Posts Tagged ‘john wolbers’

St. Louis Shakespeare’s Fast-Paced “Julius Caesar” Features Memorable Performances

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on November 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
Adapted by John Wolbers, Edited by Aarya Locker
Directed by Aarya Locker
St. Louis Shakespeare
October 31, 2024

Cast of Julius Caesar
Photo by Gerry Love
St. Louis Shakespeare

Julius Caesar is a well-known historical tragedy from William Shakespeare, but the title is somewhat deceptive. Although the story certainly revolves around the titular Roman ruler, and he is the catalyst for the action, Caesar isn’t really the main character. The main focus is on his close associate Marcus Brutus and several of the other conspirators who  become suspicious of Caesar’s ambition and move to take drastic steps to curtail it. With memorable lines and speeches, as well as an ominous tone, the show works as an excellent acting showcase, and as staged in a fast-paced, somewhat streamlined adaptation by St. Louis Shakespeare, it makes a strong, memorable impression featuring an excellent local cast.

The story starts off as Caesar (Ryan Lawson-Maeske) returns triumphant to Rome from battle, and amid the shouts of praise from the throngs of people awaiting him, he’s met with an ominous warning from a Soothsayer (Aarya Locker) to “beware the Ides of March”, which is coming up very soon. As his ally Mark Anthea (Ricki Franklin) supports him, others fear Caesar’s apparent ambition and lead a conspiracy to kill him. One of the most persistent voices in this movement, Cassius (Sam Hayes) leads the effort to recruit Caesar’s close friend Brutus (Chuck Winning) to their cause, and after much rumination, Brutus agrees. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to mention that the group–including Cassius, Brutus, Casca (Kelli Rao), Decius Brutus (Creighton Markovich), Trebonius (Don McClendon), and Metellus Cimber (Tammy O’Donnell)–succeeds in its plan, but thanks to the famous oratory skills of Anthea, and the military opposition led by Anthea and Octavius Caesar (Mo Moellering), the conspirators’ success isn’t as complete as they had wished. These events are taken from history, with mystical elements including the Soothsayer’s prophecies and various portents and omens emphasized for drama.

This version of the play, adapted by John Wolbers and edited by director Aarya Locker, is fast-paced and focuses on the key events, as well as the relationships between major characters, moving into military action in the latter parts of the play, featuring dynamic fight choreography by Todd Gillenardo. The cast is strong, led by Winning in a thoughtful portrayal of the conflicted Brutus; Hayes as the persistent, belligerent Cassius; Franklin as the loyal Anthea; Lawson-Maeske in a regal turn as Caesar; and a stirring performance from Locker as the Soothsayer. It’s a strong cast all around, with many of the players commendably playing several characters and admirably minimizing any confusion. 

There are memorable dramatic moments as well, and an overall ominous tone that’s well-maintained through excellent use of lighting designed by Kristin Gunther and sound by Charlie Hartley. The costumes by Sam Hayes are bold and colorful, and Charles Winning’s set is appropriately classically styled, featuring pillars and colorful banners, and a stage setup that serves as an excellent base for the quick-moving action of the story.

This is a relatively short production, with a run time of a little over two hours, but the times goes by briskly. It’s a memorable, character-focused Julius Caesar that provides all the historical Roman atmosphere that one might expect, with an emphasis on character and ominous drama. There’s only one performance left to see, so especially for Shakespeare fans and Roman history aficionados, I highly recommend trying to catch it.

