An absurd comedy with heightened drama is an aural treat in Albion Theatre’s tension-filled, cryptic Harold Pinter classic, “The Birthday Party.”
In a small boarding house – “it’s on the list!” – at the English seaside, longtime lodger Stanley is tormented by a secret. When two mysterious strangers arrive, nothing seems to be what it appears to be.
Pinter’s unusual combination of humor and menace crystalizes the chaos at a bizarre birthday party, and lives will change that night and in the aftermath.
They talk to each other, but do they really listen?
A skilled and sharp ensemble is crisply directed by Suki Peters in the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre. Creating this odd world, they never skip a beat, measuring their pauses and growing a sense of dread while supplying both irrational behavior and their usual routines.
Nick Freed, Ted Drury, Chuck Winning. Photo by John Lamb
When they focus on the humor, they draw out nervous laughter from the audience. Playwright Pinter’s first work, from 1959, is seen through this creative team’s fresh eyes, and while edgy and powerful, is a model of restraint.
Pinter’s trademarks of confusing time and space, as well as making isolated characters ambiguous are noted here.
The extraordinary work of this cast in shaping their enigmatic portrayals elevates this experience. Instead of confusion about its peculiarities, we grasp their rhythms.
Robert Ashton is Petey, an amiable senior with a menial beach job who seems to tolerate his wife Meg’s daffiness. Teresa Doggett is delightfully flaky and giggly as an eccentric Meg, flitting about her domestic duties.
As the charming Boles’, Ashton and Doggett add authenticity with their native tongues amplifying their characters, and the remaining cast members, Midwesterners all, are flawless in delivering their United Kingdom dialects.
This sets the mood splendidly. Danger is looming, but what and why?
The couple’s boarder seems harmless, but then reveals a temper. In a flash, Ted Drury complicates Stanley’s erratic behavior. He says he was a piano player, which impresses Meg – but leaves things open for interpretation. He’s concealing his past, which is murky. Drury conveys simmering tension until he boils over.
Winning, Summer Baer. Photo by John Lamb
An imposing Chuck Winning is a marvel when his threatening blowhard character Goldberg waltzes down memory lane or philosophizes about life, in a dominating, disturbing way.
His associate McCann, well-played by newcomer Nick Freed, isn’t as intimidating as Goldberg, but is frightening, nonetheless. A mob enforcer? Hitman? He has the look and the sinister tone, but also projects a world-weariness.
Ryan Lawson-Maeske has capably choreographed significant fight scenes, and one is an especially scary encounter.
A sunny Summer Baer has a small but pivotal role as Lulu, a light-hearted local girl who enjoys socializing. She’s an innocent who becomes targeted in untoward behavior.
Baer looks terrific in vintage outfits fashioned by costume designer Tracey Newcomb, who has captured the characters’ well in apparel. A special shout-out for Meg’s shiny party gown.
Set designer Brad Slavik’s shabby living and dining rooms accurately reflect the Boles’ economic status, with Majorie Williamson’s scenic design contributions, while Tony Anselmo’s lighting design punctuates the atmosphere perfectly.
Gwyneth Rausch has found appropriate props – that toy drum – to reflect the period, and sound designer Michael Musgrave-Perkins has enhanced the atmosphere with his choices.
“The Birthday Party” is meant to often seem illogical, but Albion’s inspired production is actually quite cohesive, benefitting from outstanding ensemble work and Peters’ distinct direction.
Teresa Doggett, Ted Drury, Nick Freed. Photo by John Lamb
Albion Theatre presents “The Birthday Party” Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. from March 10 through March 26 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: albiontheatrestl.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, “The Quiet Girl” is the first-ever Irish film to make the shortlist for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature.
Tightly constructed, with emotions that swell significantly in non-showy ways, writer-director Colm Bairead’s first feature film showcases understated performances in an unforgettable story of humanity.
Catherine Clinch is remarkable as shy nine-year-old Cait, already an outcast in her family and at school. She’s growing up poor in a dysfunctional, overcrowded family in County Meath. Her wretched father, too busy gambling and drinking, calls her “The Wanderer.” Her mother has more children than she can handle, and neglects this sensitive, inquisitive daughter.
Sent away to distant relatives in County Waterford for the summer of 1981, she learns about love and kindness. While living on a farm with her mother’s cousin, Eibhlin (Carrie Crowley) and her husband Sean (Andrew Bennett), she blossoms. The middle-aged couple live alone in a nice, neatly-kept home.
It’s not an easy situation, but Eibhlin is nurturing and Sean, gruff at first, lets his guard down. Cait will eventually learn about their lives and a secret from a chatty neighbor, Una, played by Joan Sheehy.
The film’s pace is measured and there is simplicity in its storytelling. What Bairead indicates with a glance or shows with a compassionate gesture tugs hard at your heart.
As the preoccupied parents, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh is an overwhelmed Mam while Michael Patric is a selfish Da. The other siblings are of minimal focus here.
Based on the novella, “Foster” by Claire Keegan, “The Quiet Girl” says so much with a minimum amount of words – making the performances stand out even more. The native tongue is Gaelic, so there are English subtitles.
Ireland’s lush landscape is an affecting setting for daily rural life, and cinematographer Kate McCullough adds a poignancy, John Murphy’s editing strengthens how well constructed it is, and production designer Emma Lowney recreates a magical summer of childhood.
With its ability to touch people, “The Quiet Girl” has become the highest grossing film ever in Ireland.
Recently, it won Best Foreign Language Film from AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards.
It is indeed a winner, no matter if it loses to “All Quiet on the Western Front” on this year’s Oscar night.
This is the kind of story that will linger, for its literate and lyrical. Out of darkness comes light, and that’s a beautiful thing.
“The Quiet Girl” is a 2022 drama, in Gaelic with English subtitles. Written and directed by Colm Bairead, it stars Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Joan Sheehy, Michael Patric and Kate Nic Chonaonaigh. It is Rated PG-13 for some strong language and smoking and runtime is 95 minutes. It opened in St. Louis at Plaza Frontenac on March 10 and will be at the Hi-Pointe Theatre on March17.You can also buy or rent on VUDU.Lynn’s Grade: A
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
What’s your favorite scary movie? Horror film nerds, this “Scream VI” is for you.
