Posts Tagged ‘courtney bailey’

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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ERA Has a Lot Going on In Thoughtfully Staged, Characterful “Yard Sale”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on July 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Romanov Family Yard Sale
by Courtney Bailey
Directed by Lucy Cashion
Equally Represented Arts
July 5, 2024

Cast of Romanov Family Yard Sale
Photo by Jason Hackett
Equally Represented Arts

Upon arriving at the Kranzberg Arts Center for Equally Represented Arts’ production of Romanov Family Yard Sale, theatregoers are greeted with handmade signs on the door advertising the “Yard Sale Theatre Play” with the persistent slogan “Everything Must Go”. That phrase is essentially the motto of this new show by playwright Courtney Bailey, directed by ERA’s Lucy Cashion, and featuring an energetic cast of talented local performers who play their roles with gusto. Like everything from this company, this play is challenging, literate, and intensely thought-provoking. It’s engaging, fun, and occasionally poignant, and it’s marvelously inventive. 

You may recognize the name “Romanov”, and you’re supposed to, although the Romanovs here aren’t the famous ones, but distant relatives. These relatives are holding a yard sale and appearing in a “moviefilm” filmed by guests Kirk (John Wolbers) and Dody (Chrissie Watkins), whose speech is a barely intelligible blend of random English words and catchphrases–essentially indicating the language barrier between the Russian Romanovs and the filmmakers, whom they assume to be American. The experience of the show is somewhat immersive, in that audience members arrive and participate in a yard sale, as various items from clothing to books to toys to household gadgets and more are offered for sale in exchange for blue “yard sale tickets”. When the story gets going, the audience takes their seats and the Romanov family members tell their story, including their connection with their more well-known late royal cousins. The family is organizing the yard sale and participating in the film in the hope of moving to America to start new lives. What ensues is a story that involves clever pop-culture references–especially to the documentary Grey Gardens and the animated film Anastasia–and explorations of American capitalism, religious movements, and the Russian concept of Toska, an untranslatable term that essentially describes a deep sense of melancholy, longing, and despair, which is described as more pervasive than “measly American depression”. There are also Beanie Babies, a raccoon chorus, and lots more.

This isn’t an easy show to describe, because there’s a lot here to think about and ponder. It’s a clever examination of various concepts, for the most part, with the characters standing out and adding much in the way of heart and poignancy, in addition to humor. Like a lot of ERA’s plays, this play is best understood by experiencing it. There are a few moments where the story seems to drag, especially while the family is constructing an “origin story” for their invented religion–the Church of the Great Babooshka. At the performance I saw, though, this sequence was enlivened somewhat by the production’s smoke machine inadvertently setting off the fire alarm in the theatre, but the cast managed to work that into the show well after the audience returned from evacuation and the fire department cleared out. Cassidy Flynn as Rasputin gets a special nod in this regard, for handling the transition back to the show especially well. 

The cast is excellent, and all are fully committed to their characterizations of this quirky collection of Romanovs, including Big Yelena (Rachel Tibbetts), Little Yelena (Ellie Schwetye); three sisters all named Masha (Celeste Gardner, Kristen Strom, Maggie Conroy); the “rat princess” Anastasia (Ashwini Aurora)–who may or may not be dead; Cousin Katrina–who definitely is dead (played by Courtney Bailey and a fully dressed plastic skeleton); Katrina’s grieving husband Cousin Alexi (Adam Flores); the elderly Aunt Babooshka (Miranda Jagels Felix); and the egg-obsessed Uncle Boris (Anthony Kramer); along with the aforementioned racoon choir (Joe Taylor), as well as Rasputin and his crony Pigbat (Alicen Moser). It’s difficult to single anyone out, because all are strong and everyone has their moments to shine. It’s a true ensemble cast with excellent energy and chemistry, telling the quirky, offbeat story with style, humor, and occasional moments of surprising emotional resonance. 

The technical production is striking, as well, with cohesive look and atmosphere maintained by Cashion’s scenic design, Marcy Weigert’s vividly realized costumes, Denisse Chavez’s mood-enhancing lighting, and impressive sound design by Cashion and composer Taylor, who provides a memorable soundtrack as the story unfolds. Taylor also served as cinematographer for the accompanying film, which adds a layer of depth to the preceding stage play.