Chuck Winning, Sam Hayes
Photo by Gerry Love
St. Louis Shakespeare

St. Louis Shakespeare is presenting Julius Caesar at the Donn Lux Family Performing Arts Theatre at Lift for Life Academy until November 2, 2024

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SATE takes FAUSTIVAL to the Next Level with Outstanding “Doctor Faustus”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 15, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Doctor Faustus, or The Modern Prometheus
by John Wolbers… and Kit Marlowe
Directed by Ellie Schwetye
SATE Ensemble Theatre
November 8, 2018

Joe Hanrahan, Ashley Bauman, Talessha Caturah, Nicole Angeli
Photo by Joey Rumpell
SATE Ensemble Theatre

There’s a whole lot of “Faust” happening in St. Louis this year. The collaborative FAUSTival is continuing this month, and now it’s SATE’s turn to offer their own approach to this legendary tale. This is the fourth entry in the series, and if you thought you might start feeling a little bit of “Faust” fatigue by this point, there’s no need to worry, as SATE’s take on the oft-told tale is bold, fresh, challenging, and thoroughly compelling.

With this production, playwright John Wolbers takes Christopher (Kit) Marlowe’s version of the story and significantly tweaks it to give it a modern spin. The title character is now a woman (Ashley Baumann), and although the play is still in verse and uses Early Modern English and Elizabethan-inspired costumes for the most part, the setting is modern, with present-day cultural references included, and modern issues–or actually, age-old issues in the context of how they have manifested in modern times. The story emphasizes the temptation of Faustus and her relationships with those close to her, especially her college boyfriend Wagner (Michael Pierce) and roommate Val (Lex Ronan), as well as her business role model and mentor Carol Hapsburg (Taleesha Caturah). There’s also the various incarnations of Mephistophilis, the demon who is supposed to serve her after she makes a pact with the devil. Mephistophilis is played in turn by almost all of the remaining cast members in the show, with the exception of Nicole Angeli, who plays “The Seven”, a personification of the Seven Deadly Sins, which play a major role in Faustus’s journey of temptation and ascent to power. The play incisively deals with important issues such as the struggles for equality of women in academia and business, as well as sexual harassment, the corruption of power, and more.

Although it takes a few minutes to really get going, it soon becomes a riveting drama, with impressive performances all around. Bauman’s Faustus goes on a credible emotional journey, and her initial idealism and growing sense of ambition are well portrayed. There’s strong chemistry between her and Pierce as the devoted but eventually disillusioned Wagner and also with Ronan as her close friend, the also idealistic and magically curious Val. Ronan is also strong in her role as legendary mythological Helen of Troy and one of the incarnations of Mephistophilis. There’s also a strong performances from Caturah in three roles, including the original version of the crafty Mephistophilis, as well as the authoritavie Hapsburg and, in a memorable scene, as an elderly lady who makes an impression on Faustus. Joe Hanrahan, as a smarmy college professor and the second Mephistophilus, and Erik Kuhn and Kareem Deanes in multiple roles are also excellent. Special mention needs to go to Angeli, who deftly shifts back and forth between seven distinct personalities as The Seven. It’s a dynamic, impressive, chilling, and thoroughly memorable performance that stands out in an already excellent ensemble.

The technical aspects of this show don’t fail to impress, either. Bess Moynihan’s set is distinctive, as a series of seven columns–decorated to represent the Deadly Sins–serve as an effective backdrop for the action. The lighting design by Dominick Ehling coordinates well with the set and with the acting in a clever way that I won’t spoil here, but will make itself apparent as the story plays out. There’s also excellent use of sound, designed by Kareem Deanes, and vividly realized modern-Elizabethan fusion-style costumes by Liz Henning.

This is a Doctor Faustus for the ages, both ancient and modern, employing some modern sensibilities to communicate timeless truths about the human condition, ambition, and temptation as well as the importance of empathy and compassion. It’s another excellent FAUSTival presentation, serving also in various ways to point out the common themes the various productions have had, beyond the fact that they’re all about Faust in their own unique ways. In this production, SATE continues to challenge, impress, and provoke much thought. It’s another strong production from this excellent company.

Cast of Doctor Faustus
Photo by Anne Genovese
SATE Ensemble Theatre

SATE Ensemble Theatre is presenting Doctor Faustus, or The Modern Prometheus at The Chapel until November 17, 2018

 

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