If you have followed the California teenagers through the slasher series since 1996, this sixth chapter — the ‘sequel to the requel,’ keeps the scary meta movie-verse chugging along with all the tricks of the trade.
Shocking killings. Innocent victims. Flipping formula. Characters self-aware of horror movie conventions. Twisting those rules and structures to keep viewers guessing. Subverting expectations. Make it bigger, elevated and raise the body count. Bring it on – and there are still surprises to be seen, along with more blood and gore.
Following the last Ghostface killings in 2022’s “Scream,” the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.
No doubt “VI” is set up for co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett to finish their trilogy, with a seventh –and possible final one, but time will tell. This chapter is a satisfying conclusion, if it is, but they also leave the door open. (But please, bring back Neve Campbell!).
Their set pieces are impressive – even for the most jaded moviegoer. An intensive scene involving crowded subway cars filled with Halloween revelers in classic scary masks ramps up the tension as only this franchise can. Touche! And then there is the ‘meta’ shrine to “Scream” and the “Stab” movies based on the real-life murders.
While at 2 hours and 3 minutes, this chapter gets to be a tad tedious as we lurch to the big reveal. But the fact that they keep coming up with fresh ways to surprise us, kudos to how smart and clever not only the directors are, but also screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.
Building on what creator Kevin Williamson started 27 years ago, and horrormeister director Wes Craven did for the first four films, “VI” features a great deal of terror, brutality, and anxiety as it continues the saga with an appealing cast of characters.
Williamson, who wrote the original, sequel and chapter four, was an executive producer of the fifth and this sixth film.Since the beginning, he was able to capture youth behavior and culture so well. Craven died in 2015.
The creative team provides fan service and homage to the “OG” duo. With the growing market for the horror genre, these “More Four” – Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, Vanderbilt and Busick, had to up their game, and they have, for the most part, succeeded – they make us care about the “Core Four.”
Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega
The Carpenter sisters have returned to be the revenge targets — Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega), along with their hometown pals, twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding, Cuba Jr.’s son, and Jasmin Savoy Brown), now that they’ve escaped to New York City. Their uncle was film-geek Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) and Sam’s dad was the first Ghostface Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich),
Because of their notoriety associated with the brutal serial killings, they are no longer considered poor victims, but social media has fanned the flames that Sam orchestrated the killings herself. Barrera, who evokes sympathy from the get-go, has a fragile psyche and will need to build her strength as she attempts to avoid danger. But she shows her mettle splendidly.
Apparently, someone with intimate details of all the murder and mayhem in Woodsboro wants to wreak havoc into their lives and inflict great harm. Jealousy has been a theme – along with twisted psyches — since the first film in 1996.
That bold launch, featuring Drew Barrymore as the first high profile victim Casey Becker, which introduced Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Courtney Cox as tabloid reporter Gale Weathers, and David Arquette as Dewey Riley as a local policeman, became the highest grossing slasher film ever until the David Gordon Green “Halloween” reboot in 2018.
The holiday dress-up aspect of Halloween plays an intriguing factor here as well, after all the “Core Four” are in college and Tara wants to party while Sam is super-protective of her half-sister. They have a complicated relationship, but their bond is as important as their conflicts.
And what’s a “Scream” movie without a party? Both Barrera and Ortega are seasoned pros and capably carry the convincing horror movie tropes along. They work well with the twins, as they all are attending Blackmore College.
The new cast members include Chad’s nerdy roommate Ethan, played well by Jack Champion, most recently seen in the “Avatar” sequel, and the sisters’ trampy roomie Quinn (Liana Liberato), whose dad is a NYPD detective (Dermot Mulroney).
The directors made the horror film “Ready or Not” in 2020, and two of its stars, Samara Weaving and Henry Czerny, figure significantly here.
Cox returns as a legacy character. Last seen in “Scream 4,” Hayden Panettiere reprises Kirby Reed, now an FBI agent. The women aren’t used a lot, but they are effective.
Roger L. Jackson, who has supplied the creepy altered voice of Ghostface, which sends shivers down spines, is up for round 5.
To me, the disclosure of the killer isn’t ever as strong as one would like, and here is no exception.
Yet, in this latest chapter, the Easter Eggs are plentiful, the nostalgia factor duly noted and the snarky humor still lands.
“Scream VI” is a 2023 horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. It stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, Courtney Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Tony Revolori and Samara Weaving. It is rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use and the run time is 2 hours and 3 minutes. It opened in theaters March 10. Lynn’s Grade: B
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The crème de la crème of local female vocal talent displays why they have earned those reputations in a lusty version of “Nine,” an exotic Felliniesque musical being presented by New Line Theatre March 2-25.
Based on filmmaker Federico Fellini’s 1963 semi-autographical angsty-existential-fantasy masterpiece “8 ½,” Tony-winning composer-lyricist Maury Yeston has tackled the age-old conundrum about a woman’s relationship to a man in an expressive, emotional score. Ballads are rueful, company numbers are vigorous in this 1982 musical. Yeston, who started this project in college in 1973, also won a Tony for the 1997 “Titanic” musical.
New Line’s glamorous production has a cast of 13 females who are connected to celebrated director Guido Contini, a womanizer going through a midlife personal and professional crisis.
Set at a Venetian spa in the early 1960s, an exasperated Luisa Del Forno (Lisa Karpowicz) has gone there with her preoccupied husband Guido (Cole Gutmann) to save their troubled marriage. Karpowicz makes you feel her pain, and her best number is the poignant “My Husband Makes Movies.” After all her sacrifices and his infidelities, she sings a mournful “Be On Your Own.”
The cast of “Nine.” Photo by Gerry Love.
He’s a cad, the boy who never grew up, and while smart and chic, she’s more of a caretaker. He does seem to care, but obviously has commitment issues, and they really don’t have much spark left. Contini (you’ll never forget his name because they say it over and over) brought all this misery on himself and is caught in a web of his own lies.
Discovered by the paparazzi, Guido tells reporters he is there to direct his latest film. Three previous movies have flopped, and the pressure is intense. His tough film producer, Liliane La Fleur (a flamboyant Kimmie Kidd-Booker), wants him to make a musical.
