Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee Williams’

“Streetcar” Has Returned at TWSTL, Bringing With it Intense Characterizations, Stunning Performances

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

A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Michael James Reed
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 7, 2025

Eric Dean White, Beth Bartley
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

One of Tennessee Williams’s most famous plays is back in St. Louis, and it’s making a profound impact. The Tennessee Williams Festival has staged this play before, with a stunning, award-winning production in 2018, and now it’s back for the festival’s 10th Anniversary, in a striking new staging that emphasizes “otherness” in a way that I don’t remember as much from the last (fantastic) production. Highlighting a marvelous, quirky and heartbreaking performance in the role of Blanche and surrounding her with a first-rate cast in the rest of the roles, this production–directed by Michael James Reed–focuses largely on Blanche’s role as an outsider, and her refuge in fantasy as a striking contrast to brutal reality as personified especially by her sister’s husband, Stanley.

The world here, set in the French Quarter of New Orleans, is more stylized, with a striking set by Patrick Huber that emphasizes open spaces and lack of privacy, although also maintaining a colorful mid-Century vibe. The audience is introduced to this world by a cacophony of sound, of animals and trains and yelling neighbors, as outsider Blanche DuBois (Beth Bartley) arrives from Mississippi to see her younger sister, Stella (Isa Venere), who is married to the loud, possessive Stanley Kowalski (Todd D’Amour). Blanche is somewhat evasive about why she has left her position as a school teacher and come to New Orleans, but the Kowalskis take her in and while Stella is initially happy to see her sister, there is immediate friction with the increasingly suspicious Stanley, who asks around and digs into Blanche’s past. Meanwhile, at one of Stanley’s raucous poker games, Blanche meets Mitch (Eric Dean White), who is decidedly less crude than Stanley and the others, and who takes an interest in Blanche. For a time, there’s reason to hope that these two can make a life together, but this is a tragedy, and as Stanley reveals more and more of his brutish nature, hope for the increasingly self-deluded Blanche grows dim.

That’s all I will say, but if you know the story, you know what happens. The tone of this production emphasizes the contrast between Blanche’s world (which is fueled by her regret and imagination) and Stanley’s, which is harsh and increasingly brutal, and with the bold but tenderhearted Stella caught in the middle, and with Mitch as something of a bewildered suitor. The tone is at turns fantastical and harsh, hopeful and bitingly cynical, with an ultimate weight of pervasive regret and sadness. 

The cast is simply stellar, led by Bartley in a quirky, old-Hollywood influenced turn as Blanche. There are touches of Judy Garland, as well as influences of a few other famous screen legends (Crawford, Swanson, Davis), but also an increasing sense that this air is something of an act, which starts to fall apart visibly in a key scene with Mitch. It’s a stunning, fascinating, ultimately heartbreaking performance. D’Amour is powerfully primal as the insistently brutal Stanley, and his scenes with both Bartly and Venere–excellent as a tough-but-vulnerable Stella–are highlights. The always excellent White is an ideal Mitch, bringing a mixture of gentleness, hope, and eventually a bit of obtuse bewilderment to the role. There’s also excellent support from Isaiah Di Lorenzo (repeating his role from 2018) and Emily Baker as the Kowalskis’ neighbors Steve and Eunice, as well as Cedric Leiba Jr. as poker buddy Pablo, and small but well-pitched turns by Jeremiah King as a young man collecting money for the newspaper, along with David Wassilak as a doctor and Gwynneth Rausch as a nurse, and Jocelyn Padilla as a flower seller. It’s a fantastic cast in a stunningly realized, highly emotional production.

Huber’s excellent set is augmented by Matthew McCarthy’s occasionally stark, occasionally otherworldly lighting and excellent sound by Phillip Evans. The costumes by Shevaré Perry are colorful, period specific, and memorable, highlighting contrasting colors as well as the sometimes realistic, sometimes stylized tone of the show. There’s also strong work by props designer Mikhail Lynn, fight choreographer Jack Kalan, and intimacy coordinator Jocelyn Padilla. 

A Streetcar Named Desire is a timeless tragedy, with themes that are at once highly specific and universal. As TWSTL has shown even on its own, it can be staged in various ways while still being profoundly affecting. This latest version is emotional, visceral, and intense, with emphasis on the contrast between hope-and-regret-fueled fantasy and tragic, brutal reality. It’s a truly remarkable production. 