This is another clever, innovative production from ERA. It’s part play, part yard sale, part immersive experience, and thoroughly entertaining and thoughtful. If you’re interested in Russian history, American pop culture, Beanie Babies, raccoons, yard sales, or just good, challenging experimental theatre, this is a show that shouldn’t be missed. While it could use a bit of editing, for the most part it’s a profoundly inventive theatrical experience. 

Cast of Romanov Family Yard Sale
Photo by Jason Hackett
Equally Represented Arts

Equally Represented Arts is presenting Romanov Family Yard Sale at the Kranzberg Arts Center until July 20, 2024

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ERA’s “Brechtfast Club” is an Intriguing, Humorous Experiment

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Brechtfast Club
by Courtney Bailey and Lucy Cashion
Directed by Lucy Cashion
ERA
June 8, 2023

Reginald Pierre, Maggie Conroy, Rachel Tibbetts
Photo by Jason Hackett
ERA

ERA is an innovative, experimental theatre company that often presents their own twists on classic works. Their latest production, at the Chapel arts venue, is an exercise in theatre history as well as world history by way of pop culture nostalgia and an examination of world events, presented in the style of 20th Century playwright and director Bertolt Brecht. Following the story is easier if you’re at least somewhat familiar with the plot and characters of The Breakfast Club, and a degree of reading about Brecht would help as well for those unfamiliar with his work, because this knowledge certainly adds to the overall experience. It’s a relatively short play, but there’s a whole lot going on here, presented by an enthusiastic cast and creative team.

The show is billed as an adaptation/parody of the classic 1980s John Hughes film The Breakfast Club, presented in the style of Brecht. The play uses many Brechtian elements, such as narration by stage manager Jimmy Bernatowicz, visible stage crew and elements of stagecraft, written signs, and more. It’s inventive in that it both resets the story and directly examines the original source. The setting is East Germany, and the time is the mid 1980s, and the characters are all member of the Stasi, the East German secret police, each corresponding to a specific character from the film. There’s Sergeant Comrade Alina (Ashwini Arora), along with Major Comrade Klara (Maggie Conroy), Major Comrade Andreas (Miranda Jagels-Fèlix), Captain Comrade Bruno (Reginald Pierre), and Captain Comrade Bertha (Rachel Tibbetts), who are all assigned various tasks by their supervisor, Colonel Commander Veit (Alicen Kramer-Moser). There’s also Comrade Josef (Joe Taylor), who provides musical accompaniment and occasionally gets up from the keyboard to film the characters as the story plays out, with the film being displayed in real time. 

The characters are assigned to surveil a group of Americans in a town called Shermer, and as Bruno plays the transmissions, the Breakfast Club connection becomes even more clear. The resulting interpretation of the movie’s events by the their unwitting East German Counterparts forms much of the humor of this piece, along with the hyper-serious line delivery and consistently stilted dialogue. The players are all excellent, across the board, portraying their characters with insistent seriousness. It’s a strong ensemble all around, with each character contributing to the overall mood and humor with equal energy.

The look of this piece is distinctively styled and striking, with excellent work from director/designer Lucy Cashion, as well as composer/music director/videographer Taylor, whose work provides much of the underlying atmosphere of the production. There’s also impressive detailed work from lighting designer Morgan Brennan, as well as costume designer Liz Henning, who outfits the cast in detailed, character and era specific attire.

This is striking play–a hilarious comedy in one sense, but an examination of cultural political differences in another sense.  The juxtaposition of the theatrical setting with the world of the film allows, in keeping with Brechtian theory, for the audience to “detach” and examine the cultural and political implications of the story without getting too absorbed in the illusion of reality. It’s obvious this is a play, examining a movie. It’s also a truly fascinating theatrical exercise. 

