Bourdain’s Transformative Summer of ’75 Is Tasty Fare in ‘Tony’

Bourdain’s Transformative Summer of ’75 Is Tasty Fare in ‘Tony’

By Lynn Venhaus
 Ah, one magical summer when you’re in college and trying to figure out your place in the world. “Tony” takes that relatable premise, and presents the birth of Anthony Bourdain, future renowned chef and food/travel writer/celebrity.

Loosely based on the late Bourdain’s 2000 memoir, “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” 19-year-old Tony is an arrogant jerk who is directionless and lies compulsively to impress.

As with all conventional biopics these days, he will face major turning points and a new direction, finding his voice and a passion for food under the tutelage of an older, wiser chef.

Set in 1975, Bourdain is attending Vassar College, and returns home to New Jersey for the summer, convinced he will be awarded a writing fellowship. When that doesn’t happen, he impulsively follows his crush to Provincetown, Mass., where she is staying with friends.

Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas in “Tony.”

Dominic Sessa, who earned an Oscar nomination for his remarkable breakthrough performance in “The Holdovers,” captures Bourdain’s cockiness and confusion at personal crossroads. It’s a striking leading man turn, hopefully a harbinger for more good work to follow.

In the book, Bourdain described himself at that age as “a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking.”

Penniless, he works as a dishwasher so he can stay in P-town. A ramshackle casual seafood restaurant, the Flagship, becomes the film’s beating heart. Antonio Banderas is steadfast as a kind but strict chef-owner from Brazil who mentors the sweaty staff. While a composite character, Chef becomes the film’s moral center.

Writer-director Matt Johnson, whose 2023 film “BlackBerry” was impressive in taking a true story and making it compelling drama, thrives in a chaotic kitchen environment, heightening the personal conflicts. That’s when the film is at its best.

Dominic Sessa, Leo Woodall in “Tony.”

The kitchen crew includes Leo Woodall, who’s having a moment, as the swaggering, hot-headed ladies’ man Sal. A reckless drug user, he introduces Tony to the partying lifestyle side of some food workers.

The kitchen brotherhood includes Stavros Halkias as salty line cook Stavros and Michael Jibrin as veteran cook Tyrone. Through trial and error, Tony learns discipline and the courage to try new things, but also the camaraderie of family meals, finding purpose and a creative outlet.

The romance angle doesn’t work as well, with Johnson dwelling too much on facial close-ups of Emilia Jones as Nancy. Granted, she’s a fine actress, as “CODA” proved, but it seems to lessen the film’s tumultuous gritty vibe. (Fun fact: Nancy Putkoski was Bourdain’s high school sweetheart, and she did work the counter at Spiritus Pizza. They eventually married in 1985 and divorced in 2005.)

As an origin story where the before is awkward, Sessa slyly shapes Tony’s future self, developing his culinary pursuits and figuring out priorities. Second chances and redemption win out in the script Johnson co-wrote with Todd Bartels, Lou Howe and Matthew Miller. He understands how harsh lessons teach us the most.

Dominic Sessa as Tony at The Flagship.

As he begins to flourish, you can see Bourdain’s promise. As we know, he will eventually head for parts unknown — prestigious culinary training, becoming an acclaimed chef, opening restaurants, excelling as a charismatic and candid television host, and traveling the world.

As documented in interviews and in the 2021 documentary “Roadrunner” by Morgan Neville, Bourdain struggled openly with addiction and mental health issues during his life. His journey was both a glorious and difficult ride before he took his own life in 2018. He was 61.

But the movie doesn’t depict that evolution or life summary, just the beginning of his ambitious pursuits. His life-changing summer, while fictionalized, remains a rich subject to illustrate.

Cinematographer Michael Bauman, Oscar-nominated for “One Battle After Another,” beautifully captures Cape Cod in its sun-drenched glory while production designer Ryan Warren Smith has nailed the 1970s summer beach party vibe as well as a messy, cramped restaurant kitchen.

Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones in Provincetown.

Composer Jay McCarrol’s minimalist music choices compliment the narrative well, with sea-inspired sounds, moody guitars and a worn wood piano reflecting Tony’s journey. Some of the ‘70s party needle drops include “Hollywood Swinging” by Kool & The Gang and “A Fifth of Beethoven” by Walter Murphy while the rebellious punk spirit is showcased in “Down on the Streets” by The Stooges.

Despite some pacing issues, and an unlikable protagonist for two-thirds of the story, “Tony” is an enjoyable coming-of-age story, immersed in a time and a place. At least we know he gets his act together to become one of the most influential culinary figures in the world – that helps.

“Tony” is a 2026 coming-of-age docudrama directed by Matt Johnson and starring Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, Michael Jibrin, Dagmara Dominczyk and Rich Sommer. Rated: R for pervasive language, drug use, and sexual content/nudity and run time is 1 hour, 46 minutes. It opened in theatres on Aug. 21. Lynn’s grade: B.

Antonio Banderas, Dominic Sessa in “Tony.”
Facebook Comments

‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ is a Gloriously Strange, Overstuffed Experience 

‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ is a Gloriously Strange, Overstuffed Experience 

By Alex McPherson

Director Jane Schoenbrun’s surrealist meta–slasher-satire-character-study “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” is ambitious and wholly unique, even if occasionally muddled by the weight of its dense ideas.

We follow Kris Williams (Hannah Einbinder), an academic queer filmmaker hired by a big studio to direct a reboot of the “Camp Miasma” slasher-film franchise. The series has, over the years, become reduced to bargain-bin sequels and cultural irrelevance, beautifully visualized in a nostalgic, acerbic opening title sequence.

The villain, “Little Death,” wears an HVAC air vent on their head and carries a spear, skewering any poor soul who dares to stay at the titular camp.

Kris has always felt a special attachment to the series (“special attachment” is an understatement, as we later find out). She wants to make the original’s “Final Girl” Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson) the main character of this new outing. Studio reps and her agent (played by Sarah Sherman) aren’t thrilled, and are more interested in Kris sanitizing and “de-cancelling” the franchise’s transphobic core for a modern audience. 

Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson.

Billy retired from acting after the original film was released, but Kris sees an opportunity to capture that initial spark. It’s all the better, and weirder, that Billy now resides at a remote lakeside cabin in the Pacific Northwest at Camp Rivoli, the abandoned campground where the first “Miasma” was filmed.

Things are strange from the get-go, with Kris barely being able to find Camp Rivoli and wandering into a local cinema. A projector flickers to life and Kris watches the scene where young Billy (Amanda Fix) loses her virginity before being stabbed by Little Death — the sequence that stuck with Kris the most, even if she can’t quite identify why it has that effect on her. 

