Posts Tagged ‘ppa alumni theatre company’

SATE and PPA Alumni Revisit “First Impressions” With Cleverly Staged Reading

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

First Impressions
An Adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Adapted by Ellie Schwetye
Directed by Ellie Schwetye & Rachel Tibbetts
PPA Alumni Theatre Company and SATE Ensemble Theatre
February 12, 2026

SATE and PPA Alumni Theatre Company recently offered audiences another impression of the award-winning Jane Austen-inspired work First Impressions at The Chapel, where SATE first debuted the show in 2017. Prison Performing Arts also staged a version at WERDCC in 2019, and video from both productions has been incorporated in the pre-show video for this latest version, billed as a “Fully Staged Reading Experience”. Although it was a reading, the staging was quite clever, and the use of actors live and on video contributed much in the way of humor and entertainment value. 

The premise is the same as before–an adaptation of Austen’s most famous novel Pride and Prejudice, interspersed with reflections from the cast about their experience with the novel and its various film adaptations. It’s been revised a fair amount since I saw the production in 2017, with more personal reflections and some more references to the 2005 filmed version of the novel. I was intrigued to note that several of the performers in this iteration stated that they hadn’t read the novel before working on this show, and so this production is their true “first impression”, although several others seemed to be longtime fans of Austen and the book, and issues discussed included favorite characters, comparisons of Mr. Darcy film actors, and the plot’s relevance for today. It’s a clever idea to adjust the reflections depending on the cast, which could work for future productions, as well.

The staging is crisp and lively, with fun use of the music stands used to hold the scripts the actors are reading from. The set by Bess Moynihan, who also designed the lighting, was whimsical and fun, featuring a video “portrait” in the middle of the performance area, featuring several cast members who recorded their performances in advance, including Patty Prewett as the imperious Lady Catherine DeBourgh, Hazel McIntire as scheming Caroline Bingley, Julie Antonic as Pemberley housekeeper Mrs. Reynold’s, and an especially fun turn by LaWanda Jackson and Janiece Moore giving running commentary and billed as “Statler & Waldorf”. Autumn Hales in a dual role as fourth Bennet sister Kitty and as Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana The live cast was enthusiastic and memorable, as well, led by the excellent turns as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy by real-life couple Alicen Kramer-Moser and Anthony Kramer-Moser. These two worked together well, exhibiting excellent stage presence and chemistry. There were also strong impressions made by Margeau Steinau and Eric Satterfield as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Hailey Medrano as the sweet eldest sister Jane Bennet, Miranda Jagels-Félix in a fun turn as middle Bennet daughter Mary, and Kristen Strom as the flighty, flirty Lydia. David Nonemaker as the somewhat silly Mr. Collins, Andre Eslamian in a dual role as the kind Mr. Bingley and rakish Mr. Wickham, and Victoria Thomas as Elizabeth’s practical-minded friend Charlotte Lucas also contributed much to the wit, humor, and fun of the production.

The rest of the technical elements were also strong, with notable distinction going to Brian Dooley and David Nonemaker for their excellent videography, and Dooley and Eric Satterfield for their video editing and projection design. The costumes by Tyler White and Kayla Lindsay featured a clever blend of Regency-era influence and modern style, and Ellie Schwetye’s sound design was also strong.

This show was, and continues to be, a fitting tribute to Austen’s classic novel and its fans over the generations. It’s a lively, versatile adaptation that works well in various formats, and I can easily imagine more iterations of it in various venues in the future. The only notable drawback to this production was that it only ran for one weekend, so more people didn’t get the chance to enjoy it. 

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PPA Alumni Reflect, Ponder, and Educate in Engaging “As Told by Us”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

As Told By Us
PPA Alumni Theatre Company
November 17, 2024

PPA Alumni Theatre Company recently came to Greenfinch Theater & Dive to tell their stories in the form of two intriguing and engaging one-act plays reflecting personal relationships and experiences. It was an entertaining and sometimes educational mix of comedy and drama, featuring some memorable performances.  Here are some brief thoughts:

“Go Before I Do”
by Hazel McIntire
Directed by Eric Satterfield

Katie Leemon
Photo by RayBay Creates
PPA Alumni Theatre Company

In this story, Katie Leemon as the bartender gives the audience thoughts about life and drink recipes before a Daughter (Jocelyn Padilla) and Father (David Nonemaker) enter the bar and engage in occasionally tense conversation about their views of life, relationships, city vs. small town living, and more. It’s an intriguing relationship, with the idea being that the daughter doesn’t necessarily realize what she can learn from her father until it may be too late, although the story is a bit talky.

All three players turn in engaging performances with Leemon’s Bartender being the obvious standout. The staging is simple, with a fairly basic set featuring the bar and a table and chairs that serve the story well, and good work from lighting and set designer Bess Moynihan in establishing and maintaining the mood of the production.

 

“Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You”
by Katie Leemon
Directed by Rachel Tibbetts

LaWanda Jackson
Photo by RayBay Creates
PPA Alumni Theatre Company

This play was the highlight of the production for me, dealing with the complex topic of re-entry into the outside world after release from prison with humor and occasional poignancy, and featuring a thoroughly winning performance by LaWanda Jackson as Kate, who is adjusting to her new life and reflecting on her time while incarcerated. There’s also fun use of projections by Eric Satterfield to illustrate Kate’s points that cover topics of maintaining friendships, dating, getting used to life on the “outside” and more. There’s fun recurring segment about “How to Make a Prison Christmas Tree” that runs throughout the play, as well. 