Isa Venere, Todd d’Amour
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting A Streetcar Named Desire at the Grandel Theatre until August 17, 2025

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TWFSTL Examines “Life Upon the Wicked Stage” With Cleverly Linked One-Acts and Music

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on August 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Life Upon the Wicked Stage
A Trio of One-Acts by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Brian Hohlfeld
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 10, 2024

Julia Crump, Julie Layton, Donna Weinsting, Dominic Di Cicco, Gary Wayne Barker
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Life Upon the Wicked Stage is the title for Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis’s showcase of three one-acts with similar themes. It’s also the title of the classic song that opens the show, sung by cast members Donna Weinsting, Julia Crump, and Julie Layton. These three, along with Dominic Di Cicco and Gary Wayne Barker, join in a production that examines the lives of theatre people in the first half of the 20th Century, along with interludes of classic songs that underscore the themes in the plays. It’s an intriguing presentation, well-acted and performed, fitting well into the small performance space at the Curtain Call Lounge. 

The three plays featured weren’t written to be performed together, but as presented here, they work to show a progression in the life of an actress as she ages and experiences life and relationships with men. The first play “In Our Profession” features Annabelle (Layton) as an eager young woman after a rendezvous with the older, more detached Richard (Barker). When Annabelle starts talking “serious” about marriage, commitment, and leaving the transient theatrical life, Richard calls on his more “sincere” young friend Paul (Di Cicco) to bail him out, only to have Annabelle turn her attention–and her charms–to him.  This is a humorous, fairly short story with fun performances from the cast and quick pacing.

Next, “The Magic Tower” shows a slightly older Annabelle, who is now married to the younger, idealistic artist Jim (Di Cicco), living in a small attic room owned by landlady Mrs. O’Fallon (Weinsting), who is suspicious of Annabelle. When Jim goes out to try to sell his artwork to a promoter, her old stage friends Mitch (Barker) and Babe (Crump) visit, with the goal of trying to convince Annabelle to join them back on the road with the theatre troupe. The chemistry between Layton and Di Cicco is convincing here, as is Layton’s sense of insecurity as her old friends sow doubt in her mind about her new relationship.

Finally, “The Fat Man’s Wife” casts Annabelle as a middle-aged woman in an unhappy marriage to theatre producer Joe (Barker)–or “Josie”, as she calls him. It’s New Year’s Day, and the two have just returned from a party, in which Annabelle shared a flirtation with an idealistic young playwright, Dennis (Di Cicco), who later appears with his own enticing offer. Here, Layton is excellent at portraying how her years of life have affected the older but still lonely Annabelle. Di Cicco and Barker are also excellent as the two contrasting men. 

The performance ends with Weinsting serenading the cast with Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” as a reminder of the ups and downs of show business, and the cast joins in for a reprise of “Life Upon the Wicked Stage”. It’s a strong cast all around, with entertaining musical performances of various songs, and memorable acting in the three plays. There’s also excellent work from costume designer Teresa Doggett and musical director Tom Clear. It’s a clever way to join these three plays together, and a fascinating, thought-provoking examination of the life of a “show person”. 

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting Life Upon the Wicked Stage at the Curtain Call Lounge until August 18, 2024

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TWSTL’s Intense “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” Sizzles at the Grandel

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on August 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Michael Wilson
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 8, 2024

Kiah McKirnan, Brian Slaten
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof  is one of Tennessee Williams’s most well-known plays, and I hadn’t seen it yet. I had seen a lot of his other shows, mostly thanks to the excellent work of the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, but this one had evaded me until, thankfully, TWFSTL has filled that gap in my viewing repertoire in grand style this year. With a great cast and thoughtful staging, this production is a remarkable headliner for this year’s festival.

Although I hadn’t seen this play before, I was generally familiar with the story and characters. This production features a novel introduction from J. Samuel Davis as “The Writer”–essentially, Williams himself, setting up the story and situation, with a little bit of background information about Williams’s years in St. Louis working at a shoe company. Davis also appears in the “main” show in a dual role as Reverend Tooker and Doc Baugh, but the main focus is on the Pollitt family. In Act 1, we meet Brick (Brian Slaten) and Maggie (Kiah McKirnan), a married couple whose tension is obvious from the start. Brick, a former college and pro football star, is in a cast because he broke his ankle trying to jump some hurdles at his former high school in the middle of the night, and he’s been spending his time brooding and drinking lots and lots of booze. It soon becomes clear that his recent injury isn’t really what he’s brooding about. Maggie, for her part, is feeling neglected and pressured, considering Brick’s emotional distance and the fact that the couple hasn’t had any children and Brick’s brother Gooper (Eric Dean White) and his wife, Mae (Roxanne Wellington) have five, with another on the way. The family is gathered at the home of parents Big Daddy (Peter Mayer) and Big Mama (Kari Ely) to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday, but also to deal with a brutal truth about Big Daddy’s heath that the adult children are keeping from their parents. There are also several unresolved relationship issues–between parents and children, between the siblings and in-laws, and between Brick, Maggie, and Brick’s late teammate and best friend, the much-mentioned Skipper, who may be dead but still looms large in Brick’s and Maggie’s memories, and in their relationship. The tensions simmer, boil, and overflow as the evening unfolds and revelations are shared.