She then meets present-day Billy, who resembles Norma Desmond from “Sunset Boulevard” with a southern twang, seductive aura, and love of weed. The two quickly bond over a basket of KFC chicken tenders and grow closer from there.

They both deconstruct their attachment to the “Miasma” franchise and find new avenues to explore — namely, further unlocking desire, pleasure, and good ‘ole cinephilia amid the blood-drenched fantasy of Little Death.

“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” is, like Schoenbrun’s previous “I Saw the TV Glow,” not for all tastes, so obviously personal that it threatens to leave behind viewers who aren’t willing to go along with its swerving rhythms. 

Indeed, Schoenbrun’s latest project has a ton on its mind, from critiquing the slasher genre and the injustices of studio moviemaking to, most successfully, examining the powerful influence that films can have over our sense of self. There’s too much going on at any given point, but it’s a compulsively watchable mess that ultimately couldn’t be any other way.

Much of “Camp Miasma” rests on the shoulders of Einbinder and Anderson, and they’re both fully up to the task. Einbinder is the standout — able to show Kris’s evolution from high-strung, awkward, nerdy intellectual to someone gradually breaking through their shell to embrace their true desires. 

It’s a tough tightrope to walk, and it’s to Einbinder’s credit that Kris never becomes unlikable, just restrained by societal expectations and unsure of what they truly want in life; there’s also a deep connection to Billy and Little Death that defies traditional reason.

Einbinder is able to flex her comedic chops from time to time, but Schoenbrun’s screenplay treats her character arc seriously, maintaining a mostly successful throughline that continues Schoenbrun’s interest in the complex ways that media can shape us.

Einbinder and Anderson’s chemistry sizzles, and Anderson nails the balance between campiness and sincerity. Billy supports Kris from the jump, but she believes that Kris misunderstands the core of the “Miasma” series and its carnal appeals, which are more base but no less impactful.

Schoenbrun’s direction is, yet again, outstanding, making Camp Rivoli a setting out-of-time and existing in a liminal space between reality and fantasy, complete with dazzling matte paintings and an almost fairy-tale aesthetic. 

Much of the film is spent watching the film-within-the-film (with an ensemble including Eva Victor and Zach Cherry), similar to “TV Glow,” which Schoenbrun recreates with strong attention to period detail. They lean into the cheesiness inherent in its “Friday the 13th” and “Sleepaway Camp” influences while painting Little Death as exacting a sort of justified vengeance.

One ultraviolent sequence in particular, set to a melancholic country song, is cartoonishly gruesome and, perhaps counterintuitively, meditative.

There’s a certain point in Schoenbrun’s film, though, especially when the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred, that it becomes overwhelming and overstuffed. It loses some of its charm to the exhausting throes of self-indulgence. 

At these points, along with some perhaps overly broad commentary on the state of the movie industry, it seems like Schoenbrun throws everything at the wall to see what sticks (literally, in some cases). They sacrifice coherence for pure “feeling” — not inherently a problem, but alienating as new elements keep getting introduced that clumsily fit into the unruly tapestry Schoenbrun has been building.

So, while not as poignant as “TV Glow,” “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” is still entirely like nothing else, another example of experimental filmmaking that deserves support whether or not its wild swings fully connect.

“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” is a 2026 horror film directed by Jane Schoenbrun that stars Gillian Anderson, Hannah Einbinder, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Amanda Fix, and Sarah Sherman. It is rated R for bloody violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and some language, and the run time is 1 hour, 52 minutes. It opened in local theatres Aug. 21. Alex’s Grade: B+

Facebook Comments

Wackiness ensues in Muny’s fresh, funny, frisky ‘Something Rotten!’

Wackiness ensues in Muny’s fresh, funny, frisky ‘Something Rotten!’

By Lynn Venhaus

Merry mischief makers mix the Muny’s musical mash-up “Something Rotten!” into a zesty end-of-season treat. Of course it’s special — it has an exclamation point!

Sending up the art form while celebrating it, a high-energy ensemble accepts the mission: deliver a delightful, daffy show at a dizzying fast-pace for the 108th season closer.

One of two premieres this summer, this comedic gem takes place in 1595, during the Renaissance, and brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom (Matt Doyle, Will Burton) are desperate to write a hit play but are overshadowed by the pompous megastar William Shakespeare (Jacob Dickey), who has fangirls and an adoring entourage.

Nick enlists a soothsayer, Nostradamus (not that one, but his niece Donna), to predict the next big thing. Dynamo Jen Cody tells him to write a musical. Singing! Dancing! Acting! All together now — say what?

Matt Doyle (center) and the company of the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

And when Nick asks Nostradamus to predict what Shakespeare’s next hit will be, however, she just misses the mark – proclaiming it is “Omelette!” (Not you know that depressed Danish prince with family and girl trouble.)

And into the madcap romp we go near Mel Brooks-Monty Python land. What silliness! “Something Rotten!” contains more than 60 inside jokes and ‘Easter eggs’ referencing other musicals and shows throughout the entire production.

Theater-insider quips and well-written zingers abound — and an all-in audience reacts with glee. IYKYK, but it’s not required to be well-versed in Shakespeare and all things musical theatre to enjoy this amusing spectacle.

A crowd-pleasing cast of Broadway veterans and familiar faces is firing on all cylinders. They look like they are having a lot of fun throughout, but especially in the super-sized splashy signature numbers “A Musical,” “Welcome to the Renaissance,” and an absolutely bonkers “Something Rotten/Make an Omelette” (defies description).

The company of the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

The show-stopping “A Musical” is a bursting party pinata with nods to “Annie,” “Rent,” “A Chorus Line,” “Cats,” “Wicked,” “Chicago” and “Les Miserables” and more.

A big and shiny, mighty fine-y
Glitter, glitz, and chorus line-y
Bob your head and shake your heiney
Musical

As the Minstrel, DeMarius R. Copes splendidly kicks off the spoofy, goofy fun with the catchy opener “Welcome to the Renaissance” that sets the go-for-broke tone.

The ebullient tap-dancing ensemble excels throughout the show: Lawrence Alexander, Matt Allen, Darien Crago, Aaron Patrick Craven, Kristen Smith Davis, Johnny Duvelson, Michael Harp, Sean Harrison Jones, Ryan Kasprzak, David Paul Kidder, Carina-Kay Louchiey, Spencer Davis Milford, Lizz Picini, Daniel Plimpton, Renée Reid, Allysa Shorte and Caitlin Stebelman.

Elizabeth Teeter and Will Burton in the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

The 2015 show, conceived by brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick as a paean to the creative process in a pastiche of Broadway’s greatest hits, received 10 Tony nominations. Christian Borle won his second Tony as Shakespeare, its only nod.

