Disney’s ‘Wish’ Lacks the Luster It Is Striving For in Centennial Tribute

Disney’s ‘Wish’ Lacks the Luster It Is Striving For in Centennial Tribute

By Lynn Venhaus
The idealist in me wants to believe in Disney magic, of good triumphing over evil, of the power of community, and memorable moments, often with hopeful songs, that “Wish” embodies. 

Nevertheless, the cynic in me wonders if Disney’s reliance on their formula, just in time for the holidays, to endear a whole new line of toys to their loyal fans, makes the film lack the luster that “Frozen” and “Encanto” did.

Because the leading lady Asha’s pet goat Valentino, voiced by Disney regular Alan Tudyk, is certain to fly off the shelves, with its lovable demeanor and snappy dialogue. And the cosmic force that changes the plot’s trajectory, a Star, is drawn as a golden ball of energy. Cha-ching.

But we should be used to this, especially after the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s, where the Disney princesses became icons and prestige was bestowed with many awards for the animated musicals’ songs and scores. The bar was raised.

However, in recent years, the Disney output has been a mixed bag of highs and lows. For every “Zootopia,” there’s a “Strange World.” And I’m not even going to mention the live action remakes.

For all its good intentions to celebrate the Walt Disney Studios’ centennial, “Wish,” which is supposed to be the musical origin story for the “Wishing Star” that Disney is famous for, feels like a cut-and-paste tribute. 

Co-written  by the “Frozen” team of Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, along with Allison Moore, “Wish” follows a young girl named Asha who attempts to save the fantastical Kingdom of Rosas from darkness. She wishes on a star and that trouble-making beacon comes down from the sky to join her because King Magnifico, a sorcerer, isn’t all that he seems to be.

Asha has seven friends who are grumpy, dopey, sneezy, and so forth – wink, wink. Sure, plenty of Easter eggs, but the homages are often nods to better efforts, and are missing the magic they are trying so hard to create.

The plucky heroine, a compassionate and smart peasant girl, rallies her beloved community because the cunning ruler, King Magnifico, voiced by a first-rate Chris Pine as both unctuous and ruthless, becomes a megalomaniac before our eyes. The whole wish symbolism gets a little muddled if you think about what all that means — putting your hopes and dreams into an omnipotent ruler.

As Asha, Ariana DeBose is a powerhouse vocalist, and the animators wisely capture her lithe dancing style, plus she can emotionally connect as the character.

While female empowerment is always worthy, with positive portrayals to propel this musical comedy, the other message is a noble one, and actually a little daring with its cautionary tale on authoritarianism and fascism. (Real world headlines intrude!)

The vocal work is fine – among the recognizable names, Victor Garber is a sympathetic grandfather Sabino, Evan Peters is Simon, one of Asha’s friends, and Ramy Youssef is Safi.

But the script is rather slight, and the music doesn’t seem to have a break-out original song like the “Encanto” or “Moana” songbook. Nevertheless, “This Wish” and “Knowing What I Know Now” are catchy – just not earworms like “Let It Go” or the Menken-Ashman canon. 

Stay for the credits because they will include every Disney animated feature in artwork, and there is a bonus scene with an iconic Disney song.

“Wish” is pleasant enough – just not as endearing as we’ve come to expect from the Mouse House. But its statement, perhaps aimed at a certain governor of the state where Disney World is based, is funny in a sly master stroke way. The movie’s message: Be careful what you wish for.

“Wish” is a 2023 animated musical fantasy directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn and starring Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, VIctor Garber, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Evan Peters and Ramy Youssef. It is rated PG for thematic elements and mild action, and the run time is 1 hour, 35 minutes. It opened in theatres Nov. 22. Lynn’s Grade: B-.

Silly Offbeat ‘Next Goal Wins’ Is By-the-Numbers Crowd Pleaser

Silly Offbeat ‘Next Goal Wins’ Is By-the-Numbers Crowd Pleaser

By Lynn Venhaus

Think a second tier “Ted Lasso” meets a “Cool Runnings” vibe in this rough-around-the-edges underdog sports comedy-drama that is based on a true story.

The now infamous American Samoa soccer team, known for a historically brutal 2001 FIFA match they lost 31-0 to Australia, seeks redemption — and a goal — in 2014 or they’ll be booted out of the football federation.

Aimed at the heart with emphasis on quirky, director and co-writer Taika Waititi focuses on the likability of the Pacific Islanders involved with the soccer team, and the colorful inhabitants of American Samoa, a U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean.

It’s a mixed result. Waititi and co-screenwriter Aian Morris follow the template of the 2014 documentary of the same name, but naturally embellished for a narrative. 

Set in 2014, many people still have not gotten over the 2001 humiliation and are doubtful about the next World Cup qualifying match as the team hasn’t scored a goal since. Football Federation President Tavita, wonderfully played by charmer Oscar Kightley, is determined to get the team across that hurdle, so he hires a hothead Dutch-born coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender), who has been fired for egregious behavior, four weeks away from the game.

Naturally, he’s a fish out of water – faced with the ultimatum to leave or take the American Samoan job. His surly demeanor is at odds with the happy-go-lucky islanders, and does he even like soccer? He drinks too much, yells too much, and cares far too little. 

Following the familiar beats of goodness triumphing over meanness, like every true-story sports movie, “Next Goal Wins” is a crowd-pleaser but average paint-by-numbers movie.

New Zealander Waititi is known for his offbeat work in “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” won an Oscar for “JoJo Rabbit,” and has directed a couple mega budget “Thor” movies.

Michael Fassbender and Jaiyah

Most surprising is seeing the intense Michael Fassbender cast as the down-on-his-luck maverick coach Thomas Rongen, who is tasked with turning the world’s worst soccer team around as World Cup Qualifiers approach. American Samoa is ranked last, and if they do not win, will be booted.

Fassbender, two-time Oscar nominee for “Steve Jobs” and “12 Years a Slave,” is known for serious roles. He is an odd choice, but this rage-aholic coach is a high-strung guy, so playing cantankerous, screaming so much his veins stand out, is within his specific set of skills. 

