Posts Tagged ‘renee sevier-monsey’

WEPG Brings Dark Comedy Home to the Midwest in Well-Cast “Butcher of Baraboo”

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

The Butcher of Baraboo
by Marisa Wegrzyn
Directed by Renee Sevier-Monsey
West End Players Guild
November 15, 2024

Jan Niehoff, Joseph Garner, Steph House, Anna Blair
Photo: West End Players Guild

Halloween is over, and Thanksgiving is coming soon. It looks like West End Players Guild has decided to split the difference with their latest play. Marisa Wegrzyn’s dark comedy has the creep factor of Halloween along with awkward family moments which are often associated with Thanksgiving, with a touch of the Coen Brothers’ film Fargo thrown in for good measure. While this show is not for all tastes, at WEPG it’s a well-staged presentation featuring excellent pacing and a memorable cast.

The title refers to Valerie (Jan Niehoff), who we first see sitting at her kitchen table in Baraboo, Wisconsin, cleaning a meat cleaver. She works as a butcher, and seems to take pride in her work. She also just casually keeps a gallon of blood in her fridge like it’s no big deal, although it is to help her sister, Gail (Anna Blair), who is a local police officer. I’m not spoiling why, but I will say it’s darkly funny, like much of this play and its quirky and not-entirely-likable characters. There’s also Midge (Tori Shea Cole), Valerie’s adult daughter who still lives with her mom. Midge is a pharmacist who may be using her position in not entirely ethical ways, to say the least. Valerie’s husband and Gail’s brother, Frank, has been missing and presumed dead for a year, and there’s much tension in the family for various reasons. There’s also Gail’s other brother, Donal (Joseph Garner), who likes to talk and who looks forward to having another child with his somewhat shy, seemingly naive wife, Sevenly (Steph House), who is originally from Provo, Utah, and doesn’t seem as enthusiastic about adding to their already large brood of six. There are several interweaving strands to this plot, involving personal secrets and regrets, family tensions, ice fishing, butcher knives, pharmaceuticals, and the suggestions of murder, although nothing seems to go exactly as viewers might expect.

The plot is full of twists, some funny, some disturbing, some both, and some that can be interpreted either way depending on the viewer’s point of view. There’s a distinctly Upper Midwest vibe to the story and characters that also adds much in the way of atmosphere and tone. As mentioned before, these characters aren’t easy to like, but they are well-drawn and, for the most part, their motivations are reasonably clear.

What’s essential in a show like this is pacing and characterization, and this production manages both of those elements especially well. The cast, led by Niehoff’s gruff, secretive Valerie and Cole’s even more secretive Midge, is first-rate, playing all the comedy with its disturbing edge and just the right moments of depth. Blair is also a standout as the complicated Gail, who has more going on than audiences will first realize. Blair has some especially hilarious physical moments. There’s also Garner, who manages to make the talky, somewhat domineering Donal more watchable than his type would be in real life, and House is also impressive as the initially bland-seeming Sevenly, whose initially soft-spoken character is hiding a fair amount of tension and trouble of her own. The dynamics between these contrasting personalities and the threats to reveal various secrets they hide provide much of the conflict, humor, and dark edge of this story, and this excellent cast carries out their assignment especially well. 

The set by director Renee Sevier-Monsey also impresses in being both detailed and specifically characterful. The lighting-also by Sevier-Monsey, casts the appropriate mood, with strong support from Morgan Maul-Smith’s sound design. There’s no costume designer credited, but whoever assembled the outfits is also to be commended, because they fit the characters well and add much to the overall vibe of the story, as do Anna Blair’s props.

This is one of those shows that’s not going to appeal to everyone, especially concerning its often crass and occasionally downright disturbing subject matter, and its tendency to veer from comedy to the edge of despair. Still, at West End Players Guild, The Butcher of Baraboo features a highly energetic cast, excellent pacing, and a consistent sense of atmosphere and theme. If you have a strong stomach and don’t need to love the characters to be able to be entertained by them, you might want to give this show a try.

