Posts Tagged ‘sam hayes’

Contraband’s “Professor House” is a Fascinating Unfolding Mystery

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Professor House
by Jacob Juntunen
Directed by Sam Hayes
Contraband Theatre
October 11, 2025

Cast of Professor House
Photo by Jennifer A. Lin
Contraband Theatre

Contraband Theatre and playwright Jacob Juntunen revisit some themes in their latest production, Professor House that had previously been addressed in their excellent show, See You In a Minute, although the tone and general purpose seem to be quite different. This is also a play set in the future, addressing climate change and a future pandemic, but the tone is generally darker. It’s a story that’s hard to describe without giving too much away, but I will say that it’s at once intense, fascinating, and cleverly staged.

The show begins with Peter (Ben Ritchie) a Mizzou English professor, in the cluttered attic of his home, which has become something of a refuge for him. He’s speaking to Tommi (Maida Dippel), who may or may not be a ghost. Soon, we also meet his wife Lillian (Claire Coffey), who is also a professor, but of math; and his adult daughter, Rosamund and Rosamund’s enterprising spouse, Louie (Ron Baker), who are trying to convince Peter to move to a new house that has been built for them, but Peter is reluctant, and we’re not exactly sure why, at least at first. The rest of the story unfolds in a series of confrontations, reflections, flashbacks, parallel scenes, and wanderings that eventually coalesce into a heartfelt tale of relationships, regret, loyalties and betrayals, and the struggle to move on from tragedy. There’s also a recurring theme of climate change and corporate greed vs. community responsibility. 

For the most part, this is a remarkable show. There are a few details I wish were better shown (like why Peter is so attached to Tommi, for instance), but it’s still a fascinating, thoughtfully staged and constructed work of theatre. The acting is fantastic, especially by Ritchie as the melancholy Peter and Dippel as in the especially difficult role of Tommi, whose character evolves somewhat throughout the play as we get to know more about them. Coffey is also memorable as the supportive Lillian, and Harvey and Baker are also convincing and sympathetic as Rosamond and Louie. There’s also a fine performance by Tiajha Silas in a smaller but significant role as Willa, who plays an important role in Tommi’s story.

This is a play that’s alternately dramatic, humorous, mysterious, and moody, and the production values work especially well along with the performances in conveying those shifting and evolving tones. The show also uses the performance space in the Chapel to its maximum potential, creating a world that’s thoroughly believable and partially immersive. Erik Kuhn’s set is meticulously crafted, aided by excellent work from Katie Orr on set dressing and props. The lighting by Theresa Comstock and sound by Ellie Schwetye also contribute much to the atmosphere here, and the costumes by Jen Blum-Tatara suit the characters well.

The overall mood here is striking, with strong pacing and staging by director Sam Hayes and fully realized characters who aren’t always what they first appear to be. There’s an air of discovery about this show that’s well-realized in the overall production, and intriguing and intensely personal themes. Professor House may be a difficult show to describe, but the wonder of discovering it as it happens is well worth the effort. It’s another profoundly impressive theatrical work from Contraband Theatre.

 

Ben Ritchie
Photo: Contraband Theatre

Contraband Theatre is presenting Professor House at The Chapel until October 25, 2025

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FNT’s Revised “Madam” Makes a Memorable Impression at the Greenfinch

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on August 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Madam
Music, Lyrics, and Book by Colin Healy
Directed by Sam Hayes
Choreographed by Cady Bailey
Fly North Theatricals
August 2, 2025

Avery Lux, Adrienne Spann, Liallian Cooper
Photo by Cady Bailey
Fly North Theatricals

Madam, an original musical from Fly North Theatricals penned by the company’s artistic director Colin Healy, has been in process for a few years, having begun with a production in Hannibal, MO and its last iteration having been staged here in St. Louis in 2020. I remember it making a strong impression when I saw that production five years ago, led by a dynamic performance by leading lady Kimmie Kidd, who still headlines the new version now being staged at FNT’s current home base, Greenfinch Theater & Dive. Now, with a new cast surrounding Kidd and a revised script and score, and now directed by Sam Hayes, the show still stands out as a strong character piece, with a lively score and tighter plotting than before. It also fits into its new space especially well.

The story is a highly fictionalized, almost mythologized tale set in St. Louis in the 19th Century and featuring some characters loosely based on real people. The intro, narrated by “working girls” Billie (Adrienne Spann), Tennie (Lillian Cooper), and Ripley (Avery Lux), tells the story of Madam Eliza Haycraft (Kidd), who operates a highly successful brothel in the city, and how she built her “Empire”. Eliza has strict rules for her house, including respect, consent, and paying up front, but most of the employees are not there to stay, as they have other goals–Ripley to go to medical school, Tennie to join her activist sister, and Billie (who has often disguised herself as a man to serve in the army and to play baseball) to make her fortune out West. There’s also Callista (Rachel Bailey), who is seen by the rest of the girls as Eliza’s heir apparent, and who has become essentially the regular client of a greedy, narcissistic local man known only as The Benefactor (Dustin Petrillo). Soon, a new young woman is brought into the picture, as the ailing, down-on-her-luck Mercy Jones (Jade Cash) shows up one night and is taken in by Eliza, whom Mercy in gratitude offers to help in managing her finances and organizing her will. Unknown to Eliza and most of the other girls, though, Mercy has a secret which ties her to the Benefactor, and which Callista–who was once an aspiring actress like Mercy–has little trouble figuring out at least partially. Meanwhile, the hard-drinking Eliza is in poor health, and isn’t expected to live much longer, while the Benefactor is scheming to get her to sell her house to him, since it’s on extremely valuable property.