The brothers – one a songwriter, the other a screenwriter — teamed up on the music and lyrics, and British satirist John O’Farrell came aboard to collaborate with Karey on the clever book. Hailed by critics and fans alike, it ran for 742 performances.

Magnetic Matt Doyle commands the stage as the passionate but stubborn Nick, who is driven to out-write the Bard for his failing acting troupe. He shows his resentment in “God, I Hate Shakespeare.”

He’s so consumed by jealousy that he clashes with his insecure but very talented brother Nigel, who is the better wordsmith. He and Will Burton make a good pair, teaming in the rousing “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top” Act 1 closer.

Jacob Dickey (center) and the company of the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Doyle, Tony winner as Jamie in the 2022 “Company” revival, is a master of lightning-fast vocal stamina (Sondheim’s “I’m Not Getting Married Today”!), and with his soaring vocals, gets the audience on his side in the redemptive “To Thine Own Self.”

Burton is sweet as the sensitive, shy guy whose way with words wins over the heart of Portia, a Puritan. Elizabeth Teeter, in a welcome return to the Muny, is bright and bubbly as the poetry-obsessed young woman that rebels against her overbearing oppressive father Brother Jeremiah (her real-life dad, Lara Teeter).  The couple blend beautifully in the heartfelt ballad “I Love the Way.”

With moves like Jagger, Jacob Dickey plays slick Will as a whirling dervish of preening rock ‘n roll excess. This showman’s got game, and swagger to spare – and is an arrogant buffoon.

New to the Muny stage, Dickey sure knows how to make an entrance, working every angle. The mega-watt “Will Power” encapsulates rock god cliches, a la “Spinal Tap,” and his unbridled ego shines through on “Hard to Be the Bard.”

Matt Doyle and Jen Cody in the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Jen Cody is always a secret weapon and makes her ninth Muny show memorable, stealing every scene as genre-bending Nostradamus. With her crisp and snappy delivery, her visions of the future were a hoot, quickly endearing herself.

Fun Fact: Cody won an Annie Award (animated films) for voicing the flamboyant Southern belle Charlotte “Lottie” La Bouff in “The Princess and the Frog” in 2009.

Bryonha Marie, a Muny standout as Dolores in “Sister Act” and Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music,” is fierce and fun-loving as Bea, an early feminist married to Nick. She wants to help support her family, and takes odd jobs disguised as a guy, best expressed in “Right Hand Man.” She and Doyle are a pleasing pair.

With such quick-witted pros as Lara Teeter as Brother Jeremiah, the priggish fire-and-brimstone Puritan preacher; Adam Heller as producer wannabe Shylock; and Gary Glasgow as wealthy patron Lord Clapham, they’re a force field of fun. Their timing is impeccable and their presence cheerful.

From left: Bryonha Marie, Matt Doyle and Will Burton in the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Director Rob Ruggiero, the winningest director in St. Louis Theater Circle Awards history (3), leans into the zany. His Muny collaborations on grand-scale musicals are always distinctive, bringing out the best in cast and crew alike.

The creative team is in absurd overdrive – costume designer DW adds visual gags to the vibrant costumes, based on originals by Gregg Barnes; new video designer Camilla Tassi has fun with Broadway marquees and those plentiful eggs, and lighting designer Rob Denton illuminates it all with verve. Sound designer Joshua Hummel and wig designer J. Jared Janas added to the playful ambience.

Scenic designer Edward E. Haynes Jr., back for his 10th show, created a colorful canvas transporting us to 16th century London and Stratford-upon-Avon with striking rotating and expansive Tudor and Elizabethan architecture.

Choreographer Parker Esse’s vivacious storytelling is a master class of fluid, upbeat motion, with associate choreographer Justin Prescott ensuring seamless moves from one high-spirited number to the next. Here for her third show, music director Anne Shuttlesworth is a marvelous maestro in motion, a beat poet with a baton.

The company of the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer

Another fun fact: The 2015 show, previously on national tour here at the Fox Theatre in 2017, starred Muny favorite Rob McClure as Nick Bottom, and his real-life wife Maggie Lakis, as Bea.

Surely even the grumpiest, most cynical theatergoer will find something to smile about, for laughs were in abundance from start to finish in this well-cast, well-staged show.

With zippy wordplay, sterling comic timing and vivacious musical numbers, the Muny has delivered another love letter to this cherished art form. “Something Rotten!” is a refreshing tonic, something silly and summer-y to savor when we’ll be in the throes of the winter blues! Until we meet again, thanks for the memories.

The Muny presents Something Rotten August 17 – 23 at 8:15 pm. Performances take place on the Muny’s outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.

Lara Teeter (center) and the company of the 2026 Muny production of “Something Rotten!” Photo by Phillip Hamer
Facebook Comments

Stray Dog Theatre’s Potent Thriller ‘Extremities’ Still Unnerving Today

Stray Dog Theatre’s Potent Thriller ‘Extremities’ Still Unnerving Today

By Lynn Venhaus

 “Extremities” starts with a jump scare – a violent home invasion, and the situation is every bit as horrific as it would seem. In a pulse-pounding few minutes, Marjorie (Claire Coffey) becomes a victim of a sexual assault.

William Mastrosimone’s intense 1980 play grapples with difficult issues surrounding violence against women, the legal system, personal agency, revenge and morality. This is an uncomfortable, tough watch that will spark discussions afterwards.

Although police procedures have changed in the 46 years since the play premiered, and viewpoints too, especially after #MeToo in 2017, its potency is in how ordinary people act and react in extraordinary circumstances.

Stray Dog Theatre’s production, which is presented as a period piece, takes place in a remote farmhouse. Scenic designer Rob Lippert has created a fragmented, broken-wood set to be a visual representation of the characters’ emotional lives.

Claire Coffey and Andrew Woodard in “Extremities.” Photo by Stray Dog Theatre.

As director Gary F. Bell described in a program note: “lives that have been slowly fractured and damaged by fear, violence, guilt, anger, and the inability to escape the consequences of what has happened.”

In this show, Bell and assistant director Jude Hagene focus on fear, what ifs, and the revenge fantasies going through Marjorie’s traumatized mind.

In a raw, real and relatable performance, Coffey is convincing as a desperate, terrified woman who turns the tables on her attacker and becomes an avenger. During the past few years, Coffey has often portrayed accomplished, confident women, in everything from “Bell, Book & Candle” and “The Mousetrap” to “A Doll’s House, Part 2” – and here she also demonstrates a fierce physicality.

A strong, independent woman, Marjorie is alarmed when Raul walks into her home, looking for a “Joe.” His stories keep changing, he keeps advancing, his tone is sinister, her announcement that her husband’s asleep upstairs is flimsy, and he attacks her.

