violence and inappropriate behavior on a multitude of levels. 

Very few of the characters are truly likable, but some are more sympathetic than others, and anyone who has had family drama will likely find something to relate to. What rings the most true in this production is the relationship between the three very different adult sisters, and their love-hate relationship with their often sharp-tongued mother. There’s also a believable build-up of tension as the family assembles and attempts to have a formal dinner, with many harsh revelations to follow. The pacing is brisk, even for this especially long play, so that there are no dull moments, and the cast is energetic with impressive cohesion and sometimes combative chemistry.

McLaughlin as Violet gives a powerhouse performance, making this difficult character compelling even as she is unapologetically vicious and caustic. Still, the depth is there, as with most of the characterizations here. Nothing is too over-the-top, even with a larger-than-life character like Violet, and with the also excellent Russell as Barbara, who finds herself matching wits with Violet and holding her own. There are also strong turns form Karpen as the often-overlooked Ivy, and Woods as the somewhat clueless, defensive Karen. Venere as the sometimes surly Jean, and Reed as the exasperated Bill are also impressive, as are Van Wieren and Knoll as the somewhat mismatched Mattie Fae and Charlie, along with Wiberg as the browbeaten but well-meaning Little Charles. Slaten, as the sleazy Steve, and Wassilak, as the helpful Deon, round out the superlative cast that brings every bit of energy and emotion to this intensely dramatic and sometimes wickedly funny script.

In a technical sense, the Rep always has great production values, but they take them to the next level this time, with a set by Regina Garcia that represents a large, well-furnished house to the point where it seems invitingly real. There’s also excellent, detailed costuming by Sonia Álvarez that suits the characters well in keeping with the setting and tone of the show. The lighting by Xavier Pierce and sound by Amanda Werre, along with  music composed by Avi Amon, also adds to the overall atmosphere of the play.

This is a highly emotional, precisely directed, superbly acted production of August: Osage County that makes the most of its three-and-a-half hour running time. With some unsettling and difficult subject matter, it’s not for all ages, but it’s a challenging and remarkable work of theatre. In terms of sheer dramatic quality, it’s the Rep at its best.

Cast of August: Osage County
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting August: Osage County until April 7, 2024

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The Rep’s New “Gradient” Features Sharp Satire, Stunning Set, Strong Acting

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on October 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

The Gradient
by Steph Del Rosso
Directed by Amelia Acosta Powell
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
October 8, 2021

Stephanie Machado, Yousof Sultani
Photo by Phillip Hamer
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

It would be nice to have a “quick fix” or “miracle cure” for many of the world’s problems. Most of the time, however, despite slick packaging, savvy marketing, and smooth sales pitches, often times when something is promised as a “cure” for a given evil, it turns out to be “too good to be true”. The Gradient, a new world-premiere play at the Rep, brings this concept to the “#MeToo” movement. With a clever, satirical script, sleek production values, and an excellent cast, this show takes a thought-provoking, somewhat fantastical approach to a very real, timely issue.

The first aspects of this show that make an impression are the set and the sales pitch. “The Gradient” of the play’s title is a company that’s hawking a “cure” for sexual misconduct mostly among men–including sexual harassment and assault–by means of an algorithm that is supposed to help the company’s counselors target their approach to the individual clients they are working with. Company co-founder Natalia (Christina Acosta Robinson) is featured in the marketing materials, using her best “infomercial” voice to tout this revolutionary new method, and promising near-miraculous results. The slickly produced video is projected on screens on scenic designer Carolyn Mraz’s stylish set that evokes a trendy office environment, highlighted by Mextly Couzin’s eye-catching lighting design. When we first see Natalia outside of the video, she’s welcoming a new employee–the idealistic Tess (Stephanie Machado)–to the office. Natalia comes across as somewhat gruff at first, but Tess’s co-worker Louis (William DeMerrit) assures his new colleague that she improves on acquaintance. As the story plays out, we get to see what life is like at The Gradient for Tess as she interacts with her co-workers and with her new clients, and especially Jackson (Yousof Sultani), a smooth-talking client who may or may not be making actual progress. The approach to the story is largely comic, but with a somewhat ominous undercurrent suggesting the reality of The Gradient’s “success stories” might not be exactly as the promotional materials have been suggesting, as well as contrasting the initially enthusiastic Tess’s reactions to her experiences at The Gradient to that of her more “realist” colleagues. 

With the focus here being mostly on Tess and her fellow Gradient employees, we don’t get a detailed explanation of what most of the clients did to be referred to the Gradient (as an alternative to prison or jail, apparently), but we see a range of personalities and attitudes represented, from the “charmer” approach of Jackson to a variety of other clients all played by one actor (Stephen Cefalu, Jr.) who approach their sessions with Tess differently–from denial, to fear, to open hostility, etc. The scenes of Tess’s counseling sessions are alternated with “behind the scenes” moments at the office, and occasionally more of the promotional pitches, as we see “testimonials” from former clients and more insistent voiceovers from Natalia, with the contrast between the packaging of The Gradient’s product and the reality of its results becoming more apparent, and its effects on the company’s employees are also starkly compared. In addition to the main issue being presented, the play also deals with issues of work-life balance, corporate culture, and advertising vs. reality. In addition to some broad satire, The Gradient also features some intense emotional moments and a story that isn’t quite as predictable as it may seem at first. 

While the client characters are more one-dimensional, the Gradient employees are much more complex, and the performances across the board are excellent. Cefalu’s comically strong portrayal of eight distinctly different clients, and Sultani’s ingratiating Jackson are memorable, and DeMerrit’s friendly, mostly upbeat Louis also makes an impression. The biggest standouts, though, are Robinson as the enigmatic Natalia, and Machado as the initially idealistic but increasingly unsettled Tess. These two are the dominant characters in the story, representing a contrast in approaches as well as characters who have a lot more going on inside than they first let on. Both give stunning performances, with Machado having a memorable emotional moment late in the play that’s especially remarkable, and Robinson getting to deliver almost as strong an emotional punch in a more understated way in the play’s denouement. The interplay between the various characters is also impressive and memorable.

