Posts Tagged ‘chorus of fools’

Immediacy, Emotion Resonate in Updated “R & J” From Chorus of Fools

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on April 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Romeo & Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Eric Satterfield
Chorus of Fools, in Collaboration with KTK Productions
April 11, 2026

Zach Pierson, Tia René Williams
Photo by Tress Kurzym
Chorus of Fools

The challenge with Romeo & Juliet is that, as one of Shakespeare’s best-known and most studied plays, it gets performed a lot, so audiences can get tempted to go in not expecting much of a challenge. It’s up to the director, cast, and creative team to come up with a compelling staging, and Chorus of Fools has done that, for the most part, with their latest production directed by Eric Satterfield, which features an updated setting, creative use of music, and a well-realized visual world. It’s also a good showcase for a fine, well-chosen cast. 

Another challenge of this play is that, while it’s certainly a tragedy, it features a notable tone-shift, coming across at first as more of a comedy until escalating tensions turn tragic midway through, darkening the mood for the rest of the story. The story is well-known, with feuding families, forbidden passion, and misunderstandings leading to the ultimate tragic conclusion. It’s a timeless story of how prejudice and lack of communication can lead to devastating consequences. This production from Chorus of Fools, at the new KTK Productions venue at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Old North, updates the proceedings and emphasizes emotion, with an early/mid-2000’s vibe that works well with the portrayals here.

Romeo (Zach Pierson) and Juliet (Tia René Williams) are especially convincing as a pair of young lovers from rival families, who meet and make an instant emotional connection. Pierson also convinces in his attraction despite his initially somewhat flighty portrayal that is in keeping with the story, as he hangs out with buddies Benvolia (Moira Healy) and Mercutio (Rowan Van Horn) and moons about another love interest, Rosaline (Katherine Garrett), until he finally sets eyes on Juliet. Williams, for her part, is an engaging, suitably naive but eager Juliet, and the scenes between her and Pierson are credibly emotional. There are also excellent turns from Healy as the “peacemaker” friend and especially Van Horn as the impulsive, poetically inclined Mercutio. Nikki Pilato has strong moments as Juliet’s devoted Nurse, as well, as do Celeste Genevieve Gardner as Juliet’s belligerant cousin, Tybalt, Mo Moellering and Elizabth Breed Penny as Juliet’s two mothers of contrasting temperaments, the stern Senator Capulet and the conflicted Lady Capulet. LaWanda Jackson also makes a strong impression as Romeo’s religious mentor, Sister Lawrence, and there’s fine work from the rest of the ensemble as well, with notable fight choreography by Moellering and memorable moments especially in the dance where Romeo and Juliet meet and later in the chillingly climactic scene in the Capulet family vault at the graveyard. 

This show’s vibe is consistent, with excellent costumes by Tara Laurel and masks by Vickie Delmas, impressive use of music and moments of excellent singing. Kudos to music director Lexie Johnson and sound designer Eric Satterfield, along with lighting designer Erik Kuhn and prop designer Vickie Delmas. The set by Tara Laurel serves well to set the mood and works well in various different settings, from the masked party, to Juliet’s balcony and bedroom, to the town square, and to the darkness of the graveyard vault. 

Although there are occasional pacing issues and a few minor difficulties with acoustics and understanding lines here and there, for the most part this is a cohesive, well-told story with consistent characterization and a fully realized world. It’s a Romeo & Juliet that’s both immediate and relatable as well as being profoundly tragic in a timeless way. The updated setting works well for the story, and the message comes across with emotion and clarity. It’s another solid production from a promising newer theatre company.

Zach Pierson, LaWanda Jackson
Photo by Eric Satterfield
Chorus of Fools

Chorus of Fools, in collaboration with KTK Productions, is presenting Romeo & Juliet at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church until April 19, 2026

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Royal Intrigue Abounds in Chorus of Fools’ Impressively Revised “Elsinore”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Elsinore
by David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield
Directed by Eric Satterfield
Chorus of Fools
October 9, 2025

Zach Pierson, Andrew Eslamian, Xander Huber
Photo by David Nonemaker
Chorus of Fools

Creating theatre is a fascinating process, and I feel blessed to have been able to witness the development of new plays over the years, including the latest production from Chorus of Fools. Elsinore, by David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield, first premiered in a production by Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theatre Company in 2021, and I saw and reviewed that production, noting its promise and the work I thought still needed to be done. The new production, with some of the same creative team and one of the same actors, is still recognizable, but has been impressively revised and refined from that earlier iteration, emphasizing the strengths of the story and character and resulting in a more dramatically satisfying and emotionally affecting prequel to William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet. 