Claire Coffey as Marjorie in “Extremities.” Photo by Stray Dog Theatre.

In a graphic depiction, he pins her down, forces her to say ‘I Love You,’ demands she touch him, follow his orders or he’ll smother her with a pillow, which he has demonstrated several times.

She fights back, grabbing a can of insecticide and sprays his eyes. Forceful, she subdues him by tying him up in the fireplace. But she can’t call the cops because he’s pulled the phone out (in those days, landline only).

Oh, she rages. What would we do? Would we become the judge, jury and executioner?

 In his Stray Dog Theatre debut, Andrew Woodard is chilling as the sleazy attacker Raul. An unreliable narrator, he makes up his narrative, but he appears to be a psychopath who has been stalking her.

A slick criminal used to bending rules his way, Raul aggressively taunts her, saying because he didn’t rape her, lack of evidence means he will probably be let go. He flaunts the burden of proof argument. (Back then, a woman’s sexual history was still admissible in court.)

Claire Coffey and Lynett Vallejo in “Extremities.” Photo by Stray Dog Theatre.

She’s terrified of the consequences and that he will return someday. The power struggle continues, her methods blurring lines, and this difficult situation becomes a tug-of-war between justice and revenge.

One of the most important duties here is the intimacy/combat choreographer Lisa Fischel. The attempted rape is very graphic – and disturbing. In the aftermath, fighting and torture includes kicks, ropes, boiling water, and a knife. Strong stuff.

One can only imagine the psychological and physical toll of mounting this production – and the stamina the four actors must summon.

Marjorie’s roommates eventually return from work separately, and each has a different response. They are dragged into an impossible situation, and nerves become frayed. Shaken up are Lisa Hinrichs as Terry and Lynett Vallejo as Patricia.

The three women are challenged like never before in their adult lives – shocked, frightened, hysterical, confused. They worry about justice, safety, and civil liberties.

Lisa Hinrichs and Claire Coffey in “Extremities.” Photo by Stray Dog Theatre.

When Raul masterfully manipulates each roommate to gain sympathy, it’s obvious he is gaslighting them, but Terry and Patricia aren’t thinking clearly and take pity on him. He cunningly divides their loyalties.

Kill? Help? Feed? Treat wounds? These possibilities can be debated, as the women argue and insult, and one wonders how credible the playwright’s logic is. Sure, the point is to examine and discuss society’s attitudes and stigmas.

Terry has a secret to share about her own experience, and Patricia, being a social worker, is presented as a ‘liberal’ who respects the law.

Mastrosimone’s backstory includes hearing a rape victim’s story – she identified the rapist but lost in court because of “insufficient evidence.” She wondered if she should have seized her own justice?

Writing from that perspective, one hears and feels his rage. But we don’t have much character development to go on, and what we do know isn’t much. The dynamic is complicated because it’s dated.

Claire Coffey in “Extremities.” Photo by Stray Dog Theatre.

The play, first performed at Rutgers Theatre Company in July 1980, eventually premiered off Broadway in December 1982, starring Susan Sarandon. A 1986 film adaptation starred Farrah Fawcett. Actor James Russo portrayed Raul both off-Broadway and in the film.

It’s meant to be a jolt, a shock to the system. Yet, there are exasperating moments too — When the roommates criticize Marjorie for wearing clothes inviting attention, that’s when it went off the rails. We’re really going there?

Predatory behavior is unsettling, and if we could only view women’s behavior as courageous — but the playwright has added all these gray areas: the blame game, asking for it, objectification and exposing society’s prejudices to create a murky environment.

That lengthens the play, and it’s disconcerting to put the women through this shame cycle, too. The emotions escalate, but the actresses sensitively handle their roles.

The reality of Raul’s story is never presented, so we don’t know what to believe, but he is tortured, and behaves like a trapped animal, then works the situation to his advantage (or so he thinks). That’s believable, but his transformation toward the end is questionable. Sure, he has lost his dominance once he plays the victim card. But should we view him as pathetic?

Andrew Woodard, Claire Coffey, Lynett Vallejo and Lisa Hinrichs. Photo by Stray Dog Theatre

Technical work – lighting design by Tyler Duenow and sound design by Justin Been – adds to the harrowing atmosphere.

This powerful show is for adults only and is unflinching in its difficult storytelling. Triggers may occur with victims of trauma, so that is something to be mindful of – and something not to be taken lightly.

A note on the program states: “This production contains mature themes and intense subject matter, including an attempted sexual assault, physical violence, strong language, restraint, and psychological trauma. The production features emotionally charged scenes that may be distressing for some audience members, viewer discretion is advised.

Stray Dog Theatre’s production of “Extremities” is being presented Aug. 6 to Aug. 22, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and special matinees on Sundays, Aug. 9 and 16 at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue, St. Louis. The show is in two acts with a 10-minute intermission and is for mature audiences. For tickets or more information, visit www.straydogtheatre.org.

Lisa Hinrichs as Terry. Photo by Stray Dog Theatre.
Facebook Comments

Anthony Bourdain Coming-of-Age Story ‘Tony’ Makes Satisfying Meal of Familiar Ingredients

Anthony Bourdain Coming-of-Age Story ‘Tony’ Makes Satisfying Meal of Familiar Ingredients

By Alex McPherson

Director Matt Johnson’s “Tony” is an excellently acted mini-biopic that goes beyond  familiar plot beats to paint a textured portrait of a fascinating, troubled soul.

Adapted from a few chapters of Bourdain’s 2000 memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, “Tony” takes place over the summer of 1975, when 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa), a cocky student at Vassar College, dreams of becoming the next Great American novelist.

He’s super confident he’ll receive a grant from the school’s Fellowship Committee — too confident, actually. He even works up the courage to chat up Nancy (Emilia Jones), a high school crush, and learns she’s headed to Provincetown for summer break. 

He’s rejected for the grant, but Bourdain will be damned if he admits to anyone he didn’t get it, especially his judgmental mother (Dagmara Dominczyk). He tells his family he got the fellowship and travels to Provincetown to track Nancy down. He finds her, but discovers she has a boyfriend. 

A drunken Bourdain is beaten up shortly afterwards at a local bar, The Flagship, and is thrown out on the street. He later finds himself (without his wallet) in a beachside hammock on a residence owned by The Flagship’s head “Chef” (Antonio Banderas). Chef takes pity on down-on-his-luck Bourdain and offers him a job as a dishwasher.

Through reluctantly accepting this new gig, Bourdain becomes immersed in the culinary world in all its messiness and joys, and we catch glimpses of the influential chef he’ll ultimately become. 

