Posts Tagged ‘upstream theater’

“Suspended” Tells a Compelling Story at Upstream

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 14, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Suspended
by Maya Arad Yasur
Directed by Linda Kennedy
Upstream Theater
October 7, 2016

Phillip C. Dixon, Reginald Pierre Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Phillip C. Dixon, Reginald Pierre
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

Upstream Theater is a company characterized by well-cast, thoughtful small-scale productions with large scale talent. They are currently staging the world premiere production of playwright Maya Arad Yasur’s two-character play, Suspended.  Dealing with a timely, much talked-about topic, it’s anchored by two extremely strong lead performances and a well-realized setting.

The play tells the story of two window washers in an unnamed Western country. They are literally suspended from cables on the side of skyscraper, and as they work, they talk. Isaac (Reginald Pierre) is the boss, and he’s hired a new employee, Benjamin (Philip C. Dixon), without seeming to realize until they start working together that he and Benjamin grew up together in another unnamed country that was wracked by war. Benjamin is a recent refugee, but Isaac has been in his new country for a few years and has established a new life for himself. Over the course of the appromately 75 minute play, we gradually find out more about exactly how these two men know each other, and specifically why Benjamin took this job. The story is well-structured, as small-talk and banter are alternated with more serious discussion, seeds of ideas are brought up only to be revisited later, and the balance of power between these two characters regularly shifts.

I can’t say too much without revealing major plot points, but I will say that this is a deceptively heavy play, and extremely well crafted. What at first appears to be a lighthearted reunion of old friends turns out to be something strikingly different, and many issues are dealt with in terms of the issues of immigration and treatment of refugees, as well as the conditions in the characters’ home country and the conditions that would drive a person to join with oppressive regimes and commit unthinkable acts. It’s a difficult subject to think about. It’s one of those plays that will raise many serious questions among viewers. Ayad Yasur has handled the subject well, for the most part. There are some implausibilities in the script, but the characters are well-drawn and their situations are gut-wrenchingly believable.

The two actors’ performances are the emotional core of this production, with both presenting characters who are initially guarded in different ways. Dixon’s Benjamin is determined and earnest, initially eager to learn his new job although eventually it’s clear that there are more personal reasons for his taking this particular job. Pierre’s Isaac is more secretive, projecting authority but also surprise when he first recognizes Benjamin as his old friend “Benny”, and while he seems happy to catch up at first, he’s clearly hiding something that he doesn’t want to be revealed.  The interplay between these two characters who were once close becomes the major source of drama in this play, and both performers portray this complex relationship well, as new revelations emerge and are dealt with with convincing emotion, suspense, and drama.

The creative team here has worked well to set a convincing scene, with an authentic-looking section of skyscraper represented by scenic designer and artist Cristie Johnson, and appropriate work clothes provided by director and costume designer Linda Kennedy. Tony Anselmo’s lighting design and Dan Strickland’s sound design are particularly impressive, helping to set the mood and also maintain the idea of these two workers’ spending several hours at their job, with the lighting suggesting the progression of the day and the characters’ moving to different stories of the building as they wash their windows, and the sound providing the appropriate auditory representation of the busy city around and below them. Kudos also to props designer Claudia Horn and fight choreographer Erik Kuhn for their important contributions to the drama.

Suspended is an appropriate title for this production in more ways than one. The characters are literally hanging against the side of a building to wash its windows, but the title also speaks to the level of suspense that is developed as the story unfolds, and in some ways to the characters’ lives as they have had to transition to different conditions and circumstances in their lives. It’s an intense, character-driven drama highlighted by two excellent performances. It’s not a very long play, but a whole lot of story and emotion is packed into those 75 minutes. It’s a unique and fascinating production.

Phillip C. Dixon, Reginald Pierre Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Phillip C. Dixon, Reginald Pierre
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

Upstream Theater is presenting Suspended at the Kranzberg Arts Center until October 16, 2016.

