Category Archives: Theater

Athena

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Athena Graphic

When the obstacle becomes the way—motto of the Greek goddess Athena

“En garde! Prêts? Allez!” Athena is all about fencing and not about fencing at all. The stage is a piste—the official flat strip of a platform where fencers compete. The audience is seated on both sides of the action. We were seated front row center. The two teenage épée fencers spend most of the play in full gear. Action, action and more action is always happening. These seventeen-year-olds are training for nationals. Athena (a nom de guerre) and Mary Wallace are different sides of the same coin. Athena, the daughter of a famous journalist is angry, hostile and friendless. While Wallace, the daughter of teachers is sensitive, maybe too sensitive, but more approachable. Athena lives in the city. While Mary commutes to NYC from the burbs. They agree to train together and begin to create a friendship. These two actresses comprise 90% of the play, until its climax, when a third fencer is introduced, during the qualifiers for nationals. After this short 75-minute play in the Rep’s black box studio, we adjourned next-door to where else, but Cyrano’s, for a late-night dessert. Touche! 

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas

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On December 4th, 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins all happened to meet at the Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennesse, where they had all had their start. They then played together in an impromptu jam session, which Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips dubbed the “Million Dollar Quartet.” Colin Escott later lionized this event in his musical by the same name, which we saw in 2017. Apparently, Escott has taken another dip at the well, with his Million Dollar Quartet Christmas show that we saw last night.

Back in ’56, Sam had rolled tape that fateful afternoon, from which several albums ensued. Phillips had also snapped photos of this gathering, “Because otherwise no one was going to believe that this ever happened.” The most popular version of that shot is on the left and shows a closeup of the quartet around the piano. The actual photo has a wider angle that included Marylin Evans, Elvis’s girlfriend at the time, sitting on the piano beside the four. The quartet had primarily played old gospel songs, because those were the only ones that they all knew, but in Escott’s retelling of this event it is almost all rock and roll. With twenty-two tunes in that show, there are way too many to enumerate.

That December was a hard time for Sam Phillips and Sun Records. He had already sold Presley’s contract to RCA just to keep his business afloat and Cash’s contract was ending. Perkins had all but faded, Sam only hot prospect left was Jerry Lee Lewis. And boy did he know it. Lewis and his ego have a gift for getting under people’s skin and riling everyone’s tempers. In this retelling of a retelling, Marylin steps forward to sooth those ruffled feathers and bring a little Christmas cheer. The original musical replaced gospel music with rock-and-roll and in this new one, rock-and-roll is replaced with Christmas music, with a Sun Records touch, Mele Kalikimaka was not ever on my dance card.

Even with all of this holiday cheer, the second act draws to a downbeat close. Elvis has just gotten his draft notice. Meaning he and the rest of the quartet are set to go their separate ways. As they began to file out the door to the tune of a Presley ballad, a whole third act/encore is cut loose. First bringing the audience to their feet, only to then be told to sit down again and stay awhile longer. It was a great show that sure as heck beat another retelling of a Christmas Carol. 

Dial “M” for Murder

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Murder of Crows – Photo by Alex Jones on Unsplash

I didn’t do it. It was on accident. I laughed and Anne gave me a look. Excuse me, but parts of the play were funny, like when a throw is used to cover the body, but the knife sticking out of the back is still evident. We went to the theater and saw Dial “M” for Murder. This murder mystery shows that it is not the crime that trips you, but the cover up that gets you in the end.

In other news, our bags are packed, and we are ready to go. It looks like hurricane Helene will pass through Atlanta early enough, so as to not affect us. Knock on wood. We are really looking forward to going on this trip. 

Life and Trust

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Life and Trust

Today, we bade a fond farewell to Bob and Noreen and their lovely lakeside home. Alice and Chris had skyed the day before. Now, our hosts have a moment of peace, before the next crowd arrives. We headed south to Columbia, SC and tomorrow we head on to Charleston. Today is Father’s Day, for those of you who celebrate this holiday. Anne likes to celebrate Mother’s Day, since she labored to become one. A month later, I am always of the mind, “Hey, what about me?”

On this day, all across the country, sons call their fathers. Dan was first in our family, when he rang me up. Interestingly, he was standing by his Prius, waiting for the cops to arrive. Someone had hacked off his catalytic converter and he wanted to first make a police report, before he made his insurance claim. That was his bad news. His good news is that he is going to get laid off at the end of the month. No, really. For the last year he has been laboring on a secret project that soon he will be able to tell everyone about. Besides, he is looking forward to collecting some unemployment. The show is Life and Trust (official website).

Earlier this year, we met him on location for lunch at Conwell Coffee House. Located a block south of Wall Street, he struck quite the counterpoint to the neighborhood’s normal attire of Brooks Brothers suits, by wearing overalls, a wool sweater and cap. He had to dress warmly, because work got as cold as hell.

This week, the show opened in limited release. Dan and Britt saw the play twice. Dan has been so happy while working there. Today, even after discovering the car, he was still in an upbeat mood. It is almost a shame that his work there is ending, but his sense of accomplishment more than makes up for that.

As You Like It

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As You Like It – STL Shakespeare Festival

Last night, we and Joanie went to Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park, to see As You Like It. We have seen this play performed there before, twenty years ago. I still have the t-shirt. Then it was only the fourth season of Shakespeare in the park. Twenty years later the festival is still going, albeit maybe not as strongly as in the past. To claim a good spot, we got there at six, even if the show did not start until eight. In the past there were many preshow divertissements. Minstrels would wander through the audience, juggling, performing slapstick and making music. Not this year. In the past a mini version of the night’s main performance would present a tongue-in-cheek synopsis. They called this the Green Room Show, but not this year. Fortunately, the cartoon storyboard was still available this year.  I view these degradations as another case of how Covid ruined everything. It almost killed the Rep. It is good to see that the Shakespeare Festival is still alive.

As You Like It Storyboard

Pre-Travel Frenzy

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As You Like It. 2004

We have not hit the road just yet, but we definitely have all of our wheels spinning. We are in the runup to high travel season. In a matter of days, we will leave the confines of home and become seasonal nomads once again. Before we go though, there is just one more thing, or two, three more.

Over the years, I have noticed this thing about my spovely louse. She views every departure as a deadline. A deadline that must be crammed with more tasks than can possibly be completed. I do not mean to criticize, except this frenetic activity leads to fatigue or worse illness. She tends to work herself to death. Out of the blue, she accepted two new commissions. They are not large ones. She punched one out yesterday and should finish the other today. This is in addition to all of her regularly scheduled artwork.

That is what daygirl is up to. Not to be outdone, on the other burning end of the candle, night-girl has her own itinerary. Last night, we had dinner with some of our Team Kaldi’s bike buddies. Next week, we will rendezvous out-of-town with old friends. Last night, was all about older friends. Tonight is Shakespeare night. Joanie will accompany us to Forest Park for As You Like It.

Shakespeare only wrote about twenty plays that are deemed worth performing. The Saint Louis Shakespeare Festival has been recycling his oldie but goodie ones for a few years now. In all of the hubbub of packing for travel, I came across the pictured t-shirt from twenty years ago. I think that I’ll wear it tonight.