With a premise like this, “Tony” seems like it’ll follow a conventional trajectory, and, generally, it does. But one mustn’t underestimate the directorial verve of Johnson (director of “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” and “BlackBerry”), who finds humor, pathos, and surprising authenticity between the lines.

Nuance abounds in “Tony,” which examines its central subject without sanding down his idiosyncratic brilliance or the darkness and self-destructiveness lurking beneath his confident façade. It doesn’t depend on previous knowledge of Bourdain to succeed as a coming-of-age story in its own right.

The film’s lived-in charms are supported by filmmaking that builds a deep, sun-tinged sense of place. Johnson captures the trauma-bonded camaraderie and undeniable thrill of working in restaurant kitchens, and recreates 1975 Provincetown with striking attention to detail.

Numerous outdoor shots are draped in a wistful, golden hour glow beautifully filmed by cinematographer Michael Bauman and soundtracked to a collection of pitch-perfect needle drops. He also conveys Bourdain’s loneliness and alienation, by initially having him drift through bustling places like an invisible outcast.

Sessa is downright magnetic as Bourdain, capturing his charisma and bravado along with his self-pity and deep-seated feelings of inadequacy, lending even the film’s more outright comedic moments a sense of melancholy. This is especially effective if you know the struggles of Bourdain’s later years.

Bourdain, as written by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe, and Matthew Miller, struggles to reconcile the person he wants to become (a writer who we never actually see write anything) with who he actually is.

He’s unable to admit to himself and to others (particularly Nancy) that his life is following a different trajectory than what he had initially planned. He’s adrift, searching for a sense of direction, and his experiences at The Flagship present different paths he could head down.

Bourdain strikes up a friendship with Sal (an outstandingly live-wire Leo Woodall), a hard-partying, womanizing, rebellious coworker who helps bring him out of his slump while tempting him with numerous vices.

But it’s really “Chef” who truly connects; Banderas brings a deep sense of wisdom and tough love that helps unlock Bourdain’s eventual passion for food, even if he takes too much joy in splashing a bucket of ocean water on Bourdain’s face every morning before work. 

Both Sal and Chef (created as amalgamations of various people Bourdain met throughout his career) are vividly realized with a naturalism and dry wit that feels real and decidedly un-Hollywood.

Each provides Bourdain with different paths he could follow, if he’s willing to finally grow up. The supporting cast, including Stavros Halkias, Michael Jibrin, and Monica Raymond, is fantastic; frankly, they’re just a fun group to hang out with.

Emilia Jones as Nancy is given far less to work with here, and it’s clear that “Tony” doesn’t quite know what to do with her besides make her an object of Bourdain’s obsession and eventual growth. At several points, the camera seems to linger creepily over Jones — whether or not we’re supposed to be viewing Nancy through Bourdain’s eyes, it’s off-putting and distracting.

When “Tony” nears its conclusion, though, the more generic aspects of the narrative fall away to leave us with surprising poignancy. The film reminds us to live in the moment and not confine ourselves to expectations. It becomes a more truthful tribute to the real Bourdain (and a fuller  meal) than any hagiographic biopic could ever be.

“Tony” is a 2026 biopic directed by Matt Johnson and starring Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, Stavros Halkias, Dagmara Dominczyk, Michael Jibrin, Monica Raymund and Rich Sommer. It is Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, and sexual content/nudity and is 1 hour, 46 minutes. It opened in theatres Aug. 21. Alex’s Grade: A-

Facebook Comments

The Folksy Charm of ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ Surprises and Uplifts

The Folksy Charm of ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ Surprises and Uplifts

By Lynn Venhaus
In “The Rivals of Amziah King,” bluegrass, beekeeping and backwoods buddies keep this folksy fable brimming with surprises – with its twisty story, distinctive characters and strong sense of community.

In his first film in six years, Matthew McConaughey charms effortlessly as the title character. Convincing with his warm smile, deep drawl, and caring demeanor, Amziah is obviously beloved in this weathered patch of Oklahoma. A proponent of hospitality, potlucks and jam sessions, he dispenses poetic wisdom, surrounded by a fiercely loyal crew of eccentrics, misfits and lost souls.

Through superb cinematic storytelling, writer-director Andrew Patterson, whose impressive debut 2020 film “The Vast of Night” was an engrossing sci-fi thriller, has crafted a lived-in world that ebbs and flows with an entrancing Southern rhythm.

With its layered natural look, the cinematography by M.I. Littin-Menz and editing by Patrick J. Smith distinguish this film.

Owen Teague and Matthew McConaughey playing bluegrass.

Yes, it meanders, sprawling in a messy way, but it’s never not true to its roots. The message of integrity, tenacity and shared values strikes a chord in a fascinating found-family tale. Patterson’s on-the-nose metaphors are meaningful – the beehives are as captivating as communities as King’s devoted ragtag inner circle.

The homespun story unfolds in an unhurried fashion and is rich in noteworthy details. An unorthodox river heist is a marvel of ingenuity and determination while King’s tasty tour of dishes at a potluck, revealing the cook behind each recipe, is authentic in its ‘truth or a lie” sage advice.

Of the film’s many highlights, the breakout performance by Angelina LookingGlass as Kateri, who once stayed with Amziah and his wife Glenda when they were foster parents, is a heart-tugger. After Glenda died, Amziah was no longer able to foster youths and Kateri went back to her biological mother. They meet again, and it is kismet. He takes her under his wing as an apprentice, and she’s an unswerving protégé, with an interesting mystical side, too.

Other supporting characters are memorable. Jake Horowitz is street-smart and resourceful fixer Remmick, Scott Shepherd is mush-mouthed eccentric Chimmy, Cole Sprouse is fast-food worker Oat with super-sleuth skills, and Bruce Davis is savvy state investigator Sunderland. 

Kurt Russell as Dob McCoy.

In a brief but pivotal role, Kurt Russell is Dob McCoy, a slick powerful agricultural bigwig who oozes good ol’ boy charm.

Playing music are Rob Morgan as right-hand legal counsel Rippy; Owen Teague as rugged former Marine and fiddle player Pirate; and Tony Revolori as newcomer Colmar, among others.

The toe-tapping music soundtrack is sublime, with songs written by Erick Alexander and produced by T Bone Burnett. The joyous “Quill,” sung during a kitchen jam session with Ben Hardesty, is a standout.

While one can quibble with its thick aw-shucks characters that could lean towards cartoonish if they weren’t so genuine, what Patterson has created has a deeper emotional connection. His use of roots music to tell a tale about roots among people and towns is deftly delivered.

Amziah King demonstrates to Kateri how the hive reacts to the queen bee.

King says “Ain’t no one all bad or all good” and that’s the approach Patterson took writing these colorful characters. It gets a tad unsavory in the final third, as a revenge crime drama takes over.

