Posts Tagged ‘west end players guild’

“Rapture, Blister, Burn” Challenges, Entertains at WEPG

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on November 19, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Rapture, Blister, Burn
by Gina Gionfriddo
Directed by Stephen Peirick
West End Players Guild

November 14, 2015

Nicole Angeli, Elizabeth Van Pelt, Mara Bollini, Donna Weinsting Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Nicole Angeli, Elizabeth Van Pelt, Mara Bollini, Donna Weinsting
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

You know a play is going to raise eyebrows when it contains phrases such as “Phyllis Schlafly was right.” There’s more to that sentence than you might, think, though, as espoused by the characters in Gina Gionfreddo’s Pultizer Prize nominated play Rapture, Blister, Burn.  A confrontational and thought-provoking look at various schools of thought in the history of feminism, as well as how those ideas play out in modern culture, this fascinating comedy is currently being presented in an entertaining, well-cast production by West End Players Guild.

The story follows two former grad school roommates and their widely diverging lives in the years since graduation. Catherine (Nicole Angeli) is now a celebrated academic and feminist writer who has published books and appeared on talk shows. While Catherine is successful in her career but has never married, her friend Gwen (Mara Bollini) took the opposite route–she married Catherine’s ex-boyfriend, college dean Don (Jeff Kargus), and became a stay-at-home mom. Now, years later, Catherine has moved close by to look after her mother Alice (Donna Weinsting), who is recovering from a recent heart attack, and old issues between Catherine, Gwen, and Don are brought back up, with Catherine and Gwen each observing the other’s life and wondering if maybe she should have taken a different route. Meanwhile, Catherine is teaching a seminar at her house conveniently attended by Gwen (who’s trying to finish her graduate degree) and Gwen’s recently fired babysitter, the younger and more confrontational Avery (Elizabeth Van Pelt). In between discussions of such disparate thinkers as Betty Friedan, the aforementioned Schlafly, and Dr. Phil, the issues of what it means to be a woman relating to men in today’s society are played out in various increasingly complicated ways.

This is a wordy play, occasionally coming across more as an academic discussion than a show. Although the conceit of the seminar is there, it seems slightly contrived that the only two students would be Gwen and Avery, with occasional commentary by Alice, who supplies the martinis and adds to the dialogue with her tales of marriage and motherhood in an earlier generation. As funny as it is, with sharp comedy and well-drawn characters, it’s also an extremely dense play that brings up some serious issues for thought and discussion. Its conclusions may be controversial as well, and the fact that the only man in the play is the occasionally charming but admittedly aimless Don makes one wonder what the playwright is really saying about men. Although it does try to provide some answers, this play raises a lot more questions, and that’s probably the point. With all the conflicting messages, what’s a modern woman to do? Is it better to have a career or a family, or can a woman have both successfully? Is that even a realistic or desired goal to pursue? Issues of career ambition, sexual politics, and societal stereotypes and expectations are explored and illustrated, with some topics getting more weight than others.

The cast here is excellent, and a key factor in conveying the messages of this play without having it seem like a lecture. Angeli is engagingly sympathetic as the conflicted Catherine, who projects an air of knowledge but is soon shown to have more questions than answers. She works well against the equally excellent Bollini as the weary “super mom”, Gwen, who comes across as somewhat stuffy and controlling at first but who also portrays a believable journey of self-discovery. Both actresses portray convincing chemistry with Kargus’s amiable but unambitious Don. The best comic moments in the play are delivered by Weinsting as the loving but opinionated Alice, and especially the hilarious Van Pelt as the young, outgoing and outspoken Avery. I especially was convinced by the bond that develops between Avery and Catherine.

The production is well-staged by director Stephen Peirick, who also designed the detailed, two-level set that represents Gwen and Don’s house (on the floor in front of the stage), and Alice’s place (on stage). There are also character appropriate costumes by Tracey Newcomb and proficient lighting by Amy Ruprecht and sound by Mary Beth Winslow. The technical aspects along with the staging work to establish the realistic atmosphere of the production, putting us into these characters’ world in a convincing way.