Alicen Kramer-Moser, Rachel Tibbetts, Maggie Conroy, Ashwini Arora, Reginald Pierre
Photo by Jason Hackett
ERA

ERA is presenting The Brechtfast Club at The Chapel until June 11, 2023

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PPA Alumni Spin a Unique, Imaginative “Golden Record”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on January 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Golden Record
Adapted and Curated by Courtney Bailey
Directed by Rachel Tibbetts
Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theatre Company
January 26, 2023

Eric Satterfield, Summer Baer, LaWanda Jackson
Photo by Ray Bay Creates
Prison Performing Arts

Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theatre Company is putting on a unique, intriguing show at The Chapel. Taking inspiration from a NASA program, the company and playwright/performer Courtney Bailey have presented a highly personal work that provides insight into the work of PPA and the people who have been involved with it over the past several years. It’s a thoughtful ride through time, space, and memory, with a ukulele playing chicken along for the ride. 

This is essentially a retrospective, and audience members who are more familiar with PPA and its past works will probably understand it more than others, but there are a lot of intriguing, insightful moments here which provide a look into the lives of the PPA participants and their experiences. As this is a charity that works in prisons, the participants are able to share their experiences of being incarcerated, as well as readjusting to society after prison. It also serves as remembrance and tribute to several PPA members (listed in the program) who have passed away. It’s a time capsule-like document, curated and arranged by Bailey and featuring the work of several PPA participants and past productions including Antigone and First Impressions, starring a mixture of PPA alumni and professional actors. 

The story here, inspired by a pair of “Golden Records” included by NASA in the Voyager space probes in the 1970s, follows two Travelers (Eric Satterfield and LaWanda Jackson), accompanied by a cheerful chicken named Filberta (Summer Baer), who are traveling from their planet to an unknown destination. Through the course of the story, the Travelers listen to recordings and watch videos as reminders of life on their old planet, and the people they’ve left behind. They also participate in a series of repeating rituals, such as a recited “catechism” and a visit from a rogue satellite from the planet Antigone (operated by Bailey, voiced by Autumn Hales). There’s also a succession of New Year’s celebrations that seem to get closer and closer together as the Travelers lose track of time and the past becomes more and more of a distant memory. The rest of the cast appears throughout in a series of vignettes as the “transmissions” are played, and the Travelers get further and further away from their old home try to hold on to the hope of reaching their intended destination. 

The whole company is memorable, led by Satterfield and Jackson in emotional and relatable performances as the Travelers, and Baer as the devoted Filberta. The entire cast contributes memorable moments, ranging from humorous situations to poignant and heartfelt reflections. The cohesive ensemble–some appearing onstage, some on film, and others as recorded voices–includes David Nonemaker, Larry Butler, Bailey, Katie Leemon, Tyler White, Julie Antonic, Scott Brown (understudied by Bailey on opening night), Hazel McIntire, Autumn Hales, Sandra Dallas, Patty Prewitt, Dylan Staudie, and Tessa Van Vlerah. 

The simple but effective set and atmospheric lighting by Erik Kuhn contribute much to the science fiction-like mood of the show, as do Liz Henning’s costumes. There’s also highly effective use of projections designed by Michael Musgrave-Perkins, and video editing by Satterfield. Ellie Schwetye’s sound design also contributes to the overall dreamlike atmosphere of the production. 

Overall, I would say The Golden Record works well as a retrospective, especially for those who are familiar to some degree with the work of PPA. It’s an inventive reflection on identity, the passage of time, relationships, processing grief, a sense of uncertainty blended with hope for the future, and more. It’s a whimsical flight of fancy, a melancholy reflection, and an archive of past performances rolled into one imaginative package. 

Courtney Bailey, Eric Satterfield
Photo by Ray Bay Creates
Prison Performing Arts

Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theatre Company is presenting The Golden Record at The Chapel until January 29, 2023

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SATE Invites Audiences to an Energetic, Poignant, Superbly Cast “Party”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Brontë Sister House Party
by Courtney Bailey
Directed by Keating
SATE Ensemble Theatre
August 17, 2022

Maggie Conroy, Cassidy Flynn, Rachel Tibbetts
Photo by Joey Rumpell
SATE Ensemble Theatre

I love SATE. I say that every time I write a review of one of their productions, it seems. I say it so much, I’m afraid I’m going to sound like a shill, or insincere. But it’s true, and absolutely sincere. I love this theatre company, because they embody what is truly exciting about theatre, time and time again. From production to production, SATE seems to strike just the right notes, whether the play is comedy or drama, new play or classic. Their latest, local playwright Courtney Bailey’s Brontë Sister House Party, is another example of SATE’s remarkable legacy of excellence.  This production, with its clever production and first-rate cast, is at once hilarious, poignant, thoughtful, challenging, educational, historical, and modern. 