Jan Niehoff, Tori Shea Cole, Anna Blair, Joseph Garner, Steph House
Photo: West End Players Guild

West End Players Guild is presenting The Butcher of Baraboo at Union Avenue Christian Church until November 24, 2024

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Relationships Are in Focus In WEPG’s Engaging “Evening of One Acts”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

An Evening of One Acts
Directed by Carrie Phinney and Renee Sevier-Monsey
West End Players Guild
February 10, 2024

Jane Abling, John Reidy
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

The latest production from West End Players Guild isn’t one play, but seven. An Evening of One Acts presents a series of short plays on the broad theme of relationships, most of them of the romantic variety. It’s an intriguing, entertaining evening featuring an enthusiastic cast and fairly simple production values. Here are some brief thoughts:

“A Sunny Morning”
by Serafin & Joaquin Alvarez Quintero

The focus of this play, set in Spain, is on an older woman, Dona Laura (Jane Abling), and an older gentleman, Don Gonzalo (John Reidy) who meet by chance as Laura sits on a park bench to feed the birds, and Gonazalo looks for a place to rest as his usual bench is occupied. He reluctantly joins Laura on her bench, and the two strike up an initially bristly conversation. As they begin to talk more amicably, they both soon realize that maybe they’re not strangers, after all. This is a bittersweet story that features two memorable performances and strong chemistry, along with some fine supporting work from Lesa Bush and Kurt Knoedelseder as the respective caretakers/companions of Laura and Gonzalo.

“Post Its (Notes on a Marriage)”
by Paul Dooley & Winnie Holzman

The staging of this play is simple, as an unnamed couple (Mike DePope, Amie Bossi) sit on either side of the stage, reading a series of Post-It notes, essentially telling their story from their first date to their eventual marriage and life together. There are some fun moments here, as well as moments of poignancy, featuring understated but compelling performances.

“The Spot”
by Steven Dietz

I’m not entirely sure how this play fits with the overall “relationship” theme, since this is essentially about a political campaign commercial, and the heavy “spin” that Roger (Reidy), who is in charge of the campaign, is encouraging. The “spot” focuses on a woman, Betsy (Shawntay “Tay” Vaughn), who will be endorsing Roger’s candidate, although Roger has doubts about her appeal to voters, as he’s constantly asking his assistant Nelson (Knoedelseder) to check the poll numbers for various topics. Roger is much more impressed with Gloria (Bush), who assists one of his staff members, but who seemingly fits Roger’s “ideal”, while Betsy grows increasingly uncomfortable with Roger’s manipulations, as his staff members Chumley (DePope) and Wagner (Michael Monsey) grow more anxious. This is sharp satire that seems especially timely in an election year, with strong performances all around, although again, I don’t really see where it fits with the overall theme of the evening. 

“Left to Right”
by Steven Dietz

Another play by Dietz, this one has something of a confusing structure, as two married couples sit at a table, having a series of conversations in pairs, changing positions when a bell rings. Bossi as Angie, Bush as Dee, Reidy as Ron, and Knoedelseder as Scott are each hiding their own secrets that they are trying not to reveal to their spouses, but as the conversations continue, it’s not always clear what the characters know and what they don’t. The performers do a good job with the overall timing, but this story can be a little difficult to follow.

“Controlling Interest”
by Wayne Rawley

This play features a clever twist, as a “business meeting” turns out to be not quite what it first seems to be. Jack (Reidy), Brad (Monsey), David (DePope), and Steven (Kurt Knoedelseder) are prepare to negotiate with Ashley (Vaughn) and Bethany (Abling) concerning the serious and daunting issue of “boys liking girls”. This is a fun concept, even though it indulges in stereotypes for the sake of much of its humor. The performances and pacing are especially energetic here. 