Whether or not you agree with all the conclusions in Rapture, Blister, Burn, there’s a lot to think about here. It’s all presented in an entertaining and challenging tone by West End Players Guild’s excellent cast. A variety of viewpoints are examined frankly and vividly here, and it’s sure to be the starter of some fascinating conversations.

Mara Bollini, Jeff Kargus, Nicole Angeli Photo by John Lamb West End Players' Guild

Mara Bollini, Jeff Kargus, Nicole Angeli
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players’ Guild

Rapture, Blister, Burn is being presented by West End Players Guild at Union Avenue Christian Church until November 22, 2015.

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WEPG’s “Venus In Fur” is Well-Cast, Provocative

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Venus In Fur
by David Ives
Directed by Steve Callahan
West End Players Guild
September 25, 2015

Chris Jones, Paula Stoff Dean Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Chris Jones, Paula Stoff Dean
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

The theme for West End Players Guild’s newest season is “Battle of the Sexes”. This idea is well reflected in the season’s first offering, David Ives’s dark comedy Venus In Fur. With sharp dialogue, dynamic staging, and extremely strong performances by the two leads, this is a mysterious, intriguing, alternately funny and disturbing play that’s sure to provoke a lot of thought and conversation.

The play has a theatrical conceit with occasional mysterious and possibly even supernatural elements. The set-up is that an ambitious playwright and director, Thomas (Chris Jones), is conducting auditions for the role of a character called Vanda in his adaptation of a provocative 19th century novel by Leopold von Sacher Masoch (from whose name the word “masochism” is derived). Thomas is exasperated because all of the actresses he’s seen are unsuitable in various ways, particularly in being either too modern or too immature, or both. He’s about to pack up for the day when a quirky character also called Vanda (Paula Stoff Dean) shows up and wants to audition. This Vanda is crass, forgetful, confrontational, and seemingly just as unsuitable as the previous auditionees, until she persuades Thomas to let her read for part and proves herself surprising in more ways than one. As the audition continues, it becomes clear that Vanda isn’t exactly who she had claimed to be, as she challenges Thomas concerning his very reasons for writing and staging this play, and their conversations grow more personal and the lines between the actors and characters become increasingly less clear.

This is an intense play, with an interesting tonal shift from basically wacky comedy at the beginning to a much darker tone as the story progresses. The characters are the story, really, with their continued challenges and questioning of each other adding to the mystery. The ending is somewhat confusing and ambiguous, but that’s likely deliberate. It’s all about the interaction between the two leads, as they shift in and out of character while reading the play, and it’s all so dynamically staged that even though the play runs about 100 minutes with no intermission, the story never gets boring.

The casting is absolutely essential in a play like this, as is the chemistry between the performers. This production gets both of those elements right. As the mysterious, initially flighty but also very much in control Vanda, Dean gives the best performance I’ve seen from her.  This is a role that requires a strong stage presence, excellent comic and dramatic skills, and the ability to transition between different characters at the drop of a hat. Dean accomplishes all those tasks with supreme proficiency, and Jones is an excellent match for her as the conflicted but driven Thomas. He proves an able sparring partner for Dean’s Vanda, and their chemistry is positively electric, as well.

The technical elements of this production are fairly basic, but well done. Nathan Schroeder’s lighting, Chuck Lavazzi’s sound, and especially Tracy Newcomb-Margrave’s costumes are all excellent. The only major technical problem had to do with the air conditioner in West End’s performance space, which was loud and was an occasional distraction. Otherwise, this is a well-realized production, effectively recreating the backstage atmosphere required for the play.

Venus in Fur is a provocative, sharply written, thought-provoking two-person play. It’s definitely on the odd and mysterious side, plot wise, but it’s an especially strong showcase for actors.  I’d never seen this show before, and West End’s production strikes me as an excellent introduction. It’s intense, funny, bizarre, and extremely well cast. There are only two performances left, and it’s well worth checking out.

Chris Jones, Paula Stoff Dean Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Chris Jones, Paula Stoff Dean
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

West End Players Guild’s Venus in Fur runs at Union Avenue Christian Church until October 4th, 2015.

