#90 - Plays, Act I

Play Round-up since the last time I did this. By venue, then chronological.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Sleuth (Mainstage) - October 2010 - This is the definition of a cat-and-mouse game. Twists galore, never quite sure which of the two main characters is the cat and which the mouse. Well-done.

The 39 Steps (Mainstage) - January 2010 - Based on a Hitchcock film, and while not a great play in terms of the standard spy chase plot, it is played for laughs so it isn't noticeable. It did have a nice concept in that only 4 actors play all 20 or so roles in the play. And when you consider the hero only does one role, and the woman does just the three heroine and/or femme fatale roles, that leaves two characters playing about 15 assorted cops, criminals, innkeepers, and random passers-by. So, it was entertaining to watch.

Crime and Punishment (Studio) - March 2010 - Wow! And I thought The 39 Steps was stripped down. This is Dostoevsky's sprawling novel (which I gave up on after 50 pages), reduced to 3 actors. And man, does it work. Again, multiple characters per actor. Great lighting work and staging. The atmosphere and mood are almost soul crushing. Placing you really inside the mind of a murderer. This is intense theater.

Echo Theatre

Secretaries - October 2009 - The play about a "murderous cult of Slim Fast drinking female office workers" which I alluded to in an earlier post. Offbeat, amusing, and a little violent.

Fugitive Songs - November 2009 - "This innovative musical journey spotlights people on the run: a disgruntled Subway sandwich employee, a jilted ex-cheerleader, a pair of Patty Hearst fanatics, a stoner forced to rob a convenience store against his will, and many others. Blending traditional folk music with contemporary pop and gospel, Fugitive Songs offers a new sound for a restless America." Good songs: some funny, some poignant, all say something about America circa now.

Santaland Diaries - December 2009 - Working as an elf at Macy's teaches you the true meaning of Christmas. Funny.

Hot City

The Eight: Reindeer Monologues - December 2009 - Santa is accused of sexual harassing a reindeer. The 8 members of the sleigh team give their points of view. Was Vixen asking for it? Has it happened before? Amazingly does not qualify as "modern, arty, freaky". Seen one gay reindeer, seen them all.

Why Torture is Wrong, and the People who Love Them - February 2010 - Ever have one of those days? You wake up hung over, married to a strange guy who may or may not be a terrorist. So you take him home to meet your oblivious mother, and your father who may or may not be a CIA agent. Add a little torture in the study and your husband planting a remote bomb in your childhood home. Plus a porno-making minister. Bad day for you, fun for the audience.

The Sinker - May 2010 - Winner of last year's Greenhouse New Play festival. World premiere of the play. Very nice and I'm not talking about the thong shot of one of the actresses that opens the play. Well, not exclusively. A very minimalist play. 3 actors - and all the action and dialogue revolves around the unseen 4th, and the very complicated relationship that all 3 have with him.

Stray Dog Theatre

Speech & Debate - February 2010 - Cute little play about 3 outsider teenagers tied together by a sex scandal in their high school. Darkly funny, smart, and entertaining. I like the Tower Grove Abbey space that Stray Dog occupies.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds - March 2010 - Well done, but a total downer of a play. Follows Chekov's loaded gun rule but uses a live rabbit, which was a bit disturbing.