Gutmann conveys Guido’s desperation as he tries to come up with his next big picture, spinning tall tales and improvising with a riff on Casanova. His macho meltdown is precipitated by his turning 40, writer’s block, and his shabby treatment of people.
Has he run out of things to say? As the chaotic circus of his life flashes before our eyes, we see what the women have meant to him and what they have put up with – which makes him mostly unsympathetic. Can he change into a better person?
As the magnetic Guido, Gutmann is obsessive and frantic interacting with his mother, wife, teacher, temptress, mistress, muse, younger self, and other people who cross his path.
Cole Gutmann as Guido Contini. Lisa Karpowicz, at left, is Luisa. Photo by Gerry Love.
Gutmann has a rich melodic voice and the confident stage presence to pull off this conflicted character, but because the center of attention is often a jerk, it’s not that easy to emotionally connect to Guido, no matter how famous, important, handsome, and charming he is.
But Gutmann’s soulful delivery of his numbers – especially “Guido’s Song” and “I Can’t Make This Movie” — and his willingness to show the guy at his worst, makes you appreciate his skills. It’s a very demanding, energetic role, as he is on stage about 95 percent of the time.
The drama does have humorous moments but the book by Arthur Kopit seriously attempts to make a statement on artists, the creative process, and one’s demons and desires. Yet, it’s mostly a psychoanalysis of a self-absorbed talent, a male-centered fantasy and it runs hot and cold.
The story flips from real to invented, often taking place in Guido’s head, as he explores his past and present relationships.
Co-directors Scott Miller and Chris Kernan capitalize on the strength of the performers in their minimalist staging, keeping in mind the necessary surrealism. Kernan also choregraphed the movements to be functional, simply depicting moods and attitudes.
The ensemble moves the story forward with added oomph, starting with the exquisite harmonies in the opening “Overture Delle Donne.”
Because it’s about filmmaking, the company delivers melodramatic versions of “Not Since Chaplin,” “Western di Guido,” “Bible di Guido,” and “Documentary di Guido,” plus Guido’s exaggerated “The Script” and “The Grand Canal.”
Guttman is strong leading “The Bells of St. Sebastian,” which shows off the belters to close the first act. In keeping with the plot thread about how the Catholic religion affected his childhood, “Kyrie eleison” (“Lord, have mercy”) is repetitively sung.
Cole Gutmann, Ann Hier Brown. Photo by Gerry Love.
Throughout the two acts, which run 2 hours and 15 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission, the women sit on a striking black and white set cleverly designed as cubes by Rob Lippert, moving off the steps onto the tiled floor for various processions in a dream-like way.
Like a black-and-white film, this work contrasts darkness and light, and this staging uses that aesthetic to its advantage. Lighting designer Matt Stuckel heightens the shadows effectively.
Costume Designer Sarah Porter has outfitted the women in cosmopolitan black apparel that reflects their characters’ personalities and the period styles, while Gutmann’s all-black attire comfortably suits the role.
Music Director Jenna Lee Moore, making her New Line debut and playing keyboard, deftly leads a cohesive orchestra – Tyler Davis on cello, John Gerdes on brass, Lea Gerdes and Joseph Hendricks on reeds, Mallory Golden on violin, and Clancy Newell on percussion.
Ryan Day’s sound design works well at The Marcelle.
The spa sojourn doesn’t turn out as planned. Guido’s mistress, the young and sexy Carla Albanese, shows up. Sarah Wilkinson is a fireball, agile in movement and frisky in “A Call from the Vatican.” She nimbly maneuvers her slinky, satiny mini-dress with bike shorts underneath. Lovely as well in voice, she tugs at the heartstrings in “Simple.”
His muse, actress Claudia Nardi (Ann Hier Brown) has previously been an inspiration, so she is called again in that capacity. However, their relationship is complicated, and she holds her ground. Brown’s luscious mezzo soprano is sublime in “A Man Like You” and the plaintive “Unusual Way.”
Kimmie Kidd-Booker as Liliane. Photo by Gerry Love.
Another highlight is big personality Kidd-Booker, hamming it up and interacting with the audience in her robust “Folies Begeres.” After all, Liliane is a former showgirl, and Kidd-Booker is a scene-stealer as a diva.
Guido’s mother is played sentimentally by Stephanie Merritt, featuring her outstanding operatic voice. As an apparition, she is tender towards her genius son, yet she is aware of his faults. Merritt may be younger than the role calls for, but she appropriately projects the loving mother’s nurturing side and dazzles in the title number, “Nine.”
A seductive Sarah Lueken plays the local prostitute Saraghina from Guido’s youth, seen costumed as a nun. She made an indelible impact on him at age 9, and he must face that truth. Her rousing “Be Italian” is provocative, and the company joins in the naughty fun, using tiny tambourines for effect.
Gillian Pieper is sardonic as Stephanie Necrophorus, a writer and film critic not enamored by Guido neither as a man or a visionary and is downright hostile as she disapproves.
Much of the action takes place in the spa. Kathleen Dwyer is the hospitable manager Mama Maddelena, and a flirty, comical Annabella, while Kay Love is the ethereal Our Lady of the Spa, giving off a spiritual vibe. Then there are spa workers and guests, who are chorus and dancers – Olga (Julia Monsey), Renata (Chelsie Johnston), Diana (Kat Bailey) and Juliette (Brittany Kohl Hester).
Monsey is also Lina Darling, Liliane’s bodyguard. Hester is also the voice of little Guido, and sings the significant “Getting Tall.”
Normally, a little boy is featured in the cast, but New Line uses Hester’s fine vocals and a portrait instead as the young Guido. Like the 2003 Broadway revival, they have dropped “The Germans at the Spa.”
This tale has been an awards magnet and conversation piece since the iconic film debuted 60 years ago, and then became a musical in 1982, revived in London in the ‘90s, then on Broadway in 2003 and film adaptation of the musical (and original film) in 2009. It’s one of those unorthodox works that you may not comprehend completely at first glance, but perception deepens in time and repeat viewings.
It remains maestro Fellini’s chauvinistic source material, nevertheless.