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WEPG’s “The Cockfighter” Is Intriguing, Uneven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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It’s All About The Acting with WEPG’s “Boom Town”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on November 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Boom Town
by Jeff Daniels
Directed by Peter Banholzer
West End Players Guild
November 14, 2014

Matt Hanify, Beth Davis, Carl Overly Jr. Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Matt Hanify, Beth Davis, Carl Overly Jr.
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

Jeff Daniels is best known as an actor with a celebrated stage and screen career, but I didn’t know until recently that he’s also a playwright.  For his Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan, Daniels has written several plays including the latest offering from West End Players Guild, the highly emotionally charged Boom Town.  A chilling character study, the play serves primarily as a showcase for its actors, and director Peter Banholzer has assembled an impressive cast that manages to make these not particularly likable characters compelling and the action riveting.

The simple but cleverly designed set by director Banholzer takes us into the kitchen of married couple Stu (Carl Overly Jr.) and Angela (Beth Davis) as they are about to meet with bank loan officer Frank (Matt Hanify), who is there ostensibly to discuss a pending loan extension to support the couple’s small party supply store, which has been suffering poor sales of late.  Soon, however, it becomes clear that Frank is more than just a banker–he’s also on the city council and has a lot to say about a proposed trailer park that Stu thinks will help his store’s business, although Frank and most of the other council members are against it.  It also becomes apparent that Frank and Angela know more about one another than a banker and customer probably should, but both are sure that Stu isn’t bright enough to notice this.  After Stu leaves and Frank and Angela’s relationship becomes more obvious, we get to see the dynamics of how they relate to each other, but that’s really just the beginning.  As the story continues, we learn there’s more to all of these characters than initially meets the eye, and that situations that start out as fairly routine can soon develop into something a lot more chilling.

The difficulty I have with this play is that all three of the characters aren’t particularly likable and the situation, while volatile, doesn’t seem to have much of a point besides allowing these actors to act. I’m not exactly sure what Daniels is trying to say with this play, other than that life can be difficult and adultery has consequences.  It’s the strength of the acting and the direction that make this production worth seeing more than the script.  The set design that allows characters outside the house to be seen approaching adds greatly to the sense of suspense, and the staging is dynamic and compelling.  The lighting design by Jacob Winslow, sound design by Anthony Anselmo, costumes by Tracey Newcombe, and props by Renee Sevier-Monsey all ably support the quality of the production. The most important element of this production, though, is the cast.

A play with a cast of three doesn’t allow for any weak links, and there are none here. Although these characters aren’t exactly lovable (to put it mildly), they are vividly portrayed with depth and energy.   Hanify brings a sense of gradual desperation to the conflicted, weak-willed Frank, and Davis is equally strong as the demanding, conniving Angela. Overly, as Stu, has perhaps the most challenging role, as his character is at first presented to be the play’s obvious villain, although there’s much more to the story, and Overly does an excellent job of portraying the desperation that lies beneath Stu’s tough exterior.  The chemistry between all three performers is strong and affecting, as Hanify and Davis play out their secretive scheme and Overly reacts in surprising, and occasionally terrifying, ways.  The dynamic between the characters is the most fascinating part of this play, with all three players contributing to the drama with intense commitment.

Boom Town at West End definitely isn’t a happy play, and I’m still wondering about the point of it all, although the acting makes up for most of the issues with the story. This isn’t a play to see if you’re looking for a nice, quiet evening at the theatre, and it’s not the play to see if you’re looking for characters to root for. If, however, you’re looking for intense emotions, gritty situations and, most of all, strong acting performances, Boom Town is definitely a play to see.

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An Off-Kilter but Entertaining “Off the Map” from WEPG

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on October 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Off the Map
By Joan Ackermann
Directed by Robert Ashton
West End Players Guild
September 27th, 2014

Bob NIckles, Julia Monsey Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Bob NIckles, Julia Monsey
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

West End Players Guild is starting off its new season with an offbeat dramedy about an unconventional family.  Off the Map is a strange play in that it’s not particularly easy to follow, although WEPG’s production is particularly notable for its excellent cast and strong production values. It’s an entertaining production of what strikes me as a difficult play to produce.

