By Lynn Venhaus

A comfortable slice of life, “Johnnie Taylor is Gone” is part nostalgia trip and part character study with a pleasant panoply of St. Louis cultural references and distinct personalities that draw one into a recognizable old-timey stomping ground.

Gregory S Carr’s warm-hearted and engaging original play is set in a cozy neighborhood hangout, the fictional Golden Zodiac Lounge, which was patterned after a real north city gathering spot. This is where regulars discuss current events, their personal relationships and philosophies on life, all while enjoying a beer and plunking change in the jukebox.

The time is a few years into the Millennium, and change is inevitable in many ways in this natural setting. Owner Will Strong is a man who likes things the way they are, and because he is set in his ways, resists modernizing and catering to a younger clientele. He is fond of an over 30 crowd, although an update would help the bar stay solvent.

As embodied by virtuoso Archie Coleman, Strong is a caring father figure and stubborn proprietor who clings to his heritage. His prized possession is his vintage jukebox that only plays R&B classics and soul singers.

A popular artist, Johnnie Taylor, once visited the bar, and his picture hangs prominently on the wall. .He represents an era that Strong most identifies with, and he doesn’t want the soundtrack of his life forgotten. Taylor, best known for four chart-topping hits including 1979’s “Disco Lady,” died in 2000.

The Chicago blues legend Koko Taylor is also a favorite. Retro tunes are played, and people dance down memory lane, evoking fond memories. A song is often used to shift a mood, too.

In addition to the familiar patrons – everyone knows their names – there is a changing cultural dynamic.

A flashy, hip and imposing young guy, called Jay-G, also known as Jiggy, struts in, projecting major attitude, and is eager to purchase the bar and turn it into a hip-hop club. He is not subtle, putting pressure on Strong, talking big ideas and appearing to live large. As the not-as-smooth-operator as he thinks he is, Sequoi Edwards nails this part.

He’s also involved with someone that has a complicated character arc best not spoiled, but Wanda is a flighty younger woman (Arriel Cummings). Generational clashes figure into the storyline.

Standing out are two of the bar’s employees – the streetwise hostess and world-weary Annie, who can be alternately sassy and sweet, and is fully realized by Mardra Thomas, and the cheery, lovable bartender Bette, played by the cheery and lovable LaWanda Jackson, who just brightens every scene she’s in, oozing optimism and hope.

They smoothly interact with customers like they’ve been working there for years. The patrons enjoying each other’s company include Jeremy Thomas as Pace, a barfly whose wife Myrtle is always calling the landline with grocery lists and checking up on where he is, Juan Smith as opinionated fixture Bruh and Jaz Tucker as a nice-guy delivery man Bud. Talk includes sports, music, art, politics, religion and current events.

In brief but memorable turns, veteran Don McClendon looks dapper in a bright yellow suit and fancy green hat as a church pastor called Churchill and Ieshah Edwards as helpful beat cop Judy, looking out for the welfare of her turf.

The bar has such a lively feeling that you know exactly what kind of place it is, having no doubt entered the door of similar establishments, where the staff knows drink orders and there is always something to talk about, whether it’s criticizing Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa or bringing up people who live in the vicinity. That’s a charming aspect of this 2-hour, 15-minute show.

Another delight is listening to the golden oldies that play. The music is integral to the whole experience and is part of the show’s vibe. Sound designer Darrious Varner has curated an interesting list of tunes, which add authenticity. He also assembled the costumes.

While its heart is in the right place and one applauds their ambition, Aquarian Rising Productions is a fledgling professional theater group that strives to represent black voices and black experiences, and their enthusiasm is contagious.

Because they are so new, this is a very low-budget production that is obviously a labor of love. Some of the technical issues – sound and lights, especially – are problematic. It is often hard to hear characters, which is a shame because Carr has a flair for writing witty dialogue and the local references are fun to hear.

The venue is the Jefferson Avenue Mission, a former old church, so the audience sits in pews, and the small stage provides limited space for some of the action. Wiring for microphones and lights hit some snags opening weekend. Hopefully as the company grows and flourishes, the stagecraft elements will be stronger, for they’re off to a good start with quality performances and eager creatives.

The director is veteran actress and artist Thomasina Clarke, who is Jaz Tucker’s mother. Tucker not only is in the ensemble, but is the group’s founder. Clarke also wore several hats – designing a functional set for easy interaction, despite the limitations, giving everyone maximum visibility when sharing their story.

You’ll recognize these characters, and this place, feel the community spirit, and enjoy a sentimental journey. The conflicts and crises that make up the dramatic elements are quickly resolved, in some ways you don’t expect, and you’ll want to root for everyone to do better as time marches on.

Aquarian Rising Productions presents “Johnnie Taylor is Gone” from April 25 to May 4, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. at the Jefferson Avenue Mission, 2241 Jefferson, in the Fox Park neighborhood. For more information: www.jamstl.org.

By Lynn Venhaus

Two life-affirming original one-acts grab the heart through humor and genuine emotion for a moving night of original stories in “As Told By Us” presented by Prison Performing Arts’ Alumni Theatre Company.

Featuring works by two Missouri playwrights who have written from their heart about home, both strike universal chords with their observations on life, love, loss and surviving despair, heartaches and regrets. These are characters that feel real.

“Go Before I Do,” written by Hazel McIntire, features Katherine Leemon as a world-weary mixologist working at a craft cocktail bar. In walks a daughter who is meeting her father for a drink.