Fellini’s elegant Italian film won two Oscars, for Best Foreign Language Film and for costume design in 1964, and was also nominated for best director, screenplay, and art direction-set decoration (black and white).
Sarah Wilkinson, Gutmann. Photo by Gerry Love.
The musical, and New Line’s interpretation, forego other male characters, trims the women to manageable cast size, cuts the constant smoking and omits Guido’s snazzy hat that Marcello Mastroianni wore.
1963 was a very different time for women, so it’s good to have some cuts, such as the harem scene, Mastroianni’s disturbing whip-cracking, and revisions in dialogue.
However, I wished the playwright would have kept the movie’s best line: “Happiness consists of being able to tell the truth without hurting anyone.”
(An aside: my college film professor adored Fellini, so I was introduced to his films as a student. I struggled with his ideas and images back when I was a teen, but upon watching as an adult, it’s a stirring avant-garde work, and Claudia Cardinale takes your breath away. If you are an HBOMax subscriber, the original “8 ½” in glorious black-and-white and the filmed musical “Nine” are available streaming).
The 1982 musical received 12 Tony Award nominations and won five, including Best Musical, Tommy Tune as director, Yeston for score, Liliane Montevecchi for featured actress as Liliane Le Fleur, and William Ivey Long for costume design. Receiving nominations: Raul Julia as Guido, Karen Akers as Luisa, Anita Morris as Carla, Kopit for book, Thommie Walsh for choreography, lighting design and scenic design.
The 2003 Broadway show earned nine Tony Award nominations, winning for Best Revival and Jane Krakowski for featured actress as Carla, with Antonio Banderas as Guido, Mary Stuart Masterson as Luisa, Chita Rivera as Liliane, director, lighting design and orchestrations nominated.
The film version of the musical, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido, was not well-received in 2009, but earned four Oscar nominations for Penelope Cruz as Carla, Maury Yeston for the original song “Take It All,” costume design and art direction.
This cinematically inspired musical, because it’s not typically structured, is more difficult than many other modern theatricals, and is not often produced. While its themes are intriguing, it can be frustrating for those unfamiliar with how the plot unfolds. Yet, the characters are passionate and the music sophisticated, so performers willing to risk the challenge can make their mark.
The focus in New Line’s crisp performance is the sense of collaboration instead of coming across as distant. This cast exhibits sincerity, brings out colors and feelings not always apparent, and appears to be on ‘Cloud Nine’ embarking on this journey.
Photo by Gerry Love.
“Nine” runs March 2 – 25 at The Marcelle Theatre in the Grand Center Arts District, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive. Shows are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.newlinetheatre.com, and for tickets, they can be purchased at metrotix.com or by calling 314-534-1111.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The formula is familiar and the plotline predictable in “Creed III,” but there is an authentic undercurrent between the heavyweight stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors playing childhood friends turned professional rivals.
Adonis (Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after a long prison sentence, Damian Anderson (Majors), the face-off is more than just a fight.
The third chapter sadly doesn’t feature Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, but returning castmates include Tessa Thompson as Adonis’ pop-star wife, Wood Harris as trainer “Little Duke,” Florian Munteanu as Viktor Drago, and Phylicia Rashad as Mary-Anne Creed.
The mainstay of the Rocky-Creed films is the family legacy thread, and screenwriters Keenan Coogler (original director-writer Ryan’s brother) and Zach Baylin (“King Richard”) lean heavily into it. The face-off between former friends seems more contrived than typical. The melodrama is hyped up as Adonis’ future is on the line and “Dame” has nothing to lose.
However, Jordan, as first-time director, keeps the action fast paced and the obligatory training montage as well as fight scenes intense. Both lead actors are in commendable shape, and the boxing benefits from their commitment.
The subplot about hearing loss is an admirable point – and Jordan’s and Thompson’s sign language is flawless. That part about a family seemingly on top of the world dealing with struggles gives the film a heart-tugging element.
The original “Creed” in 2015 was rousing crowd-pleasing entertainment, lovingly crafted by director and co-screenwriter Ryan Coogler. The underdog boxing story had plenty of Easter eggs to the “Rocky” series.
If you don’t remember it, or the follow-up in 2018, you can still enjoy this film, but it does help to get up to speed about the back story. Last time, Adonis Creed, the son of the legendary heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, faced the son of his father’s boxing foe and killer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren in “Rocky IV”) in the sequel, with Donnie taking on Viktor in a story about not escaping your past and family is everything. Real Romanian boxer Florian Munteanu returns as Viktor in a small role in “III.”
That theme continues here, as a retired Adonis is grooming Felix Chavez (Jose Benavidez) to be the next champ. He’s pulled back into the ring through a series of unfortunate events. He’s living large, but potshots in his direction are taking an emotional and mental toll. Dame is eager to take his shot and has something to prove.
Looming large is the absence of Stallone, the heart and soul of the franchise since the Oscar-winning crowd-pleaser “Rocky” in 1976. He’s played Rocky eight times, and it’s unfortunate they had no place for him in round three, because his presence is needed. He is the anchor, and not only earned an Oscar nomination for the first “Creed,” but elevated the second one.
Nevertheless, the supporting cast is convincing in their roles. Thompson excels as Adonis’ wife Bianca, and Mila Davis-Kent is endearing as their smart, headstrong daughter Amara.
This doesn’t have the same impact as Coogler’s original, nor does it have the sentimentality. He didn’t direct the second one, as he was too busy with “Black Panther,” and here, he just supplies the story and produces.
Jordan not only is up for the physical challenge of playing Adonis, but also the emotional complexity, and with Majors at the top of his game, the conflict has some bite to it.
Majors, who was noteworthy in early work – “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” “Da 5 Bloods,” and “The Harder They Fall,” with his acclaimed performance in last year’s “Devotion” and now as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe making him one to watch, is impressive as Dame. He takes a one-note role and commands the screen.
The music score is a worthy addition from Joseph Shirley, and the soundtrack pulses with urgency.
The tech work is superb, with sharp cinematography by Kramer Morganthau, who worked on the second one, and slick editing by Jessica Bacesse and Tyler Nelson. Production designer Jahmin Assa has created quite a crib for the Creeds and contrasts the past with the present effectively.