“Surprise”
by Mark Harvey Levine

This is perhaps my favorite play of the set, with a clever premise and strong characterizations. Even though it’s not very long, DePope, as Peter–a psychic who can only see two minutes into the future–and Bossi as Whitney, his increasingly exasperated girlfriend, are convincing and exhibit excellent timing. The two are sharing a contentious date at a restaurant, as sympathetic server Esther (Vaughn) has a surprise in store for Peter. The script is well-constructed, and the performances are strong across the board.

“There Goes the Neighborhood”
by Marjorie Williamson

The final entry for the evening features a nosy woman, Eleanor (Abling) spying on her new neighbor, as her husband, Richard (Knoedelseder) humors her ramblings and assumptions. As Eleanor’s “concerns” about the hairdresser who has moved next door grow more and more elaborate and absurd, it becomes clear that a  revelation is coming about Eleanor herself, as well as Richard, which adds a new level of absurdity to Eleanor’s attitude along with a creepy twist. This is a clever concept, well played by Abling and Knoedelseder.

Technically, the staging is simple, with fine work from Sevier-Monsey on lighting and Mary Beth Winslow on sound, as well as props design by Anna Blair. It’s something of a minimalist presentation, with the focus mostly on the actors and the energetic staging. The plays range from sweet to the thought-provoking to disturbing, making for an intriguing evening of theatre.

 

Shawntay “Tay” Vaughn, Kurt Knoedelseder, John Reidy, Mike DePope, Michael Monsey, Jane Abling
Photo by Carrie Phinney
West End Players Guild

West End Players Guild is presenting An Evening of One Acts at Union Avenue Christian Church until February 18, 2024

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“Random World” is a Puzzle at West End Player’s Guild

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

This Random World
by Steven Dietz
Directed by Renee Sevier-Monsey
West End Players Guild
September 29, 2018

Kate Weber, Ted Drury
Photo: West End Players Guild

The subtitle of West End Players’ Guild’s latest production, This Random World, is “The Myth of Serendiptiy”. It’s an attempt to challenge concepts of fate and coincidence, with some intresting and at times frustrating answers. It’s an intriguing concept, certainly.

This is a difficult play to review, because going into too much detail will spoil the story. It’s essentially a puzzle, of sorts, with the various characters as the pieces, and the constantly looming question of how, and even if, the pieces will eventually come together. Those “pieces” include brother and sister Tim (Ted Drury) and Beth (Tinah Twardowski), who start off the play reflecting on life, death, and world travel. Through a series of seemingly random events, Tim and Beth, along with their mother Scottie (Lynn Rathbone), Scottie’s caretaker Bernadette (Jessa Knust), Bernadette’s sister Rhonda (Kate Weber), Tim’s former high school girlfriend Claire (Eleanor Humphrey), and Claire’s boyfriend Gary (Joel Zummak) find themselves in some hard to believe situations that bring some of them into contact with more than a few “near misses” along the way. Situations involving a funeral home, world travel, and various relationships serve to advance the story, with increasing degrees of implausibility, and a last-minute “twist” that somehow manages to be both surprising and not-so-surprising at the same time.

This is the kind of play that especially frustrates me, since so much of the plot depends on contrivances, as well as characters behaving in ways that make little sense. Although there are some thought-provoking ideas and memorable characters, the overall story comes across less as a serious exploration of concepts and more of an exercise in fooling the audience in ways that become more and more ridiculous as the story unfolds. For me, despite some strong performances, especially from Rathbone as the aging but adventurous Scottie, Drury as the bewildered Tim, and Weber as the somewhat flighty Rhonda, this play succeeds more as an exercise in frustration than anything else. It’s a well-done production, but the story is just too pretentious for its own good most of the time. The staging and technical aspects, including the minimal but effective set by Carrie Phinney, lighting by Phinney, Sound by director Renee Sevier-Monsey, and costumes by Mary Beth Winslow, are effective, adding interest and atmosphere to the production.