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Upstream Presents a Remarkable “Glass Menagerie”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on May 9, 2016| 1 Comment »

The Glass Menagerie
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Philip Boehm
Upstream Theater
April 30, 2016

Linda Kennedy, J. Samuel Davis Photo by ProPhotSTL.com Upstream Theater

Linda Kennedy, J. Samuel Davis
Photo by ProPhotSTL.com
Upstream Theater

Tennessee Williams, who is generally regarded as one of America’s greatest playwrights, spent a good deal of his formative years in St. Louis. According to the biographical note in the program for the latest Upstream Theater production, Williams did not enjoy those years. Regardless of his fondness for the city or lack thereof, he was able to use those difficult years as inspiration for several of his plays, including the masterpiece The Glass Menagerie, in which Williams explores issues of regret, disappointment, and unrealized dreams. It’s a melancholy character study with a vivid setting in the city Williams remembered well, if not too fondly. At Upstream, Williams’ celebrated classic is brought to life with heartbreaking clarity, thanks to excellent production values and some truly great performances.

The semi-autobiographical play is told in flashback. Inspired by Williams’ own life and family, The Glass Menagerie centers around the memories of the elderly Tom Wingfield (J. Samuel Davis), who looks back on his young adult years living with his mother, Amanda (Linda Kennedy) and sister Laura (Sydney Frasure) in a tiny apartment in St. Louis. As Tom steps back into the action of his own memory, the story reveals a family characterized by lost hope and denial. Amanda is a well-meaning woman who lives in the past, with unrealistic hopes for her shy daughter, who spends most of her time collecting glass figurines and looking through her high school yearbook. Tom just wants to get out of St. Louis and his stifling job at a factory so he can join the merchant marines and see the world. He indulges his mother’s request to find a “gentleman caller” for Laura by inviting an old high school friend (Jason Contini), who works at the factory and on whom Laura had once had a crush, over for dinner.

This play has been staged many times over the years, on Broadway, regionally and around the world. It’s a piece that’s been read in high school and college classes. It’s one of those plays that can easily be seen with a sense of “oh that’s a Great Play” and somewhat of detached air. There’s no detachment with Upstream’s production, however. It’s fresh and vibrant, and very St. Louis. The sights and sounds are authentic enough to believe this world, which also has a slight imaginary twist since it’s being narrated as a memory. The extreme attention to detail in the production values and the superb casting are what bring this production to life.

Speaking of casting, this production boasts three of the more celebrated performers in St. Louis theatre as well as a relative newcomer who is remarkably talented. These characters are living, breathing, thinking and feeling people, fully realized in these outstanding portrayals. Kennedy’s Amanda is well-meaning, but lives in a state of denial that is heightened in this production. Davis does an excellent job of portraying Tom at different ages, from the older, regretful man looking back, to the younger, disillusioned dreamer yearning for escape. Frasure is heartbreakingly authentic as Laura, portraying all her social awkwardness as well as her twin senses of regret for the past and a renewed hope that’s encouraged by her mother and aided–at least for a time–by the visit from Contini’s charmingly awkward, sweet but also regretful Jim. In fact, it’s the scenes between Laura and Jim that are the highlight of this show. Their chemistry is 100% believable, and it’s achingly affecting.

The production values here are also first-rate, with painstaking attention to detail from scenic designer Michael Heil’s authentic-looking St. Louis apartment, to the meticulously appropriate costumes by Laura Hanson, to Claudia Horn’s excellent props. The period detail is seen in everything from the furniture to the antique phonograph, to Laura’s vintage wicker wheelchair. There’s also excellent atmospheric lighting by Steve Carmichael, and director Philip Boehm’s intelligent staging that emphasizes the closed-in feeling of the small apartment which amplifies the sense of a constricting society and social roles that the characters may feel forced to keep up.

The Glass Menagerie at Upstream is a memorable realization of a classic, performed in conjunction with the new Tennessee Williams Festival. It’s set in St. Louis’s past, but with its excellent cast and staging, the drama is very much of the moment. This is a truly transcendent, remarkable production.

Jason Contini, Sydney Frasure Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Jason Contini, Sydney Frasure
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

Upstream Theater’s production of The Glass Menagerie is being presented at the Kranzberg Arts Center until May 15, 2016.

