Family Confronts Past and Present in TWSTL’s Explosive ‘Appropriate’

Family Confronts Past and Present in TWSTL’s Explosive ‘Appropriate’

By Lynn Venhaus

With its complex characters, fractured family dynamic and multi-layered storyline, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ explosive drama “Appropriate” has much to unpack.

At their peak, a powerhouse local cast takes us on an unsettling, unforgettable journey, for their characters aren’t prepared for all the emotional baggage that will spill out. Well-cast and well-rehearsed, this production showcases intense immediate realism.

Dark secrets will be revealed, forever shaking the family. Think of it like a bandage being ripped off an open wound – repeatedly. The atmosphere is combustible – a marvel of sight, sound, imagery and tension under Benny Sato Ambush’s direction.

The cicadas are loudly buzzing on a hot, muggy summer night in rural southeast Arkansas when three Lafayette siblings converge to settle their late father’s estate. The clutter in the decaying plantation home is as profound as the tension as they prepare for an estate sale.

This is not a warm family reunion – interactions are awkward, bitter and contentious. This play, first performed in 2013 and then off-Broadway a year later, was revived in 2023 to much acclaim. Its power is intact, reminding us of systemic racism and unconscious bias when it’s hard to confront as legacy.

The Lafayette siblings – Jilanne Marie Barnes, Joel Moses, and Michael James Reed, with Lizi Watt holding photo album.

Wayward son Francois “Frank” (Joel Moses), who now calls himself “Franz,” is seeking redemption after years of addiction and bad behavior. He drove there from Portland with his eccentric young fiancé, River (Maggie Newstead-Adams).

Stressed-out eldest sister Antoinette “Toni” (Jilanne Marie Barnes) considers him toxic and won’t extend an olive branch. Brother Beauregard “Bo” (Michael James Reed), an attorney like their father, is expecting to take charge like he always does, but Toni is the executor. They all bicker incessantly.

Bo’s wife, Rachael (Lizi Watt), and their two precocious children, Cassidy (Ainsley Hammond) and Ainsley (Aviv Giancola-Poremba), came from New York City, thinking of this as an educational trip. Toni’s troubled son Rhys (Braden Phillips)is present. These are flawed relatives with enough intergenerational trauma for an eight-episode limited series.

“Appropriate,” with all the intentional meanings of that word, will delve into race, identity, and historical legacy. As the patriarch’s despicable past is discovered, the evidence can’t be ignored or denied. How family members deal with a photo album of graphic lynchings and other disgusting emblems of a vicious white supremist adds to the uncomfortable territory.

The playwright, who has won two Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an Obie Award, has a natural command of how people interact and converse. His dense dialogue combines caustic wit with raw pain and sharp contemporary insight – and yes, phrases will shock.

Not a fun family reunion.

Joel Moses’ Franz is this deeply vulnerable bundle of insecurities, trying to show the better person he has become, but his siblings can’t let go of their hurtful memories about his decadent past and their resentful feelings. Unlocking a pitiable black sheep as only he can, Frank is another masterful performance by one of St. Louis’ finest actors.

Joining him in top-tier reliability is Michael James Reed, who is, without fail, always at the top of his game. He provides interesting layers to the complicated Bo, Ivy League-educated and successful.

At first, it feels like Bo checked out of caring about his family a long time ago. His main concern is the corporate ladder, and he appears to be the family “fixer.” Money-centered, he’d monetize the dad’s hateful artifacts in a heartbeat. But he’d love to distance himself from this tarnished past; he just wants to recoup all the funds he spent caring for dear old dad and get back to Manhattan.

Jilanne Barnes’ Toni is tired. Exhausted by life, her short straw, and trying to fix broken things that can’t be repaired, she is unpleasant for 95% of her stage time. That is heavy for an actress, and Barnes’ meets the challenge. Toni sacrificed and deeply cared for her father. She refuses to sully his memory.

Shrill and spiteful, she has alienated most everyone there, especially Bo’s Jewish wife Rachael. First impressions on the sister-in-law are that she’s a typical affluent status-conscious mother, trying to control the outside world’s influence on her children.

Estate sale preparation not going smoothly.

