By Lynn Venhaus

The playwright Harold Pinter made a long and distinguished career out of confounding people with odd plays featuring weird situations, convoluted dialogue, and peculiar characters. “Old Times,” written in 1971, is his freaky, flaky waltz down memory lane that never resolves anything but builds unnerving tension. It is one of his more divisive dramas.

When Roundabout Theatre Company was in rehearsals preparing for a revival in 1984, actor Anthony Hopkins asked Pinter to explain the play’s ending. He famously responded: “I don’t know. Just do it.”

OK, then. When the playwright intends to leave us hanging, it may be hard for a theatergoer to decipher, and there are plenty of theories about what really happened in this show. The point is caring enough to be satisfied with your highly personal observation.

This play is already a tall order for even the most accomplished artists, and unfortunately, is more frustrating than fulfilling in The Midnight Company’s latest presentation.

Director Sarah Lynne Holt has framed Pinter’s familiar enclosed space setting in a stripped-down theater-in-the-round style at The Chapel, where the audience is squished into a wedge of chairs where your view of the three actors may be limited.

That’s a detriment to absorbing the highly stylized delivery of the three actors where every non sequitur, riddle, pause and selected memory is supposedly fraught with meaning. And the sound isn’t consistent either, which makes it even harder to understand the disjointed patter.

The staging is clumsy, and while I realize it’s a low-budget production, the serving of tea is awkward, and the pouring of brandy into cordial glasses, not snifters, is puzzling.

Kelly Howe, Joe Hanrahan and Colleen Backer. Photo by Joey Rumpell.

Individually engaging performers — Colleen Backer as Kate, Kelly Howe as Anna, and Joe Hanrahan as Deeley, aren’t meant to be a cohesive trio, and their distance only raises more questions, as intended.

On the surface, it appears that a husband, Deeley, and a wife, Kate, are visited by her old friend and former roommate, Anna, from their carefree single days. They live remotely by the sea while she lives in Sicily but once lived in London. Kate and Anna haven’t seen each other in 20 years.

Well, that’s the story that they seem to be sticking with, and from the start, you can tell something is off kilter. Reality is blurred and recollections are tested in a most bizarre reconnection.

Vague on purpose, Howe hints that Anna has a swinger past and can still seduce, trying to be coquettish with both Kate and her husband.

The married couple don’t find that odd, nor do they appear to be what they seem. So, what kind of a charade is exactly going on?

While Backer and Howe are two evocative actresses — and it’s important to see their facial expressions if you can position yourself to do so, even their suggestive glances and knowing looks can’t convince us of any sexual heat between each other and Deeley.

And Deeley comes across as kind of pervy with his unfiltered accounts of sexual desire, conquests and previous hook-ups with these and other women. Is Hanrahan purposely playing him as creepy? We do discover his lounge lizard past.

The characters are all supposed to be in their 40s, and clearly, Hanrahan is not, even though he doesn’t look his age.

But one aspect that supposedly distinguishes other productions is sexual tension, as in the 2015 Broadway revival starring Clive Owen, Eve Best and Kelly Reilly, where critics repeatedly mentioned it. The heat is not evident here.

While that is an elusive quality, that addition could have been crucial to the audience buying into this scenario.

The women affect British accents while Hanrahan avoided it, so that’s another point that may bother you.

Pinter teases that there is something darker afoot. But the information is slim about their quirky characters the more the play goes on. Kate, who barely speaks, finally blurts out that she remembers her roommate being dead. Say what?

They may all be alive or dead, they all might be figments of someone’s imagination, and the way they reminisce about the past may be total fiction. Emotions are guarded and the characters don’t say what they mean. You wanted Pinteresque, and you got it.

If you are fascinated by his maddening style of doling out clues and pieces of information that may or may not wind up germane to the story, then you’ll invest the time to solve the puzzle.

If you are irritated by his overuse of pauses, or if you lack the patience to be convinced of anything not spelled out, then this material will let you down. It’s all in your perceptions.

Hailed as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Pinter won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, and is famous for “The Birthday Party,” “The Homecoming,” “Betrayal” and “The Caretaker.” He died at age 78 in 2008.

He tended to concentrate on isolation, fear and troubled personal relationships, creating an elliptical dialogue. He also liked to confuse time and space. Frequent descriptions of his work – unpredictable, unspecific, and combative – are apt.

Another choice is that Holt does little to guide the audience in a certain way, preferring to keep everyone guessing and debating afterwards instead. But according to the press release, she didn’t want to make it easy for people to agree on what happened.

The Emperor’s New Clothes or brilliant 20th century mind at work? You say subtle, I say pretentious.

I don’t find this material a good fit for the strengths of the award-winning veteran performers. They can, and have done, so much better. I usually enjoy watching them on stage, but Pinter’s obtuseness can only carry a show so far, especially when you feel disengaged.

The clock is ticking, and the play lasts 1 hour and 35 minutes with one intermission. Fatigue sets in when you realize they aren’t really saying much – and won’t.