This isn’t an “action” play as much as it’s a “characters and relationships” play, and direction and casting are crucial. Here, director Michael Wilson has staged the show with deliberate, thoughtful pacing, and a building tension that is punctuated by the frequent interruptions when real communication is attempted. The cast is excellent, with Slaten’s brooding Brick and McKirnan’s frustrated but stubbornly determined Maggie at the heart of the drama, along with equally stunning work from Mayer as the crass Big Daddy and Ely as a relentlessly invasive Big Mama, who is insistently upbeat until she can’t be. White and Wellington are also strong as the somewhat irritating, self-focused Gooper and Mae, and Davis is good as usual in his dual supporting roles. There are also memorable appearances from a trio of young performers as Gooper and Mae’s kids Trixie (Kate Kappel), Dixie (Tatum Wilson), and Sonny (Cooper Scheesele), who work well as distractions and interruptions at key moments in the drama. 

The look and atmosphere are well-maintained by means of James Wolk’s detailed set, that we see the actors setting up during the introduction, and Teresa Doggett’s marvelously detailed costumes reflecting the mid-century Mississippi setting. There’s also excellent lighting by Matt McCarthy. The sound is the only major issue I have with this production, as the actors could be difficult to hear from where I was sitting, and I often had to strain my ears to understand the dialogue. I assume (and hope) this is an issue that can be improved in the run of the show.

Aside from the audio issues, this is a remarkable production. It’s an ideal introduction to this celebrated work for the uninitiated (like I was), as well as for those who have seen it before, I imagine. It’s a tense, emotional show, with many personal issues of denial, repression, strained relationships, and thwarted hopes, all on display here portrayed with expert ability by an impressive cast. It’s a challenging, emotionally devastating theatrical experience.

Roxanne Wellington, Kari Ely, Eric Dean White
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Grandel Theatre until August 18, 2024

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TWFSTL’s Deliberately Paced “Summer” Showcases Memorable Performances

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on September 12, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Suddenly Last Summer
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Tim Ocel
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
September 7, 2023

Bradley Tejeda, Lisa Tejero
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Suddenly Last Summer is perhaps one of Tennessee Williams’s lesser-known works, or at least, it’s not one of those shows that comes immediately to mind for most when the playwright’s name is mentioned, like A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It’s still a show that’s been written about a fair amount; studied and contemplated, as well as adapted into a well-regarded 1959 film. At this year’s Tennessee Williams Festival STL, this play takes center stage featuring a strong cast, especially in the three main leads, even though it can be talky at times, and the deliberate pacing requires a good deal of concentration until the disturbing but riveting conclusion.

An intriguing aspect of this play is the fact that much of the story revolves around a character who never appears onstage. The enigmatic, well-traveled poet Sebastian Venable was revered and idealized by his mother, Violet (Lisa Tejero), loved by his cousin Catherine Holly (Naima Randolph)–who was with Sebastian when he died–and mourned by both in their own ways since his death the previous summer under disputed circumstances. Violet, in fact, is so disturbed by Catherine’s story of what happened, that she has gone to great lengths to silence her niece, including having her committed to an asylum and enlisting the young Doctor Cucrowicz (Bradley Tejeda)–or “Dr. Sugar” as he is called–to give Catherine a lobotomy. The doctor insists on interviewing Catherine first, despite the ailing but ever determined Violet’s insistence that the procedure be done. Catherine’s financially struggling mother (Rengin Altay) and brother, George (Harrison Farmer), are there to encourage Catherine to change her story, worried that Violet will deny them an inheritance from Sebastian, but the doctor seems determined to hear the truth. And after a lot of evasion, threatening, and attempt to delay the inevitable, the story comes out in an explosive, highly emotional manner. I won’t say what the story is, but I will say this is an intense, highly symbolic story that takes a while to get where it’s going while it builds an atmosphere of fear, doubt, and encroaching terror, revealing the personalities and intentions of various characters while exploring the concepts of societal expectations, self-delusion, and the depths of human cruelty. 

