Call me Ishmael. But do not call me late for supper. Last night, we went to the theater and saw the new production of Moby Dick at the Rep. The hook for this revival was the introduction of aerialist to the theater. While hardly the same caliber of aerial stylings as the Chinese Shenyang acrobatic troupe, there introduction was a novel and interesting innovation. All of the ropes and tackle that they used played well with the sets rigging, used to portray the Pequod.
Less pleasing was the length of the production. Did it really require two and a half hours to bring Captain Ahab’s madness to full fruition? He seemed a few cards short of a full deck from the get-go. The Rep has had an on again, off again vibe all season, what with its looming financial problems. Thankfully, these seem to be solved and the Rep will close its season with one more play, August: Osage County. A play whose production of was on the bubble.
The story of this beloved American holiday classic movie is reborn as a live 1940s radio broadcast. An ensemble that brings the dozens of characters from the movie to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. Most people know this story. It has been a perennial television favorite for more years than I care to remember. Anne even watched it on TV again earlier this week.
Holiday performances such as this show have always been a staple of local theater. Their popularity with audiences has been a reliable source of monetary support for companies, propping up their bottom line. Never has this been truer than it is this year for our repertoire company. Earlier this season a $2.5M budget shortfall was announced and an emergency fundraising campaign was launched. Last night, as preamble to the evening’s performance the production manager expressed his confidence at making this fundraising goal. Tomorrow, Saint Louis native and actor John Goodman will headline a charity fundraiser.
Last night’s performance was an enjoyable divertissement. Its staging recalled that of old-time radio variety shows like, A Prairie Home Companion. The actor who played George Bailey perfectly imitated Jimmy Stewart’s gravelly voice. If I closed my eyes and just listened to the show, I was transported back to earlier this week, when Anne was watching the movie, and I was listening to it in the next room. But I could not close my eyes. Sitting in the fourth row, this show was all in my face. Its second act was dark and scary and frightened a boy sitting behind us. Then with relief this radio play went to commercial break. These faux ads featured real local sponsors. Sponsors who real goal was support of the arts.
This is Dan, on set. He has been working hard building the set of the new show that will eventually replace Sleep No More. It is dirty work, but as you can see, he really gets into his job. Can you image the reaction of the other subway riders, when he plops down next to them at the end of his day? They are doing rehearsals now for the new show, so Dan and his crew of carpenters have to share the set that they are still building with the actors. This leads to odd work shifts. Something about power tools and stage dialog not playing very nicely with each other.
In other news, the coronavirus has struck. On Monday, David tested positive. He fortunately only has mild symptoms. This is good and I hope that he recovers quickly, and that the disease does not spread through the family, because we are planning on meeting them in Ann Arbor next week. Another note of caution is that Dan and Britt spent last weekend in Boston visiting Dave and Maren.
We spoke with Dan and Britt this week. It had been a while, too long a while. The biggest topic of discussion was Dan’s current gig. The actor’s strike has put him out of work for most of the year, but during the strike, a friend in theater reached out to him and offered him a job. Not subject to Screen Actors Guild picket lines, this opportunity was a godsend. His worksite is located somewhere in lower Manhattan, where he is building the set for a new play that has not opened yet. There is already quite the buzz about this show and its security is tight. One day, a fan even snuck onto the set. Dan has signed a nondisclosure agreement and in case he inadvertently disclosed something that he should not have, I will speak of it no more.
This new production is the successor to the play Sleep No More. An immersive theater production that debuted in 2011 and is still being performed on W 27th St. There we find a warehouse that houses the set for the mythic McKittrick Hotel. This mammoth six story, one hundred room set is the playground for a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s MacBeth. As immersive theater, the cast and audience are allowed to intermingle and are free to travel throughout the “hotel”. The audience is required to be masked. Originally, the pictured Venetian Carnival style masks were used, but after the pandemic, those were replaced with a Phantom of the Opera style mask that facilitated the addition of a KN95.
What struck me most during our phone conversation was how exuberant Dan was about this work. He has never expressed such enthusiasm with regard to his union job. The sole thing that he liked about that work was its money. He gushed to us over the camaraderie between him and his fellow carpenters. Alas as with any job in the gig economy, this one is only temporary and his involvement with it might end by Christmas, but until then the show must go on.
