Posts Tagged ‘tesseract theatre’

Well-Cast “Jagged Little Pill” at Tesseract Highlights Music, Story with Energy

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Jagged Little Pill
Lyrics by Alanis Morissette, Music by Alani Morissette and Glen Ballard, Book by Diablo Cody
Directed by Brittanie Gunn
Choreographed by Ella Drake and Ruben Medina
Tesseract Theatre
July 11, 2026

Cast of Jagged Little Pill
Photo: Tesseract Theatre

Although I’m somewhat familiar with Alanis Morissette’s music, I’m not an avid fan, so Jagged Little Pill as a musical isn’t something I was necessarily eager to see. Still, as staged by Tesseract Theatre under the direction of Brittanie Gunn, it does more than serve as a vehicle for Morissette’s music. It tells a fascinating tale featuring relatable characters played by a first-rate cast, creating a believable world and thought-provoking situations. 

The story has a lot going on, especially for one family all at the same time, but it’s theatre so for the most part, it works. Mary Jane Healy (Loren Goudreau) prides herself in her organization skills and her family, especially her oldest son, Nick (Stephen Henley), who just got into Harvard. Second child Frankie (Kinya Kairigi) frequently feels like second best, both as an adoptee and as an activist for causes her mom doesn’t seem to approve of. Dad Steve (Kevin O’Brien) is a workaholic who also feels like Mary Jane doesn’t give him much attention anymore. Also, at school, Frankie meets new student Phoenix (Jabari Boykin) and is attracted, much to the chagrin of her longterm friend/romantic partner Jo (Milo Garlich). Also, Nick finds himself in a dilemma when he witnesses something highly disturbing at a party involving his friend Bella (Lauren Tenenbaum). The events involve various issues that may be disturbing to some viewers, including frank talk about sex and sexuality, as well as violence and drug addiction. 

Even with so much going on, the characters are developed well, and the Morissette songs–including some new ones–are incorporated credibly into the story. The acting and singing is strong all around, although some sound issues occasionally make the lyrics difficult to discern. The cast is great, led by Goudreau in a strong turn as the perfectionist Mary Jane, who finds herself in a struggle she couldn’t predict, and Kairigi as the determined Frankie, who finds herself in the middle of a love triangle while also competing for her parents’ attention. Henley is also strong as the “perfect son” Nick, and Garlich is especially strong as Jo, getting to sing the well-known “You Oughta Know” with ferocity and strength. Tenenbaum, as Bella, is also excellent, and the ensemble is also strong, with energy and good vocals, executing the memorable choreography by Ella Drake and Ruben Medina with enthusiasm and style. 

The look of the show works well for the story and tone, with a fantastic, versatile set by Todd Schaefer that utilizes movable set pieces to excellent effect. There’s also great work by lighting designer Kevin Bowman and sound designer Phillip Evans. There’s also a great band led by music director Leah Schultz, doing justice to the hard-driving Morissette soundtrack. 

Jagged Little Pill is a well-told story, for the most part, and it’s fascinating from start to finish, with well-defined characters and great performances. It’s a treat for Morissette fans, especially, I would think. It’s another excellent musical from Tesseract. 

Cast of Jagged Little Pill
Photo: Tesseract Theatre

Tesseract Theatre is presenting Jagged Little Pill at the Marcelle until July 26, 2026

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Tesseract Portrays a Complicated Relationship and Dilemma in “Cold”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on February 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Cold
by Ben Jolivet
Directed by Kate McAllister
Tesseract Theatre
February 16, 2018

Tesseract Theatre’s latest production is called Cold.  Using the relatively new .Zack theatre space in an interesting new way, this well-cast play has a promising script. It’s a new play that faces some fairly modern approaches to some age-old issues.

The story features two very different women who seem to have been happily married, although now they are facing a crisis that challenges their relationship as well as their differing views on life and death. Jane (Erika Cockerham) and Ellie (Katie Palazzola) are devasted to learn that their five-year-old daughter, who is suffering from a life-threatening infection, is not expected to survive the last-ditch attempt to save her life. As they wait for the results of the procedure, the couple faces a dilemma–what to do if the procedure isn’t a success. The scientific-minded Jane has read up on cryogenics, and sees the idea of preserving their daughter’s brain as a measure of hope, but Ellie isn’t convinced. As the two consider the issue, they also are forced to confront their fears and doubts about their relationship, and about their approaches to parenting and life in general. There’s also another character: Kim (Rae Davis), a discouraged, sleep-deprived nurse who is new to her job and feeling insecure after a poor report from her supervisor. She enters the scene at a particularly dramatic moment and helps Ellie examine her own perspective. Essentially, that’s the story, with the emphasis being more on character study and relationship dynamics than on the issue of cryogenics specifically, although it is talked about in a fair amount of detail. The real story, though, is the relationships, between the couple but also between Ellie and Kim, and especially between the couple and their unseen, unnamed daughter.

The script is promising, with well-realized characters and a believable situation. Sometimes, elements of conversation can be dragged out a little too long, but for the most part, this is a thought-provoking, interesting play. The playwright also does an excellent job at creating the “world” here, and establishing characters who never actually appear on stage but are still essential to the story and easy for the audience to imagine. The cast especially makes this production work, though, led by Palazzola in an affecting, sometimes explosive performance as the conflicted, skeptical Ellie. Cockerham as the more reserved but still emotionally devastated Jane is also excellent, as is Davis in a memorable performance as the talkative Kim. In fact, Davis’s scene with Palazzola is perhaps the strongest section of the play, even though the performances are strong all around.

The .Zack is an intersting space. It’s a good venue, but there are some visibility issues with the way it’s normally set up, considering the high stage and the two enormous pillars that can interfere with sight lines. With Cold, Tesseract has minimized some of those issues by staging the production facing the opposite direction than what is usual for the space, with the “stage” set up on the floor and the audience facing away from the traditional stage. The set, by Brittanie Gunn and Katie Palazzola, is an authentic, easily recognizable representation of a hospital waiting room, with several features that especially add to the drama of the production, including a window looking on a hallway, allowing the audience to see characters about to enter the room, or after they leave. There’s also a prominent digital clock that ticks away the time, adding to the suspense of the situation. There’s also excellent work from lighting designer Kevin Bowman and sound designer Mark Kelly.

Cold is an intriguing, emotionally and philosophically challenging play with an interesting concept, although the dialogue could use a little bit of condensing. Unfortunately, this play has already closed, since I wasn’t able to attend until the last weekend of performances. Still, it’s an intriguing production with an excellent cast, and I’m glad I was able to see it.

 

 

 

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