Technically, the show is especially impressive, with the stunning set and lighting, as well as memorable projection design by Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason H. Thompson, providing the ideal atmosphere for the action. There’s also excellent sound design by Sadah Espii Proctor, and well-suited costumes by Raquel Barreto. The pacing is well-timed, with occasional deliberately uncomfortable audience engagement in keeping with the plays generally satirical tone. 

While the ending is somewhat abrupt, the overall idea seems to be that there aren’t any “easy answers” to the problems dealt with here. While that conclusion isn’t really surprising, The Gradient deals with its subject in a way that’s sure to provoke thought and discussion. On stage at COCA’s new Catherine B. Berges Theatre, this is a new show that’s worth checking out. 

Christina Acosta Robinson, William DeMerrit
Photo by Phillip Hamer
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting The Gradient at the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA until October 24, 2021

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The Rep Studio’s “Thanksgiving Play” is Sharp, Hilarious Satire

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on January 25, 2020|

The Thanksgiving Play
by Larissa Fasthorse
Directed by Amelia Acosta Powell
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Studio
January 18, 2020

Ani Djirdjirian, Adam Flores, Jonathan Spivey, Shayna Blass Photo by Phillip Hamer Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Rep Studio’s newest production looks at a controversial subject from a satirical point of view. The Thanksgiving Play, by playwright Larissa Fasthorse, tackles an especially relevant issue in society with a somewhat novel approach–over-the-top, biting satire that is unquestioningly hilarious while at the same time tackling some uncomfortable truths. Although the characters can be seen to some degree as “easy targets”, that doesn’t change the relevance and outright bombastic hilarity of the piece, or the overall importance of its message.

To a degree, the characters here are funny because they are so familiar, and the type of obtuse, “trying-too-hard” white liberals portrayed here have been poked fun of in various media before. Still, there’s also a point to be made that these “types” are so funny because they do, to various degrees, represent reality. Also, from the point of view of a Native American playwright, we get to see even more how misguided many efforts of “cultural inclusion” turn out to be when you look at them closely enough, as well-meaning white artists try to “help” the cause, trying to avoid cultural appropriation and stereotype so much in one area that they don’t realize how much they reinforce these ideas in other ways. So here, we have self-important street performer and yoga enthusiast Jaxton (Adam Flores) and the ever-earnest and anxious director Logan (Shayna Blass), who are tasked with staging a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving themed play at an elementary school for Native American Month. Joining them are Caden (Jonathan Spivey), a history teacher and aspiring playwright who is hired to be their consultant on historical matters, and Los Angeles-based Alicia (Ani Djirdjian), who has been brought in to act in the show under the assumption that she’s Native American–an assumption reinforced by her series of specifically styled headshots that have been shopped around by her agent. What she turns out to be is vapid “Hollywood” type who, somewhat surprisingly, doesn’t pretend to be anything else and as a result, is envied by Jaxton and Logan because of her “simplicity”. So, these four work together to tell the traditional Thanksgiving story in a “sensitive” way and, predictably, things don’t go exactly as planned–and that’s an understatement. Their efforts start out relatively predictable and get more and more outrageous as the show goes on, managing to to provide loads of laughs along with some especially sharp and biting social commentary, along with some truly brutal reminders of the more unsavory aspects of history that have been glossed over in the “traditional” telling of the Thanksgiving story. Interspersed with the linear story are some out-of-time moments in which the four players enact some truly bizarre and sometimes horrifying representations of Thanksgiving presentations from various schools around the country. I’m not sure if these are taken from real life or not, but sadly, it wouldn’t surprise me if they are. In addition to its main message, the play also pokes fun at some other conventions, such as Hollywood, pretentious artists, and more.

The pacing here is ideal, as the story starts off slow-ish and then snowballs out of control, and the characters respond to the various conflicts in kind. The casting is excellent, as well, with Flores and Blass making a credible couple as both play off of each others’ quirks, augmenting them and spurring on the rest of the players in turn. Blass especially is strong as the over-earnest, increasingly insecure Logan, who is nervous about getting her play right but doesn’t quite know what “right” looks like. Djirdjian is also a treat as the vapid starlet who owns her vapidness, and Spivey also stands out in a strong performance as the closest thing to a “straight man” (in the comic sense) in this group, although he has his quirks as well. It’s the interplay between these four disparate characters and the way they play off of each other with their varying expressions of well-meaning but clueless determination that provides the bulk of the comedy here, and this company gets the tone just right.

Technically, the production values are simple but well-suited. The unit set, by Efren Delgadillo, Jr., is a detailed representation of an elementary school classroom. The costumes, by Lux Haac, represent the characters and their personalities, especially well. There’s also excellent lighting by Porche McGovern that especially highlights the “interlude” scenes, and Cricket S. Myers’s sound is proficient, as well.

Overall, this is one of those shows that’s likely to make audience members laugh their lungs out and then, when they’ve caught their breath, feel uncomfortable at the harshness of the reality being conveyed even by these broadly drawn, hilariously stereotypical characters. The reality that history has been written by those in power, at the expense of those not in power, is made clear in the midst of the hilarity, and the sharp satire works especially well in getting this message across. This is an ideal show for making one think, as well as laugh.

Shayna Blass, Adam Flores, Ani Djirdjirian, Jonathan Spivey Photo by Phillip Hamer Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting The Thanksgiving Play in its Studio Theatre until February 9, 2020

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