The character is designed to be redeemed, of course, and he gets his big speech, although throws a couple curves in, to explain some of his behavior. Fassbender is never going to be warm and fuzzy, or funny, for that matter, but you do root for him to get out of his own way.

In the spirit of “The Mighty Ducks” and “Bad News Bears,” the team players espouse the ‘old college try’ philosophy, and fit the kooky mold Waititi was going for, along with providing a strong sense of community. 

The likable Jaiyah, a transgender player, portrayed by a winsome Kaimana, is horribly disrespected by Rongen, and that relationship development is a focus of the plot, but the others aren’t given much to work with – Beulah Koale as Tavita’s son, Semu Filipo as police officer Rambo, and Uli Latukefu as the former goalie Nicky Salapu stand out.

Armani, the kid helping Rongen, is another source of comic relief, and Waititi uses the young actor Armani Makaiwa wisely. 

In supporting roles are Elisabeth Moss as Rongen’s divorce-headed wife, Will Arnett, who replaced Armie Hammer, as football federation board’s Alex Magnussen, and Rachel House as Tavita’s wife Ruth.

Showcasing the natural beauty of the island makes for a pleasant backdrop, with beaches, reefs and stunning cliff outlooks. And the characters’ relaxed way of life adds to the authentic depiction.

If you’re looking for heartwarming, you can find it here. However, if you are seeking a rousing underdog sports film that’s a cut above the usual, seek out the Oscar-winning documentary “Undefeated.”

“Next Goal Wins” is a 2023 Sports Comedy directed by Taika Waititi and starring Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, and David Fane. It’s rated: PG-13 for some strong language and crude material and runs 1 hour, 43 minutes. It opens in theatres Nov. 17. Lynn’s Grade: C.

Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ Presents Elvis Romance as Surreal Teenage Dream

Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ Presents Elvis Romance as Surreal Teenage Dream

By Lynn Venhaus

Women of privilege but not power in a male-dominated world has been a theme in other Sofia Coppola films, and “Priscilla” fits that mold in its look at the heavily documented superstar life of The King of Rock ‘n Roll, but from his sheltered bride’s perspective.

More style than substance, “Priscilla” could be considered a companion piece to last year’s flashier, bolder “Elvis,” and presents snapshots of the Presleys’ relationship, only hinting at deeper issues instead of delving into them.

That keeps the pair at arm’s length, meaning we don’t invest emotionally – although the performers convey believable characters. Portraying the sweet, naïve Priscilla Beaulieu, Cailee Spaeny is a stunner in a breakthrough role. As the sultry superstar, Jacob Elordi, as he has done as the bad-boy jock in “Euphoria,” implies a complexity to the singer-matinee idol that isn’t explored.

Yet, the movie is named after the homesick schoolgirl who was thrust into an intoxicating whirlwind romance that she was incapable of understanding because of her not-fully-formed emotional development (and his). After all, he was 24 and she was 14 when they met while he was stationed in the Army in Germany and her stepfather was an officer. If you fast forward 60 years later, and the couple never would have survived today’s harsh social media scrutiny.

Whether intentionally or not, Elvis doesn’t come across in the best light if we’re looking through a modern lens. Did he groom her and take advantage of an underage girl? Or were feelings pure and the connection on a different level?

But, of course, their era was a very different time in gender politics. They were married from 1967 to 1973, first meeting in 1959. After Elvis’s death in 1977,at age 42, Priscilla took over the reins of his legacy, and became generally regarded as a savvy businesswoman. She also had an acting career, most notably in “The Naked Gun” movies and on TV’s “Dallas.”

Elvis Presley Enterprises, which represents the trust and the physical estate Graceland, denied using his music catalogue for the film. Priscilla is the co-founder and former chairperson, and serves as an executive producer of this film. Music supervisor Phoenix is left to needle-drops of the time period.

In a moody, evocative way, benefitting from cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd’s lens, writer-director Coppola has created a fairy-tale fantasy, where an impressionable girl lives a surreal teenage dream. Elvis treats the dainty teenager like a doll, making sure she dresses in a certain way and creating her look according to his specifications.

Coppola has mined this point of view before, as the phrase “women in a gilded cage” has been used to describe her previous films – “The Virgin Suicides,” “Somewhere,” and “Marie Antoinette.” Coppola can and has defied expectations, for she followed up a widely panned acting turn in “The Godfather Part III” as Michael Corleone’s daughter Mary in 1990 with “The Virgin Suicides” in 1999, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for 2003’s “Lost in Translation.”

Similar to what happens to Cinderella and the handsome prince (“I was raised to be charming, not sincere”) when reality sets in during the second act of “Into the Woods,” we view a paradise lost. You can feel Priscilla’s crushing loneliness while she attends an all-girls Catholic high school in Memphis and “keeps the home fires burning” at Graceland while he was touring or making movies or hanging with his TCB entourage. The suffocating oppression is as obvious as Xanadu in “Citizen Kane” yet the film barely touches the surface of the corrupting over-indulgence.

The production design by Tamara Deverell, who has worked on several of Guillermo del Toro’s films, is meticulous in its gaudy, retro stylings of Graceland and the high life in Las Vegas. Costume designer Stacey Battat has created marvelous vintage looks for every character, but her work dressing Priscilla is exquisite in its array of colors, textures, and tiny details.

Spaeny, who played the teen who went missing in “Mare of Easttown” and has been in minor roles, shows how that isolation manifests in her character, and how she transforms from a blank slate into what Elvis wanted and expected in a wife.

At 6’ 5”, Elordi is a striking Elvis, and conveys a more human side of the legend we think we know. While a lavish lifestyle is depicted, he portrays the King as a country boy trying to navigate the pitfalls of fame whose ego has a hard time shaking off slights. He’s attempting to live up to an image he thinks he should – wine, women, song – while compartmentalizing his home life.