The story is told in a flashback format, in which the adult Bo (Kate Weber) narrates the story of a particularly eventful time in her life, as well as the lives of  her unconventional family. The time period isn’t clearly stated, although based on the set and the music that plays before the play starts, it appears to be the early 1970’s. Young Bo (Julia Monsey) is an imaginative, ambitious girl whose main aim in life is to see the world beyond her family’s desert homestead in New Mexico.  Bo’s family is determinedly out of line with most of society–they live “off the map” and and rely on bartering, hunting, gardening and scavenging at the local dump to maintain their existence.  Bo’s father, Charley (John Foughty), is a Korean War veteran and handyman who is battling with a crippling depression. Her mother, Arlene (Paula Stoff Dean) is an enterprising free-spirit who hunts bears and gardens in the nude.  Charley’s friend George (Matt Hanify) is a gentle soul who is frustrated by his best friend’s depression, and IRS auditor William Gibbs (Bob Nickles) is the bewildered outsider who is at once puzzled and fascinated by this family.  It’s a somewhat disjointed story of how this family learns to deal with their various issues and learn from one another, as well as influencing the life of outsider William, and giving Bo a new perspective on her own life goals.

The structure of this show is somewhat clunky and uneven.  It’s not just episodic–some of the episodes don’t seem to make much sense. The adult Bo wanders in and out of the action, sometimes as a commentator, and sometimes merely observing, and the pacing is very leisurely at times. I found myself imagining how this story might work as a movie, only to discover later that the story was adapted into a film. in 2003. I haven’t seen the movie so I don’t know what it was like, but I can’t help but think cinema is a better format for this story, because on stage it often comes across as disjointed and confusing, with far too many scene changes and odd blackouts.  Although the older Bo is offering commentary on the events, her presence doesn’t add a lot to the story, except at the very end when she offers some revelations about what happened to the characters after the play’s events, and some of those revelations seem unearned.  Still, it’s an intriguing character study with very interesting roles and situations, and the excellent cast makes it entertaining.

As the younger Bo, Julia Monsey makes the most of a difficult character.  Bo’s actions and attitudes can be selfish and annoying at times. but Monsey makes her interesting and likeable despite occasional enunciation issues.  Her interactions with her parents and particuarly with George and William are particularly effective. Weber is convincing as the older Bo, making her believable as an older version of Monsey’s character. Hanify as George is sympathetic and charming in an offbeat way, and Nickles delivers an unpolished but eventually engaging performance as William, excelling especially in a particularly poignant scene with Charley in which he deals with some confusing childhood memories and emotions. The most memorable performances, however, are those of Dean and Foughty, who command the stage whenever they are on and display excellent chemistry in their scenes together.  Dean manages to bring much warmth and humanity to her character’s eccentricity, and Foughty is especially affecting as a man who has become at odds with his family and with himself, as he struggles to both understand and overcome his depression. The performances of this excellent cast manage to overcome the somewhat inscrutable script and bring humor, drama and sympathy to the performance.

This production also benefits from an excellently realized set, designed by Mark Wilson, and John “JT” Taylor’s striking lighting design.  The look and atmosphere of the desert locale are also enhanced by Tracey Newcomb’s costumes and Jackie Aumer’s props.  This production makes the most of WEPG’s somewhat difficult performance space, utilizing the stage in the most effective way I’ve seen.

Director Robert Ashton and the impressive cast have succeeded in making a difficult show effectively engaging.  WEPG has taken a risk in producing this difficult script to begin the season.  The resulting production makes the risk worthwhile, and it’s worth seeing for the overall atmosphere as well as the strong performances.  It’s an intriguing start to a new season for West End Player’s Guild.

 

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Prescription For Comedy

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , on April 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Rx
by Kate Fodor
Directed by Renee Sevier-Monsey
West End Players Guild
March 4th, 2014

Laura Singleton, Jeff Kargus Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Laura Singleton, Jeff Kargus
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

They say laughter is the best medicine, although the executives at the large drug company that is the center of Kate Fodor’s satirical comedy Rx may beg to differ.  A fast-moving, witty send-up of the pharmaceutical industry, West End Players Guild’s final production of its 2013-2014 season presents a world in which there’s a prescription for many a malady, whether real, imagined, or invented.  In this well cast and (for the most part) well-paced production, WEPG provides an entertaining prescription for anyone looking for a few well-earned laughs.