Lizi Watt displays Rachael’s buttons that Toni keeps pushing, with antisemitic name-calling, and it gets ugly — “August: Osage County” nasty. Fight choreographer Shaun Sheley’s work is noteworthy.

Most surprising is Maggie Newstead-Adams’ nuanced portrait of River. She presents herself as New Age and is derided for her ‘hippy-dippy’ qualities. Assuming she’s a stereotype, she proves herself to be wise beyond her 23 years and compassionate. Newstead-Adams’ poise among all the other acclaimed talent is impressive.

Spiritually, she is most attuned to the ghosts haunting this old plantation. Mary Robinson’s impeccable sound design announces the spirits’ eerie presence, as the family talks about the two graveyards on the property – one white, one with black slaves (without headstones).

When the third generation finds disturbing relics of their bigoted grandfather, the sins of the past erupt. As the program points out: “Walls remember what a family chooses to forget.”

By society’s standards, Daddy — Ray Lafayette — was a highly successful, highly educated man. He lived in Washington D.C. for a time, during a lauded legal career, and chose to return to the ancestral homestead, with thoughts of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast.

What secrets does Daddy have in that photo album?

Toni and Frank both refer to his mental deterioration, but the moral decay is something the family is loathe to address. But they start to peel back time, remembering behaviors. An all-white cast dealing with the reality of historical racism examines how the past haunts the present, and the bigger picture that it represents.

The outstanding artisans connected with this complicated production have crafted a stunning Southern Gothic setting. The ambience is immediate, and so is the bad juju. Matthew McCarthy’s richly appointed set design, complimented by Mikhail Lynn’s meticulous prop design, plunges us into this dilapidated structure, with the family’s despair emanating from every junk-filled corner.

McCarthy also designed effective lighting, and Ethan Dudenhoeffer was a wizard as technical director. Abby Pastorello’s costume design captured every character’s personality with terrific verve.

To reduce commentary about “Appropriate” to point out the obvious — a dysfunctional family in deep denial, which could stamp Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” and other landmark plays in the same way. That is why it’s not hard to see this connection that the Tennessee Williams St. Louis Festival chose to pivot with — “The Tennessee Effect” as this 11th year’s theme. It’s, well, appropriate.

Big brother will man-splain.

The takeaways are plentiful. We can only try to do better when we know better. If we aren’t willing to have discussions, where does society go?

In “Appropriate,” there is no tidy ending, no way to wrap up with a soothing bromide or suppress this legacy. The two-act dark drama is raw, unflinching, and damning of white fragility.

Some inheritance. They should be hot and bothered. And so should we.

The Tennessee Williams Festival presents the St. Louis premiere of “Appropriate” Sept. 17-27. Performances take place at the Berges Theatre at COCA in University City. For more information: twstl.org

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

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

By Lynn Venhaus

With a vivacious cast of relatable relatives, The Black Rep delivers a sassy, spirited and sometimes silly “Fat Ham,” which is a modern humorous reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

Surprising in its fresh spin of the play’s universal themes, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winner by James Ijames replaces royal revenge with a look at black masculinity, queer identity and cycles of generational trauma — but flips it as a comedy, not tragedy.

This production, deftly directed by Geovanday Jones, focuses on unpredictable storytelling. Jones brought out the playfulness of the performers, who sometimes mirror the Bard’s iconic roles, but mostly differ in humorous delivery and make them broader in body language.

Set at a backyard barbecue in the American South, the key points of Hamlet’s torment, confusion and the weight of heritage play heavily on the mind of gay college student Juicy, who is visited by his deceased father’s ghost. Pap seeks revenge, Juicy wrestles with that directive.

Enoch King as the ghost of Pap, with Marshall W. Mabry IV as Juicy. Photo by Howard Ash.

Pap (Enoch King) was murdered in prison and reveals to his son that his brother Rev (King, in a dual role) arranged the hit. The Rev quickly married Juicy’s livewire mother Tedra (firecracker Angela Wildflower), and disturbed Juicy sorts out a tangled web of betrayal, anger and legacy.

Blustery King capably plays two sides of the coin – the hot-tempered wronged brother Pap and the entitled, selfish bully Rev., whose toxicity signals danger.

But sweet, sensitive Juicy, masterfully portrayed by Marshall W. Mabry IV as an old soul, isn’t keen on vengeance. He summons an inner strength, shows how mature he is, and opts out.