It would have been interesting to address more of Priscilla’s side, as she finally gets enough gumption to leave, but the film ends abruptly – just as Priscilla is coming into her own as a person. She was 28 then.

The source material is Priscilla’s memoir “Elvis and Me” from 1986, which recalls the intimate details of their private life while living a very public lifestyle. The movie indicates nuggets of truth behind the tabloid rumors, and refers to, but glosses over, his peccadillos.

But the biggest omission is getting a sense that the two had an unbreakable bond that continued after his death, which Priscilla has maintained.

While fascinating, “Priscilla” is an incomplete work, and needed more to fill in the blanks.

“Priscilla” is a 2023 biographical drama-romance, written and directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen and Dagmara Dominczyk. It is rated R for drug use and some language, and runs 1 hour, 50 minutes. It opened in theaters November 3. Lynn’s Grade: B-

Take Ten with Artist and Filmmaker Taylor Yocom

Take Ten with Artist and Filmmaker Taylor Yocom

By Lynn Venhaus
A working artist who explores femininity in visuals ranging from collages to short films, Taylor Yocom is one to watch — and on the move, so it seems fitting that Lambert International Airport has displayed her art — an installation “My mom said to always have flowers around.”

Flowers are a focus, a fashion statement, and part of her signature style. Her recent 19-minute film, “These Flowers Are For You,” won Best Experimental Film at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase in July, and is among the short films being screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival.

It has been doing well on the festival circuit. In fact, last week, her film screened in three places, from Iowa to Iceland — at the Flat Earth Film Festival in Iceland and the Des Moines Underground Film Festival in addition to SLIFF (Sunday, Nov. 12, 7:15 p.m., as part of the shorts program “Showcase I,” Alamo Drafthouse 3).

Describing it as her most ambitious film to date, it depicts Yocom’s experience of being matched as a bone marrow donor. She narrates her emotional journey and artistic process of grappling with the ethics of making work for, and about, a stranger.

2020-03-11—Portraits of Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts staff members.

Her previous short films touch on issues of femininity, the idea of craft and artistic labor amid a pandemic, and revisiting a project recollecting Maria Schneider’s sexual harassment on the set of “Last Tango in Paris” — “Just because!” – 3 minutes, which screened at the Citygarden; “Flowers/distance” – 8 minutes; “That floral wallpaper” – 13 minutes; and “In Paris, I tango for Maria (take 2) – 9 minutes.

The art at Lambert — in the Southwest Airlines Terminal, was on a 60-foot pink wall, and installed in April 2022.

Taylor was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and holds a BFA in Photography from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Visual Arts from Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

Her work has been exhibited and screened in venues across North America, including Indie Memphis, FilmDiaryNYC, The Kansas Union Gallery, and the Montreal Feminist Film Festival. She has artist books and zines in collections across the country, including Rutgers University, the MOMA Library and Washington University. Her residencies include ArtFarm Nebraska and Internationale de Arts in Paris.

For more information, visit her website: www.tayloryo.com

Take Ten Q and A with Taylor Yocom

(Editor’s note: This was written during the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase last summer)

1. What is special about your latest project?

My latest film is about my journey of being matched as a bone marrow donor, the artistic documentation of that journey, and my own self reflection of the ethics of making work about a stranger. I was matched to donate to a woman who had leukemia like my maternal grandma that I never got to meet. Going through this process and making this film was an unexpected way to get closer to my mom and learn about her experience with her mother during her final days. 

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

I am currently an artist and filmmaker working in photography, collage, fibers, and film. I always was “crafty” as a kid and started to really take art seriously when I navigated towards photography and art in college. I would spend Friday nights at my typewriter and stack of magazines, making collages, and would bring my film camera to parties. Taking classes for fun turned into a minor, which turned into a major, and then I went to grad school for my MFA in Visual Art at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

3. How would your friends describe you?

Upbeat, always working on a project, most likely wearing a floral dress and talking about my cat too much. 

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

“I built my own loom and now enjoy weaving and watching ‘Sex and the City’ on repeat at my studio. 

5. What is your current obsession?

This $7 bag of very good gummy bears I got on sale at Schnucks! On a more serious note, I’m diving into learning about jacquard weaving and just devoured the book “Thread Ripper” by Amalie Smith. 

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

I was on the debate team in high school.

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

I was registering for classes during freshman year and thought “why not?” and took the last slot for an art class,

8. Who do you admire most?

Ah, so many! Within the arts I would definitely choose Moyra Davey, the filmmaker and artist. She has a very smart, poetic yet research-driven practice and lives in the art-writing-film world in an impactful way. 

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

Make a feature-length film.

10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?

I was very privileged to be able to work from home during that time with minimal financial impact, so I want to acknowledge that not everyone had that luxury. As for the arts, for me, I took it as an opportunity to slow down and focus on the act of making. I think there was more of an appreciation for art-for-arts-sake and the power of beautiful and moving objects to create meaning in our lives. 

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

I love getting lost in the galleries at SLAM and also visiting Moonshine the horse in Tower Grove Park. 

12. What’s next?

I received a RAC grant to go to Vancouver to learn Jacquard weaving! I am working on patterns I’ve drawn that are based on floral patterns I’ve found in vintage periodicals at the Dowd Illustration Research Archive here. I’ll be making them into tapestries!

Photo by Kalaija Mallery

More About Taylor Yocom
 
Age: 30
Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa
Current location: St. Louis:
Education: MFA in Visual Art at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, BFA in Photography from the University of Iowa
First movie you were involved in or made: In Paris, I tango for Maria (take 2) was my first short film
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? I love films by Agnes Varda.
Awards/Honors/Achievements: Bustle Upstart Awardee in 2016, Residency at Cite Internationale des Arts in 2018
Favorite quote/words to live by: Anything from Julia Cameron
A song that makes you happy: Dancing Queen by Abba

“My mom said to always have flowers around” artwork by Taylor Yocom in installation at Lambert International Airport Terminal 2, April 2022.