There’s a lot here to think about, and the characters are well-drawn, especially Violet and Catherine, who are the main adversaries here; and Dr. Sugar serves as a strong sounding board for both, as he challenges Violet’s insistent assumptions and works with determined focus to hear the whole truth from Catherine. The cast is excellent–especially in the three leading roles, with Tejero giving an intense and complex portrayal of the difficult, smothering Violet, and Randolph matching her intensity as the troubled but determined Catherine, who especially commands the stage in the play’s riveting final moments. Tejeda is also convincing and engaging as the doctor, working well with both Tejero and Randolph. There’s also strong support from Altay and Farmer as Catherine’s mother and brother, as well as Ieshah Edwards as Catherine’s chaperone from the asylum, Sister Felicity, and Bethany Barr as Miss Foxhill, Violet’s frequently exasperated assistant and caregiver. 

Technically, the play does a good job of maintaining the look and atmosphere of the old, fading New Orleans Garden District estate of its setting, with a fairly simple set design by James Wolk, and especially striking lighting by Matthew McCarthy. The sound by Phillip Evans and original music by Henry Palkes also serve the story well, as do the period costumes by Dottie Marshall Englis. 

Suddenly Last Summer is another memorable mainstage entry from TWFSTL. Even though the story takes a while to really get going, it packs a strong emotional punch when Catherine’s story is finally allowed to be told. It’s not an easy story to take, but the telling is the highlight of the drama, and the sheer terror that has been building throughout. It’s an intense show, and not for all ages, but it’s well worth seeing especially for the truly stellar leading performances. 

Rengin Altay, Bradley Tejada, Naima Randolph, Lisa Tejero, Ieshah Edwards
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting Suddenly Last Summer at COCA’s Berges Theatre until September 17, 2023

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TWFSTL’s “Rose Tattoo” Brings a Circus of Comedy, Drama to the Big Top

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

The Rose Tattoo
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by David Kaplan
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 18, 2022

Rayme Cornell, Valentina Silva and Cast of The Rose Tattoo
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

The Rose Tattoo is a Tennessee Williams play I had heard of, but hadn’t seen before. Now that I have seen it, in a lively production currently being staged by Tennessee Williams Festival, I now think I’ve seen it in a way few have experienced. That’s because of the unique approach director David Kaplan and the company have taken here–staging the production in a circus tent, with many circus elements incorporated into the play. It’s a unique staging, but it works especially well in emphasizing the emotion of the piece, as well as the truly hilarious comic elements of the story. 

This is something of an unusual play, or at least in this production, since the first act plays more as a mysterious drama, but the second act is much more broadly comic, but also full of deeply expressed emotion and longing. The circus elements, including clowns, aerialists, and animal acts work to heighten the mood and sense of dreamlike fantasy as the story focuses on Sicilian immigrant Serafina Delle Rose (Rayme Cornell), who is passionately attached to her husband, and is devastated when he is killed early in the play. She retreats into her house, becoming focused on her memories and overprotective of her teenage daughter, Rosa (Valentina Silva), who is about to graduate high school and is excited about a new boyfriend, a sailor named Jack (Oliver Bacus), who Serafina doesn’t want her to see. Serafina is also suspicious of her neighbors, who always seem to be watching her, and spreading rumors about her husband that Serafina doesn’t want to believe. Eventually, she has a chance meeting with a young truck driver, Alvaro Mangiacavallo (Bradley Tejeda), who reminds her of her husband, and a comic “courtship” of sorts ensues. It’s an exploration of grief, dreams, parent-child relationships, romantic ideals, and the role of religious devotion in a person’s life, as Serafina is devoutly Catholic. It’s a highly emotional, somewhat lyrical story that uses music to set its mood at times, as well as, in this production, the balletic work of the aerialists in some key moments. 

The staging here is inventive and clever, with the circus elements working very well to help set the mood and further the emotion of the story. The first appearance of Alvaro as a clown also works because Serafina sometimes compares him to one. And the direction is sharp and well-paced, with some slapstick elements in the second act as well as the more melancholy moments played expertly by the excellent cast. The biggest star here is Cornell, who owns every moment she’s in as the highly emotional, grief-stricken Serafina. It’s a virtuoso performance that drives the momentum of the show. Tejada is also fantastic as Alvaro, with a strong physical performance as well as excellent stage presence and chemistry with Cornell. There are also strong performances from Silva as the lovestruck and often frustrated (with her mother) Rosa; and Bacus who is well-matched with Silva as the young sailor who loves Rosa. Harry Weber has a nice dual turn as the local priest Father De Leo and as Miss Yorke, a teacher at Rosa’s high school, and there’s excellent work from a fine ensemble playing various supporting roles, bringing atmosphere and energy to the show. Also notable is the work of aerialists Annika Capellupo, Natalie Bednarski, Sage McGhee, and Maggie McGinness, whose beautiful performances add much to the overall tone of the story.