Despite her questionable choices, his Gertrude-like mother relies on him to be steady – “You don’t get to go crazy,” she says when everything seems topsy-turvy.

Juicy breaks the fourth wall to comment on what we’re seeing and what expectations we might have, which is another departure from tradition.

Marshall W. Mabry IV as Juicy, now dressed for the party, with Angela Wildflower as Tedra on the porch. Photo by Howard Ash.

Friends and neighbors come to the party with their own baggage. The only real tragedy is that the characters are types who have never been allowed to be themselves. Tension escalates between the mean-dog uncle/stepfather and Juicy can’t relax and be true to himself.

Pass the potato salad as insights are revealed and the core group question their choices. Nods to the Bard’s great tragedy are in the form of a clever game of charades instead of an elaborate wedding banquet entertainment.

Patrick Huber’s scenic design is a marvel of form and function, creating a porch and yard with nooks and crannies for action – an adjacent shed, lawn chairs for tete a tetes, picnic tables to dance on top of while using a karaoke machine.

Huber’s crisp lighting design boosted key transitions while Tre’von Griffith’s sound design punctuated the action. Music is a key component in the presentation, and Heather Himes’ choreography brings out the show’s celebratory themes.

Olajuwon Davis as Tio, Mabry, Brian McKinley as Larry and Raevyn Ferguson as Opal. Photo by Howard Ash.

Two other stagecraft veterans added oomph, too – Andre Harrington’s costumes smartly conveyed characters and Mikhail Lynn’s props accented the social interactions.

An undercurrent simmers as more truths are exposed – Larry and Opal (aka Laertes and Ophelia) are the children of Rabby, a stylish but bossy busybody version of Polonius, who pushes her children to succeed. In another feisty role, Margery Handy lays it on thick as a boisterous social butterfly while her children are reluctant to fit into polite society.

Brian McKinley is misleading as the rigid, reserved Larry, a Marine in uniform, who needs to break free from societal expectations. He’s the epitome of duty, honor, service. As a fierce Opal, Raevyn Ferguson is mopey, forced to wear a dress, but lets loose as a lesbian who gets louder and prouder. Opal has nothing in common with Shakespeare’s Ophelia, and proclaims: “I ain’t dying for nobody.”

These siblings are the most obvious characters subverting expectations. But the major source of comic relief is naturalistic actor Olajuwon Davis as Tio, a chatty, porn-addicted stoner who serves as Juicy’s unfiltered best friend, like the Bard’s Horatio.

Fat Ham Black Rep. Photo by Howard Ash.

Observing Juicy’s melancholy, he remarks: “Your Pop went to jail, his Pop went to jail, his Pop went to jail, his Pop went to jail and what’s before that? Slavery.”

While action gets heated, don’t expect a bloodbath or even tragic deaths. Even with the tamped-down violence, the legacy between fathers and sons’ bristles, as it should for effect.

Hamlet (Juicy) isn’t home from college but attends an online school instead, majoring in human resources, and he is mocked for his goals.

What might life be like if we chose pleasure over harm? That’s the core of Ijames’ work. The younger generation wants to break the cycles of violence and trauma, opting for emancipation and joy.

The ensemble leans into these timeless elements, finding their voices and defying stereotypes. Juicy would rather live his truth out loud and doesn’t need to conform. The best thing about this twist? We are allowed to revel in his hard-fought victory — and in other characters’ liberations as well.

Mabry in the Hamlet role as Juicy. Photo by Howard Ash.

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents “Fat Ham” from May 20 through June 7 at The Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The play is 1 hour and 45 minutes, without intermission. This production concludes the 49thseason. Tickets and information for performances are available at theblackrep.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, museum staff, students, and groups of 12 or more

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The Muny Enthralls with Glorious, Vibrant ‘Rent’ Premiere

The Muny Enthralls with Glorious, Vibrant ‘Rent’ Premiere

By Lynn Venhaus

Measure your life in love.

Simple advice from Jonathan Larson, the musical genius behind the “Rent” phenomenon, whose tragic death on Jan. 25, 1996 – from an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm, after the final dress rehearsal, meant he never saw the impact his words and music had worldwide. He ran out of time, but his life’s work lives on forever.