In a story that plays out as more of a broadly satirical romantic comedy than the sharp indictment I had been expecting, Rx tells the story of a big pharmaceutical company, Schmidt Pharma, and the lengths to which they will go in order to market their newest product.  The plot follows Meena Pierotti (Laura Singleton), a managing editor at a trade magazine for the livestock industry who hates her job and feels increasingly hopeless and aimless, often fleeing to a nearby department store so she can hide in the ladies’ underwear department and cry.  She is admitted to the clinical trial for Schmidt Pharma’s new “workplace depression” medication where she meets Dr. Phil Gray (Jeff Kargus), who at first doesn’t seem very happy in his own job. Meanwhile, Phil is enlisted to consult in the marketing of the drug by single-minded executive Allison Hardy (Beth Davis), who doesn’t personally understand “workplace depression” because she loves her job., and Meena develops a friendship with Frances (Suzanne Greenwald), and elderly widow she meets at the department store.   As Phil’s initially awkward relationship with Meena turns romantic and Allison’s determination to develop a winning ad campaign for the drug shifts into high gear, that’s when the complications really start.  Meena’s job satisfaction starts to increase and Phil begins to wonder if this is really a good thing, Allison’s anxiety builds as legal issues threaten the drug’s marketing launch, and Frances finds a new enthusiasm for life as a result of her interactions with Meena, only to discover a health crisis of her own.

This play is very fast-moving and episodic, almost seeming more like a series of interconnected sketches than one continuing story. The pacing a a show like this is a challenge, and the great cast tries their best to rise to the challenge despite some technical issues that threaten to slow down the production.  Everything seems to be a little too frantic, with many scene changes and costume changes and the cast (especially Singleton) running around in order to make their cues and sometimes appearing hurried and breathless. The need for quick changes also seem to be a reason for a few of the ill-fitting costumes for Singleton.  The set (designed by Ethan Dudenhoeffer) is simple but spread out, and the act noticeably have to hurry to get into their positions for the various scenes. I found the use of props (organized by Rebecca Davis) to be particularly effective, though, from all the various medical equipment to the bags and bags of pills the eccentric research doctor Ed (John Lampe) keeps in his desk, and the sound (designed by Chuck Lavazzi) was put to excellent use as well, adding to the comedy especially with the use of a modified Dolly Parton song played on a recording by one of the company’s marketing guys (also played by Lampe).

This is a quickly paced, madcap kind of show, and although sometimes the technical elements struggle to keep up, the cast does an excellent job nonetheless. Kargus in particular is endearingly earnest as the nerdy Phil, who struggles to find purpose in his own life and finds it in surprising ways, mostly through his interactions with Meena, played amiably by Singleton. As a pair, these two share a charming chemistry, and their scenes together are the highlight of the show.  Singleton also has some great scenes with Greenwald as the sweetly engaging Frances, who gets some great comic lines and whose journey of self-discovery (or re-discovery) seems to parallel Meena’s.  Most of the comic weight of this production is carried by Davis as the fiercely determined Allison, especially when things start to look iffy for the drug’s trial process.  Davis’s Allison puts just as much comic energy into her disappointment as she initially invests in her drive for success, and her implosion is hilarious to watch. Lampe is also a joy in a dual role as a hilariously over-invested advertising executive and an Einstein-idolizing “mad scientist” pharmaceutical research doctor. It’s an excellent cast that provides the real focus of this production despite any technical missteps.

Simply put, in spite of its drawbacks, this show is just a whole lot of fun.  I had been expecting it to be more of a brutal satire instead of the more lighthearted romp with a few cutting moments that this turned out to be.  It does manage to be a little challenging and provides some good food for thought about the pharmaceutical industry and its marketing practices, but in a somewhat lighter vein.  The real strength of this production, though, is its excellent, engaging cast.  In the end, it’s an entertaining production full of energy, humor, and ultimately, heart.