Is there enough juice for another one? Will the audience keep coming back? Time will tell.
While it isn’t a knockout, “Creed III” packs enough of a punch for those seeking another chapter in this 47-year-old story and an abundance of contemporary action.
“Creed III” is a 2023 sports action-drama directed by Michael B. Jordan. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, and Phylicia Rashad. It is rated PG-13 for intense sports action, violence and some strong language. Run time is 1 hour, 56 minutes. It opens in theaters on March 3. Lynn’s Grade: B-
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Jason Robert Brown’s musical compositions are strenuous and so are two-character pieces, therefore, “The Last Five Years” was a daunting choice for the enterprising Tesseract Theatre Company as they dive into musical theater endeavors.
However, the group pulled off this marriage chronicle with aplomb when I saw it Feb. 19.. With spirited performers, exemplary musicians, accomplished direction, and smart creative choices, “The Last Five Years” is splendid.
With its all-sung framework and an unconventional structure, Brown’s unforgettable score and emotionally powerful lyrics tug at the heartstrings, for in 85 minutes, they go from meeting to break-up (Jamie Wellerstein) and from break-up to meeting (Cathy Hiatt), intersecting at their wedding.
High praise must be bestowed on an exceptional five-piece orchestra lead by veteran maestro Leah Schultz, who is on piano, with Adam Rugo on guitar, John Gerdes on bass, Chuck Evans on violin, and Marie Brown on cello. (The strings are the cherry on top here, lovely and lush.)
The music is beautiful to get lost in, and highlights are “The Next Ten Minutes,” “Still Hurting,” and “Goodbye Until Tomorrow.”
While this might sound like a simple endeavor, it is not. Brown has incorporated many genres, including jazz, blues, folk, and Latin besides his usual pop-rock fusion with musical theatre. His distinctive melodies are notoriously difficult, and his atypical harmonies require a broad vocal range.
The two leads, Kevin Corpuz as Jamie and Grace Langford as Cathy, as dynamic as they are, struggle a wee bit on a few demanding notes. Nevertheless, with the high wire singing for nearly an hour and a half, it’s a dandy achievement – especially the stamina required.
With their pizzazzy personalities on display, Corpuz and Langford are engaging as two New Yorkers – he’s a writer and she’s an actress. They convincingly convey a couple from start to finish over five years — exhilaration at falling in love to crestfallen going through a difficult break-up.
You can’t not be moved by the ebbs and flows as the storytelling weaves the doubts that 20-somethings fret about with careers and commitment.
The aching-yearning-worried songs include “Moving Too Fast” and “A Miracle Could Happen” (Jamie) and “I’m a Part of That” and “Climbing Uphill” (Cathy), which they deliver sincerely.
Langford, a strong vocalist who is well-trained, and Corpuz, who moves with great ease, have worked together multiple times in local regional professional theater, so their comfort level with each other is obvious. This is their first time paired as a romantic couple, and they are believable.
Director Taylor Gruenloh has given the piece some needed vitality, for I’ve seen this musical a couple of times where the pair just basically stand there. No, not a move you’d likely see from inventive Gruenloh, nor Corpuz or Langford. Gruenloh’s tweaked it in a good way, making it more heartfelt.
Lankford is particularly fetching in the clever ditty “A Summer in Ohio,” about her experience in summer stock away from her husband, and the humorous “I Can Do Better Than That,” about her hopes and dreams.
And Corpuz’s energy isn’t containable, so he must move. His “Shiksa Goddess” is amusing in a brazen way, a song detailing his character’s Jewish heritage.
The songs that are raw and tinged with sadness — “If I Didn’t Believe in You,” “I Could Never Rescue You,” and “Nobody Needs to Know,” have forceful solos.
Brown has won three Tony Awards – for his original score to “Parade” in 1999 (currently revived on Broadway) and for original score and orchestrations for “The Bridges of Madison County” in 2014. He was nominated for Billy Crystal’s “Mr. Saturday Night” score last year (with Amanda Green lyrics).
This musical, his third, was inspired by his first marriage, and premiered in Chicago in 2001. It moved to off-Broadway in 2002. St. Louis native Norbert Leo Butz originated the role of Jamie in Chicago and played opposite Sherie Renee Scott off-Broadway, and they recorded the cast album.
That production won the 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics, as well as receiving Drama Desk nominations for musical, actor, actress, orchestrations and set design. It also received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for musical and actor, and the Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Off-Broadway musical.
An enduring and popular musical with regional, colleges and community theaters, it has been revived on Broadway, turned into a 2015 movie with Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, had an acclaimed London run, a 20th anniversary concert with Butz and original Cathy Lauren Kennedy, and directed by Brown, among other presentations.
The music remains hummable and memorable, and add Tesseract to the list of companies that do it right. Sound designer Phillip Evans has figured out .Zack’s finicky acoustics for flawless work, Brittanie Gunn’s lighting design is striking, and Gruenloh did fine projection work. Actress Josie Schnelten shows up for a cameo.
After their triumphant “Ordinary Days” last fall, and now this 2-hander, Tesseract’s prowess on staging musicals must be highly regarded. “Kinky Boots” is next up at the Grandel Theatre Aug. 17-27, one that will be a must-see.
And you don’t want to miss “The Last Five Years” – a show about love, produced with great affection, and another opportunity to hear those glorious songs.
The Tesseract Theatre Company presents “The Last Five Years” from Feb. 17 to Feb. 26, with performances Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust, in the Grand Center. For more information or tickets, visit: www.tesseracttheatre.com.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
Ah, existential angst. Few acting roles are as consequential as the ones in Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” and few casts are up to the stimulating challenge like the outstanding ensemble is at St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
Expert craftsmen present deeply felt and moving performances, as they peel off the many layers of Chekhov’s tortured characters like they are giving a master class in rejuvenating a classic 19th century work.
To portray how a family’s ordinary life on a rural estate is disrupted by a self-centered relative and his alluring younger second wife one summer, each performer shades the subtext, making sure the melancholy is perceived and yet, displaying glimmers of joy.
Smooth, insightful direction by Annamaria Pileggi makes every corner of The Gaslight Theatre’s intimate black box crackle with tension and melodrama as messy family entanglements unfold.