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Actors Shine in Upstream’s “City”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on February 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Shining City
by Conor McPherson
Directed by Toni Dorfman
Upstream Theater
January 29, 2016

Jerry Vogel, Christopher Harris Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Jerry Vogel, Christopher Harris
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

What is a ghost? Some people believe in literal ghosts, but a ghost can also be figurative or imaginary. In Conor McPherson’s Shining City,  currently being produced by Upstream Theater, the question of ghosts is only the beginning in a story that deals with two men and their different but strangely similar dilemmas.  As presented by Upstream, the show is somewhat slow moving but contains some memorable performances and raises some interesting questions.

Ian (Christopher Harris) is a former Catholic priest who has just set up shop as a therapist in Dublin, Ireland. He’s got a girlfriend, Neasa (Em Piro) and a new baby, but he’s not particularly happy.  The play is set up as series of sessions between Ian and his patient, John (Jerry Vogel) who suffers from regret regarding the recent death of his wife. He claims to have seen her ghost, but both he and Ian suspect it’s more a manifestation of his guilt regarding his feelings for his wife and how he treated her before she died. Through the course of the play, we learn the details of John’s situation as well as learning more about Ian, whose has his own struggles with guilt concerning his relationship with his girlfriend and his own personal desires.  There’s not much else I can say without spoiling the plot, but it deals with many subjects, including personal identity, one’s relationship with others and with God, and the very purpose of life. In fact, two of the books prominently displayed in Ian’s office are titled God and Life Itself.

The play is rather slow moving especially in the first act, focusing on conversation a lot more than action. It’s not until the second act that it becomes clear where the story is going, in fact. There are several philosophical questions dealt with as the parallels between John’s situation and Ian’s become more apparent, and it’s the actors who really make the story. Harris is elusive and enigmatic as the conflicted Ian, providing a listening ear for the more dynamic Vogel as John, whose accounts of his actions are compelling if not entirely sympathetic. There are also good performances by Piro in a smaller role as Ian’s attention-starved girlfriend, and by Pete Winfrey as a man Ian meets and has a revealing conversation with in his office. The central roles, though, are those of Harris and Vogel, and it is  their interactions that are the highlight of the production.

Technically the show is presented in a visually stunning manner. With Steve Carmichael’s striking lighting that emphasis shadows and variations of light, and Michael Heil’s well-appointed set, the somewhat tense atmosphere is maintained well. Bonnie Kruger’s costumes, Claudia Horn’s props, and Cristi Johnston’s scenic art also add much to the tone and style of the play.  There is also an excellent, atmospheric musical score provided by Farshid Soltanshahi.

This is a play about ghosts in various forms, and two men whose lives are more similar than they may first appear. It’s a well-realized production that revolves mostly around the vivid portrayals of the actors as well as the authentically presented setting. While it does seem confusing and over-long at times, for the most part this is a memorable, thought-provoking play with a strong sense of time and place.

Set for Shining City Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Set for Shining City
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

Shining City is being presented by Upstream Theater at the Kranzberg Arts Center until February 14, 2016

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“The Kiss” at Upstream is a Memorable Pilgrimage

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on October 17, 2015| Leave a Comment »

De Kus/The Kiss
by Ger Thijs
Translated by Paul Evans
Directed by Kenn McLaughlin
Upstream Theater
October 9, 2015

Eric Dean White, Lisa Tejero Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theater

Eric Dean White, Lisa Tejero
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theater

It’s autumn in St. Louis. The leaves are changing color and falling from the trees, the days are getting shorter, and there’s a chill in the air. At Upstream Theater, it’s autumn in the Netherlands, as the company presents the atmospheric, philosophical Dutch play that has a lot to say about seasons of life. Staged with the excellence for which Upstream is known, De Kus/The Kiss is a bittersweet, intense play that lets the audience get to know two fascinating characters by showing us their compelling interactions.

