Plays seen since the last update. Noticed a common theme of many of these plays; even the comedies are about struggling with a loss. Some (True West, Slasher) had physical fights on stage. Struggle could also refer to the challenges of live theatre. One play had a small tech glitch (Closer), one had an audience member faint (Shadowlands), and one had an actor who had a flat tire on the way in and had to be understudied for the first scenes (Distracted).
As Bees in Honey Drown by Douglas Carter Beane - Comedy about celebrity. And people famous for being famous. And people wanting to be famous. This doesn't really fit the struggle theme, though the main con woman character did struggle to reinvent herself and her image from her small town roots. But I'm probably stretching the point. At Stray Dog Theatre.
Closer by Patrick Marber - I thought this was really well-done. Didn't pull any punches about love or sex or people. At St. Louis Actor's Studio.
Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake) by Shelia Callaghan -Qualifies as Modern, Arty, Freaky; since The Apartment is a central talking character and a little girl blows her hand off. Plus dream sequences with Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford. At Echo Theatre.
Distracted by Lisa Loomer - As always I love Michelle Hand. Seriocomic play about a parent struggling with a newly diagnosed ADHD kid. At Stray Dog Theatre.
Pericles by William Shakespeare - Second tier Shakespeare. A prince has to flee his country because of some McGuffin. He gets married, has daughter, loses wife, loses daughter, has about 17 shipwrecks. But it all works out in the end. First time I ever encountered the plot device of Pirates Ex Machina. Seriously they come out of freakin' nowhere. At The Black Rep.
Shadowlands by William Nicholson - My cousin David had a silent role in this play about a love affair that author C.S. Lewis had with an American divorcee. Although platonic at first, the feelings deepen. Thenl she is stricken by cancer and Lewis has to confront a) his feelings and b) his beliefs about why God allows suffering. At Mustard Seed.
Slasher by Allison Moore - Spoof of horror movies. No real struggle here except - TO LIVE! Pretty funny. At Hot City.
True West by Sam Shepard - Sibling rivalry cranked to 11. At Hot City.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - One woman play based on the novel of the same name. The Didion character recounts the year following the sudden death of her husband. A year spent dealing with the loss as well as her adult daughter's several illnesses and eventual death. At St. Louis Repertory.
Ruined by Lynn Nottage - A proud woman survives amidst the chaos of the Congo Civil War. Powerful. At The Black Rep
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