McConaughey, the charismatic Oscar winner in his first big-screen role since “The Gentlemen” in 2019, is as magnetic as ever. (OK, he did “The Lost Bus” in 2025, but that was a streaming release, and his voice work in the “Sing” movies doesn’t count). The movie is reminiscent of his 2012 “Mud” – about a tight-knit community in rural Arkansas, and has a crowd-pleasing quality, like “The Peanut Butter Falcon” did in 2019.

McConaughey has a sweet, earthy chemistry with LookingGlass, and she lights up the screen when called upon to help save the business.

“The Rivals of Amziah King,” which premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, has all the makings of a summer sleeper hit, in the same way that “Hell or High Water” became a big August surprise in 2016. At a recent Saturday matinee, the theater was packed with senior moviegoers, which was sweet music to my ears, much like this film.

“The Rivals of Amziah King” is a neo-western crime drama written and directed by Andrew Patterson and starring Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Owen Teague, Jake Horowitz, Tony Revelori, Scott Shepherd and Kurt Russell. It is rated R for language and some grisly images and the run time is 2 hours 10 minutes. It opened in limited release Aug. 14 and will be released wide on Aug. 21. Lynn’s Grade: A-.

Facebook Comments

Take Ten with Bryce A Miller

Take Ten with Bryce A Miller

By Lynn Venhaus

Some actors pull you in by their genuine presence and emotional depth, that they understand the assignment to create a believable character and disappear into the role. That would describe Bryce A Miller, a local actor who is the very definition of versatility.

Whether it’s a musical, comedy or drama, you know he is totally present and giving his all. A frequent supporting player who works well with others, Miller has been working steadily for a few years with various professional regional theatres.

Currently, he is charming as Speed, the quick-witted servant of Valentine, in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” which is touring the bi-state region for a month of outdoor shows at local parks and plazas.

Thrilled to be making his debut with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, he also portrays goofy Thurio, a wealthy suitor pursuing Silvia, the Duke’s daughter. With boundless enthusiasm, he often leads the introductions for the opening study guide that precedes the show.

Lilah Kreis and Bryce A. Miller in New Jewish Theatre’s “Prayer for the French Republic.” Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

He is working again with director Rebekah Scallet, who is the artistic director of New Jewish Theatre, but has an extensive background in Shakespeare festival work.

He started those rehearsals following another thoughtful performance in the “Prayer for the French Republic” by Joshua Harmon at NJT earlier this spring. He portrayed Daniel Benhamou, Marcelle and Charles’s son, whose routine wearing of a kippah leads to a violent antisemitic incident.

“’Prayer’ was special for many reasons. First, it was my first time working directly with Rebekah Scallet on a project. She is a fantastic director, and she brings such great, collaborative energy to the room. Also, Joshua Harmon’s plays were very influential to me while in theatre school. Delivering his dialogue feels so natural and easy,” he said.

Miller is having a banner year, having played the peculiar William Barfee in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” that opened Stages St. Louis’ 40th anniversary season this summer.

Bryce A Miller as eccentric Barfee in Stages St. Louis’ “Spelling Bee.” Photo by Phillip Hamer.

He cracked up audiences as Barfee – that’s Bar-Fay to you because of the accent aigu. Calling it a “dream come true,” he was grateful to be in a crowd-pleasing show.

“It was one of the first shows I ‘discovered’ while developing my love of theatre, and it really spoke to me as an awkward, dorky pre-teen. Also, I’ve seen countless shows at Stages and it’s always been on my list of places I’d love to work at. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity they gave me,” he said.

Next, he will portray George in the romantic musical “She Loves Me,” which will run Dec. 3 – 20 at New Jewish Theatre. The 1963 musical about two shop clerks who fall in love as pen pals is the basis for the films “The Shop Around the Corner” and “You’ve Got Mail.”

Earlier this year, he won the St. Louis Circle Award for Outstanding Performer in a Comedy, Male or Non-Binary Role, for his bonkers portrayal of Watson in New Jewish Theatre’s laugh-a-minute farce, “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.”

Nick Freed as Sherlock Holmes and Bryce A Miller as Watson in NJT’s “Baskerville.” Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Written by Ken Ludwig as a comedic adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” it transformed the classic mystery into a hilarious, fast-paced thriller.

Nearly on stage the entire time, he was a marvel in motion – slapstick goofiness, very physical comedy and sharp comic timing with a crackerjack five-person ensemble (who played over 40 roles and had fast costume changes).

“Watson also served as the narrator, which meant I got to directly address and connect with the audience. That is one of my favorite aspects of live performance,” he said.

He has been honored with two other nominations for New Jewish Theatre’s productions, including his portrayal of a strict Orthodox Jew unwilling to bend in an unhappy marriage when his wife wanted to work outside the home for fulfillment in “The Wanderers,” again working with a tremendously talented 5-person ensemble (all nominated).

Jacob Schmidt and Bryce A Miller in NJT’s “Trayf.” Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

The other one was the sweet buddy comedy in a mitzvah van called “Trayf.” He played the earnest and uptight Schmuel, whose best friend Zalmy tested their faith and friendship through his curiosity about the secular world. His first recognition was as a drama critic in “The Nerd” at Moonstone Theatre Company.

He has worked with Stray Dog Theatre, The Black Rep, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ Imaginary Theatre Company, and Upstream Theater, too.

See all of the above to illustrate his versatility.

His talent and preparedness speak for themselves in all his electric and nuanced performances and characters, said Christina Rios, who has worked with Bryce multiple times with her Riverside Theatre Project in Hermann, Mo. He was in Ken Ludwig’s “Leading Ladies” the summer of 2025 there.

Jade Cash and Bryce A Miller in “The Wanderers” at New Jewish Theatre. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

“I just also wish folks got to see also what a delightful artist he is during the rehearsal process too: He shows up to rehearsals ready to invest, having already made meaningful choices but also excited to learn and grow more. He is kind and shows deep thoughtfulness towards everyone involved with every aspect of the production – Bryce is the kind of dedicated artist who offers to put away chairs and props at the end of a 3-hour rehearsal, just because it’s a kind and helpful thing to offer. He asks great questions that push the growth and understanding of the piece and I just love collaborating with him,” Rios said.

“We are blessed, in this city, to have so many incredibly gifted performers, and it is such a double blessing when they are also beautiful human beings who care about kindness as much as they care about their craft – and Bryce A. Miller is an excellent example of that kind of artist,” she noted.

Eileen Engel as Anne and Bryce A. Miller as Henrik in Stray Dog Theatre’s “A Little Night Music.” Photo by John Lamb.