The story is told in three acts, as opposed to two acts in the previous version. Many of the characters from Hamlet are featured, along with some notable new additions, although the familiar characters start out quite differently from what you may expect. In Act 1, it’s 15 years before the events of Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the elder King Hamlet (John Wolbers) is an imperious, somewhat possessive and nervous ruler, trying to rule Denmark with an iron hand, and is dealing with disappointment in his teenage son Hamlet (Andre Eslamian), whom the elder king regards as “soft” and who is mostly interested in getting up to mischief with his buddies Rosencrantz (Xander Huber) and Guildenstern (Zach Pierson). Young Hamlet often feels closer to his uncle, Claudius (Joseph Garner), and flees to his house to avoid his father’s wrath. Claudius is an advisor to the King and is happily married to Collette (Lexie Johnson), who is expecting the couple’s third child after having lost the first two.  As the king grows more jealous of his son’s bond with Claudius and deals with tension in his marriage to Gertrude (Jocelyn Padilla), Claudius comes up with an idea for how to help young Hamlet, which ultimately begins their gradual estrangement. Meanwhile, the king’s bumbling counselor Polonius (Chuck Brinkley) brings his studious daughter Ophelia (Hannah Geisz) to serve in Gertrude’s court after having returned from an unpleasant time in France. Of course, Ophelia and Hamlet develop a friendship that promises to grow into something more. 

That’s just the first act. The next act jumps ahead fourteen years, and we see how the characters and relationships have grown and changed. We also see the seeds of Claudius’s resentment and ambition, and dramatic events that lead to who he becomes in Hamlet. Clever scripting and intriguing character development make for a story that blends sympathy, humor, and tragedy into a credible “before it happened” tale that makes sense as a prequel for one of the world’s best-known plays. Although this backstory isn’t quite how I would have imagined it, the playwrights have done the work to make it make sense, including allusions and parallels to the “parent play” in ways that seem natural and even poetic. The language is also believably Shakespearean, for the most part, and the characters well-developed. As before, I especially love the interactions between Hamlet and Ophelia, but I find Claudius more intriguing this time as well, and the King is a more well-rounded character, and the developments in Claudius’s family life are more thoroughly explained here. 

The cast is excellent, with Garner a thoroughly convincing Claudius, who goes on a journey from sensitive younger brother/uncle and doting husband and father to ambitious wannabe monarch. Garner brings a degree of nuance to the role as well as a clear progression from sympathetic to scheming and beyond. Eslamian as Hamlet is also strong, portraying a believable sense of growth in the character and fantastic chemistry with Geisz, who is a supremely likable and intelligent Ophelia. There are also strong performances from Padilla as the increasingly conflicted Gertrude, Huber and Pierson as the mischievous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Johnson as Claudius’s gentle wife Collette. Pierson also has a strong turn as Young Claudius, son of Hamlet’s uncle, and Brinkley is a scene-stealer as the bumbling but subtly scheming Polonius. Rose Reiker as Osric and Joe Kercher in several roles round out the cast, with all contributing energy and presence to this intriguing, emotionally involving story. I do somewhat wonder at the play’s somewhat smarmy characterization of Laertes (Kercher), since it doesn’t seem fitting with how the character turns out in Hamlet, but that’s a playwriting/directing issue rather than an acting issue.

The look and atmosphere of the show is notably consistent, with a setting that seems like mid-to-late 19th century in terms of costumes and sets. Celeste Gardner’s costumes are particularly outstanding, with excellent attention to detail and period, and suiting the characters well. The set by Vicki Delmas and Satterfield is also excellent, with a prominent red-and-grey color scheme and a suitably “royal” tone. There’s also good work from lighting designer Bradley Rohlf and sound designer Satterfield, and clever use of memorable music during the intermissions that goes along well with the themes of the play.