Road Maps, Detours and Powerhouse Vocals Drive ‘The Mad Ones’

Road Maps, Detours and Powerhouse Vocals Drive ‘The Mad Ones’

By Lynn Venhaus

An 18-year-old girl in a car. Life looms large at that age, so much ahead, not much in the rear-view mirror. Is she ready to embark on her journey?

The expertly produced “The Mad Ones” from Tesseract Theatre captures those feelings –that yearning for experiences and the exhilaration of the possibilities about the road ahead, but also wanting to leave the past behind. And regrets, we’ve all had a few.

The show, first produced in 2017, formerly known as “The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown,” focuses on that moment when you prepare to leave home – off to college or work or other adventures – and the memories that flood your brain during a turning point. What does Samantha do when people around her give advice? And how can she move on when certain things hold her back?

Ensemble. Photo by Florence Flick

As besties Samantha and Kelly, Melissa Felps as the smart one and Grace Langford as the wild one sing their hearts out in Kait Kerrigan and Bree Loudermilk’s off-Broadway musical theatre sensation. This contemporary drama is laced with humor and isn’t going for easy answers or tying things up neatly, but rather a process of discovery, which can feel overwrought because of the intense material.

This four-person show taps into choices, grief, and loss, and how the detours of life just force us off the road – even when we’re just getting started. Three of the four performers make their Tesseract debut, in line with the company’s mission to include fresh voices and new perspectives. (Langford was seen earlier this year in “The Last Five Years.”)

While Felps and Langford, both tremendous belters, are a dynamic duo as the oh-so-dramatic BFFs, Sarah Gene Dowling as Sam’s mom Beverly and Cody Cole as Sam’s boyfriend Adam are also noteworthy.

Dowling conveys warmth and wisdom as sometimes overbearing Beverly, strong in her touching “Miles to Go” solo, and zealous in “I Know My Girl” accompanied by the ensemble. Cole, while not on stage that much, works to make dim-bulb Adam more than the one-note character as written. His “Run Away with Me” reveals a tender side.

Sarah Gene Dowling and Melissa Felps. Photo by Florence Flick.

The characters are rather sketchily drawn, but the performers work overtime to make them relatable. The book could use some tweaking – as the non-linear story arc can be clunky in disclosure and sometimes murky.

However, the propulsive songs are exceptionally expressive, and the ensemble delivers them with a deeply felt commitment, especially “Moving On,” “Drive” and “Remember This.” They have fun introducing themselves in “We’re Just in Your Head.”

Once dialed in, the production is more than crossroads and “On the Road” references (title included). No need for spoiler alert– but expect life to happen while they’re busy making other plans.

Felps, in her best performance to date, exhibits plenty of verve, but also frets in the way that teenage girls do, with moms and boyfriends to deal with – and with a pesky live-wire best friend judging her decisions and nudging her out of her comfort zone.

Her poignant delivery of “The Girl Who Drove Away” and “There Was a Party” aptly captures her impassioned but sensible valedictorian character, while she excels in the duets, smoothly collaborating with her partners.

With Cole as the not-as-intelligent beau, the couple is playful in “Simple as That,” funny in “The Proposal,” and sweet and hopeful in “Say the Word.”

The mother-daughter relationship is humorously captured in “My Mom Is a Statistician” while she’s learning to drive, a running plot point.

Cody Cole, Melissa Felps, Grace Langford. Photo by Florence Flick.

But the calling card here is puckish Langford and earnest Felps’ stupendous harmony. Their heartfelt vocals are best in a song grappling with life’s blows – “Ordinary Senior Year,” and revisiting memories and dreams in “Freedom.” They really have fun with “Top Ten” – you must listen to the lyrics. (A dig about Sting’s musical?! Hilarious. More Sting jokes to come (?!)

Both high-spirited actresses have worked together before, in a regional production of “Urinetown” in summer 2022, and they have an easy chemistry that allows their characters to resonate emotionally. The two singers reach a zenith with their power in “Go Tonight” (written as a shouting match, it seems – some of the bombastic delivery could have been more nuanced to mix up the intensity).

Lyricist Kerrigan and composer Loudermilk’s musical has inspired a cult-like following, in a similar way that “Dear Evan Hansen” did in 2017. As this work has been in development for many years, several numbers went viral on YouTube. More than 15,000 pieces of digital music from the score have already been sold since 2009.

The work of high-octane director-choreographer-performer Kevin Corpuz, a big fan of Kerrigan-Loudermilk, always has an energy to it, and in his directorial debut, has maintained a noticeable momentum in The Marcelle space. The staging, to use a driving reference (that are plentiful in this show), has muscular power.

Music Director Joe Schoen’s interpretation of the score has both a fleetness and a sleekness to it, with Schoen conducting and playing keyboard, and superb sound from Adam Rugo on guitar, Chuck Evans on violin, and Zach Neumann on a second keyboard.

The creative crew has contributed to outstanding production values – Jacob Baxley on sound design, Brittanie Gunn on lighting design, and Todd Schaefer’s striking scenic design that allows a fluidity, while Stage Manager Sarah Baucom keeps the action smooth.

Photo by Florence Flick.

Gunn, co-founder and creative director, and Corpuz, also creative director, are ushering in a new era at the 12-year-old Tesseract that promises to be exciting as they reach new goals with musical productions and continue their commitment to new voices with their summer play festival.

“The Mad Ones” is a crowd-pleasing choice after positive response to “Kinky Boots,” “Ordinary Days,” and “The Last Five Years,” yet still taking risks and meeting challenges. Next up is “The Inheritance,” the 2020 Tony Award winner for Best Play, in April, New Musical Summer Fest in July, and the musical “Anastasia” in November 2024.