Take Ten with Bryce A. Miller

1. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?

You can watch your favorite movie over and over again, and what you’re watching will remain unchanged. But you can see the same play multiple times, and you will always see a different performance from what you saw the time before. Theatre is fluid, collaborative, and exciting. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.

Bryce A Miller

2. How would your friends describe you?

Reserved, passionate, quick-witted

3. How do you like to spend your spare time?

Going to the movies, seeing theatre around town, and exploring new restaurants and bars!

4. What is your current obsession?

“The Pitt”! I’m very late to the party but when I started watching it, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I finished the whole series in only a week or so. 

5. What would people be surprised to find out about you?

I’m a pretty big introvert. I hide it well, but I love my alone time.

I’m also a MASSIVE theatre nerd. This is a bit more obvious if you’ve spent any amount of time with me. I try to see as much as I can around town, and I make my way to Chicago and New York every once in a while, too. (This spring, he saw Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf in “Death of a Salesman.”)

6. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?

My mom took me to see a community theatre production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when I was 4 or 5. When the lights came up for intermission, I cried because I thought it was over and I didn’t want it to end. She says this was when she realized theatre would end up being a big part of my life in some way or another.

Bryce A Miller and Jayson Heil in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” Photo by Phillip Hamer.

7. Who do you admire most?

My mom. She is incredibly busy and work-motivated, but she still makes incredible amounts of time for those she loves. She could’ve had a 12-hour workday but will still give you the shirt off of her back. I wish I could lead my life with even an ounce of the empathy she has.

8. What is at the top of your bucket list?

Traveling outside the country. In the near future, I’d love to travel around Europe, I’d especially like to go to London and check out their theatre scene.

9. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?

Going out for food/a drink! We are such a great food city, I’ve lived here all my life and my list of places I need to try is still growing.

10. What’s next?

I am very excited and fortunate to be booked through the rest of the year with “She Loves Me.” It’s been a pretty non-stop year.

Bryce A Miller as Barfee in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at Stages St. Louis. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

More About Bryce Alexander Miller

Age: 25
Birthplace: Maryland Heights, Mo.
Current location: Valley Park, Mo.

Family: Mom (Gina), Dad (Brian), and 18-year-old brother (Jackson)
Education: BFA in Acting, Sargent Conservatory at Webster University
Day job: Substitute teacher
First job: Washing dishes at Russell’s Cafe and Bakery.
First play you were involved in: “The Three Piggy Opera” in kindergarten. I played The Big Bad Wolf!
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? “The Nerd” and “Trayf” were both career milestones that I will never forget.
Dream job/opportunity: A one-man show!

Awards/Honors/Achievements: One St. Louis Theatre Circle Win: Lead Actor in a Comedy (Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, New Jewish Theatre), 3 St. Louis Theatre Circle Nominations: Supporting Actor in a Drama (The Wanderers, New Jewish Theatre), Lead Actor in a Comedy (Trayf, New Jewish Theatre), and Supporting Actor in a Comedy (The Nerd, Moonstone Theatre)

Favorite quote/words to live by: “Know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture.”

A song that makes you happy: “Les Fleurs” by Minnie Riperton

Bryce A Miller in “Trayf.” Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Facebook Comments

UAO’s Beautifully Sung ‘Samson et Dalila’ Struggles to Cohere

UAO’s Beautifully Sung ‘Samson et Dalila’ Struggles to Cohere

By CB Adams

There is a particular sadness when the pieces of an opera production, many of them individually accomplished, never quite cohere. Union Avenue Opera’s decision to close its 32nd Festival Season with Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila” is ambitious.

Taking it on means wrestling with a work whose substantial oratorio DNA—formal choral writing, sumptuous vocal set pieces and orchestral architecture—can make it glorious to hear and stubbornly resistant to theater.

Under Scott Schoonover’s direction, Saint-Saëns’ gorgeous score makes the strongest case for the evening. The orchestra provides much of the production’s emotional life, supporting impressive voices whose differences sometimes make its mismatched power dynamics audible.

Jonny Kaufman’s clear, penetrating tenor finds Samson most persuasively in extremis, whether appealing to God or surrendering to Dalila. As the strongman weakens, Kaufman grows more compelling, turning desire into the vulnerability that undoes him. Bass-baritone Eliam Ramos brings resonant warmth and commanding authority to the High Priest of Dagon.

Melody Wilson as Dalila and Jonny Kaufman as Samson. Photo by Dan Donovan.

Melody Wilson’s warm, richly timbred mezzo creates an intriguing mismatch with her cool, regal Dalila, though that reserve eventually becomes a remoteness that keeps the character’s emotional depths beyond reach.

That distance matters because Samson and Dalila’s relationship is the hinge upon which everything turns. The opera asks us to believe in a complicated history that happened before we arrived.

Director Kathryn Frady’s intricate, tango-like Act II encounter is well sung and carefully staged, yet cannot make that unseen past feel lived. Even Samson’s blinding becomes a prolonged tableau of soldiers poised above his eyes, a theatrical device that exposes itself.

The sumptuous fabric-draped set impresses initially but evolves mostly through colored light, its palatial luxury tonally disconnected from the oppressed Israelites of Act I.

Eliam Ramos as High Priest, Fitzgerald St Louis as Abimelech. Photo by Dan Donovan.

Teresa Doggett’s costumes fare better, especially Dalila’s gleaming gold Bacchanale gown—she definitely said yes to the dress—and the High Priest’s finery.

When Saint-Saëns finally demands theatrical abandon, the Bacchanale remains curiously contained. Its awkward dance reenactment of Samson and Dalila muddles rather than intensifies the cruelty. After Kaufman makes Samson’s brokenness convincing, his sudden restored strength feels unearned, while the palace’s destruction registers as cheesy stagecraft rather than inevitable catastrophe.

At curtain call, the cast’s response to the applause felt different: relief at completing this difficult undertaking, perhaps, coupled with an almost urgent hope that the audience embraced what they had created. After so much beautiful singing and committed work that never fully cohered, the moment carried its own sadness.

Samson et Dalila ensemble. Photo by Dan Donovan.

Union Avenue Opera’s “Samson et Dalila” continues Aug. 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 N. Union Blvd., St. Louis.

Photo by Dan Donovan.
Facebook Comments

Bravura Performances Illuminate NJT’s Alarming, Volatile ‘JOB’

Bravura Performances Illuminate NJT’s Alarming, Volatile ‘JOB’

By Lynn Venhaus

Taut and tense, “JOB” is an unsettling psychological thriller that will spark a broad spectrum of conversations. While the play’s hot-button issues can be debated infinitely, with few clearcut agreements emerging – one thing is constant: outstanding, riveting acting.