Overall, while I enjoyed Elsinore the first time I saw it, the play seems like a much more well-realized vision at this point. Featuring familiar characters and themes, and using them in intriguing and occasionally gripping ways, this is a thoroughly credible story that makes sense as a lead-up to Hamlet. It also fits well into the space at Greenfinch Theater & Dive, and includes a few “spooky” elements in keeping with Halloween season. It’s well worth seeing, and an impressive accomplishment from Chorus of Fools. 

Joseph Garner, Jocelyn Padilla
Photo by David Nonemaker
Chorus of Fools

Chorus of Fools is presenting Elsinore at Greenfinch Theater & Dive until October 19, 2025

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Chorus of Fools Does a “Double Take” of Promising New Plays

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Double Take
Chorus of Fools
January 30, 2025

On of the newer theater companies in St. Louis, Chorus of Fools, recently presented a duo of new plays by local playwrights at Greenfinch Theater & Dive. Called by the collective name Double Take, the two one-acts each featured the work of strong casts and talented local playwrights. Both are comedies, but with a touch of drama added in, covering topics from the conspiratorial to the controversial, but focusing on the human experience and vulnerabilities of their characters.  Here are some thoughts on each play:

 

The Bigfoot Diaries
by Eric Satterfield
Directed by e.k. doolin

Xander Huber, Moira Healy
Photo by David Nonemaker
Chorus of Fools

Bigfoot is big business in a small North Carolina town, especially during their annual Bigfoot Days Festival. This play, framed as a podcast episode narrated by local journalist Harper (Irene Cornett) is essentially an examination of insecurity, manipulation, and obsession, and how these affect the town and especially the life of one young man who runs a Bigfoot themed tourist shop.

Marty (Xander Huber) doesn’t really believe in Bigfoot, but he’s been obsessed with the story of the creature his whole life nonetheless. As the town’s sheriff, Ruby Lee (Nikki Plato) investigates a recent incident in the woods in which a local teen, Daniel (Zach Pierson) was injured, Harper seeks to interview Marty for a story in the local paper. Meanwhile, Marty struggles with his own insecurities concerning his past as well as his burgeoning relationship with Cassie (Moira Healy), who works at his store. Soon, we learn that there’s more to the developing mystery than meets the eye, and some characters may not be as innocent as they seem.

This is an engaging play with a fun sense of humor and an intriguing premise, especially in its focus on Marty and his relationships, although the story seems a bit rushed as it begins to wind down, and the ending seems a little too easy. Huber is excellent and sympathetic as Marty, though, and the characters are well drawn, for the most part. There are strong performances all around, and Huber’s chemistry with Healy’s likable Cassie is a highlight. The technical aspects of this show are well done, with memorable costumes by LaWanda Jackson and Hazel McIntire, and fun props by Vickie Delmas, with strong lighting by Erik Kuhn, and excellent sound and projections by Eric Satterfield. 

The Pavement Kingdom: A Clinic Escort Play
by Courtney Bailey
Directed by Rachel Tibbetts

Marcy Wiegert
Photo by David Nonemaker
Chorus of Fools

This play, by the imaginative Courtney Bailey, is something of a stand-up routine with a story, featuring a tour-de-force performance by Marcy Wiegert as Charon, who tells her eventful story while on duty as an escort at an abortion clinic. 

At first, I wasn’t sure if this was really going to be much of a play, considering it spends a good amount of time as essentially an excuse for Charon to tell jokes. This part of the play could possibly stand being trimmed a bit, but it does eventually lead somewhere, as Charon’s presentations about comic “bits” eventually turn into an emotional personal story, as well as a kind of object lesson in empathy. The structure makes sense for Charon’s guarded-but-ultimately-vulnerable character, although I do wonder if the first part could be condensed a bit. 

Wiegert is fantastic as Charon, with excellent comic timing and a snarky but engaging personality, as well as a strong dramatic ability when it is needed, especially as the story finally veers more out of “stand up” territory and gets more personal. The character’s journey is at the heart of the story, and Wiegert plays it well. The costumers and props designers deserve kudos here, as well, with Charon’s colorful outfit and props adding to the overall mood and attitude of the story. 

Overall,  Double Take has served as an intriguing showcase for two local playwrights and some fantastic local performers, fitting well into the Greenfinch space and supported by an enthusiastic audience. It’s a memorable theatrical endeavor for this theater company.

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