This play is a bit of history, a bit of fantasy, a bit of philosophy, and a lot of party. Hosted by the famed literary sisters of the title, Charlotte (Maggie Conroy), Emily (Rachel Tibbetts), and Anne Brontë (Cassidy Flynn), this party is an existential exercise as well as an interactive experience with a moderate degree of audience participation. The sisters, after their lives on earth, have apparently been cursed by the unseen but much talked-about “Lavender Witch of Gondal” to exist in a “purgatorial time loop” for seemingly endless nights, hosting a new house party each night until they are finally able to reach the elusive and mysterious “Point of Celebratory Reverence”. Through the course of the evening, they lament their apparent lack of ability to throw parties, as well as recounting their lives and their relationships with their work; their brother Branwell (Joel Moses), who doesn’t know about their novels; and even fictional characters from their novels, such as Jane Eyre‘s Helen Burns (Vicky Chen) and Cathy (Bess Moynihan) from Wuthering Heights. Singer Kate Bush (LaWanda Jackson), who sang a song about Wuthering Heights, also figures into the story, as does a personified version of Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant (Zeck Schultz), who serves as the DJ for the party. 

It’s a house party, and the atmosphere is remarkably realistic, as the evening goes through its degrees of anticipation, drinking, dancing, celebratory music, followed by a series of soul-bearing stories, revelations, and cathartic bonding. It’s an exploration of the sisters’ relationships to one another, as well as to their art and the times they lived in, and particularly to men, including their troubled brother. The entire look and tone of the production is set with just the right touches, as Bess Moynihan’s stunningly detailed set and lighting portray a much lived-in 19th Century house and the changing moods as the party progresses, The soundtrack of well-chosen songs suit the mood especially well, including some new music by playwright Bailey. The characters are outfitted with impeccable detail by Liz Henning, and Schultz’s sound design also adds much to the mood of the show. 

The scene is ideally set, which makes for a good party, but the most important part of any party is the people, and the hosts and guests are all especially well-cast. As the sisters, Conroy, Tibbetts, and Flynn all get their moments to shine, from silly fun near the beginning, provided most often by Flynn as the “nice sister”, Anne, to snarkiness from the guarded Emily, to seemingly misplaced hope from Charlotte, who still expects the professor she’s obsessed with to turn up, despite having missed thousands of parties already. The chemistry and interplay between these three provides much of the energy and emotion of the show, and there’s never a dull moment here. There are also excellent turns from Moses as the needy Branwell, Moynihan as the fiery, persistent Cathy, Chen as the disgruntled Helen, who gets a fun musical moment, and Jackson in an entertaining and well-sung turn as Kate Bush, even though Jackson doesn’t sing in the style of Bush.  There are a lot of intense moments here, as well as some fun surprises in terms of storytelling and staging, as the show manages to keep the audience involved and guessing what will happen next all the way through. 

I can’t give too much away concerning what happens at this party, but I will say it’s well worth attending. Even if you don’t know a lot about the Brontë sisters, it’s a fascinating show, with much to learn about the sisters, their stories, and their times, as well as some timeless thoughts about the human experience in general. It’s a compelling script, made all the more compelling by the remarkable pacing, technical qualities, and especially the performances. It’s another excellent show from one of my favorite theatre companies in St. Louis. 

Cassidy Flynn, Rachel Tibbetts, Maggie Conroy, Bess Moynihan
Photo by Joey Rumpell
SATE Ensemble Theatre

SATE is presenting Brontë Sister House Party at The Chapel until August 27, 2022

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