The set, designed by Michael Heil with scenic art by Christie Johnston pulls the audience into the setting immediately. The park bench, thin tree trunks, park bench and sign post set up in such an intimate theatrical setting creates an immersive experience for the viewer, who is put right into the action and the season. The wooden platform on which the players perform is decorated with engravings representing the Catholic tradition of the Stations of the Cross, which helps to set the tone of the play. This is a pilgrimage, albeit a very private one, as a woman (Lisa Tejero) takes a journey through a wooded area to a nearby town so she can receive the potential scary results of some recent medical tests. Along the way, she encounters a man (Eric Dean White) with a somewhat mysterious story of his own. Through the course of the play, we learn more about these two disparate characters as they interact, alternately challenging, comforting, entertaining, and disturbing one another as they journey to their intended destination.

There’s no definitive conclusion to this play, and there’s really not much plot. It’s mostly about character study and the various concepts that are brought up–mortality, marriage and family, mid-life reflections and recriminations, and recurring themes of pilgrimage, penance, suffering and redemption.  The effectiveness of the story depends on the characters and their portrayal, and this production is ideally cast. White, as the more outgoing, snarky, and witty character, is full of charm as well as a necessary air of mystery. Tejero, as the more obviously reserved woman, goes through a convincing emotional journey, as she opens up gradually and reveals more about her life, hopes, regrets, and fears. The interplay and chemistry between these two performers is fascinating and entirely believable, as their relationship develops from initial distrust, to a sense of camaraderie, to more suspicion, to flirtation, and more. This is a small play in terms of focus, but big in terms of concepts, and the performers do an admirable job of personalizing the story and making the audience care about their characters.

Aside from the wonderful set, the other technical aspects of the play are equally excellent. The sound, by Philip Boehm and Michael B. Perkins, and Tony Anselmo’s atmospheric lighting all add to the overall drama of this impeccably staged production. Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes are also ideally suited to the characters, contributing to the overall realism of the piece.

The Kiss is a contemplative, challenging, and poetic play. It’s an excellent October play, with changes of seasons both literal and metaphorical, a key theme. It’s a pilgrimage for these characters, and they take the audience along on their journey of discovery. It’s a play that’s at once personal and conceptual, brought to life by two remarkable performances. It’s well worth seeing.

Lisa Tejero, Eric Dean White Photo by Peter Wochniak Uptream Theater

Lisa Tejero, Eric Dean White
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Uptream Theater

 De Kus/The Kiss, presented by Upstream Theater, runs at the Kranzberg Arts Center until October 25, 2015

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Upstream Sings This “Rime” Like You’ve Never Heard It Before

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on April 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Adapted and Directed by Patrick Siler
With Special Music Composed and Performed by Sleepy Kitty

Upstream Theater

April 11, 2015

Jerry Vogel Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Jerry Vogel
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

This isn’t high school English class.  Currently on stage at Upstream Theater is a staged version of Coleridge’s classic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in a form that brings the work to life in a way that couldn’t have been imagined by my teenage self when I was assigned to read it in school. Taking the text of the poem, along with some classic engravings by Gustave Dore’, Upstream has joined forces with musical duo Sleepy Kitty to construct a living, breathing and singing presentation that brings the story off of the page and onto the stage in a vibrant, memorable and thoroughly winning manner.

This is the well-known and oft-studied English poem with many well-known passages and concepts, such as the albatross around the neck, “water, water everywhere” and so forth.  It’s a vividly told story in written form, and director Patrick Siler has adapted it beautifully for the stage.  With a three person cast and the two musicians, the story of the Ancient Mariner (Jerry Vogel) comes to life with color, depth and haunting melody. Joined by fellow cast members Shanara Gabrielle and Patrick Blindauer in various roles, Vogel portrays the the Mariner as he interrupts a festive wedding to tell his tale of adventure, calamity, despair and redemption on the high seas. Accompying them are Sleepy Kitty members Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult, who each play a variety of instruments and contribute vocals to the folk-influenced rock score of the production.

This production is a marvel of inventive staging, presented in the cozy black box theatre at the Kranzberg Arts Center. With Kyra Bishop’s simple but detailed set suggesting the bow of a ship, along with ropes, a rope ladder and other nautical accessories that are walked, climbed and danced on by the performers throughout the show. There are also vibrant costumes by Lou Bird, with late 18th Century English styles represented as well as some fantastical elements, as a number of realistic, stylized and ethereal creatures inhabit the story. There are some striking uses of clothing items like a scarf for the fabled albatross, as well as a variety of masks and veils utilized in different situations. The lighting, by Joseph W. Clapper, is striking as atmospheric, shifting in mood as the play shifts, and there’s excellent use of Dore’s engravings as projections to highlight various moments in the story.