Last night, we went to see Twisted Melodies, a one-man play at the Rep. Created and performed by Kevin Roston, Jr. It tells the story of seventies soul performer Donny Hathaway. Mr. Hathaway is best remembered for his songs The Ghetto and Where is the Love, which he performed with Roberta Flack. They won a Grammy for it. Hathaway, a Saint Louis native was a musical prodigy. He graduated from Vashon High School in the city and then went on to Howard University. Just as his musical career was taking off, Hathaway became afflicted with mental illness. He was diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic. For treatment he was prescribed a dozen different antipsychotics. Their side effects became so onerous that he stopped taking his medications. This action resulted in the return of his hallucinations and led to his suicide in 1979.
Kevin Roston, Jr. as Donnie Hathaway in Twisted Melodies
Mr. Roston, also a Saint Louis native, began developing Twisted Melodies when he was an intern at the Saint Louis Black Rep. His play premiered in Chicago and then went onto tour the country, before this run at the Rep. This ninety-minute one act play is made bearable with Roston’s excellent musical talents. In between Hathaway’s hallucinations and fits of rage and despair, Roston is able to treat the audience with fine renditions of many of Hathaway’s musical standards. The entire play is performed in a NYC hotel room, where Hathaway spent his last night. Also of note was the play’s lighting, which skillfully renders a visual approximation of Hathaway’s hallucinations.
Preamble to last night’s performance the Rep announced that it was in severe financial difficulties. It announced that it needs to raise $2.5M by the end of the year. It followed this announcement with a plea to the audience for donations. Additionally, the Rep has announced the cancellation of a couple of scheduled plays. At least one of which we have (had?) tickets to. It also announced that it is ending its relationship with COCA, another Saint Louis performing arts institution and where we saw last night’s play. No explanation for this financial reversal has been given, but I expect that poor box office is to blame. Covid is likely to blame for the box office, but not entirely. Some of the Rep’s recent play selections have been problematic. We would be willing to eat our tickets, but I would like to hear an explanation first.
Tomorow, Anne wings her way to Boston. She is going to be the baby whisperer. Maren’s maternity leave is ending soon and before Declan starts daycare, Anne will be filling in. She is seen here modeling Declan’s first Halloween costume. It is supposed to be a soccer ball. It is still a work in progress but should be ready in plenty of time. After I drop her off at the airport, I will be left here, home alone. Anne will spend a few weeks in Boston with Maren, Dave and Declan.
In other East Coast news Brooklyn is flooding. A massive rainstorm has dumped a ton of water on NYC. The NY Times and twitter are both full of photos and movies that show the widespread effects of the flooding. The city is now under a state of emergency. Dan and Britt seem to be doing fine. Their five-floor walkup is still above the water. Although, being on the top floor, their roof leaks, but this has been an endemic problem for a while. No word yet on whether Dan’s Prius has also weathered the storm. He will venture out, maybe later today to find out.
In other Dan news, he has just landed a new job. He starts Monday, assuming the flood waters recede. This job is in Manhattan, so he will need to take a train, which presently are not running. This is not just another 1099 gig, but a real job with a W-2 and benefits. It does not pay as well as the union job normally would, but that job is still on strike. He interviewed for this work this week, got a tour of the facilities and was offered a job on the spot. He had once worked well with the guy that hired him. Nondisclosure agreements prohibit him from discussing this new opportunity, but this group has had a very successful run with their previous theatrical show.
That endeavor, Sleep No More, debuted in 2011 and except for a Covid shutdown has been selling out ever since. Reviewers describe this show’s experience as immersive theater. Cast and audience are allowed to intermingle. The production is nearly wordless, and the audience is expected remain completely silent during the show. The audience is also expected to wear Venetian carnival-style masks. The reviewer recommended that no audience member should drink, since patrons are expected to follow a merry, macabre chase up and down stairs, and through poorly lit, cluttered rooms and corridors.
The set is billed as the McKittrick Hotel but is just decorated warehouses. The plot for that show is loosely based upon Macbeth. Having never seen this show, I am still reminded of Meow Wolf of Santa Fe. Meow Wolf was built in an old bowling alley. It is also a labyrinth but has no actors. Anyway, it sounds like an interesting opportunity for Dan.