Jocelyn Padilla plays a sophisticated, well-traveled woman, and her dad, played by David Nonemaker is a typical Midwest good guy who likes simple things, and simple pleasures. They are dealing with the loss of their mother and wife – in different ways.

Under Eric Satterfield’s direction, it’s a lived-in portrait, warm with humor from quoting “The Golden Girls” but also expressing the aches of loss, and the daunting task of moving forward.

Jocelyn Padilla and David Nonemaker. Photo by RayBayCreates.

The characters explore grief and loss as they grow and learn to understand. Its emotional impact sneaks up on you when you least expect it. “Go Before I Do” was first presented by SATE at their Aphra Behn Festival in 2022.

It’s a good start to this two-act program, setting the table for “Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You.”

Leemon, who played the bartender in the first one-act, is the playwright of the exceptional “Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You.” Be prepared for its emotional wallop as force of nature LaWanda Jackson is raw and vulnerable in a remarkably honest performance.

Jackson mesmerizes in a hard-fought journey to make sense of her incarceration and moving beyond those years with self-acceptance, and a desire to be everything she can become.

Directed by Rachel Tibbetts, the play unfolds with warmth, humor, sweetness, light, interesting observations and outlooks on life. When everything is taken from you, how do you bounce back and re-enter society?

Kristen Strom and LaWanda Jackson. Photo by RayBayCreates.

This tale also tackles friendship, with Kristen Strom in several supporting roles. When Jackson talks about what it means to be a contemporary woman, she is as funny as a stand-up comedian delivering a monologue. Sarcasm with a smile, delivered sincerely. But she always keeps it real, and her ability to express a full range of emotions in that one-act is impressive..

Jackson’s work is one of my favorite performances of the year, and the play one of the candidates for Best New Play.

The tech work is crisp, with Bess Moynihan’s astute lighting design and a set design that’s reveal is best not spoiled (misty-eyed memories!), Brian Dooley’s expert sound design – and deft needle drops, and Tyler White’s modern casual costume design. Eric Satterfield’s project designs are also noteworthy.

In the intimate confines of the Greenfinch performance space, Prison Performing Arts presented a cozy, comforting environment to share beautiful stories about going through the hard knocks of life and coming through the other side. Poignant and powerful, they resonated deeply because two pieces were a sample of joy that can be found in the unlikeliest of places and with unexpected connections.

PPA presents “As Told By Us” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 14-17, at the Greenfinch Theatre & Dive 2525 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Mo 63104. Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., evenings Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through Purple Pass. For more information, please visit www.prisonperformingarts.org. Content warning/Trigger warning:Be advised that this production contains mature content and references to suicide.

LaWanda Jackson as Kate spills her life story. Photo by RayBayCreates.

SATE looks forward to a return to live, in-person productions in 2022, the Season of Party, with all world-premiere, original plays, including the Sixth Annual Aphra Behn Festival and Brontë Sister House Party by Courtney Bailey.

To kick off the 2022 Season of Party, SATE will present its sixth annual Aphra Behn Festival, April 29-May 1, 2022 at 8:00 PM (CST) at Centene Center for the Arts in midtown St. Louis. Established in 2017, the Aphra Behn Festival’s goal is to give women interested in directing and writing for theatre an opportunity to get more experience, experiment, and hone their craft. The Festival is named for the fascinating poet, translator, and spy, Aphra Behn, who is widely considered to be the first English woman to make her living as a playwright.

In 2022, SATE will produce three original plays written and directed by women artists. 

Go Before I Do by Hazel McIntire, directed by LaWanda Jackson
A bar in the nightlife district becomes a portal into others life as drinks are poured and memories made. A daughter lives through the loss of both of her parents in the span of a few short years, which is viewed by her faithful bartender. A view of the world seen by the often unseen, Go Before I Do is a story of growth, exploration, and understanding. 

Repurposed, by Michelle Zielinski, directed by Elizabeth Van Pelt
Will a downcast visitor on a dreary day find meaning in strange modern art? And which is stranger, the art or the other people? Reply Hazy, Try Again …

The Super Fun Time Party Palace by Lize Lewy, directed by Rae Davis
The Super Fun Time Party Palace is a look into the banality of parenthood. Frankie and Jessie are first time parents who will try anything to make their 6 year old son’s birthday a success, and in doing so, chaos ensues. 

Audition information can be found on SATE website at www.satestl.org under the Auditions banner. 

Festival Stage Manager: Emma Glose

Festival Designers: Bess Moynihan, Liz Henning, Grace Sellers, and students from East Central College. 

Festival Graphic Design by Dottie Quick.

SATE’s 2022 Aphra Behn Festival is made possible by funding from the Missouri Arts Council and The Steven Nelson Memorial Playwright’s Fund. 

The second show in the 2022 season is Brontë Sister House Party by Courtney Bailey, directed by Keating, designed by Bess Moynihan and Liz Henning, running August 10-27, 2022 at The Chapel. Originally commissioned by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival as part of the Confluence Writers Project 2021 cohort, Brontë Sister House Party will receive its world-premiere production by SATE. 

The Brontë sisters of Victorian literary fame (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) are trapped in a purgatorial time loop where they must throw a fabulous house party every night for eternity. Only when they reach The Point of Celebratory Reverence, the highest point of celebration that a party can achieve, will they be released. An absurd, feminist revisionist tribute to all the women artists who’ve created under pressure and still had it in them to throw a good party. 

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