Greg Johnston makes the vain retired university professor Aleksandr Vladimirovich Serebryakov thoroughly detestable. He has lived in the city for years on the earnings of his late first wife’s rural estate. You can understand his brother-in-law Vanya’s resentment and how his faithful wife Yelena has fallen out of love with this irritable, demanding man.
As the beautiful Yelena, Jennelle Gilreath Owens makes her misery palpable and her torment realistic over two other men professing their love, as she has beguiled them with regal bearing, and intelligence.
John Pierson as Uncle Vanya. Photo by Patrick Huber.
As lovesick Vanya, aka Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky, John Pierson gives one of his finest, most explosive performances – and I didn’t think he could top “Blackbird” and “Annapurna,” but he burns bright as an agitated powder keg of conflicting emotions and seethes, consumed by grudges, and fumes, because of the rejections and his many regrets. It’s also a surprisingly physical part, too.
Grumbling Vanya and his devoted niece Sonya have kept the crumbling estate going, all in service to the professor, and he is hopping mad at giving his life to such a thankless role. His sister, first wife, is Sonya’s mother and this was her estate.
In a devastating performance, Bryn McLaughlin is heartbreaking as beleaguered Sonya, written as “plain” but kind, and wise beyond her years. She is in love with the visiting doctor, Mikhail Astrov, who only has eyes for Yelena, and endures countless agony as a woman without any prospects for marriage. McLaughlin, a young actress fairly new to St. Louis, breaks through in this memorable role.
Our empathy for Sonya is strong. As the rock of the family, she clings to her idealism as well as her practical nature, still hopeful and understanding of her circumstances. She soothes her malcontent uncle, even though she is deserving of happiness too.
Michael James Reed is commanding as the visiting country doctor Mikhail Lvovich Astrov, glum yet charismatic. His provincial existence isn’t fulfilling, and neither is his medical work, although he takes it very seriously.
He is clueless about Sonya’s unrequited love, which causes her hard-to-bear sorrow. She has poured her heart out to her stepmother, not realizing the sparks between her and the good, but hard-drinking, doctor. He is drawn to spend more time there and things get topsy-turvy.
Photo by Patrick Huber
In supporting roles, Jan Meyer is Maria Vasilyevna Voynitskaya, Vanya’s out-of-touch mother; Eleanor Mullin is caring, pragmatic housekeeper Marina Timofeevna; and Michael Musgrave-Perkins is good-natured Ilya Ilych Telegin, a poor landowner, who is nicknamed “Waffles” for his pockmarked skin, and lives on the estate as a dependent. His music added a pleasant cultural note.
Patrick Huber’s set design is visually appealing and practical for country living in a sweltering summer. Teresa Doggett’s costume design outfits each character well, especially Owens. One quibble — McLaughlin’s wig is too large and heavy for her delicate face.
This version of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” was adapted by contemporary playwright Neil LaBute in 2020, and he has retained the passion and intensity without chopping much, to my recollection. Any changes he made aren’t jarring or noticeable, and the length is still three hours.
This Chekhov work has been adapted many times on stage and in film, and inspired other works. The fact that its chaos is relatable today – lonely people living in isolation, family hierarchies, and even the doctor’s talk of ecological problems and destruction of forests — is remarkable.
Vanya is one of Chekhov’s four classics, written in 1897 and directed by Konstantin Stanislavski at the Moscow Art Theatre two years later, following “The Seagull” and before “The Three Sisters” and “The Cherry Orchard.”
Because of his penchant for realism, Chekhov is credited with establishing modernism in theater, and Stanislavski took the ‘between the lines’ concept one further with the “Method” acting blueprint for many performers.
His influences remain, and it’s refreshing to see how much we can relate to his bleak visions on lost youth, disappointments and finding our purpose – but with some satiric touches, too. For a classic to work in the 21st century, it must have a vitality and teach us anew.
In 2016, St. Louis Actors’ Studio presented “Ivanov,” which was a tall order with 14 people in the cast but was an effective, smart work with stellar performances.
Greg Johnston, Jennelle Gilreath Owens. Photo by Patrick Huber.
The skill shown throughout this ambitious work is exceptional, and another crown jewel for St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
The St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents Chekov’s “Uncle Vanya” from Feb. 17 to March 5, with 8 p.m. shows on Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays, with Thursdays at 8 p.m. on Feb. 23 and March 2, at the Gaslight Theatre, at 360 North Boyle in the Central West End. Tickets through Ticketmaster or show up at the box office half-hour before curtain. For more information: www.stlas.org.
Photo by Patrick HuberMichael James Reed, Michael Musgrave-Perkins, John Pierson. Photo by Patrick Huber
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus Known mostly in offbeat roles, versatile actors Colleen Backer and Jason Meyers are a dynamic duo in the irresistible romantic comedy “Outside Mullingar” at the West End Players Guild.
They shine as neighbors – 40-ish singles who are not mingling, and desperation about time passing by is creeping into their humdrum lives. Clearly, they are meant to be together, but their stars have been crossed by shyness, insecurities, grudges, stubbornness, misperceptions, their peculiar families, and past heartbreak.
Only children, they have lived their whole lives on adjacent family farms outside Mullingar, County Westmeath, in Ireland — with a pesky land dispute issue — and cared for elderly parents until they passed. Later, on their own, you’d think there would be an easier path to true love. But when you meet feisty Rosemary Muldoon and gentle, introverted Anthony Reilly, you will find out why it’s been a rocky road.
This confection is from acclaimed writer John Patrick Shanley, an Oscar winner for his original 1987 screenplay “Moonstruck” and a Tony winner for “Doubt: A Parable” in 2005, which also won a Pulitzer Prize. In 2014, he was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Play for this laugh-out-loud rom-com produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club that is also poignant and redolent with local color.
His lilting dialogue has a delightful rhythm to it, and the four-person cast is nimble in delivery, especially with the quirky cultural colloquialisms and customs. Shanley expresses his love for the land, and what makes Ireland so special, too, which is n interesting addition.
This is Shanley’s second play to be adapted into a movie, which came out as “Wild Mountain Thyme” in 2020 with Jamie Dornan, Emily Blunt and Christopher Walken, and cast Jon Hamm as the American cousin Adam, although in the play, you never see Adam, just hear about him. The film is available to stream on Hulu.