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An Intriguing, Incisive Irish Valentine

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on February 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lovers
by Brian Friel
Directed by Jan Meyer
West End Players Guild
February 15, 2014

John Lampe, Betsy Bowman Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

John Lampe, Betsy Bowman
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

Valentine’s Day is traditionally a time for lovers, and West End Players Guild as chosen this weekend to open their latest production, Irish playwright Brian Friel’s appropriately named Lovers.  Contrary to the title, however, this isn’t, strictly speaking, a romance. It’s not even really one play. It’s a mini-cycle of two contrasting plays, providing a look into life and Irish culture in the 1960’s. It’s a low-key production that hits many profound notes.

Lovers tells two stories in its two contrasting short plays. Act 1, called “Winners”, features teenagers Joe (John Lampe) and Mag (Betsy Bowman) who are spending an afternoon studying for exams as they prepare to leave school and get married because Mag is pregnant. As two detached commentators (Steve Callahan and Kristy Wehrle) narrate the action and give details of what happens after this day, Joe and Mag argue, reflect, hope and plan for their future in a society where their lives will soon be changed significantly. It’s a section full of youthful impulsiveness, energetic banter, and even a little yelling and screaming as these two young sweethearts consider their options and share their dreams, all while the dispassionate observers reveal some extra information that adds weight, and a large degree of cynicism, to the situation.  Act 2 is called “Losers” and followers and older courting couple, Andy (Colin Nichols) and Hanna (Theresa Masters) as they attempt to establish a relationship and marriage despite the passive-aggressive manipulation of Hanna’s devout Catholic mother (Suzanne Greenwald), who with the assistance of an equally devout elderly neighbhor (Liz Hopefl) tries to use her faith, and particularly involved nightly prayer sessions, to drive a wedge between the couple.

Full of contrasting humor and tension, Lovers is a sharp examination of Irish culture of the time and the influence of the community, and a particular brand of  Catholicism, on individuals’ lives and prospects for romantic happiness.  Both segments deal with these cultural issues in different ways.  Joe and Mag are wide-eyed and hopeful one minute, and combative the next as they face the prospect of a life together. They appear to be genuinely in love, but their widely battling personalities and the social pressure to leave school and get married casts some doubt on their future happiness.  Andy and Hanna, on the other hand, face a more directly personal form of pressure in the person of Hanna’s mother and her determination to control all aspects of her daughter’s life.  It’s outrageously funny in places, but the undertone of tragedy is there also, in both acts.  It’s a reflection, it seems, of Friel’s own doubts about the culture of the times, and his examination of its ultimate implications.

The look of this production is simple, with just a few set pieces (designed by Ethan Dudenhoeffer) and period-appropriate costumes (by Renee Sevier-Monsey) to establish the atmosphere. The “Winners” segment is is full of brighter colors suggesting the youthful energy of the two protaganists, while the “Losers” segment shows a more muted color scheme, suggesting a tone of weariness, and director Jan Meyer makes excellent use of the performance areas in the dynamic staging.  Acting-wise, the cast is in excellent form. Lampe and Bowman are a study in contrast as the youthful Joe and Mag. Lampe’s Joe is quieter, reflective and more practical than the fiery, impulsive Mag. Their romantic chemistry is readily evident, and charming. Callahan and Wehrle are effective as the coldly efficient but not unsympathetic narrators, as well.  The “Losers” cast is also well-chosen, with Nichols’s wry Andy and Masters’s alternately eager and jaded Hanna making an entertaining match.  Greenwald is hilariously histrionic as Hanna’s mother, and Hopefl is gleefully melodramatic as the neighbhor, as these two provide much of this segment’s over-the-top humor.

Without giving away too much, I will say that I find Friel’s vision to be bleak, but very vividly realized in his richly drawn characters and situations.  The tagline on the program reads “Love is a very funny tragedy”, and that plays out clearly in this production. It’s a well-crafted play, and West End Players guild has presented it in an engaging and thought-provoking manner. There are a lot of laughs, but also a lot to think and talk about. It may not be a traditional Valentine’s offering, but it’s a worthwhile theatrical experience.

