‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ Is An Exhausting But Darkly Transfixing View of Motherhood

‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ Is An Exhausting But Darkly Transfixing View of Motherhood

By Alex McPherson An aggressively unpleasant experience that traps viewers within its protagonist’s tortured psyche, director Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”... Details
Ensemble Astounds in Lanthimos’ Grim Doomscroll ‘Bugonia’

Ensemble Astounds in Lanthimos’ Grim Doomscroll ‘Bugonia’

By Alex McPherson A nail-biting exploration of the selfishness and deep-seated class enmity afflicting our doomed species, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” grips from its opening... Details
Brilliance Blazes Bright in ‘The Brothers Size’ at The Rep’s Studio

Brilliance Blazes Bright in ‘The Brothers Size’ at The Rep’s Studio

By Lynn Venhaus An extraordinary work of vision, power and poetry, “The Brothers Size” is one of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s finest achievements... Details
Stylish and Surreal ‘Ballad of a Small Player’ is Not a Good Gamble  

Stylish and Surreal ‘Ballad of a Small Player’ is Not a Good Gamble  

By Lynn VenhausStylish but slow and shallow, “Ballad of a Small Player” is an underdeveloped and overproduced drama that drowns in its own pretentions. Despite... Details
Albion’s Mysterious ‘I Have Been Here Before’ Shrewdly Ponders Time

Albion’s Mysterious ‘I Have Been Here Before’ Shrewdly Ponders Time

By Lynn Venhaus Marked by twists, turns and a “Twilight Zone” flair, Albion Theatre Company’s latest whip-smart production “I Have Been Here Before” ponders the... Details
Savvy Performances Heighten Chorus of Fools’ ‘Elsinore’ Clever Prequel

Savvy Performances Heighten Chorus of Fools’ ‘Elsinore’ Clever Prequel

By Lynn Venhaus Laying the foundation for the palace intrigue in Shakespeare’s tragic “Hamlet,” the original play “Elsinore” is an interesting interpretation of those familiar... Details
Masterfully macabre ‘The Woman in Black’ Thrills in The Rep’s Staging

Masterfully macabre ‘The Woman in Black’ Thrills in The Rep’s Staging

By Lynn Venhaus With every door creak, candle flicker, wind moan, and eerie shadow glimpse, “The Woman in Black” immerses us in a haunting and... Details
Pretentious, Murky ‘After the Hunt’ Is Disturbing Take on Identity Politics

Pretentious, Murky ‘After the Hunt’ Is Disturbing Take on Identity Politics

By Lynn Venhaus “After the Hunt” is a horrible movie about despicable people that attempts to tackle cancel culture, identity politics and a so-called female... Details
Kathryn Bigelow’s Chilling ‘A House of Dynamite’ Is a Frightening Warning

Kathryn Bigelow’s Chilling ‘A House of Dynamite’ Is a Frightening Warning

By Alex McPherson A bleak and palm-sweating look at just how profoundly screwed we all are, director Kathryn Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite” refuses to... Details
Union Avenue Opera’s One-Act Fest Finds Big Truths in Small Forms

Union Avenue Opera’s One-Act Fest Finds Big Truths in Small Forms

By CB Adams Union Avenue Opera’s inaugural One-Act Festival is intimate in scale and ambitious in reach, a chamber-sized gesture that embraces the big questions... Details