There’s a lot to think about conceptually in This Random World, as implausible as this whole story can be. Still, the idea is intriguing, and the strong cast makes it even more so. It’s a memorable start to a new season for West End Player’s Guild.

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WEPG’s “The Cockfighter” Is Intriguing, Uneven

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The Cockfighter
by Frank Manley and Vincent Murphy
Directed by Renee Sevier-Monsey
West End Players Guild
April 10, 2015

Mark Abels, Benjamin Tracy, John Reidy Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Mark Abels, Benjamin Tracy, John Reidy
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

No actual roosters were harmed in the staging of West End Players’ Guild’s latest production, The Cockfighter, although the bloody “sport” of cockfighting figures prominently.  While the birds themselves are invisible, the emotions on display are real and raw. Although this somewhat awkwardly structured play is decidedly unsentimental, its subject matter is intriguing. Unfortunately, the presentation at WEPG is, despite a mostly strong cast, ultimately unsatisfying and uneven.

The story follows young 12-year old boy (Benjamin Tracey), unnamed but referred to as “Sonny” by his mother (Mandy Berry), who is brought up in the rural South and idolizes his father (Mark Abels), a gruff and stern man who raises fighting roosters for cockfighting. The father, Jake, aims to raise his son to be like himself, despite the objections of his wife, Lily,  who thinks the boy is too young to participate in the rough arena of cockfighting. The boy, however, is eager to learn, having been given a champion bird by his father.  The boy marvels at the bird and, despite his father’s objections, gives it a name, Lion.  According to his dad, the cocks are just wild animals, and naming them or treating them like pets will “soften” them too much. The father’s aim is to shape his son into a hardened professional, like himself. When the big match arrives, the boy’s alcoholic uncle Homer (John Reidy), who is completely ignorant of all things related to the sport, is brought in to help take bets, eventually serving as something of an unlikely role model for the boy in the process. The cockfighting match is played out in great detail, and from there, the dramatic tension of the play builds to what is designed to be a highly confrontational and emotional conclusion.

Some of the key themes explored in this play are coming of age, mother’s influence vs. father’s influence, the importance of role models, and the quest for parental approval. It also deals with issues of what it means to be a man. The story itself is an intriguing, if somewhat harsh one, although this cast only somewhat accomplishes the play’s emotional aim.  There are some strong performances, most notably by Reidy as the unstable but well-meaning Uncle Homer, whose concern for the boy’s well-being seems a lot more genuine than the boy’s own father’s.  Reidy has an excellent moment late in the play in which he recounts his drunken efforts to help his nephew.  Berry is also memorable as the mother, with a sympathetic monologue about her disappointments in raising her son in competition with his father, and her wishes for a new child that’s all her own. Abels is fine, if a little aloof, as the father, and his strongest scenes are with Berry and Reidy. As the boy, however, Tracey gives a good effort and does a fine job throughout the early scenes of the play, although he comes across as older than 12 and he, along with Abels, doesn’t quite carry off the emotional weight needed for the play’s climactic scenes. The very last scene of the play, while clearly written to be powerfully affecting, falls somewhat flat, and the underwhelming effect is not helped by the use of some unconvincing sound effects.  There’s also some awkward pantomiming by all involved with handling the imaginary roosters that makes the cockfighting scenes occasionally difficult to believe.

Technically, the play is simply staged, with a cockfighting pit front and center and the the rest of the play’s action, suggesting the family’s home, occurring behind it on the main stage. The set, designed by director Renee Sevier-Monsey, is simple and effective.  Much of the “set”, however, is imaginary, as the play’s action takes the characters from their home to their pickup truck, to the seedy bar in which the cockfight takes place.

Overall, I would say that this production is an interesting character study, although the dramatic weight isn’t quite carried by the cast. The concept of cockfighting itself is unsavory enough, although it makes an intriguing setting for this potentially challenging drama of family relationships. Still, although WEPG’s production is mostly well-staged, it’s ultimately not as dramatic or powerful as it could be.

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