Technically, this show has a look that’s fitting for a play that’s staged in a circus tent. The set by James Wolk makes use of movable pieces that suggest the various locations as needed, with the panels that serve as the walls of Serafina’s house being able to be arranged to suggest a closed-in feeling as she retreats further from the world in her grief, and can also be opened up as needed. Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes suit the characters well and also work appropriately with the circus theme.  Jesse Alford’s lighting works especially well in the space to set the mood and atmosphere, as well.  There were a few sound issues with microphone feedback and odd acoustics that made the dialogue difficult to hear at times, but this improved as the show went on.

If you’ve seen The Rose Tattoo before, seeing this production might be like seeing it for the first time all over again, since the theme and conceit are unique. This production’s fantastical circus format is well-suited to the story, with excellent dialogue and symbolism by Williams. It’s a showcase for a stellar leading performance and equally strong cast, with dynamic circus performances and a memorable, ultimately hopeful comic tone. It’s a one-of-a-kind production, well worth a visit to the Big Top. 

Cast of The Rose Tattoo
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting The Rose Tattoo at The Big Top in Grand Center until August 28, 2022

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TWFSTL Takes a Train Ride to Character Exploration in Short, Intriguing “Centrailia”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on August 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »

You Lied to Me About Centralia
by John Guare
Directed by Rayme Cornell
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 22, 2021

In the same weekend that the Tennessee Williams Festival has premiered it’s excellent, site-focused outdoor production of The Glass Menagerie, they’ve also staged a much shorter companion piece featuring one of the characters featured in Williams’s classic play. You Lied to Me About Centralia is a short play–running about 20 minutes–and the tone is much more wryly comic than the headlining show–but celebrated playwright John Guare’s examination of these characters and their situation adds much to think about concerning Williams’s work as well as the ways individuals allow themselves to be influenced by others.

Guare’s one-act is based more directly on Williams’s short story “Portrait of a Girl in Glass”, which was a predecessor of The Glass Menagerie. Still, the story is similar enough, and the character of Jim O’Connor (Chauncy Thomas) is essentially the same, especially at TWFSTL considering that he’s played by the same actor in both productions. Thomas is joined here by Julia Crump as Jim’s fiancee, Betty, who was mentioned by name but does not appear in The Glass Menagerie. In that play, Jim mentioned that he had to pick Betty up at the train depot after her trip to visit a sick aunt in Centralia. This play–which gets its title from its first line of dialogue–imagines that meeting, and Guare’s depiction of events suggests aspects of Jim’s character–and especially Betty’s–that Williams hadn’t portrayed. 

Here. Betty hadn’t been visiting an ailing aunt–she’d been to see a rich uncle in Granite City instead, with the idea of trying to get “Uncle Clyde” to give her money to buy a house. Jim is initially upset by the deception, but his affable personality allows him to gloss it over, although we also get to see how Betty’s influence–and that of their more “socially acceptable” friends–affects how Jim tells the story of his dinner date with the Wingfields. Betty’s own prejudices also surface when we hear her account of finally meeting her uncle, who had given a different impression of himself in his letters; and her comparisons of her uncle to Tom Wingfield reveal aspects of her character that lie beneath her well put-together, seemingly bubbly surface. The relationship dynamics here are fascinating to watch, and although the tone is largely comic, there’s a tragic aspect here, as we see how Jim responds to her teasing by telling her what she wants to hear. The play serves as not only a character study, but as an examination of social norms at the time, and of the concept of socially enforced conformity. 

The performances are strong, with Thomas getting to show a different side to this character he has already played in a different context, and Crump displaying a strong sense of presence and influence. Both performers work well together, displaying good comic timing and chemistry. The staging is simple and also excellent, as the action plays out on a minimal set (just a bench) on the same stage as The Glass Menagerie, which serves as an intriguing echo since we are now getting to see another look at one of that play’s memorable characters. It’s another memorable moment from the still relatively new, but always excellent, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis. 