I am pretty sure no two people who see “Old Times” will agree on interpretations, and then again, there’s no one right answer.

The trick is caring. The murkiness is troubling, and if you are OK without a satisfactory resolution, that’s your prerogative.

The Midnight Company presents “Old Times” July 11-27 at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees July 14 and 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be reserved at MetroTix.com. For more information, visit www.midnightcompany.com

R-S Theatrics is thrilled to announce their return to live theatre with the St. Louis premiere of Breadcrumbs by Jennifer Haley, running October 8-24, 2021, at The .ZACK (3224 Locust St.).
In Breadcrumbs, a reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography.  In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness, and essential self.  Dallas Morning News calls Breadcrumbs “timely and touching,” while DC Theatre Scene says, “It is an act of boldness, to be done only by a playwright in absolute command of her gifts…”  

This production will be directed by R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt.  The cast includes Jodi Stockton as Alida and Julie Amuedo as Beth/Mother.  The design team is Costume Designer Amanda Brasher, Lighting Designer Karen Pierce, Sound Designer Ted Drury, and Scenic & Properties Designer Sarah Lynne Holt.  The team is rounded out by Stage Manager Lucy Bowe, Dramaturg Rachel Hanks, Resident Intimacy Coordinator Tress Kurzym and Resident Graphic Designer & Photographer Michael Young.

Breadcrumbs will perform Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm.  General admission tickets will be $20, available through MetroTix or at the door.  Audio description for the blind and partially-sighted from MindsEye will be available during the Sunday, October 10th performance.  The October 15th performance will be followed by a presentation and discussion of the effects of trauma and dementia on brain development and behavior with Rachel Hanks, production dramaturg and licensed clinical social worker with a specialty in neurobiologically-informed interventions for traumatic stress and developmental trauma.

In accordance with Kranzberg Arts Foundation and R-S Theatrics guidelines, all audience members age twelve and up will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, a negative PCR test dated within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative antigen test dated within 24 hours of the performance start time.  Other than actors onstage, everyone over the age of two must remain properly masked in The .ZACK at all times.  This production is funded in part by the Arts and Education Council.  Breadcrumbs is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

R-S Theatrics is a small professional theatre company in residence at Kranzberg Arts Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri.  Our mission is to present St. Louis-area professional premieres of work that introduces new voices to important conversations in our community.  Since launching in May of 2011, R-S has produced acclaimed productions of ParadeIn the HeightsEvery Brilliant Thing, and The Motherf**ker with the Hat, among many others.  

Jennifer Haley is a playwright whose work delves into ethics in virtual reality and the impact of technology on our human relationships, identity, and desire. She won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, a Los Angeles Ovation Award and the Francesca Primus Prize for her play, The Nether, which premiered at Center Theatre Group and was subsequently produced at The Royal Court Theatre with Headlong in London. Other plays include Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, which premiered at the Actors Theatre of Louisville 2008 Humana Festival, and Froggy, in development with Center Theatre Group and American Conservatory Theater. Jennifer’s work has been developed at The Banff Centre, the Sundance Theatre Lab, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Lark Play Development Center, PlayPenn, Page 73, and the MacDowell Colony. She is a member of New Dramatists in New York City and lives in Los Angeles, where she founded the Playwrights Union. 

Director Sarah Lynne Holt (she/her) has been a theatre artist in St. Louis since 2001.  She holds a directing degree from Millikin University and has helmed shows at The Midnight Company, Solid Lines Productions, The Q Collective, Kirkwood Theatre Guild, That Uppity Theatre Company, PRIME, The Non-Prophet Theater Company, and The Tin Ceiling.  At R-S Theatrics, she has directed boomA Perfect Arrangement, and numerous other projects, including four years of shows in partnership with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s WiseWrite Young Playwrights’ Festival.  She began working with R-S in 2014, served on the Board of Directors from 2015-2018, and has been Artistic Director since January 2020.  Sarah previously held staff positions with Arcon Radio Players, The Non-Prophet Theatre Company, Last Chance Theatre, and Blue Lemon Theatre Group.Complimentary review tickets are available to media by request.  To reserve tickets, request a full press packet, or get more information, contact Sarah Lynne Holt at rstheatrics@gmail.com or visit R-S’s website at r-stheatrics.org.

R-S Theatrics is thrilled to announce their return to live theatre with the St. Louis premiere of Breadcrumbs by Jennifer Haley, running October 8-24, 2021, at The .ZACK (3224 Locust St.).

In Breadcrumbs, a reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography.  In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness, and essential self.  Dallas Morning News calls Breadcrumbs “timely and touching,” while DC Theatre Scene says, “It is an act of boldness, to be done only by a playwright in absolute command of her gifts…”  

This production will be directed by R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt.  Auditions for the parts of Alida and Beth will be announced in coming days via R-S Theatrics website and social media. Those interested in other production positions can send resumes, portfolios and letters of interest to rstheatrics@gmail.com.