In the iconoclastic words of Jack Kerouac: “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or a saw a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

Tesseract Theatre Company presents “The Mad Ones” Nov. 3-12, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. at The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr, St. Louis, 63103, in Grand Center. The show is 1 hour, 40 minutes, without intermission. For more information, visit the website: www.tesseracttheatre.com

Melissa Felps as Samantha. Photo by Florence Flick

Spontaneity is Key to ‘White Rabbit, Red Rabbit’ Absurdist Adventure

Spontaneity is Key to ‘White Rabbit, Red Rabbit’ Absurdist Adventure

By Lynn Venhaus

Think of it as ‘80s performance art meets a ‘60s Be-In. An experimental “happening” play, “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit” by Nassim Soleimanpour, is being presented by the Black Mirror Theatre Company for a brief four-performance run just to do something different.

And unique it is – interactive with the audience and performed without a set, director, or rehearsals. A different actor reads the script cold – for the first and last time – at each performance, and their name goes on a list so that they can never perform it again.

If it sounds fringy, it appeared at the St. Louis Fringe Festival in 2021.

When he was 29, Soleimanpour was forbidden to leave his country, Iran. He can’t leave because he is a conscientious objector who has refused to take part in mandatory military service. Barred from travel, he turned his isolation into an absurdist theatrical experience that brings actor and audience together through uncharted terrain.

But above all, it’s his voice, coming through different actors.

On opening night, Jarek Templeton was the actor who opened the script that had been sealed in a manila envelope and given to him by producer Michelle Zielinski. He then read the pages in a folder as instructed. He immediately took control and guided audience members on what they had to do, and he performed the actions the playwright requested.

Because of its unusual structure, the focus is on how the performer handles the on-the-fly aspect and tapping into the innovative playwrighting. The audience was game – applauding and participating when called upon.

On Friday, Evan Turek will be the actor, Dorothy LaBounty on Saturday, and Ellie Schwetye on Sunday.

Part comedy, part drama, the playwright is involved in each production – he communicates with notes to the people involved in putting on the show. They were told 48 hours before the show to have water on stage, and two glasses.

It may start out light-hearted, or a bit daffy, but included are some serious topics to mull over. Because of its spontaneity, the less you know going in, the better.

The Black Mirror’s earnest commitment to creating interesting theater took a leap forward with this intriguing concept.

The Black Mirror Theatre Company presents “White Rabbit/Red Rabbit” on association with Aurora Nova Productions and Boat Rocker Entertainment Nov. 2-5 p.m. at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive, St. Louis, MO 63105. For more information, visit blackmirrortheatre.org

More information is also available” https//www.facebook.com/WhiteRabbitRedRabbit

Jarek Templeton, Michelle Zielinski after first performance. Photo by Lynn Venhaus.

Performances Power An Intriguing Mystery-Thriller ‘Mindgame’

Performances Power An Intriguing Mystery-Thriller ‘Mindgame’

By Lynn Venhaus

“Mindgame” is one of those clever psychological thrillers that keeps you guessing through two acts, as the twists and gasps mount.

Set in an experimental maximum-security asylum for the criminally insane, a feeling of dread permeates the drab walls of Fairfields, which is located in an isolated part of the English countryside. In the director’s office, you can only imagine what horrors are on the other side of the door.

The program notes state that “nothing is what it seems.”

The 1999 play written by Anthony Horowitz is a rather verbose exercise, but the tension builds as we question who is legit and who is unhinged, and why the psychopaths who live undetected next door send chills up our spines.

It takes place in the summer at the turn of the 21st century, hence the modern references instead of the dated Agatha Christie-Arthur Conan Doyle tropes.

When Act One begins, a journalist has an appointment to see the director in hopes of gaining permission to interview a notorious serial killer named Easterman for a true-crime book. Easterman’s terrifying string of murders were grisly – and we’ll hear about them in more detail. Would you go near Hannibal Lecter or Ed Gein?

We will also hear about more cases, and while Easterman is fictional, the other stories are based on real murderers. For instance, sadist Andrei Chikatilo who is mentioned killed more than 50 women and children.

As presented by Albion Theatre, “Mindgame” is a tour de force for its two leading actors, Chuck Winning and Nick Freed, who are reminiscent of Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier going toe to toe (or head-to-head) in the brilliant 1972 film “Sleuth,” which was based on Anthony Shaffer’s Tony-winning play. (Fun fact: Both were so captivating that they were nominated for Oscars, losing to Marlon Brando for “The Godfather.”)

The third cast member, Nicole Angeli, is Nurse Paisley, and as always, she delivers a multi-layered performance in a smaller supporting, but pivotal, role.

Winning, Angeli and Freed. Photo by John Lamb

Winning, as Doctor Farquhar, and Freed, as writer Mark Styler, are on stage nearly the whole time, and work so well together that it’s like watching a 5-set tennis match at the Wimbledon finals, such are the nimble verbal volleys and quicksilver shifts of power between their characters.

Earlier this year, both actors stood out in Albion’s second play, “The Birthday Party.” As a pair of menacing villains, Winning was a revelation and Freed, who moved here from Chicago, made a stunning debut.

Winning’s Farquhar is garrulous, pompous, and brainy, displaying contempt for the patients and superiority in his psychoanalysis and therapy skills. When he pontificates about his perception of how to treat the mentally ill, Winning’s hot-air blathering teeters on that fine line between ridiculous and expertise.

Freed’s Styler is confident, cocky, and skeptical at first, then increasingly unsettled by the surroundings and peculiar behaviors. His instincts are finely tuned as his moods change.

The play is elaborate in how it threads the needle from point A to point B – and that can get a little tedious as dynamics flip. However, the actors hold our attention and bring out the best in each other as scene partners, and Robert Ashton ups the ante with his adroit direction.

In British slang, the mystery’s a corker, and Ashton, a nimble theater veteran with a flair for crisp and purposeful staging, masterfully controls the suspense.

To give more away would be to spoil the plot, and the fun part of being in the audience is the discovery. Because you know something’s not quite right, and deceit and delusions are there for the deducing.

It’s a credit to all involved that they never tip us off, stay in the moment and do not anticipate what’s ahead, making us fascinated by what’s unfolding.