Especially the part about how we can’t control our destiny. That underlying poignancy is part of the passion and the power of his landmark rock opera that finally graces the Muny stage 27 years after it produced a seismic shift in popular culture.

It’s time, and the Muny makes the most of those moments so dear in a grand staging that honors Larson’s compassionate vision with the dramatic operatic scale this modern take on Giacomo Puccini’s “La Boheme” deserves.

A celebration full of life, this touchstone production’s creative team is exactly the right fit, showcasing tender beauty and pure joy. Director Lili-Anne Brown, who brought us the exceptional “The Color Purple” last year, focuses on the humanity, dignity and acceptance that is such a potent part of this revolutionary musical.

Set in the “Alphabet City” part of New York City’s East Village, over the course of one year, impoverished young artists and outcasts live through the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the late 1980s, choosing to love over fear. This cast maintains the raw, realistic appeal, making sure it rings true.

The eight principal performers make an indelible impression, their vitality thrilling to witness, and their luxurious vocals a testament to their talent and technical skills. “You’ll See,” “No Day but Today,” and “Will I?” with strong supporting cast mates become earworms that will stay in your mind for days.

When their vocal prowess is spotlighted through Jermaine Hill’s vibrant music direction – what an exhilarating job the orchestra does! – it’s wondrous. 

Hill was a part of the stellar “The Color Purple” collaborators, as were scenic designer Arnel Sancianco, who has fashioned a striking movable apartment building tower, and video designer Paul Deziel, whose work stands out, with Mark’s cinema verité footage and the humorous bits of celebrity minutia in the news scroll.

Vincent Kempski is a dynamic Roger, bringing the grit and rock musician edge to “One Song Glory” and “Your Eyes.” He and Lincoln Clauss, as documentary filmmaker Mark, are a comfortable pair of roommates, with effective bravado in “Rent” and “What You Own.” Clauss was a memorable Tobias in last summer’s “Sweeney Todd,” and leads as the pragmatic narrator here.

Sparks fly when Ashley De La Rosa, as drug-addicted exotic dancer Mimi, meets Roger, and their duets are superb: “Light My Candle” and “Without You” especially. She exhibits a confident demeanor, rocking the over-the-knee turquoise patent leather boots and smoothly gliding around the stage to choreographer Breon Arzell’s moves.

Adrian VIllegas as Angel. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Adrian Villegas perfectly embodies the life force that is flamboyant one-of-a-kind drag queen Angel Dumott Schunard, delightful in “Today 4 U.” As scene-stealing as they are, what’s most remarkable is Terrance Johnson’s heart-is-full portrayal of philosophical tech-savvy activist-professor Tom Collins, who falls in love with Angel.

He was brought in to assume the role because the original cast member Evan Tyrone Martin took ill. Johnson and Villegas appear like they’ve been doing the show together for a long time, duet on a heartfelt “I’ll Cover You” and with others for a spirited “Happy New Year.” And Johnson’s vocals on “Santa Fe” and solo snippets in other songs are sumptuous.

Lindsay Heather Pearce, who played Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway, can belt with the best of them, and shows it on live-wire performance artist Maureen’s “Over the Moon” and “Take Me or Leave Me.” Tre Frazier has the thankless task of playing sellout Benjamin Coffin III, friend turned foe.

Special shout-out to ensemble-mates Julia Yameen (Mark’s mom), Shelby Brown (Joanne’s mom), Jhardon Dishon Milton (Joanne’s dad), and Erica Stephan (Roger’s Mom) as the parents heard on the voice mails.

Among the many highlights is “La Vie Boheme,” the ebullient, defiant Act 1 closer that features characters finding their voices in a number that defines community. And fun name drops! (Pee-wee Herman!).

Seasons of Love. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

After intermission, when you hear the iconic piano chords and the entire ensemble files out to present the signature song, “Seasons of Love,” it is delivered with tremendous strength and feeling, creating a sublime contemporary “Muny Moment.” I will admit to moist eyes. Just hearing the divine Anastacia McCleskey crush that power-ballad solo, her voice ascending into the stratosphere, is goosebumps-time.

As Celie in last summer’s “The Color Purple,” she won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Award from the St. Louis Theater Circle in April. She plays Maureen’s attorney girlfriend Joanne Jefferson with genuine charm.

