Category: Theater

This is a review of The Fall of Heaven by Walter Mosley.

I saw The Fall of Heaven at the St. Louis Repertory theater and enjoyed it. Having never heard of Walter Mosley, I was unsure what to expect, but from the opening scene of a bustling metropolis to the ending scene of chaos and decisions, I was mesmerized.

The play follows the lead character of Tempest as he dies and appears in front of St. Peter at the gates of heaven. The problem is that Tempest doesn’t follow the rules like everyone else who is dead after St. Peter tells him to go to hell. The secret is that Tempest exercises his free will and is put back on earth.

This is a review of Macbeth at the St. Louis Repertory Theater in 2011.

Seeing Shakespeare performed is always a crap shoot. I never enjoyed reading Shakespeare in high school, but I’ve grown to enjoy the theater version of his work. While I have my favorites, Macbeth isn’t one of them. I’ve always found it to be a little heavy and over the top. This is why I was apprehensive when I saw the production.

Once Macbeth started all my concerns were alleviated. The director, Paul Mason Barnes,  assembled the actors in the beginning through a quick narrative and  greeting that explained the parts. This became critical as many actors played multiple roles. The real gem, though, was Timothy D. Stickney.

This is a review of Over the Tavern at the St. Louis Rep Theater.

When you see live theater you expect a few things:

1) Entertainment.

2) Good acting.

3) Enjoyment.

Over the Tavern at the St. Louis Rep Theater delivered on all three counts.

Over the Tavern is a comedy play by Tom Dudzick.  The play looks at a Polish catholic family in the 1950s living above a tavern they own in Buffalo, NY. The action centers around the middle son’s questioning of faith, resistance to a nun’s authority and a father’s long lost secret.

The following is a review of the play High at the St. Louis Rep Theater.

High is a play by Matthew Lombardo about drug addiction, religion and much more.

The highlight of the play was Kathleen Turner. She brought a great deal of energy and gusto to her part as Sister Jamison, a recovering addict helping Evan Jonigkeit’s character of Cody Randall.

The play’s action takes place on a sparse set, but the lighting is fantastic. The characters interact through a small space, but towards the end of the first act action abounds. Cody attempts to force himself on Sister Jamison, which causes running and action. Oh, and male nudity.

This is a review of the St. Louis Rep Theater’s production of You Can’t Take it With You.

I hadn’t seen the play, You Can’t Take it With You, prior to seeing it at the rep. Going in, I knew the play was a comedy, but that was it. By the end of the play I had laughed long and hard and really enjoyed myself.

The play can be summarized in three words: quirky, humorous, coincidental.