The technical sight and sound work are also sharp, with Erik Kuhn the tech director and set designer, and an expert fight choreographer. Eric Wennlund’s lighting design is both functional and artful while Jacob Baxley’s sound design adds layers of fright. Stage Manager and Assistant Director Gwynneth Rausch keeps the danse macabre taut.

It’s only Albion’s fourth show, and they have impressed with their well-staged productions featuring strong performances and outstanding production values. Founded in 2022 to explore the rich history of playwrighting in Britain, with regular trips across the sea to Ireland, they not only entertainan audience, but strive to inform them of the social, political, and cultural influences of the time. So far, they are nailing every facet of the archetypes of a good drama/comedy.

One thing is always a given – that the accents will be spot-on, and the trio’s work here is superb. Albion provides a word and phrases guide for us in their programs, too.

If you like hair raised and minds bent, this is a dandy way to spend 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Chuck Winning as Dr Farquhar. Photo by John Lamb.

Albion Theatre presents “Mindgame” by Anthony Horowitz from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information, visit www. albiontheatrestl.org.

Lynn Venhaus Turning Pain Into Purpose As Part of a Women’s Anthology Book To Publish Dec. 5

Lynn Venhaus Turning Pain Into Purpose As Part of a Women’s Anthology Book To Publish Dec. 5

By Lynn Venhaus

Glory be, I have accomplished one of my life’s goals: Published author.

Although writing is a solitary pursuit, it took many other people to help me get to this point. This has not been an easy journey, but ultimately fulfilling, and cathartic, during a very rough — yet resilient — year. The best thing is that along the way, I have met my fellow contributors from across the country – and these are wise, warm women, all over 50, with not only something to say, but special people that have been a pleasure to get to know better.

We’re all part of our astonishing friend and visionary Marqueeta Curtis-Haynes’ book: “Ageless Glamour Girls: Reflections on Aging” that will be published on Dec. 5, and pre-sales are now underway. We’re hitting social media and local media during the next 36 days, and will gather together for a live group Zoom the night it is officially out that anyone can join, too, and celebrate with us..

My chapter is titled: “You Are Not Alone: Dealing with Grief and Loss.”

Lynn Venhaus (wearing my AGG T-shirt and my RBG earrings).

Talk about an abundance of life lessons! Turning pain into purpose has been one of my goals since my oldest son died nearly five years ago. It’s been a process navigating grief after Tim passed, then my brother Matt nine months later, and then my dear uncle/father figure last year. I have reached an age where by now, many other family members and friends have passed, and it can be overwhelming, especially when there are more empty chairs at every holiday and special occasion.

While I struggle to make sense of the world and summon the courage to just keep on keeping on, I thought that if I shared this very personal experience, it may help others. I hope it’s relatable and lets people know they’re not crazy or alone. It’s my raw, real story, and I don’t pretend to be an expert.

Marqueeta is a former colleague, a native of East St. Louis, Ill., and a force of nature. She lives in Florida now, and we reconnected through Facebook. She has an Ageless Café page, too, and you will be immediately captivated by her sunny spirit.

As fledgling reporters, we worked together at the Journal Newspapers of Southern Illinois, part of the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis – I want to say 1980-81 (and even played together on a benefit basketball team that will remain one of our most ‘what were we thinking?’ experiences that we can laugh about now).

She left our dingy Fairview Heights newsroom to go into broadcast writing — St. Louis TV news (KMOX then – Channel 4) then onto the big dream of CBS News in NYC, and other career opportunities, while I moved on to O’Fallon Progress, then my dream job at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and after that folded, Belleville News-Democrat, Centralia Sentinel, and other stops along the way while raising two sons..

She is such a game-changer and I’m so glad the world’s going to know her name. As we older women know, there is something about our journey that is worth talking about – especially in a world that wants to dismiss us. We have survived, thrived and lived to tell about it.

When Marqueeta asked me and 12 other women to share our stories, I figured there would be power in this endeavor. Here is how she described her quest::

“Still on a mission to become a vehicle to help women manage aging, I created Ageless Glamour Girls. (I cover the origin of the name, in my chapter. My vision was and still is today, to provide a platform in which women of a certain age (50+), can “gather,” to get and share information on various topics, including caregiving, finances, second acts, menopause, plastic surgery, dementia, sexual health, and everything else from finding love to finding the best mascara that stands up to hot flashes. Our goal is to inform, inspire, empower, motivate, and yes – entertain.”

Recently, when she announced this achievement, she called her co-authors “some of the most fierce and inspirational women ever!”

She said she is a better woman because of it. I feel that way too.

This has been a year where I confronted my own mortality (twice), which changes one in many ways. And while writing my chapter this spring/summer, I somehow learned more about myself too. That chapter was one of the hardest things I ever had to write, but I accomplished it, overcoming doubts. If I can reach people, it will have been worth re-living some dark days.

I finally articulated this feeling on Tim: “What I miss most is seeing the world through his eyes.”

Maybe something else I wrote will resonate with a reader.

I am thrilled to join Lisa Bedian, Cheryl Collier, Sandi Badash, Ciriaca Yolanda, Maria Gonzalez, Karen Lindauer Herlands, Dionne Jones, Melinda Rinzivillo, Marian R. Featherson, Wendy Campbell, Patricia Desamours, Leah Irene Victoria, and Marqueeta. There are a few of us based in St. Louis, so you’ll likely see us together promoting it.

It’s quite a collection. The women write, straight from the heart, about leaps of faith, careers, being a mom, grandma, second and third acts, and weathering change and storms. Among the chapters are “The Unicorn: A Journey of Grace, Healing and Rarity Grace,” “Butterflies,” “The Positives of Being 87,” “The Antidote to Aging is Belonging” and “Finding Joy.”

And it’s been terrific to work with our very patient publisher Germaine Miller-Summers.