This is a show where all the different elements are essential and blend together seamlessly. It’s remarkable how the musicians are brought into the story as well, with Brubeck and Sult donning costumes and featuring in the story on occasion, most notably in a haunting “death ship” sequence toward the middle of the play.  The cast is top-notch as well, led by the charismatic, weary-eyed Vogel as the weathered, alternately optimistic, then haunted, then despairing, then penitent and ultimately joyful Mariner. Vogel navigates the gamut of experience and emotion with expert skill, displaying strong stage presence and a strong voice, especially in an ode to loneliness in the middle of the play and a joyful, worshipful refrain at the end. Blindauer and Gabrielle lend their support with much flair, as they both appear in a variety of roles from wedding guests to shipmates to sea creatures and more, displaying excellent voices and movement in the various sequences.

This is an excellent and somewhat surprising multi-media performance that makes great use of projection, video and sound to bring this 18th Century tale to a 21st Century audience with spirit and heart.  Its short running time (about 65 minutes) is packed with action, song and story. I didn’t know quite what I was getting into when I saw this production, but what a wonderful surprise it is. This is a truly memorable, inventive and cleverly staged production that takes a classic work and brings it to the stage with remarkable modern style.

Patrick Blindauer, Jerry Vogel, Shanara Gabrielle Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com Upstream Theater

Patrick Blindauer, Jerry Vogel, Shanara Gabrielle
Photo by ProPhotoSTL.com
Upstream Theater

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Upstream’s “Bashir Lazhar” Is an Emotional, Thought-Provoking Tour de Force

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on February 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Bashir Lazhar
by Evelyne De La Cheneliere
English Translation by Morwyn Brebner

Directed by Philip Boehm
Upstream Theater
January 30, 2015

J. Samuel Davis Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theater

J. Samuel Davis
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theater

The latest production from Upstream Theater, Bashir Lazhar is a (mostly) one-man show and an intensely personal play. It covers so many issues in such a relatively short time, with a compelling blend of emotion and simplicity.  At its heart, though, is a brilliant performance by a remarkable St. Louis actor.

When we first meet Bashir Lazhar (J. Samuel Davis), he’s practicing introductions for his job as a substitute teacher in a Montreal school.  He’s new to this school and this country, and he’s nervous and eager to make a good impression.  Through the course of the play’s non-linear presentation, we alternate between scenes of Lazhar getting acclimated to teaching his class, and scenes from earlier in his life. We learn about his past in Algeria, and why he fled to Canada as a refugee, as well as how he came to accept the substiute teaching position, and eventually, why that job was vacant in the first place. We get to see Lazhar the man as well as Lazhar the teacher, whose life experiences profoundly influence his highly personal teaching style.  Eventually, we see conflict build both in his job and in his living situation, and he struggles to maintain both his vocation and his residency in Canada.  Without giving too much away, I can say it’s a story that’s at turns heartwarming and heartbreaking.

The key element of this finely scripted and expertly directed production is the amiable and affecting performance of Davis as Lazhar.  It’s a rich, multi-layered performance that conveys both warmth and depth.  We see the eager to please Lazhar pouring himself into his job, and his devotion to his students as well as (in the flashback scenes) his family in Algeria.  Davis has the energy, presence and charisma, as well as the emotional depth to bring this role to life in a profoundly compelling way.  He takes us on Lazhar’s journey with him, and there’s not a dull moment or a false note in this superb performance.  Aliya Taliaferro is also excellent in a small role as a schoolgirl who appears in one scene (a role that will also be played by Eden Harris and Avery Smith in subsequent weeks’s performances).

Technically, the play is simply presented but extremely effective. Cristie Johnson’s set is appropriately evocative of a classroom and hallway in the school, and there’s a striking use of lighting, designed by Steve Carmichael.  All of the technical elements–including Claudia Horn’s props and Michele Friedman Siler’s costumes–work together to achieve the proper atmosphere for both the school setting and support Davis’s excellent work as Lazhar.