The story is an intriguing one, and the characters are well defined, with a memorable score and catching songs like the notable “Empire” as well as Billie’s baseball song “Another Fence”, Mercy’s hopeful ballad “Star” and Eliza’s tour-de-force solo “Dinner For One”. Also, the tweaks to the plot–and especially the nature of the relationship between Mercy and the Benefactor–work well and add energy and coherency.

It’s an entertaining show overall, and an excellent showcase for its superb cast, although I can’t help but see it as ultimately a sad story, even though it means to be empowering. I don’t want to go too much into why since that would spoil some plot elements, but I do think it’s well worth seeing, and I think others may view the story differently. I also think the show still needs to figure out who its main protagonist is–Eliza or Mercy. It’s called Madam but despite Kidd’s powerhouse performance, the story often plays out like Mercy is at the center, with Mercy being the one who has the main dilemma and whose story drives the plot most, although she is also missing for large stretches of the story. Also, as important as Callista seems sometimes, and as excellent as Bailey is in the role, Callista’s role isn’t as well-defined as it could be, and the Benefactor is essentially a cartoon villain even though the talented Petrillo makes the most of the role.

The cast is fantastic, with Kidd and Cash both excellent as the ailing Eliza and conflicted Mercy. Spann, Cooper, and Lux are also terrific as Billie, Tennie, and Ripley, with Spann leading two of the more memorable songs (“Another Fence” and “Joy”). It’s a strong cast all around, both acting and singing, and bringing much energy to the atmosphere and period tone of the show. There’s also a great band led by music director Healy and energetic choreography by Cady Bailey.

The show also looks great, with the set–designed by Bradley Rohlf and Healy, and painted by Katie Orr–being probably the most elaborate set I’ve seen in a show in this venue. The creative team and technical crew have put their all into fitting the show into the Greenfinch, and it works especially well. The 19th Century look and atmosphere is well maintained, also by means of Hayes’s colorful and detailed costumes, Rohlf’s atmospheric lighting, and Kel Rohlf’s props. 

Ultimately, I think Madam is an entertaining show that’s still a bit of a work in progress but works even better now than the last time I saw it, when I also enjoyed it and thought it deserved the several St. Louis Theater Circle nominations it received. This is a fine showcase for an excellent cast, and an intriguing look at a side of St. Louis history that isn’t talked about a lot. Its run has recently been extended as well, so there’s still plenty of time to check it out. 

Kimmie Kidd
Photo by Cady Bailey
Fly North Theatricals

Fly North Theatricals is presenting Madam at Greenfinch Theater & Dive until August 17, 2025f

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Energetic Cast Propels Prism’s Gender-bending “[title of show]”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[title of show]
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, Book by Hunter Bell
Directed by Sam Hayes
Choreographed by Cady Bailey
Prism Theatre Company
August 16, 2024

Katie Orr, Jaelyn Hawkins
Photo by Cady Bailey
Prism Theatre Company

Prism Theatre Company is staging their first musical, with a version of meta-musical [title of show] subtitled “the gender bend”, casting the show with women in all the roles. As originally developed, this musical has a gutsy, self-referential and quirky vibe that enlivens the proceedings and makes for a fun lesson in what makes a musical while at the same time serving as an ode to friendship and collaboration in the creation of art. At Prism, the production features an enthusiastic cast and energetic staging. 

The show is essentially based on the creation of the show itself, as writers Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell collaborated and took their unlikely little musical to Broadway. It shows how the two friends came up with the concept and wrote the show in a few weeks to make the deadline for a theatre festival, enlisting their friends Susan and Heidi to star, and then later performed it off-Broadway and used a YouTube series to help raise their profile so they could bring the show to Broadway. Along the way, and with the help of their accompanist Larry, the duo and their cast explore the world of theatre in New York, as well as musical theatre conventions, famous musical flops, various references to other musicals and especially Into the Woods, and form a close bond that grows from the process of creating art together.

The cast features Katie Orr as Jeff, Jaelyn Hawkins as Hunter, Rachel Bailey as Susan, and Savannah Fernelius as Heidi, along with music director/keyboardist Mallory Golden as Larry. It’s a lively, energetic cast, with strong characterization and comic timing, and although some of the singing has a rough quality, that works for this show with its “grass roots” vibe. The script itself features clever songs and sometimes too-clever jokes and occasional moments of “profanity as humor” where simply saying a word gets a laugh. For the most part, though, this is an insightful, fun show, with a great cast and energetic, fast-paced staging.

The set by Caleb D. Long is simple but effective, and the costumes by Sam Hayes suit the characters well. There is excellent lighting by Catherine Adams and sound by Golden. This small-scale show works especially well in the Kranzberg Arts Center’s black box space, with the audience seated up close in an intimate setting.

This is the first production of this show I’ve seen, and I’m glad for the introduction. If you love theatre, you’re probably going to get many of the references here, and the overall attitude is one of love for theatre and the creative process. The cast and crew seem to be having a great time, as well. It’s a fun show, with an infectious energy. It works well as Prism’s first venture into musicals.

Jaelyn Hawkins, Rachel Bailey, Katie Orr, Mallory Golden, Savannah Fernelius
Photo by Cady Bailey
Prism Theatre Company

Prism Theatre Company is presenting [title of show] at the Kranzberg Arts Center until September 8, 2024

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