Jodi Stockton and Brad Slavik are well-suited to play Rosemary’s plucky widowed mother Aoife and Anthony’s gruff ailing father Tony with droll wit and pragmatic wisdom –while not exactly guiding their children in the most encouraging ways. Oh, those Irish squabbles that never seem to fade from memory.
Jodi Stockton, Colleen Backer and Brad Slavik. Photo by John Lamb
In this distinctive Shanley scenario, the women seem to be stronger in lessons learned from life than the men do – and aren’t afraid to admonish them about it. Recognize your own family members? They may be a tad stereotypical, but they resonate.
The snappy repartee is one of the most fun aspects of this beguiling show – the parent and child scenes as well as the ones with a feisty Rosemary and a testy Anthony. She is often antagonistic, and he is frequently defensive, so sparks fly in a genuine way – and they convey the more complicated suppressed yearning and desires.
Backer and Meyer aren’t usually cast in “regular people’ roles, often unconventional – and good at it, as they are both current St Louis Theater Circle Award nominees for comedic work last year. But with abundant zeal, they are very sweet together as this couple finding their way. In fact, it would be swell if they were cast together again.
The almost sold-out audience on Feb. 17 was rooting for them – you could hear a few cheers, shouts, and whoops.
WEPG has produced other engaging Irish plays before – “The Lonesome West” last year and “Bloomsday” by Steven Dietz the year prior, and it’s a good fit, with their modest stage and intimate setting.
But perhaps none more adorable. Director Jessa Knust, with assistance from Karen Pierce, recognized the humor in the idiosyncratic characters, and ensures they are endearing, even when they are arguing.
And they stage the “Will they or won’t they?” framework with cleverness and sharp moves by swift Backer and Meyers, who are terrific at physical comedy.
Morgan Maul-Smith’s sound design is strong, and enhanced by Celtic music and pop hits by the Irish band The Corrs that entertains before, in bumps and after this spirited 90-minute show without an intermission. And the cast nailed the dialects perfectly the night I was there.
The artisan designers did fine work – Tracey Newcomb on costumes, Jacob Winslow on set, Karen Pierce on lighting, and Knust on props.
Timed to be a Valentine’s treat, “Outside Mullinger” is a marvelously performed hopeful tale about affairs of the heart that is not ordinary at all, and all the more delightful because of its daffy characters and Irish warmth.
As Irish novelist James Stephens once said: “What the heart knows today the head will understand tomorrow.”
West End Players Guild presents “Outside Mullingar” from Feb. 10 to Feb. 19, with performances Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Thursday Feb. 16 at 8 p.m., and Sundays Feb. 12 and Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Boulevard in the Central West End. Tickets for all performances of “Outside Mullingar” are on sale at www.WestEndPlayers.org/tickets or at the box office before the show.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus An engaging cast and relatable story comes alive with joyful music in the world premiere of “Spells of the Sea.”
This uplifting original musical adventure is a joint project from Metro Theater Company and Megan Ann Rasmussen Productions, the first time Metro has partnered commercially with a producer, but one that fulfills its mission – “a commitment to create new work that responds to the emotional intelligence and needs of young people with respect and joy.”
Based on the well-coordinated book, music, and lyrics by Guinevere “Gwenny” Govea, it has additional creative contributions by Anna Pickett, who is the assistant director.
With equal parts whimsy, wonder and wisdom, “Spells of the Sea” has good intentions and a compassionate message. It is designed to reach a wide audience of all ages – recommended for those age 8 and up.
Jon Gentry and Guinevere Govea. Photo by Jennifer A. Lin
Our hero is Finley Frankfurter, a 15-year-old fisherwoman who is not successful in catching fish, but her dad Ferris is a whiz at it. Only her beloved, kind dad, who basically saved the coastal town, has a life-threatening illness.
Can Finley save her dad? Finley is a sweet teen without any confidence, but she grows as she is called to step it up for her dad — and most importantly, finds her purpose. The creator Govea is a charming Finley, a strong singer and actress, conveying a heartfelt relationship with her dad. Colin McLaughlin, a versatile local musician and actor, is a natural as Ferris Frankfurter. He smoothly guided the boat around the stage. You root for Finley even when she lacks courage.
The town villain is H.S. Crank (Jon Gentry), a grumpy old lighthouse keeper who turned off the light 20 years earlier, causing needless pain and turmoil in the town. Can he redeem himself? Gentry, a sturdy vocalist, is well-suited to be this complicated guy, and we learn why he’s like he is soon enough.
Molly Burris and Gwenny Govea. Photo by Jennifer A. Lin
This unlikely pair travels the ocean to find the Elixir of Life, an elusive remedy, and they encounter mermaids, pirates, and scary whirlpools.
The odyssey comes with honest lessons on family, friendship, and belief in yourself. Trust your abilities. It’s a just-right sincere message straight from the heart.
Govea is a fresh voice to get to know – a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, she developed this story as a podcast during the pandemic. She interacts well with this spirited cast and is a hyphenate with a bright future.
The amiable supporting players include Molly Burris, Syrhea Conaway, Hannah Geisz, Noah Laster, Mitchell Manar, and Tyler White in multiple roles. Burris exaggerates her entitled princess for comic effect, Laster is a robust pirate captain, and the statuesque White is an exotic mermaid serving as a narrator – and also choreographed the show. Laster and Manar contribute as musicians on stage as well, which adds realism.
Colin McLaughlin
The cast is a tight-knit, well-rehearsed, enthusiastic group conveying an earnest story that they believe in, and work well together on stage. With their pure voices and pleasant harmonies, they easily connected with the children in the audience.
The impressive design team has created an enchanting world – with scenic designers Margery and Peter Spack effectively draping materials subbing as sky and sea. It’s a dramatic flourish, and Cristie Johnston, as scenic artist, added some nifty touches too.
The hues are striking, especially with lighting designer Jayson M. Lawshee’s dazzling work. He has creating shimmering seascapes and dawn to dusk time of day depictions that complement this mysterious world.
Costume designer Cynthia Nordstrom combines the everyday with the sparkling to characterize the roles in a smart way.