This play is intensely moving, managing to be at turns funny, hopeful, and intensely sad at different moments in the production. The ultimate result is a play that’s sure to stir both the thoughts and the emotions of its audience.  It’s an educational play in the best sense of the word, illuminating the issue of the plight of refugees as well as providing insights into the nature of education and what makes a good teacher.  All of these elements are more than ably conveyed in the truly excellent performance of J. Samuel Davis.  This is a tour de force not to be missed.

 

J. Samuel Davis Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theater

J. Samuel Davis
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theater

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A Minimalist, Surprisingly Timely “Antigone” From Upstream

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on October 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Antigone
by Sophocles
In a New Translation by David R. Slavitt
Directed by Philip Boehm
Upstream Theater
October 10, 2014

Maggie Conroy Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theatre

Maggie Conroy
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theatre

“What would you be willing to die for? What would you be willing to kill for?”  These questions are asked on the program cover for Upstream Theater’s new production of the classic Greek tragedy Antigone. These questions have been asked in many varied ways throughout the generations, and Upstream brings them to the stage with its simply staged, powerfully acted presentation that strikes a relevant chord in today’s world, and particularly in St. Louis.

Civil disobedience is at the forefront of this story, but it’s not the only issue dealt with. In fact, Antigone herself (Maggie Conroy) isn’t the main focus of the play. While the story begins with Antigone, the action centers mostly on Creon (Peter Mayer), the king of Thebes who issues a controversial order and has to deal with its consequences on himself and his family.  In the wake of a recent war, Creon decides to give an honorable burial to one of his nephews who defended the city, while allowing the other nephew–who fought for the other side–to be left to the elements as food for vultures.  It’s never a serious question for Creon’s niece, Antigone, that she will defy her uncle’s order and bury her brother, even though the penalty for doing so is death. She is resolute, even when her devoted sister Ismene (Wendy Renee Greenwood) refuses to join her in her efforts.  The real dilemma presented is for Creon, who is confronted with his own power-consciousness and must make a decision between revenge and mercy, pitting him against public opinion and his own son Haemon (Andrew Michael Neiman), who is engaged to Antigone. As Creon is forced to deal with tragic consequences of his own ruthlessness, the ever-present Greek chorus (Dennis Lebby, Norman McGowan, and Patrick Siler) is there to both react and comment on the situation.

This is one of those plays that a lot of people read in high school but then mostly forget.  I have to admit I was surprised at how little Antigone herself is in the story.  The play’s named after her, but she is more the catalyst for the action than the protagonist.  In fact, the earlier scenes between Conroy as Antigone and Mayer as Creon have an almost clinical sensibility to them. I was expecting more emotion, but that doesn’t come until later in this production. Conroy is excellent as the matter-of-fact Antigone. She’s not histrionic or conflicted. She knows exactly what she’s going to do, and she communicates that well.  Mayer, for his part, portrays Creon with a detached coldness at first, which makes his descent into near-madness in the second act all the more affecting.  There are also good performances from Greenwood in a dual role as Ismene and as Creon’s wife Eurydice, and Neiman as the conflicted Haemon.  Lebby, McGowan and Siler bring character and gravity to their roles as the chorus members, who are wary and sometimes fearful of Creon, and John Bratkowski is memorable in two roles–as Creon’s guard and as the blind soothsayer Teresias. Nancy Lewis makes the most of a small role as a messenger, bringing much weight and empathy to her characterization.

The overall tone of this production is simple and timeless, giving an appropriately mythical quality to the production while highlighting its immediacy.  The set, designed by Michael Heil, is minimal, emphasizing giant Greek-style paintings by James Van Well that line the back wall. The costumes, by LaLonnie Lehman, are ancient Greek influenced but also surprisingly modern, especially in Creon’s outfit, which is simple but more contemporary.  The lighting, designed by Steve Carmichael, is strikingly effective, particularly in the near pitch-dark blackouts between scenes, which highlight the increasing bleakness of the situations.