 

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TWFSTL’s Evocative “Glass Menagerie” Features a Strong Cast, Inventive Set

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on August 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »

The Glass Menagerie
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Brian Hohlfeld
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
August 19, 2021

Brenda Currin, Bradley James Tejeda
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

The Glass Menagerie calls itself a “memory play”, and much of it is not-so-subtly based on the life of its playwright, Tennessee Williams. For their headline production this year, Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis has taken the “memory” aspect even further than usual. By incorporating a Central West End apartment building in which Williams once lived, and staging the play outside, director Brian Hohlfeld and the creative team, along with an excellent cast, are able to take advantage of the historic location to help set the tone and period atmosphere.

The overall tone is affected greatly by the setting, with Dunsi Dai’s superbly realized set providing the ideal backdrop for this haunting, emotional and evocative production. The lighting by Catherine Adams and sound by Kareem Deanes, along with detailed period-specific costumes by Michele Siler, are also exactly on-point, lending much to the storytelling. Every expression and word of dialogue is clear, as is the feeling of the St. Louis of days gone by. Atmospheric music that’s supposed to be emanating from records on the Victrola or wafting in from the (in-story) dance hall across the alley helps to maintain the overall heightened sense of longing and hoping for something better for this family consisting of faded Southern belle Amanda Wingfield (Brenda Currin) and her adult children, the shy, socially awkward and physically challenged Laura (Elizabeth Teeter), and the restless writer Tom (Bradley James Tejeda), who wishes to focus more on his writing and explore the world beyond St. Louis and the drudgery of his job at a shoe factory. The story, which leads up to a fateful dinner with a much-anticipated “Gentleman Caller” named Jim (Chauncy Thomas), is told as a set of memories recounted by an older Tom, as he reflects on his family’s situation and everyone’s dealing with events of the past as well as hopes and fears for the future. 

The staging is adapted to the set especially well, with the outdoor setting and especially the real fire escapes working ideally for the story, and the performances are remarkable. Tejeda’s Tom is a constant presence even when he’s not on stage, and his perspective paints a vivid picture of the sense of growing longing and desperation among the various characters. The overall family dynamic is on clear display, from anger and resentment, to some genuinely affectionate moments, as Tom truly cares for the well-being of his sister and, occasionally, his mother. The family scenes are especially memorable, with outstanding performances from Currin as the regretful, sometimes overbearing Amanda, and Teeter as the wistful, painfully shy Laura, who struggles with her own insecurities and everyone else’s expectations for her. Thomas is also strong as the personable, cheerful Jim, who forms a believable connection with Teeter’s Laura in some of the most captivating scenes in the play. This is a highly emotional play, and all of the performers convey those emotions truthfully and with power. 

This play, when done well, is one of those shows that can stay with a person for a while after they’ve seen it, like a vivid, lingering memory. And this production at TFSTL is done remarkably well. Sitting out in the open space behind the Tennessee apartment building in the CWE, the audience is put into the world of The Glass Menagerie, and with this cast and that stunning set and production values, it’s a world well worth visiting.

Chauncy Thomas, Elizabeth Teeter
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting The Glass Menagerie at The Tennessee until August 29, 2021

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More Compelling Performances from the Tennessee Williams Festival

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 15, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis 2019
May 11, 2019

As I noted in my last review, this year’s Tennessee Williams Festival opened with a stunning production of The Night of the Iguana. As is usual, however, the main stage production is not the only thing the festival has to offer. Here are two other excellent shows from the festival:

A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Kari Ely

Kelley Weber, Maggie Wininger, Julie Layton, Ellie Schwetye
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

A strong local cast and brisk staging are the highlights of this show, one of Williams’ later plays originally staged in 1979. Set in a Central West End apartment in the 1930s, this is a funny, poignant piece that features the common Williams theme of loneliness, but the tone is more comic than usual. In fact, it almost has a sitcom-like feel at times, which might be part of what lends to the theory (touted in the festival’s advertising) that this play was an inspiration for the 1980s comedy series The Golden Girls. On my viewing, I would say resemblances to that series are slight, and the play’s appeal rests more in its portrayal of its time, setting, and character situations, along with the very “St. Louis” vibe of the piece.