Theresa Masters, Colin Nichols Photo by John Lamb West End Players Guild

Theresa Masters, Colin Nichols
Photo by John Lamb
West End Players Guild

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Big War in a Small Room

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , on December 8, 2013|

Medal of Honor Rag
by Tom Cole
Directed by Sean Belt
West End Players Guild
Missouri History Museum
December 5, 2013

Tom Kopp, Reginald Pierre Photo by John Lamb

Tom Kopp, Reginald Pierre
Photo by John Lamb

One of the best things about live theatre is that it is so versatile. It can be so many different things. It can be a big, flashy musical with a large cast and lots of complicated sets and lighting effects; it can be a Shakespearean tragedy with a complex plot;  it can be a light, airy drawing room comedy; or it can simply be a conversation, where all the complexity and drama comes from the characterization of the performers.  Medal of Honor Rag, presented by West End Players Guild is one of those simpler presentations, and this expertly presented production is no  less fascinating than an elaborately staged spectacle.

Tom Cole’s play, which is being presented at the Missouri History Museum in conjunction with the museum’s “1968 Exhibit”, is simply staged and set, depicting a room in a a Pennsylvania Army hospital in the early 1970s.   The set is minimal, with basic office furniture and an imposing security door.  The story (based on a real person) depicts a therapy session, of a traumatized African-American Vietnam vet who has won the Congressional Medal of Honor but finds it difficult to reconcile his life at home with what went on during the war. DJ (Reginald Pierre) meets with psychiatrist Doc (Tom Kopp) in an interview that starts out guarded and becomes increasingly confrontational as it continues, and Doc reveals some personal issues of his own.  In the course of this short play (a little less than an hour and a half, with no intermission), the audience is made witness to the raw emotions of both men as issues of the morality of war, survivor’s guilt, and racial prejudices (both overt and covert) are brought to light.

This is essentially a two-man show. Darrious Varner is fine in a small role as an Army guard, but for the vast majority of the play, the stage belongs to Pierre and Kopp.  The weight of this play rests on their shoulders, and they carry it extremely well.  Pierre’s DJ is wounded (emotionally rather than physically), suspicious, alternately numb and agitated, and ultimately sympathetic.  He portrays a regular guy turned damaged war vet in with all his volatile energy, and his wrestling with reconciling his actions in war with his winning a medal for those actions, as well as his guilt for having survived the war, are dynamically portrayed.  Kopp as Doc, with an oddly balanced mixture of smugness, nerves, and compassion, serves as both a foil and a support for DJ.  Doc genuinely wants to help DJ but doesn’t exactly know how, and DJ is not sure what to think since he’s seen a succession of doctors and re-hashed his story over and over, although this doctor seems both the same and different at once. This tension is well portrayed by the actors as they take us through a whirlwind of emotions, and the issues–of whether the Vietnam War, or any war for that matter, is justified, or how a man can function amid the brutal amorality of a combat setting (and get rewarded for it) and then come home and expect to resume a “normal” life, and whether his survivor’s guilt can ever be overcome, and also of a doctor’s dilemma of how to help his patient–are made immediate and believable by the remarkable performances of these two actors.

The staging is simple, dynamic and builds well, from the tense formality at the beginning to the violent emotional and physical sparring, and the abrupt, quiet and devastating conclusion. The action is perfectly pitched by director Belt and his cast, and the very simple set (by Ken Clark) suggests the time and place effectively.  This is an expertly written, crafted and performed piece of theatre, distilling all of the intensity of these issues into one relatively brief performance that holds the audience’s attention and makes us not only think about, but feel for these men, and DJ in particular. 

The Vietnam War ended almost 40 years ago, but its influence on American history and culture is still apparent, and shows like this help us to remember.  The issue of war itself, and whether it is ever necessary, will always be a topic of discussion and debate, as will the effects of war upon its individual participants.  For those of us who haven’t experienced combat first-hand, a play like this one takes these issues out of the realm of the academic and makes them personal.  It doesn’t provide easy answers to any of the questions it raises, but this is never going to be an easy issue. Medal of Honor Rag  an intense, gripping play, and West End Players Guild’s production brings it to life with remarkable clarity, emotion and strength.