For a show that’s set in the misty past, this Antigone is striking a modern chord, even with the overall timelessness of the its atmosphere. Especially in St. Louis, where the issues of abuse of authority and reactions of civil disobedience are making news daily, this is a surprisingly relevant play. Upstream’s excellent cast and crew have brought us this play with simplicity and profound clarity.  It’s a play from yesterday, but very much for today.

Norman McGowan, Dennis Lebby Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theater

Norman McGowan, Dennis Lebby
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theater

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“Windmill” of Stories and Memories

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , on April 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Windmill Baby
by David Milroy
Directed by Philip Boehm
Upstream Theater
April 25, 2014

Linda Kennedy Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theater

Linda Kennedy
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theater

Live theatre is a wonderful thing.  It can take so many different forms, and can educate as well as entertain. In my short tenure as a reviewer, I’ve been impressed with the great variety of live theatre in St. Louis, and I’ve enjoyed discovering all the great local theatre companies.  This production of Windmill Baby is the first production I’ve seen at Upstream Theatre, and it’s an excellent example of a production that is both informative and highly emotionally engaging, anchored by the remarkably versatile performance of its leading (and only) performer.

This play takes us into the world of an Australian cattle station and the Aboriginal workers who spent their lives working there. When the aging Maymay Starr (Linda Kennedy) returns to the station on which she had spent much of her early life, she introduces the audience to a cast of characters out of her own memories. It’s a story that starts out with a collection of random lighthearted memories and then gradually builds to portray both the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of Maymay’s life on the station, and the mistreatment she and her fellow workers faced at the hands of their white boss, as well as their struggle in the midst of the general expectations of white Australian society.  She fondly remembers long-gone friends and family members, and shares some amusing stories of goings-on at the station, as ever so surely the tone shifts to one of tragedy and regret, centering around a the story of the “windmill baby” of the title and her friend’s doomed–and socially unacceptable–love affair.

The story and the action are all related with vivid energy by Kennedy, who portrays Maymay as well as the entire cast of friends, family members, allies and antagonists who populate the stories she tells.  It’s a wonderful performance, as Kennedy fully inhabits each and every character, from the vivacious but regretful Maymay, to her gruff and loving stockman husband Malvern, to the cruel Boss and his weary wife, called the Missus, to the determined and romantic disabled gardner Wunman, who is in many ways the heart of Maymay’s story and the chief subject of her recollections.  All of these characters are completely and engagingly realized by Kennedy, and the transformations between characters are clearly apparent. Kennedy displays impressive skill at changing both her voice and physical mannerisms as she portrays the different people and even, humorously, a dog.  It’s a captivating performance from start to finish, as Kennedy brings the audience into Maymay’s story and not only tells but shows the memorable incidents and people in her eventful life.  There’s even one great moment in which Kennedy drafts a volunteer from the audience and sits her down in front of everyone to relate the engaging parable of a pumpkin and a potato.

In addition to Kennedy’s wonderful performance, the technical aspects of this show are also extremely strong. The set by Patrick Huber is detailed and evocative, with the base of a windmill tower as its centerpiece. The lighting (designed by Tony Anselmo) is also impressive, especially in the effect of projecting the silhouette of the rotating windmill blade against a wall.  The sights, sounds and atmosphere of an old abandoned cattle station are proficiently recreated here, along with some stunning atmospheric music played on various instruments by Farshid Soltanshahi, with whom Maymay interacts memorably at occasional moments in the play.

This is a rich, detailed world with which I would imagine few in the audience would be familiar, but the storytelling and in particular Kennedy’s winning performance help us to see both the joys and immense difficulties of Maymay’s life, as well humanity’s capacity for beauty on the one hand and great cruelty on the other.  It’s quite an intense play, especially toward the powerfully emotional conclusion. This is a testimony to one woman’s remarkable perseverance and a thoroughly realized evocation of time, place and atmosphere, as well as a prime example of the kind of excellence that St. Louis theatre has to offer.

Linda Kennedy Photo by Peter Wochniak Upstream Theater

Linda Kennedy
Photo by Peter Wochniak
Upstream Theater

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