MTC Artistic Director Julia Flood has created a buoyant setting, and the crisp music direction by Deborah Wicks La Puma adds polish to the proceedings, as does Rusty Wandall’s sound design.
“Spells of the Sea” captivates in an authentic way, aided by the intriguing aspect of nature and the enduring relationships in our life journey that teach us guiding principles.
Pirates and mermaids in ‘Spells of the Sea.” Photo by Jennifer A. Lin
Metro Theater Company presents “Spells of the Sea” live at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, through March 5 and virtually streaming Feb. 16-March 5 at metroplays.org. It is 70 minutes without an intermission.
Tickets are $20-$36, including ticketing fees, and available through MetroTix, 314-534-1111.
Online virtual streaming begins at $20 and is available through the MTC website, https://www.metroplays.org/spells-of-the-sea. (The video for the virtual streaming is from an early February filmed performance.)
Gwenny Govea is a hyphenate with a bright future.
Performances are Sundays at 2 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., and Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Socially distanced performances are at 4 p.m. Saturdays.
There are theme weekends during the play’s run – costumes are welcomed, and there are photo booths with props available for guests to enjoy being a princess, a pirate, or a mermaid in the lobby each weekend.
Tyler White as the mermaid. Photo by Jennifer A. Lin
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus Stray Dog Theatre goes for the gusto in a blistering, shattering “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” that features bravura performances and a fresh perspective on one of the landmark intellectual works of the 20th century.
Edward Albee’s 1962 dramatic comedy is divided into three acts that bristle with tension and increasingly unsettling confrontations are staged during a long night’s journey as two married couples peer into the abyss.
Passive-aggressive George (Stephen Peirick), an associate history professor at a small New England college, appears to be a milquetoast foil for his brassy and sassy wife, Martha (Mara Bollini), the attention-seeking daughter of the college president. After a faculty party, she has invited another couple back to their home on campus for more cocktails and conversation.
Nick (Stephen Henley) is an ambitious biology professor who is married to a sweet and naïve Honey (Claire Wenzel). They become ensnared in their dysfunctional hosts’ “Fun and Games” in Act One, as drinks flow into the wee hours of the morning and the booze-influenced patter grows uglier.
Wenzel, Henley. Photo by John Lamb
As the volatile middle-aged George and Martha viciously taunt each other, cracks in the young couple’s seemingly pleasant life are revealed, and the older couple is ready to pounce for sport. This isn’t their first rodeo. He seethes, she rages.
Everyone’s had a similar uncomfortable feeling around a bickering couple before, uneasy about the lack of a filter and polite behavior. Eager to please, the young folk stay, but as it gets later, it’s to their detriment – Nick is too power-hungry and Honey too vulnerable. Because the next act gets more disturbing, and the regrets start to pile up.
Act Two, titled “Walpurgisnacht,” is a reference to Christian missionary Saint Walpurga, who was known to repel witchcraft and helped convert Germany from heathenism. Known as an annual witches meeting, it typically takes place April 30, and there is a much longer backstory to know. Albee uses it for satirical reference. Of course.
Albee has the men argue more, and the insults begin. Martha will embarrass George’s literary efforts – with Bollini employing a haughty, degrading laugh meant to ridicule her husband. In turn, George becomes more contemptuous of the couple, devising a new game, “Get the Guests.”
Honey, drinking too much brandy, has a finicky stomach and becomes sick a couple times during these alarming encounters. Martha starts acting seductively towards Nick, which brings up more concerns.
Act Three, bluntly titled “The Exorcism,” is a devastating showcase of pain, pride, and purgatory. It takes on an eeriness not unlike a horror thriller, and sound designer Justin Been helps enhance a sense of danger and drama through cinematic score snippets that separate each act.
“Bringing Up Baby” is the next cruel game George demands they play. And they will reveal details about their son, which is complicated. This is by far the most destructive segment of the show, but also a twisted form of catharsis.
Using his wit and clever wordplay, Albee crafted a tragic circumstance around everyone’s illusions – how they see the world and how their inadequacies are part of their daily codependent lives. Their falsehoods are at times unclear, as Albee wanted to point out how society’s norms impede honesty. And their failures affect their mental health.
Wenzel, Bollini. Photo by John Lamb
The fact that a play written 60 years earlier holds up so well is a testament to Director Gary F. Bell’s vision.
He has masterfully dissected this emotionally intense play, having the actors fully realize their characters’ psychological portraits by creating more layers and nuance.
These are demanding and difficult incendiary roles, ultimately about survivors, and the actors are up for the challenges, nimble in delivering Albee’s bitter and brittle dialogue. Not a one makes a false move – everyone defines their intentions clearly.
These are four characters with dashed dreams and multiple frustrations, and they take turns being defiant and trying to cling to their dignity.
Establishing a tempestuous dynamic, Peirick and Bollini dig deep for their revelatory gut-wrenching performances, and both are at their career best. Henley provides yet another interesting characterization as confident Nick who finds himself eviscerated. Newcomer Wenzel is impressive in her local debut as the impressionable young wife trying to meet the expectations of an American nuclear family.
The scale of each character’s dreams are vastly different, and it’s stunning to see how quickly things get out of control. The truths are harsh, the partying hard, and the humiliations fester.
Photo by John Lamb
As scenic designer, Bell also capably created the modest worn living room where he fluidly moved the characters so nobody is static – and the bar gets a workout. As costume designer, he aptly outfitted the characters in appropriate career and party attire from that era. Lighting designer Tyler Duenow focuses on lighting several lamps in the interior.
The 1963 winner of the Tony Award for Best Play has enjoyed multiple revivals on Broadway, and this particular version produced by Stray Dog is the published 2005 revised script that starred Kathleen Turner as Martha, Bill Irwin as George, Mireille Enos as Honey and David Harbour as Nick.
This emotional roller-coaster of a production, certain to leave a lasting impression, is riveting throughout – even with its more than three-hour runtime. Adult themes are explored, and profanity is used. There are two 10-minute intermissions.
Stray Dog Theatre presents Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” from Feb. 9 to Feb. 25, Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m., at the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue, St. Louis, 63104. There will be a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19. For more information, visit www.straydogtheatre.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
