Life Upon the Wicked Stage
A Trio of One-Acts by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Brian Hohlfeld
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 10, 2024
Julia Crump, Julie Layton, Donna Weinsting, Dominic Di Cicco, Gary Wayne Barker
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Life Upon the Wicked Stage is the title for Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis’s showcase of three one-acts with similar themes. It’s also the title of the classic song that opens the show, sung by cast members Donna Weinsting, Julia Crump, and Julie Layton. These three, along with Dominic Di Cicco and Gary Wayne Barker, join in a production that examines the lives of theatre people in the first half of the 20th Century, along with interludes of classic songs that underscore the themes in the plays. It’s an intriguing presentation, well-acted and performed, fitting well into the small performance space at the Curtain Call Lounge.
The three plays featured weren’t written to be performed together, but as presented here, they work to show a progression in the life of an actress as she ages and experiences life and relationships with men. The first play “In Our Profession” features Annabelle (Layton) as an eager young woman after a rendezvous with the older, more detached Richard (Barker). When Annabelle starts talking “serious” about marriage, commitment, and leaving the transient theatrical life, Richard calls on his more “sincere” young friend Paul (Di Cicco) to bail him out, only to have Annabelle turn her attention–and her charms–to him. This is a humorous, fairly short story with fun performances from the cast and quick pacing.
Next, “The Magic Tower” shows a slightly older Annabelle, who is now married to the younger, idealistic artist Jim (Di Cicco), living in a small attic room owned by landlady Mrs. O’Fallon (Weinsting), who is suspicious of Annabelle. When Jim goes out to try to sell his artwork to a promoter, her old stage friends Mitch (Barker) and Babe (Crump) visit, with the goal of trying to convince Annabelle to join them back on the road with the theatre troupe. The chemistry between Layton and Di Cicco is convincing here, as is Layton’s sense of insecurity as her old friends sow doubt in her mind about her new relationship.
Finally, “The Fat Man’s Wife” casts Annabelle as a middle-aged woman in an unhappy marriage to theatre producer Joe (Barker)–or “Josie”, as she calls him. It’s New Year’s Day, and the two have just returned from a party, in which Annabelle shared a flirtation with an idealistic young playwright, Dennis (Di Cicco), who later appears with his own enticing offer. Here, Layton is excellent at portraying how her years of life have affected the older but still lonely Annabelle. Di Cicco and Barker are also excellent as the two contrasting men.
The performance ends with Weinsting serenading the cast with Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” as a reminder of the ups and downs of show business, and the cast joins in for a reprise of “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”. It’s a strong cast all around, with entertaining musical performances of various songs, and memorable acting in the three plays. There’s also excellent work from costume designer Teresa Doggett and musical director Tom Clear. It’s a clever way to join these three plays together, and a fascinating, thought-provoking examination of the life of a “show person”.
The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting Life Upon the Wicked Stage at the Curtain Call Lounge until August 18, 2024