Costume designer Raquel Adorno has outfitted the cast appropriately in era streetwear, but my only quibble is I miss Mark’s maroon and blue sweater with his striped scarf. At times, it was hard to keep Mark and Roger separate. But Angel’s glitzy attire was eye-popping.

The sound had issues when the music was louder than the performers, where I was sitting, but I wondered if it was better elsewhere in the amphitheater.

Those people not familiar with the show could have had trouble figuring out action, so I recommend reading up on the show beforehand. I finally saw Puccini’s opera a few years ago, and was struck at how closely it resembled the “Rent” characters, except in a different century and country – Paris in 1830. The life-and-death themes, nevertheless, are universal.

Roger and Mimi. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

 While AIDS is no longer a death sentence, that period of uncertainty was harrowing and horrifying, and Larson’s stark look at loss – and homophobia — still resonates.

The show captured a specific time and place, but its pathos was always identifiable. After all, we’ve just been through several years of a devastating global health emergency and are currently losing thousands to an opioid crisis.

As a struggling artist for years, Larson knew the world he wrote about, based on a concept by Billy Aronson. Among his legacy, he urged us to cherish each of the 525,600 minutes we’re given every non-Leap year. Posthumously, Larson went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony Awards (musical, book, score).

“Rent” ran for 12 years on Broadway, has had countless touring shows for 25 years, a 2005 film adaptation, and a live television presentation in 2019.

No matter how many times I hear this score (and I know every word after heavy playlist rotation of the original Broadway cast double-CD recording), I am moved by how timeless each song is.

We are living in the Twilight Zone, only now America is well past the millennium. If we are fortunate, we know love and appreciate friends.

This exceptional cast makes us feel each emotion expressed, and I mean really feel the connections with an unmistakable chemistry and a reverence for the material.

The eight principals who moved to Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre April 29, 1996, were lightning in a bottle: Anthony Rapp as Mark Cohen, Adam Pascal as Roger Davis, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Mimi Marquez, Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel, Jesse L. Martin as Tom Collins, Idina Menzel as Maureen Johnson, and the more ‘outsider’ characters –Fredi Walker as Joanne Jefferson and Taye Diggs as Benjamin Coffin III.

They caused a commotion, inspiring devotion. Their performances made the ordinary extraordinary and galvanized a generation. They changed their lives, and in the process, other Gen Xers.

They made it possible for others, especially ones who go against the grain, to be an “us” instead of a “them.”

Photo by Phillip Hamer.

Cut to 2023, and Gen Zers are now post-9/11 babies. Can “Rent” still strike a chord? It may no longer shock, but it can awe.

“Rent” still matters. It has the ability to connect on a personal level for all sorts of different reasons.

Take it from me, a Boomer Rent-head who saw it live on its first national tour, shared it with my oldest son as he entered his 20s, and consider the night I saw Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal reprise their roles in 2009 one of the best nights of live theater ever (the electricity and the energy was off-the-charts). I’ve seen it so many times, I’ve lost count. I think it’s 11, and until the Muny Saturday night, I hadn’t seen a professional company perform it since the 20th anniversary tour in 2016. That music still holds a spell.

The Muny production is a triumph in every way, giving oxygen to an eternal flame, and a rite of passage, moving the cultural institution forward. Watching it under a moonlit sky was glorious, a stirring shared experience with thousands of other Rent-heads and a captivated Muny audience.

As Larson reminds us, there really is no day but today, as life is ours to miss.

‘La Vie Boheme,’ Photo by Phillip Hamer.

The Muny presents “Rent” Aug. 4-10 nightly at 8:15 p.m. on the outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.muny.org.

(Notes: For more about Jonathan Larson, see the 2021 musical film “Tick, Tick…Boom!” currently streaming on Netflix. Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who said “Rent” changed his life when he first saw it as a teenager, it features an Oscar-nominated performance by Andrew Garfield as the young songwriter trying to get noticed.

Anthony Rapp’s 2006 book “Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent” is a worthy read.)

Mark and Joanne. Photo by Phillip Hamer

One Of Year’s Best Ensembles Hits Hard in Timely ‘Sweat’ at Black Rep

One Of Year’s Best Ensembles Hits Hard in Timely ‘Sweat’ at Black Rep

By Lynn Venhaus
A domino chain of events have a devastating effect on a group of blue-collar steel workers in Lynn Nottage’s hard-hitting play, “Sweat,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2017 and retains its timeliness.