Breadcrumbs will perform Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm. Tickets will be $20, available through MetroTix or at the door.  Appropriate COVID safety precautions will be taken for artists and audience members, guided by current CDC and St. Louis Department of Health guidelines. This production is funded in part by the Arts and Education Council.  Breadcrumbs is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

R-S Theatrics is a small professional theatre company in residence at Kranzberg Arts Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri. Our mission is to present St. Louis-area professional premieres of work that introduces new voices to important conversations in our community.  Since launching in May of 2011, R-S has produced acclaimed productions of ParadeIn the HeightsEvery Brilliant Thing, and The Motherf**ker with the Hat, among many others.  

Jennifer Haley is a playwright whose work delves into ethics in virtual reality and the impact of technology on our human relationships, identity, and desire. She won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, a Los Angeles Ovation Award and the Francesca Primus Prize for her play, The Nether, which premiered at Center Theatre Group and was subsequently produced at The Royal Court Theatre with Headlong in London. Other plays include Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, which premiered at the Actors Theatre of Louisville 2008 Humana Festival, and Froggy, in development with Center Theatre Group and American Conservatory Theater. Jennifer’s work has been developed at The Banff Centre, the Sundance Theatre Lab, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Lark Play Development Center, PlayPenn, Page 73, and the MacDowell Colony. She is a member of New Dramatists in New York City and lives in Los Angeles, where she founded the Playwrights Union. 

Director Sarah Lynne Holt (she/her) has been a theatre artist in St. Louis since 2001. She holds a directing degree from Millikin University and has helmed shows at The Midnight Company, Solid Lines Productions, The Q Collective, Kirkwood Theatre Guild, That Uppity Theatre Company, PRIME, The Non-Prophet Theater Company, and The Tin Ceiling.  At R-S Theatrics, she has directed boomA Perfect Arrangement, and numerous other projects, including four years of shows in partnership with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s WiseWrite Young Playwrights’ Festival.  She began working with R-S in 2014, served on the Board of Directors from 2015-2018, and has been Artistic Director since January 2020.  Sarah previously held staff positions with Arcon Radio Players, The Non-Prophet Theatre Company, Last Chance Theatre, and Blue Lemon Theatre Group. For more information, contact Sarah Lynne Holt at rstheatrics@gmail.com or visit R-S’s website at r-stheatrics.org.

Photo: Playwright Jennifer Haley

By Lynn Venhaus Managing Editor In The Midnight Company’s charmer of a one-man show, “Charlie Johnson Reads All of Proust” is a good match for Joe Hanrahan’s storytelling skills.

He plays an average Joe, 75, retired from insurance, whose
mundane Midwest life includes Snappy Seniors activities and family to-dos. One
day, Charlie doesn’t realize that a package of cookies as a snack at Starbucks
will lead to a reading adventure. He has what’s called “a Madeleine moment,”
and thus enters the world of French literary legend Marcel Proust, more out of
spite at his snobbish know-it-all daughter-in-law. 

The cake-like cookie, sort of in the shape of a seashell,
is associated with Proust’s opus, “In Search of Lost Time,” earlier known as
“Remembrance of Things Past,” which was published between 1913 and 1927, in
seven parts. Dipping the cookie in his tea, the narrator is immediately
transported to childhood memories.

On the surface, Paris during the French Third Republic
couldn’t be more different than contemporary Indiana, but then again, Charlie is
open to the similarities and differences. At that time, France saw the rise of
the middle class and the decline of the aristocracy.

But it is through Proust’s penchant for reflection and
articulation about memory that sparks multiple revelations for Charlie.

And lest not forget perseverance. Many a literary scholar
can’t seem to work their way through all of Proust. The title in itself is a
testament to fortitude. And in modern library terms, the seven volumes amount
to 4,300 pages – and 2,000 characters.

Charlie proves to be quite an interesting character, a
meaty role designed for Hanrahan’s gifts. And he’s well-suited to bring out the
humor in playwright Amy Crider’s work, which pops with personality. She is an
astute observer of human nature, visually conjuring an assortment of regular
folks you know you know.

The Kranzberg black box is simply outfitted with a
comfortable easy chair, a well-worn living room space that provides an
immediate sense of place. Chuck Winning’s set design takes you to an everyman
nook, with photographs and artwork that mean something, a statement on the
artist’s role in society and understanding an artist’s life as influence. Tony
Anselmo’s lighting design also reflects on the lived-in quality.

Director Sarah Lynne Holt emphasizes Charlie’s dignity and
intelligence, while Hanrahan’s monologue delivery brings out the absurdities in
life we can all relate to, no matter our circumstances.

This solo sojourn is an insightful piece, a fanfare for the common man that the Midnight Company fluidly interpreted as a guy with something to say.

The Midnight Company presents “Charlie Johnson Reads All of Proust” Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., May 30 to June 15, at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand. For more information, visit www.midnightcompany.com