The story emphasizes class differences and individual aspirations as well as personal hopes and dreams, along with relationships among very different women who initially have wildly different goals. For Bodey (Kelley Weber), the middle-aged single daughter of German immigrants, her hope seems to revolve around picnics at Creve Coeur Lake and setting up her also single twin brother–the unseen but much talked-about Buddy–with Bodey’s younger, Southern-born high school teacher roommate Dorothea, or “Dottie” (Maggie Wininger). Dottie, however, has other plans that revolve largely around another unseen but much discussed character, her school’s principal, Ralph Ellis. As Bodey prepares food and tries to convince Dottie to go on an outing to the lake with her, Dottie is determined to stay home and wait for an expected phone call from Ralph, and both women are surprised at different times by two guests. First, there’s the social-climbing Helena (Julie Layton), who works with Dottie and hopes to get her to move into an expensive, more fashionable apartment with her. Then, there’s Miss Sophie Gluck (Ellie Schwetye), a German-born neighbor in the apartment building whose mother has recently died and who Bodey has been trying to console. As the story progresses, much is revealed about the motives of the various women, as well as the truth about the objects of their aspirations.

It’s a fast-moving, broadly comic piece with a clear undertone of melancholy, and the casting is excellent, from Weber’s determined, down-to-earth Bodey to Wininger’s dreamy and conflicted Dottie, to Layton’s haughty Helena. Schwetye, as the grieving, awkward Sophie, is a standout, with a memorable performance that is at equal turns poignant and broadly comic. The staging is fast-paced, with some impressive moments of physical comedy along with the strong characterizations.

The production values are also excellent, with a detailed and somewhat whimsical recreation of a 1930s St. Louis apartment by scenic designer Ali Strelchun, and excellent costumes by Garth Dunbar, lighting by David LaRose, and sound by Kareem Deanes. It’s a fun, compelling treat of a performance of a show that many viewers may not have heard of. It’s well worth checking out.

Tennessee Williams Festival is presenting A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur upstairs at the Grandel Theatre until May 19, 2019

“Dear Mr.Williams”
Written and Performed by Bryan Batt
Directed and Developed with Michael Wilson

Bryan Batt
Photo by Suzy Gorman
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Also on stage this weekend was another show that ran for three performances. Dear Mr. Williams is a one-man show written and performed by Bryan Batt, who is probably best known for his role on the television show Mad Men. Here, Batt has collaborated with director Michael Wilson to present a highly personal show, portraying how Tennessee Williams and his plays have inspired Batt throughout his life.

This was a fascinating show, part dramatization and part autobiographical monologue, as Batt intersperses the story of his own life growing up in New Orleans with dramatized quotes from Williams about the city he also loved, as well as theatre, sexuality, and more. The story is poignant and personal, with Batt telling how his family’s history sometimes coincided with Williams’ plays, and also how he discovered Williams’ plays along with his journey into acting as well as coming to terms with his sexuality in the 1970s and early 1980s. Batt has a strong stage presence and personable manner, and his transitions between “Bryan” and “Tennessee” were, for the most part, seamless, although at times the transitions were so quick that they could be confusing. Still, this was an intriguing and fascinating portrayal.

Technical director and stage manager Michael B. Perkins also contributed to the simple but impressive staging, although Batt–and his portrayal of Williams–are front and center. It was a witty, poignant, and memorable performance, working well in the small but elegant space in the Curtain Call lounge. It’s another strong example of the variety and excellence on display at the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis.

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Tennessee Williams Festival 2019 Opens with a Profoundly Memorable “Night”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on May 13, 2019| Leave a Comment »

The Night of the Iguana
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Tim Ocel
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
May 9, 2019

James Andrew Butz, Lavonne Byers, Harry Weber, Nisi Sturgis
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis has made a lasting impression on the theatre scene here in four short years. Through its mainstage productions, other theatrical offerings, panel discussions and additonal events, the festival has established a strong presence. Last year’s mainstage show, A Streetcar Named Desire, proved to be a highlight of the entire St. Louis theatrical year. Now, the festival is following up last year’s success with a new, bold staging of Williams’ thought-provoking The Night of the Iguana, boasting a strong cast and especially stunning production values.