The Black Rep’s outstanding production, which kicked off its 45th season on Sept. 9 and continues through Sept. 26, features powerful performances in a lived-in atmosphere.

You know these characters, the ‘little guys’ who’ve worked the factory floor for years and thought their labor unions would protect them when the corporate owners moved operations to another country for a cheaper labor force.

Set in a local tavern where the Olstead mill workers hang out in Reading, Pennsylvania, this could have taken place in Granite City or Centralia, Ill., or near the shuttered car plants in St. Louis.

Director Ron Himes knows this and understands how today’s political and racial tensions are much the same as then, as well as immigration issues. Those are addressed in two story arcs — changing demographics and the territorial birthright felt by the longtime Caucasian residents.

Sadly, this tale is often not one of fiction in real lives — and has become familiar to anyone living anywhere in the Rust Belt, part of those Northeast and Midwestern regions where an industrial decline has been going on for decades, especially where coal and steel were economy mainstays.

The 2015 play starts and ends in 2008, but most of it takes place in flashback eight years earlier – in 2000, a pivotal time in America, after NAFTA is in place and corporations are going to Mexico. Transparency is not a word in these companies’ vocabulary, as they leave communities shattered and people broken.

The North American Free Trade Agreement was signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 1994 and created a trilateral trade bloc.

The action veers from longtime friends celebrating birthdays, laughing, joking and talking about their lives to escalating tension as uncertainty about their jobs increases, along with harsh outlooks on their economic futures.

This ensemble is nimble and natural, conveying the complexities of their relationships with skill and emotional depth. The cast projects how longtime friends act and what their workplace is like with ease.

Nottage’s dialogue is shrewd and perceptive about race, class and identity. She understands the frustrations of these characters, and the lens in which they view the world.

Nottage, who is the only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize twice for Drama, first for “Ruined” in 2009, frequently writes about marginalized people.

For Cynthia and Tracey, is friendship or survival stronger? The actresses Amy Loui and Velma Austin expertly convey their conflicts and mood shifts, show how friendships sour when misunderstandings and envy erupt.

Their friend Jessie drinks too much and once had dreams of traveling the world but got a job at the factory and stayed. Kelly Howe gives what could be a stereotype some nuance – and superbly displays various levels of inebriation.

The cast is anchored by Stan, the bartender who was injured on the job at the mill and reflects on multiple labor issues as he is often the voice of reason – and at least history.

He attempts to put things in perspective and tells the young bucks who are chomping at the bit that they should be outraged by the bosses, not the little guys trying to get ahead like they are.

In his Black Rep debut, Black Anthony Edwards is impressive as the guy who’s good at listening, who speaks common sense, and has made lemonade out of the lemons he was given impairing his leg and being unable to work at what he did for years.

Physically, he looks like the character Stan. Praise to the costume designer Hali Liles for her spot-on outfits depicting the wardrobes of ordinary people living in the Rust Belt.

After they strike, and Cynthia and Tracey’s sons Chris and Jason are laid off, their lives are altered forever after tensions explode in violence. The fight choreography by Paul Steger is fluid and the cast well-rehearsed to make it seem natural.

Chris wanted to make something of himself, and Brian McKinley earnestly portrays his yearning to achieve, especially after watching his dad Brucie (frequent Black Rep performer A.C. Smith) fall on hard times after being shut out at a textile plant.

The boys serve prison sentences, as reflected in the opening scene with parole officer Evan, played with authority by Don McClendon. Franklin Killian is strong as the hothead redneck Jason, now tattoed on his face and a white supremist. He perfectly embodies the once fun-loving guy now a lost soul.

The subject of the boys’ rage is represented by Oscar, a Colombian American who works as the bar’s busboy but seizes an opportunity to make more money by replacing striking workers. The regular clientele are seething about this ‘scab.’

Oscar, well-played by Gregory Almanza, pours out his heart to Stan, telling him about how ignored he is, perceived to be an immigrant when he was born in the U.S. His dad swept floors at the mill, now he wants to achieve more. He is caught in the crossfire of misplaced fury.

