The second half of 2017’s LaBute New Theater Festival is on the boards, and they’re very close to three for three with this collection. Instead of four short plays, this group is three short ones, beginning with Hate Crimes, the LaBute play he’s written to lead this year’s fest (which I wrote about here). I continue to ponder whether the motivations of the two characters are actually as (relatively) simple as one might think. If one ponders the eternal question that follows stories of a certain sort, “What happened next?”, there are still multiple possibilities.
The second play, Cary Pepper’s How’s Bruno, seems simple enough, a coffee shop, a guy with a computer and a cell phone – and a random text. It quickly morphs into some very funny absurdist stuff, delivered with knife-like precision by Chauncy Thomas, Ryan Lawson-Maeske, Reggie Pierre and Spencer Sickmann, under the direction of Nancy Bell. There are faint intimations of Men in Black, but it goes far beyond that. The whole thing’s an absolute delight, both the script and the acting.
After the intermission comes the longest piece of the evening. Tearrance Chisholm’s Sin Titulo. A living room is full of political signs from the last two presidential campaigns. Reggie Pierre’s character is a political operative who’s gloomy over the Democratic loss in 2016. Patrice Foster, a newcomer to St. Louis audiences, plays his wife, who has a down-and-out brother, Jaz Tucker. Pierre’s state of mind seems to be more than just gloom, and Tucker’s character struggles on several levels. But it’s Foster’s work that satisfies the most, glowing and strong and utterly real. Pierre’s work is, as always, rewarding, and Tucker’s character’s paranoia is carefully, beautifully shown off. Linda Kennedy has created some fine ensemble work with her directing.
It’s a very political play, not surprisingly, although there’s relatively little actually referring to the last election. The issues are deeper than that, and especially since the play is set in St. Louis, they should resonate more with local audiences. I wished only for an ending that seemed more tied in to the rest of the play. With a little work, this is a script that could definitely go places.
LaBute New Theater Festival, part 2
through July 30
St. Louis Actors’ Studio's
Gaslight Theater
360 N. Boyle
314-458-2978
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