Ebullient Cast Uplifts Stages’ Buzzy ’25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

Ebullient Cast Uplifts Stages’ Buzzy ’25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

By Lynn VenhausA personality-powered gem, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a rambunctious musical comedy that celebrates American meritocracy, eccentric nerds and freak... Details
Dense ‘Disclosure Day’ Has Big Ideas but Fails to Spark Much Wonder

Dense ‘Disclosure Day’ Has Big Ideas but Fails to Spark Much Wonder

By Lynn Venhaus Earthlings, we may not be alone. If you believe that aliens have visited our planet, “Disclosure Day” reinforces that opinion. Just don’t... Details
OTSL’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Matches Tennessee Williams Note for Note

OTSL’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Matches Tennessee Williams Note for Note

Patricia Racette's production finds operatic scale, emotional truth and remarkable balance in Williams's enduring tragedy. By CB Adams Andrew Boyce's scenic design announces Opera Theatre... Details
Beguiling ‘The Tempest’ Makes A Little Magic in Hale Shakespeare Glen

Beguiling ‘The Tempest’ Makes A Little Magic in Hale Shakespeare Glen

By Lynn Venhaus On a remote island far, far away, a mischievous mix of magic and mayhem mark “The Tempest,” which is the St. Louis... Details
Voices and Visual Elegance Carry OTSL’s ‘The Light in the Piazza’

Voices and Visual Elegance Carry OTSL’s ‘The Light in the Piazza’

by CB Adams Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ production of “The Light in the Piazza” consistently achieves the atmosphere of operatic emotional depth, even if... Details
Disorienting ‘Backrooms’ Is Brilliantly Filmed Liminal Horror Film

Disorienting ‘Backrooms’ Is Brilliantly Filmed Liminal Horror Film

By Alex McPherson A masterpiece of experiential filmmaking that mines palm-sweating anticipation from what’s lurking around the next corner, director Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms” is an... Details
‘Fat Ham’ Flips a Family Tragedy to Free Characters Instead in Black Rep’s Spirited Interpretation

‘Fat Ham’ Flips a Family Tragedy to Free Characters Instead in Black Rep’s Spirited Interpretation

By Lynn Venhaus With a vivacious cast of relatable relatives, The Black Rep delivers a sassy, spirited and sometimes silly “Fat Ham,” which is a... Details
Inde Navarette Joins the Horror Greats in Ruthless Chiller ‘Obsession’

Inde Navarette Joins the Horror Greats in Ruthless Chiller ‘Obsession’

By Alex McPhersonDisappointing in its simplicity yet chock-full of savage set-pieces, and featuring an awe-inspiring performance from Inde Navarette, director Curry Barker’s “Obsession” leaves a... Details
History Repeats Itself in Sergei Loznitsa’s Mordantly Engaging Drama ‘Two Prosecutors’

History Repeats Itself in Sergei Loznitsa’s Mordantly Engaging Drama ‘Two Prosecutors’

By Alex McPherson Measured but pulsing with suspense, Ukrainian writer/director Sergei Loznitsa’s riveting new film “Two Prosecutors” underscores the all-seeing shadow of fascism in 1937... Details
Breathtaking Style Dominates David Lowery’s Latest ‘Mother Mary’

Breathtaking Style Dominates David Lowery’s Latest ‘Mother Mary’

By Alex McPherson Stunning, beguiling, and wholeheartedly its own thing, director David Lowery’s “Mother Mary” is a polarizing experience where pretentiousness is part of the... Details