The scenic design by Tim Jones aptly captures this world, with detailed property work by Meg Brinkley, all expertly lit by lighting designer John D. Alexander. The jukebox works well, thanks to the terrific sound design by Kareem Deanes.

Featuring one of the year’s best ensembles, a timely tale and expert production elements, “Sweat” is not to be missed.

Velma Austin as Cynthia. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

“Sweat” will continue through Sept. 26, with Thursday show at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.

$15 student rush tickets are available for all shows — 30 minutes before the show with a valid student I.D.

For more information: www.theblackrep.org

Season subscriptions and single tickets for “Sweat” are available at www.theblackrep.org or by calling the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Groups of 12 or more may also reserve tickets by phone. Seating will be at 50 percent capacity; for complete information on current health protocols please visit www.theblackrep.org.

The Black Rep’s 45th Anniversary Season sponsors include the Arts and Education Council, The Black Seed Initiative, Centene Charitable Trust, Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission, Rodgers-Townsend, The Shubert Foundation, the Steward Family Foundation, and Washington University in St. Louis.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Our top priority for reopening is the health and safety of our staff, artists and patrons. We have been working diligently to bring live theatre back. The Black Rep is part of the growing coalition of St Louis performing arts venues and producers that have agreed upon Covid-19 Vaccination/Testing and Mask Requirements for audiences, artists and staff through the end of 2021.

Everyone must be fully vaccinated or have received a negative covid test results no more than 72 hours prior to coming on campus. A Covid19 vaccination card or a negative test result must be presented upon entering the building.

Masks are required at all times while indoors on campus. Even if you are seated in pods and distanced, masks must remain in place.

Everyone will need to complete the visitorscreening.wustl.edu within 2 hours of your arrival to campus. You will receive a message indicating that you are cleared to come to campus and you will be asked to present the “cleared” message to ushers at the entrance of the building. For those without smart phones, there is a station in Mallinckrodt where you can complete the screener on an iPad. If you receive a message that you are “not cleared”, we ask that you not come to campus or leave campus if you are completing the screener on campus.

The Rep Triumphantly Returns with Bold and Powerful ‘Mlima’s Tale’

The Rep Triumphantly Returns with Bold and Powerful ‘Mlima’s Tale’

By Lynn Venhaus

A majestic and powerful African elephant, brutally killed for his ivory tusks, is an unforgettable central character – both in life and death — in the haunting fable, “Mlima’s Tale.”

Actor Kambi Gathesha is a towering figure, using his elegance and physicality to appear as the beautiful creature on the African savannas in a Kenyan game preserve. His hypnotic spirit remains in the afterlife.

A commanding, expressive presence for 85 minutes on a sparse stage at the Berges Theatre at COCA in University City, Gathesha guides us on his bounty’s path. It’s a dark and disturbing journey through the sinister world of the international, and illegal, ivory trade.

This is The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ first live presentation since the pandemic shut down its stages in March 2020 and was initially set for last year.

The regional premiere of Lynn Nottage’s engrossing work explores what price commerce and where the line is drawn, if it is at all.

Nottage, the celebrated playwright who has won two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, for “Sweat” in 2017, set in a factory workers’ hangout in a company town in rustbelt Pennsylvania, and “Ruined,” from 2009, which is about sex slavery during a civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is to date the only woman to win twice.

Nottage’s dramatic storytelling unfolds poetically with Mlima, symbolizing the animal’s grandeur and fear, and uses her meticulous research to present African history, culture and tradition.

Then, she focuses on the unsavory poachers and smugglers, pointing fingers at those who profit from taking what isn’t theirs – including a complicated grid of government officials and black-market operatives. Nottage explains how and why it’s a big-money cutthroat business with such high stakes.

Imagine mother Africa. Its beauty. The regal wildlife. But greed and conspicuous consumption are driving the global economy, and opportunists are ready to pounce.

Special recognition must go to choreographer Kirven Douthit-Boyd, who created the graceful movements, and through Gathesha’s motion, depicts the horrific killing, by bow and poison arrow.

A small cast of four fills the space, with Ezioma Asonye, Will Mann and Joe Ngo each assuming 28 different characters, with Helen Huang’s costume design crucial to distinguishing who’s who in quick outfit changes. Their roles include Somali poachers, a police chief, a park warden, bureaucrat, Chinese businessman, ship captain and ivory carver – all in various shades of gray (morality-wise) – as we travel from Kenya to Beijing.