The brilliant performances by John Contini and Kristen Lindvedt are among the best of this or any year.

With his customary gravitas, Contini plays Loyd, a crisis therapist, who is assigned to treat Jane, a tech worker who has had a public breakdown, which was shared by a coworker in a video that went viral. She wants her job back, but the company will only reinstate her if she is approved to do so by a licensed therapist.

Lindvedt, who asserted herself as a memorable Cinderella in New Jewish Theatre’s “Into the Woods” in 2023 and as the ingenue in “All My Sons” in 2024, both at New Jewish Theatre, is a revelation as self-obsessed Jane. She is defiant, defensive, scared, terrifying, arrogant, aggressive and annoying, showing a wide range of emotions.

Kristen Lindvedt as Jane. Jon Gitchoff photo.

First-time playwright Max Wolf Friedlich asks: What is the human cost of living online?

Meant to be ambiguous, this 90-minute two-hander takes place in January 2020, during an on-edge therapy session. It ran on Broadway in 2024 following successful off-Broadway engagements.

Clearly agitated, Jane has shown up in a San Francisco office, and this evaluation is going to be anything but routine. Uncomfortable twists and turns are ahead, and this complex character study is very much a generational face-off, between a Baby Boomer and a Millennial.

Their identities and worldview clash – she’s part of the digital-savvy tech culture and he grew up idealistic with a hippie aesthetic. But there is so much more to explore about the psychological toll of the internet, mental health, and job burnout – perhaps too much to cover in a mere 90 minutes.

Lindvedt, John Contini as Loyd. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Scenic designer C. Otis Sweezey’s well-pointed set is where the claustrophobic confrontation takes place as the power play shifts, momentum and moods swing, and anxieties rise.

The conversation is absorbing as the pair settle into an uneasy rhythm – intelligently discussing life and technology, but with an apparent nervousness — a threat of violence is present.

Jane attempts to explain her meltdown as reaction to her intense job moderating extreme online and often criminal content. Yet, her job gives her life meaning, and she takes it very seriously, almost obsessively. (What happens when your job may not be healthy for you?)

How we connect online, through computers, smartphones and social media, raises questions on guilt and innocence, truth and lies, responsibility and apathy.

How does our media consumption affect our world view, and do we feel a responsibility to fight the injustices that we see and hear about daily? Should we help people who need it the most? How do we know what’s real?

Contini and Lindvedt. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

We expect this somber drama to be divisive, but what is most surprising is how emotionally devastating it can be. With a sense of urgency, director Annamaria Pileggi has discovered relatable nuggets in a dark landscape.

Friedlich was inspired by real-life experiences, after meeting a professional content moderator whose job required reviewing disturbing online content. What happens when people assume the internet is anonymous? What happens to people adversely affected by cyberspace?

Bleak and disturbing, the play dredges up the underbelly of content – the filth that seeps onto screens, and there aren’t any easy answers, especially here. Are we seeing visions that are only in Jane or Loyd’s minds? What are these bizarre images that are conjured between flashes of light?

The artistic ambition is carried out through exceptional lighting design by Michael Sullivan and sound design by Kareem Deanes, which amplifies the city’s street sounds – and then other audio, but questions arise. Is it a sonic landscape of online engagement?

Lindvedt as Jane and Contini as Loyd in “JOB.” Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Early on, horrifically, we hear the viral video, not seen. Jane’s screams aren’t something you’ll forget anytime soon. Imagine grappling with shocking, violent, depraved images and how shattering it could be to your psyche.

We may not get easy answers we’re looking for, because after all, the lines between perception and reality are blurred. Ultimately, Friedlich’s theatrics aren’t satisfying because actions are neither clear nor conclusive.

He has magnified society’s issues without addressing where do we go from here. Whether someone is talked down from the ledge will always be a sticking point. And both are unreliable narrators.

The big reveal seems implausible, especially if you’ve been paying close attention to the details. What price are we willing to pay to live online?

Kristen Lindvedt, John Contini in ‘JOB.’ Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Some modern playwrights who’ve pulled the rug out from under us include David Harrower in “Blackbird,” which Pileggi shrewdly directed for St. Louis Actors’ Studio. The audience sat in stunned silence then — and now.

I thought of that unsettling play during this one, feeling jittery and expecting the other shoe to drop, and my similar queasy reaction to “Small Engine Repair” by John Pollano, which has shocking twists as well. (However, no one has attempted to stage that one regionally).

Nevertheless, bravery abounds with this pair, who elevate each other, and make this a tour-de-force not to be missed.

New Jewish Theatre presents “Job” Thursdays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from Aug. 6 through Aug. 23. Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: https://jccstl.com/arts-ideas/new-jewish-theatre/current-productions/

JOB. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Facebook Comments

Natural Bodybuilding Competition Takes Center Stage in Belleville

Natural Bodybuilding Competition Takes Center Stage in Belleville

By Lynn Venhaus

It’s all about what muscular development looks like, and not testing physical strength, when bodybuilding takes center stage at the historic Lincoln Theatre in downtown Belleville Saturday, Aug. 15.

Iron Man magazine is presenting the INBA PNBA Mid America Championship for both men and women bodybuilders, a Natural Olympia qualifier.

This is a natural bodybuilding competition where athletes must compete without the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids.

Strict guidelines are enforced. Promoter Joe Metzka said both the International Natural Bodybuilding Association and Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association competition complies to the Olympic committee, and contestants are fully drug tested.

He’s a passionate supporter of bodybuilding, which he describes as a mix of sport and art. and was the Natural Olympia Champion in 2024 and 2025. Natural Olympia is the world championship.

“It’s the pinnacle of natural bodybuilding,” he said.

Metzka said Denny Kakos, founder and global president of the INBA and PNBA, will be present. Considered the “Godfather of Natural Bodybuilding,” he created the Natural Olympia and established major drug-free platforms, promoting strict anti-doping standards and fair play. He united elite natural athletes in more than 70 countries for this movement.

Kakos, the owner of Iron Man magazine, designates honors and recognition.

“He will offer specific winners of amateur divisions a pro card with INBA PNBA and an invitation to Natural Olympia in November. He will also feature standout winners in the illustrious Iron Man Magazine,” Metzka said.

Athletes are judged on stage through mandatory poses, displaying their physique, symmetry, balance and conditioning. Competitions are separated into divisions based on gender, size and muscularity. There will be individual choreographed posing routines to music, followed by awards presentations.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 103 E. Main St. in Belleville. General admission is $50 and full access is $75, cash only. Tickets are available at the door.

Tickets will be available at the door ($50 or $75 for full access, cash only).

For more information, visit https://www.naturalbodybuilding.com/

Joe Metzka, former champion.
Facebook Comments