Reginald Pierre, Tom Kopp Photo by John Lamb

Reginald Pierre, Tom Kopp
Photo by John Lamb

 

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Crazy, Funny, Disturbing, Fascinating

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , on November 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Hothouse

by Harold Pinter

Directed by Suki Peters

West End Players Guild

November 1, 2013

Robert Ashton, Zach Wachter Photo courtesy of West End Players Guild

Robert Ashton, Zach Wachter
Photo courtesy of West End Players Guild

I didn’t know entirely what to expect when I went to see West End Players Guild’s production of The Hothouse. I knew this was Harold Pinter so I was expecting something unconventional, but knowing about Pinter and seeing one of his plays are different things (I had read some scenes from his plays but had never seen one performed).   It’s also the first play I’ve seen from this company, and I have to say I’m impressed.  This is the kind of play that I watch and then not just want to keep talking about on the way home, but for a while afterward. It sticks in a person’s head.  It’s outrageously funny but also thought provoking and not a little bit disturbing. Also, in the hands of the excellent cast and creative team at West End Players Guild, it’s positively riveting from start to finish.

The Hothouse is a black comedy revolving around the staff of an unspecified “government institution” in England in what appears to be the late 1950s (the play was written in 1958). It appears to be some kind of long-term care facility, and the patients are referred to by numbers rather than names.  The staff members, from the institution’s director Roote (Robert Ashton), to his assistant Gibbs (Zach Wachter) and co-workers Lush (Roger Erb) and Miss Cutts (Elizabeth Graveman), all have their own agendas, and the unwitting and aptly named Lamb (Pete Winfrey) finds himself in the midst of their schemes.  In a story that broadly and brutally satirizes institutional bureaucracy, there are many twists, turns and machinations as staff members seek to figure out what to do about the death of one patient and the unexpected childbirth of another.  The plot unfolds from there and involves ambitious plotting, sexual politics, drunken bravado, violence, and absurdity, and it all takes place on Christmas Day.

Pinter’s script is wordy, witty, and full of dynamic language and strong characterization, and it would be easy for a mediocre cast to get lost in all the dialogue, but fortunately that’s not the case here. The show is expertly paced and staged by director Suki Peters, and the cast is extremely strong.  The standouts to me were Ashton as the pompous, forgetful and increasingly sinister Roote, Wachter as the stoic but scheming Gibbs, and Erb as the swaggering, confrontational Lush. These three have a very memorable scene together involving lots of drinking, in which the tone gets increasingly antogonistic, with great wordplay by Pinter. Ashton and Wachter in particular have many excellent scenes together, starting from the opening, and it is their performances that anchor this production. Winfrey also makes a strong impression as the eager, clueless Lamb, and Graveman is effective as the lascivious Miss Cutts.

The set for this production (designed by Brian Peters) is inventively done, with the main setting of Roote’s office on the floor of the auditorium, with the stage behind it serving as various alternate locations, most notably the staff’s break room. Period music, sounding appropriately like old records played over a loudspeaker, adds to the 1950s atmosphere, as does the well-appointed set  suggesting a cold, institutional setting. I also thought the lighting (designed by Nathan Schroeder) and sound (designed by Joshua Cook) added to the creepiness of some of the more absurd scenes, and particularly one at the end of the first act involving Gibbs, Miss Cutts and Lamb.  The tone of this play ranges from silly to caustic to creepy moment by moment, and the look and sound of it added to the intensity of this production.

This is one of those plays that makes the audience think as well as laugh. There are many laugh-out-loud moments as well as “what the hell?” moments as the comic and tragic elements of the play are so well realized. It’s a great script, yes, but it takes an excellent production to bring Pinter’s words to life, and this is a thoroughly well-done, fascinating production.  I was very impressed by West End Players Guild, and I look forward to seeing more of their productions in the future.

Zach Wachter, Robert Ashton, Rober Erb Photo Courtesy of West End Players Guild

Zach Wachter, Robert Ashton, Roger Erb
Photo Courtesy of West End Players Guild

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