If you are interested in ordering a copy now, the $24.99 includes fees, taxes, and shipping. It will be available later on Amazon (after it’s published), and we’ll have more information as the date gets closer.
To reserve your book, you can scan the QR code, or hit the link in the bio, or cut/paste right here: https://90daybookcreation.com/ageless-glamour-girls

On Dec. 5, after the world-wide release, you’ll be able to chat with us ageless glamour girls that evening at our Virtual Zoom Launch. If it’s anything like our Zoom chat “happy hours,” I guarantee laughs and sparkling conversation. This has truly turned into a team effort.

My heart is filled with gratitude. I have so many people to thank – first and foremost Marqueeta, for her support, guidance and encouragement when I really needed it.

Here’s my acknowledgement that I wrote for the book. I am sure I didn’t thank nearly enough people, but we had a limit as to what we could say (of course, with 14 co-authors!): I’d add my nephews, nieces, colleagues and so many people I’ve connected with through my writing.

“These past five years have been a difficult journey, but also one of insight, connection and comfort. I am grateful to my sisters Julie Modde and Mary Clare Gastro and their spouses Dean and Ken — we are Zipfel Strong!, my son Charlie Venhaus and his wife Maria and her Gencev family, his dad Bob Venhaus and family, my dearest friends and family members, and the many people in Tim’s life who loved him so much. Because we knew him, we have been changed for good, and will forever share that bond.” – Lynn Venhaus

As always, we want to engage with others, so feel free to send me your thoughts and reactions. Onward and upward, and thank you for taking the time to read something I wrote.

#newauthor #author #booklover #agelesswomen #agelesschatfest #proage #giftideas #agelessstyle #agelessbeauty #agelessauthors #bestsellers #proage #proagerevolution #fabover50 #fabover60 #embracethejourney #breathe #agelessglamourgirls #boldbeautifulbrilliant #reflectionsonaging #theagelesscafe #theagelesscafeonfacebook #podcaster

Timothy Robert Venhaus, Dec. 2, 1984 – Dec. 9, 2018. This photo is from Dec. 2, 2014, enjoying a slice of Key Lime Pie on his 30th birthday at the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant, New York City.
My brothers, Mike Zipfel and Matt Zipfel, flanking my mom on a family trip to Portsmouth, NH in August 1985. My mother, Rosemary Zipfel, died on July 7, 2001, at age 70, from lung cancer. My brother Matt, on right, died at age 59, suffering from a terminal illness, Multiple System Atrophy, on Aug. 31, 2019. My brother Mike, on left. hasn’t been seen since Jan. 6, 2005, in the Dallas, Texas, area. He would have turned 65 on Oct. 26, 2023.
My Aunt Shirley, who passed in 2014, and Uncle Charlie, who died in July 2022. Photo at a family wedding in 1989.

Teamwork, Grit and Two Great Actresses Stand Out in ‘Nyad’ Biopic

Teamwork, Grit and Two Great Actresses Stand Out in ‘Nyad’ Biopic

By Lynn Venhaus

Two remarkable – and impressively tough — actresses showcase their considerable skills in “Nyad,” which concerns a four-year chapter in the distance swimmer’s life when she is in her 60s, and it’s not all smooth sailing.

Three decades after she gave up marathon swimming for a prominent career as an analyst and commentator for ABC Sports, Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) returns to an obsession: the “Mount Everest” of swims, a 110-mile trek from Cuba to Florida. At the age of 60, in 2010, with the help of her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster) and a dedicated sailing team, she commits to achieving this lifelong dream of an open ocean swim without a shark cage.

Nyad isn’t your typical inspiring poster girl athlete. She’s prickly, selfish, bossy, and stubborn. She infuriates those around her. Yet, she has the grit and determination to shake things up and make a big impact, so she makes a riveting film subject, and Bening gets under her skin to see what makes her tick. And roar.

Another fine point is that she’s living in a world ready to dismiss her at age 60, and she’s not about to do that: “Hold On!” is a terrific theme for this day and age. So, she’s complex and flawed, and the film doesn’t sugar-coat any of it. Bravo!

In their narrative feature debut, co-directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who won an Oscar for Best Documentary with “Free Solo” in 2018, move from the heights to the depths with consummate know-how. This is a solid effort from the pair, who are natural storytellers.

They are aided by exceptional cinematography by Claudio Miranda, who won an Oscar for his shimmering work in “Life of Pi.” He can make the ocean appear either stunningly beautiful or dark and ominous with tremendous flair. And composer Alexandre Desplat captures the grandeur of nature as well as the dangers in the music score’s emotional beats.

It’s a tough story to tell because of its demanding physical requirements. Screenwriter Julia Cox has adapted the story from Nyad’s memoir, “Find a Way,” and archival footage helps explain her previous open water swims triumphs and challenges. At age 28, she had failed to accomplish the very dream she set out to achieve at age 60, and this single-minded pursuit makes people around her doubtful.

During the 103-mile swim, she faces such dangers as box jellyfish, sharks, unpredictable weather, changing currents – and she’s her own worst enemy when she doesn’t listen to and heed advice.

The stamina she exhibits is admirable, but the movie focuses on more than physical health, including her inner battles with emotional and mental health, which is an important element, given her bull-in-a-China-shop personality.

Flashbacks to her childhood reveal some trauma, which adds to the understanding of why she goes to extremes.

Bening, whose range has been noteworthy in a long career, in such Oscar-nominated roles as “The Grifters,” “The Kids Are Alright,” “Being Julia” and “American Beauty” – but the Academy Award has eluded her those four times. She could get nominated for this performance, but it’s not a shoo-in among heavy competition this year.

Now, Foster, who has won two – for “The Accused” and “The Silence of the Lambs,” hasn’t been working as much in recent years, and it’s invigorating see her give this character her all. She started as a child in the business, and her strengths as an actress have only grown.

As Bonnie, she conveys how exasperating it is to be Diana’s friend, but she does share such traits as fierceness and being driven by dreams. However, they are mainly opposites – she’s compassionate and listens, while Diana is self-absorbed and hard-headed.