Their authenticity is further illustrated by the lyrical work of dialect coaches Barbara Rubin and Julie Foh, for the characters represent various countries.

Much is left to the imagination in this minimalistic production, but director Shariffa Ali has conjured up such potent, vivid imagery that connects it simply and beautifully. You feel Mlima’s magnificence (and just a note, “Mlima” means “mountain” in Swahili).

You-Shin Chen’s scenic design and Jasmine Lesane’s lighting design add to the impressionistic feel while the sound design and music score by Avi Amon enhanced the atmosphere.

Photo by Phillip Hamer

By humanizing Mlima’s plight, Nottage draws much needed attention to the exploitation of animals who should be protected, but people look the other way because they are driven by money, not conscience.

With heart-wrenching scenes and heartless people, “Mlima’s Tale” provoked both anger and tears.

“Mlima’s Tale” is presented May 28 through July 11 at the Berges Theatre at COCA, 6880 Washington Avenue in University City. For more information, visit www.repstl.org.

For audience and performer safety, theatre capacity will be kept at 25 percent, in line with the St. Louis County Department of Health’s COVID-19 guidelines. In addition, The Rep is adhering to its comprehensive plan to keep actors, production staff and patrons safe during the return to live theatre. ‘Mlima’s Tale’ is The Rep’s only performance from the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rep and The Black Rep Team Up for Roundtable with Playwright Lynn Nottage

The Rep and The Black Rep Team Up for Roundtable with Playwright Lynn Nottage

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright visits St. Louis to discuss her timely and important works, being presented locally by both theatre groups 

ST. LOUIS (June 18, 2021) – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) and St. Louis Black Repertory Company (The Black Rep) are pleased to welcome two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage to St. Louis for a very special roundtable event, Telling the ‘Tale’ with Lynn Nottage on Friday, June 25 at 6 p.m. via Facebook Live and YouTube. Hana S. Sharif, Augustin Family Artistic Director at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Ron Himes, Founder and Producing Director of The Black Rep will spend 90 minutes in conversation with Nottage, moderated by Adena Varner, Director of Learning and Community Engagement for The Rep. 

The conversation will center on two key works by Nottage being presented by the local theatre groups: Mlima’s Tale, currently being performed by The Rep through July 11 at the Catherine B. Berges theatre at COCA; and Sweat, set to open The Black Rep’s 45th season from September 8 through 26 at the Edison Theatre at Washington University. 

“Lynn Nottage is one of the most important voices in modern American theatre, so bringing her thought-provoking, Mlima’s Tale, to life as The Rep’s first in-person production this year has been a true joy” said Sharif. “It is a gift for the St. Louis community to have two of her groundbreaking plays produced this year. I am delighted to partner with Ron Himes in this incredible opportunity to delve deeply into her work and the themes she explores.”

Himes added, “I’m looking forward to being in conversation with these two brilliant women of the theatre and to continue The Black Rep’s relationship with Lynn Nottage by presenting Sweat to open our in-person 45th Anniversary season. We have presented Intimate Apparel and Ruins in past seasons and our audiences have been moved; our artists have been challenged. Mlima’s Tale continues to elevate Nottage as one of our best American playwrights.”

Nottage is the first, and remains the only, woman to have twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. She was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2019. 

Telling the ‘Tale’ with Lynn Nottage is a free online event with an RSVP required via Eventbrite.

About The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Rep is the St. Louis region’s most honored live professional theatre company. Founded in 1966, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a fully professional theatrical operation belonging to the League of Resident Theatres, The League of St. Louis Theatres and is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization for the not-for-profit professional theatre. Visit www.repstl.org for more, and find The Rep on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About St. Louis Black Repertory Company

Founded in 1976 by Producing Director Ron Himes, The Black Rep is one of the largest professional African-American theatre companies in the nation and the largest African American professional performing arts organization in Missouri. Quality professional dramas, comedies and musicals by primarily African American and African Diaspora playwrights are produced. Main-stage  productions and education programs combine to reach more than 80,000 people annually. For more information visit theblackrep.org.