The stage of the Grandel Theatre has been strikingly transformed into a run-down hotel in Mexico by means of a spectacular set by Dunsi Dai and luminous lighting by Jon Ontiveros, along with meticulously detailed costumes by Garth Dunbar. The story focuses on common themes for Williams–loneliness, flawed people, and seemingly unattainable dreams. Here, the focus is on a disgraced former minister-turned-tour guide in the early years of World War II. Rev. T. Lawrence Shannon (James Andrew Butz) is an alcoholic who left his last church job in disgrace after an inappropriate relationship with a very young Sunday school teacher. Now, he’s leading a tour group of young ladies from Texas on an excursion that is straying from the advertised route, to the great dismay of chaperone Judith Fellowes (Elizabeth Ann Townsend), who is especially upset about Shannon’s attentions toward one of her charges, the 16-year-old Charlotte Goodall (Summer Baer). There’s also the newly-widowed Maxine Faulk (Lavonne Byers), who owns the hotel and has designs on Shannon. Meanwhile, a group of German tourists (Steve Isom, Teresa Doggett, Chaunery Kingsford Tanguay, and Hannah Lee Eisenbath) meander about, gleefully singing and celebrating news from Europe (basically, bombings and perceived Nazi victories). Into this situation come traveling artists and hustlers in their own way Hannah Jelkes (Nisi Sturgis) and her grandfather or “Nonno”, elderly poet Jonathan Coffin (Harry Weber), who is dealing with memory loss and struggling to finish his last poem. As memorable as all the characters are, including a supporting ensemble that features Victor Mendez (as Pedro), Luis Aguilar (as Pancho), Spencer Sickmann (as Hank), and Greg Johnston (as Jake Latta), the key figures are Shannon, Maxine, Hannah, and Nonno, and the most gripping and compelling drama revolves around these characters. Questions raised include regret, lost dreams and aspirations, temptation vs. desire for redemption, loneliness, and more. It’s a deep, intense, and sometimes disturbing character study that explores how these characters play off of one another and what makes them who they are.

The atmosphere is stunningly realized by the production, and the theme and struggle of the characters is well-portrayed by the first-rate cast, led by the always excellent Butz as the troubled Shannon and the especially impressive Sturgis as Hannah, who imbues her character with a hopeful energy and a believable mid-century accent and excellent chemistry with Butz, along with a credible sense of a lived history and genuine bond with the also excellent Weber as the determined, ailing Nonno. Byers also turns in a memorable performance as the brash, possessive Maxine. The rest of the supporting cast is strong as well, with standouts including Townsend as assertive Judith, and Isom and Doggett as deceptively cheerful German tourists. It’s a cohesive cast all around, with everyone turning in a strong performance, supporting the truly remarkable leads.

The Night of the Iguana is a compelling evocation of time, place, and character, with characters who are notably flawed and struggle to maintain hope in the midst of a sense of looming menace, both internal and external. It’s a vividly staged, impeccably cast production. It ushers in the Fourth Annual Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis with remarkable energy and poignancy. It’s another stunning success from the Festival.

James Andrew Butz, Nisi Sturgis
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis is presenting The Night of the Iguana at the Grandel Theatre until May 19, 2019

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“Tennessee Rising” at Festival Illuminates Important Years In Playwright’s Life

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on May 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Tennessee Rising
Conceived, Written, and Performed by Jacob Storms
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
May 12, 2018

Jacob Storms
Photo by Ride Hamilton
Tennessee Williams Festival STL

This year’s Tennessee Williams festival is focusing the playwright’s time in New Orleans. From its headline production, A Streetcar Named Desire to various panel discussions and presentations, the festival is calling to mind Williams’ relationship with the city he loved, and particularly the French Quarter neighborhood, where Williams spent some important years that shaped his development as a playwright. One excellent highlight of the festival has been Jacob Storms’ one-man show Tennessee Rising, in which Storms portrays the playwright in a key era of his life.

Spanning the years from 1939 to 1945, the play follows Williams as moves from St. Louis to New Orleans and then travels around the country as his career begins to take off, as a playwright in New Orleans and New York, and also briefly as a screenwriter in Hollywood. The important people in his life, from his family relationships to his love affairs to his theatrical associations, are brought to life in Storms’ vivid portrayal of an affable, ambitious, and reflective Williams as he transitions from Tom Williams the aspiring writer to Tennessee Williams the successful playwright. It’s a fascinating tale, told essentially in the form of letters and reflective monologues, augmented by frequent lighting changes and blackouts that help to portray the passage of time. Storms is outfitted appropriately as a young Williams showing the development of his success, as in Act 1 he’s dressed more casual and in Act 2 he wears a dapper suit. It’s a well-structured play, with some interesting personal and professional anecdotes, with the stories of the productions of his plays being the most fascinating to my mind. It all leads up to the opening of his first hit play, The Glass Menagerie, and Storms takes the audience on a compelling journey in the process.

Unfortunately, this play isn’t running anymore, as it only ran for two days over the weekend. Storms has performed this work before in various venues, and perhaps he will perform it again elsewhere. It’s an excellent and fitting component of this year’s Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis.

 

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