However, they love each other as friends, which comes through. Both are lesbians, but not in a relationship.

Her crazy quest is made possible through a team of dedicated crew members, led by Rhys Ifans as navigator John Bartlett, and he is always a pleasure to watch in movies. The real expedition had about 40 people, such is the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

What is gripping are the struggles with the elements, as it’s key to our emotional investment, as we see them give everything they have.

This is a sturdy biopic that gives two great actresses an opportunity to shine – and look in the mirror and say “Find a Way.”

“Nyad” is a 2023 biopic directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and starring Annette Bening, Jodie Foster and Rhys Ifans. It is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving sexual abuse, some strong language and brief partial nudity, and the run time is 2 hours, 1 minute. It is in select theatres Oct. 25, and streaming on Netflix Nov. 3. Lynn’s Grade: B+

Upstream’s ‘Bitter Fruit’ Is Quietly Devastating With Its Secrets and Lies

Upstream’s ‘Bitter Fruit’ Is Quietly Devastating With Its Secrets and Lies

By Lynn Venhaus

Throughout history, class wars have ended badly for many people, overt often for people in the lower class, and less so for the ruling class.

But class never matters when people show you their true selves.

Such is the complicated “Bitter Fruit,” a 2018 social commentary-human drama by Argentinian playwright Hector Levy-Daniel, “El Fruto mas amargo,” which has been translated from Spanish by Philip Boehm.

Boehm, Upstream Theater’s artistic director, wanted to bring it here for the U.S. English language premiere, so he not only translated but also directed it in a deliberately mysterious way.

Since 2005, two-thirds of the plays Upstream has produced have been U.S. or world premieres, with the goal to not only “move you” but “move you to think.” And they always do. This is a play to mull about, for at its center is a logical question on identity that has dramatic consequences. How can you deny who you really are, and what does that say about us as a society?

The playwright’s focus on identity crisis has roots in Argentina’s Dirty War, when from 1974 to 1983, an estimated 9,000 to 30,000 were killed by the state, or disappeared, in a right-wing effort to eliminate leftist political adversaries, including writers, students and journalists. Others were imprisoned.

Their children were not always killed, and sometimes, they were put up for adoption or given to supporters of the right wing.

There are children born during this period that don’t know their real identities because they were adopted by their captors and given new lives. They either discover this fact or never know the truth, but there isn’t any justice or peace amid the inequality that rages, along with political corruption.

According to the play’s notes, about 500 children were affected and the Argentine government is still sorting it out after years of protests from grandmothers.

In this quietly devastating production, a committed cast provides complex portraits of people representing different factions of entitlement and insincerity, of loss and lies.

However, as good as actresses Jane Paradise, Jennifer Theby-Quinn and Michelle Burdette Elmore are, all members of the Actors’ Equity Association, they are not Latino women, and they are playing characters named Luisa, Maria, and Teresa respectively.

Isaiah Di Lorenzo has a small but important supporting role as Pedro Coltinari, the labor representative in factory negotiations, and in flashbacks, as Maria’s teenage paramour. He establishes his character’s pure heart and breaking point in only a few scenes.

None of the four identify as Hispanic — although the play never specifically states Argentina or alludes to the Dirty War, and there are no accents used, so…but it is perplexing, and does raise questions.

If it’s vague on purpose, so be it. Nevertheless, these days, people tend to notice whitewashing. It may not be as egregious as, say Laurence Olivier as “Othello” and John Wayne as Genghis Khan in “The Conqueror,” but it is something that crossed my mind, especially given Upstream’s commitment to shows with global themes involving marginalized people.

Set in a mansion, it’s late night or early morning, depending on your perspective, and a new maid, Luisa (Paradise), is up to prepare her mistress some tea, as requested as she waits for her daughter. Upon arrival home, haughty Maria, demands to know who this interloper is in her home.

As played coldly by Theby-Quinn, Maria is a cruel woman who has no qualms about making people feel inferior in her presence. She lacks compassion and a conscience, brought up in wealth, sheltered from the world. She is now running her father’s cotton mill with a tight fist and a disdain for the workers. They are in financial trouble, and Maria is tough about negotiations. Her mother, Teresa (Burdette Elmore) is clueless (or is she?).

Yet, once upon a time, Maria fancied a local boy, someone beneath her in social status, and those scenes reflect a person she used to be but is far removed from now.

Teresa, who was kept in the dark about that relationship, is oblivious to other behaviors and sentiments as well, and Michelle Burdette Elmore portrays her as if she’s firmly entrenched in a bubble — and a bit la-di-da.

Luisa’s gaze is a tad too intense for Maria, who is threatened by the new maid, for she views her as a spy who has infiltrated the home on behalf of the workers in the factory. Paradise’s gut-wrenching performance is the show’s highlight.

As tension increases – especially with suspicious deaths, and characters smolder, the secrets, deceptions, and denials are slowly disclosed.

Another of the show’s high points is original instrumental music performed by guitarist Lliam Christy. The minimalist scenic design by Patrick Huber represents a small portion of a large estate, with ornate touches to indicate affluence, darkly lit by Steve Carmichael to reflect shadows. Costume designer Michele Siler selected outfits according to economic status.

The playwright challenges memory and how sacrificing love shows true colors. It’s not an easy play to understand. Because one is off-guard, it is hard to relate to – however, Paradise’s performance as a crushed woman who has lost everything is haunting. Nevertheless, it brings attention to a tragic, dark time involving innocent children – and is that ever over?

Upstream Theater presents the US premiere of “Bitter Fruit,” by award-winning playwright Héctor Levy-Daniel in a translation by Philip Boehm, Oct. 13 through Oct. 29. It is 1 hour, 30 minutes, without intermission. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and at 7 p.m. Oct 15 and 2 p.m. Oct.22 and 29, and take place at the Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr. in Grand Center. For more information: www.upstreamtheater.org, For tickets, visit: https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/upstream-theater-bitter-fruit

Photo by ProPhotoSTL