Jackson is excellent, plain and simple, with the right blend of comic timing and credibility in the more serious moments. There’s also a strong turn from Kristen Strom in a variety or roles, including one of Kate’s best friends from prison, Sara, who is struggling with her own unique issues after getting out. This is an engaging and educational show with a strong sense of pacing and excellent use of the set and props. It’s an enlightening look at the experience of incarceration for those who haven’t experienced it, and I imagine it would be especially relatable for those who have. 

Overall, As Told By Us was an engaging, memorable theatrical experience featuring memorable themes and performances, and working especially well at the Greenfinch venue. It offers insights into aspects of the human experience that not everyone may have lived, but that are important to know for purposes of empathy and understanding. 

 

 

 

 

 

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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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PPA Tells an Intriguing “Hamlet” Backstory With “Elsinore”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on September 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Elsinore
by David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield
Directed by Christopher Limber
Prison Performing Arts Alumni Theatre Company
September 24, 2021

Cast of Elsinore
Photo by Alan Shawgo, Route 3 Films
Prison Performing Arts

Hamlet, as one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, has been the subject for many treatments by other playwrights over the years. There have been parodies, sequels, re-imaginings, and more. The latest production by Prison Performing Arts’ Alumni Theatre Company is a prequel, called Elsinore and imagining what Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and company were doing in the years leading up to the famous tragedy. Seeing it staged in an engaging production at the Chapel over the weekend, I’m left with the thought that this is an intriguing idea that has a lot of potential if developed a little more. 

The play, written by company members David Nonemaker and Eric Satterfield, features many of the well-known characters from Hamlet, with a few notable additions. The two-act structure features the characters at different times in their history–with the first act taking place 15 years before the events of Hamlet, and the second act taking place in the year leading up to the start of the more famous play. In Act One, the young Prince Hamlet (Oliver Bacus) is a rebellious teenager who resents his authoritarian father, the King (John Wolbers), and prefers goofing off with his buddies Rosencrantz (Ryan Lawson-Maeske) and Guildenstern (Joey File) or hanging out at the home of his uncle Claudius (Satterfield), who is happily married to Collette (Julie Antonic), who is expecting a child. King Hamlet is bothered that the young prince seems to favor his uncle, as well as being generally immature and not taking his role as heir to the throne seriously. Queen Gertrude (LaWanda Jackson) is also frustrated, but more at her domineering husband than at her son, who she suggests might benefit from being sent to study in Wittenberg. We also see the burgeoning romance between young Hamlet and Ophelia (Summer Baer), who has returned from an unhappy time at the royal court in France, and envies Hamlet’s opportunity to study. As the story progresses to Act 2, we get to see what all this education has done for Hamlet, as well as increasing the focus on Claudius, and his growing ambition as he serves a temporary term as regent while his brother is ill. Anyone who has seen or read Hamlet knows where the story is going, but the mystery concerns how events develop to that point, as tensions increase and scenes begin to parallel and foreshadow events in Shakespeare’s story. 

For the most part, playwrights Nonemaker (who also plays Polonius here) and Satterfield have constructed a compelling backstory for Hamlet, Claudius and company, with some clever nods to its inspiration as well as intriguing developments of the characters. There are a few things that could be worked on, though, as the second act is a bit long, and there’s a little too much “quoting” of the “parent play”. Also, the King Hamlet character comes across as one-dimensional much of the time, despite a strong effort from the consistently excellent Wolbers. The cast, made up of a mixture of Prison Performing Arts program alumni, professional and student actors, is strong, for the most part, as well. Satterfield as Claudius has perhaps the largest part, and his journey as a character increases in power as the story goes on. There are standout performances from File in a dual role as Guildenstern and as “Young Claudius” (son of the elder Claudius), Lawson-Maeske as Rosencrantz and Horatio, and Antonic as the sweet-natured  Collette; with fine performances across the board from the rest of the cast. The biggest standouts, though, are Bacus as the initially wild but gradually maturing young Hamlet and Baer as a witty, sort of feminist Ophelia. The scenes between these two are the true highlight of this production, and their chemistry is electric. Every moment they are onstage together is a delight. There were times I wished the whole play was about them, although knowing where their story is going to lead adds poignancy to these scenes, and the developing story of how Claudius becomes who he is in Hamlet is also intriguing. 

The staging is fairly simple, with a static set that consists of two thrones backed by flags. Erik Kuhn’s lighting helps set the mood, especially as the sense of mystery grows in the second act. There are also excellent, detailed costumes by Liz Henning and crisp, clear sound by Ellie Schwetye, with the technical elements working together well to help this production maintain a consistent look and tone.

Overall, Elsinore strikes me as a promising play that, with a little more development, could potentially be produced by other companies, as suggested by director Christopher Limber in his notes in the program. As produced at the Chapel by the PPA Alumni Theatre Company, it’s a thought-provoking production with an energetic cast. It’s a compelling look at what could have happened before the tragic events of one of the world’s most well-known works of theatre. 

John Wolbers, Oliver Bacus
Photo by Alan Shawgo, Route 3 Films
Prison Performing Arts

 

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