October 2010

Dear Subscriber: 

As you know, our season opened with a "bang" (many of the wonderful reviews used that word) thanks to You Can’t Take It With You. To see audiences filled with joy at the end of the play was quite rewarding for all of us. This wonderful ensemble of actors is about to open the show at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, so if you have friends or relatives there, encourage them to get tickets to see the show so they can share in the fun that we had here.

Next on the Mainstage, we are so proud to present Matthew Lombardo’s compelling and provocative play, High. While our first show was a true classic of American theatre, our second show is a world premiere. It is amazing how the theatre continues to find ways to renew itself while also honoring works from earlier days. The structure of the world premiere of High is one that is used from time to time in the regional theatres. There are three different theatres involved in this premiere. The show launched at TheatreWorks in Hartford, Connecticut, just finished its run at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and now it is here in St. Louis. During the past months of performances, the playwright, director and cast have been working continuously on the play. There were extensive rewrites put into place after the Hartford run, and there will be smaller rewrites going in for our run. The script that the cast had in Hartford was significantly different than any draft we had seen prior to August, so I think it’s important to realize that the work continues on the play and being able to measure how it’s working in three different communities gives the creative team information that continues to strengthen and deepen the play. Thankfully, Matthew has really committed to playing an active role in keeping the rewrites happening, so what you will be seeing here will be a little different than what was seen just a couple of weeks ago. The changes now are not as major as they were a few weeks ago, but even small adjustments continue the play’s evolution. Needless to say, it has been an interesting process.

This play is very unique and very tough. It’s the story of three people whose lives are all forever altered by the monster of addiction. Young Cody Randall is a drug addict, and not only that, he has just been discovered at the scene of an apparent murder where he is the only suspect. With no evidence to convict him of the crime, the police have given Cody over to Father Delpapp at Saint Francis Rehabilitation Center. Father Delpapp is certain Cody can be saved, though his best counselor, Sister Jamison, is not so sure. And what’s more, neither Cody nor Sister Jamison can really decide if he even wants to be saved. Their battle through Cody’s physical and emotional demons brings out the anguish in both their lives and threatens to destroy them before all is said and done. It’s a very real war, and is very hard to watch at times. There are moments of intense suffering but also moments of hope, all brought to light through the real-life struggle of a very talented playwright.

A recovering addict himself, Matthew Lombardo has first-hand knowledge of the truth of a struggle that can steal not only life, but faith as well. He brings this to the stage in a beautiful and compelling way. Also a director and an award-winning TV writer, Matthew is known for creating powerful roles for women, as seen in his previous Katharine Hepburn bio-play, Tea at Five, starring Kate Mulgrew and his Broadway debut, Looped, in which Valerie Harper portrayed Hollywood bad-girl Tallulah Bankhead. In an article for Broadway.com, he described the allure of strong female characters:

People often ask me why my leading characters are mostly written for "women of a certain age"—as if to imply I should be writing more roles for younger men. But considering Hollywood throws an actress her funeral when she turns 40 (whether she is actually dead or not) and the majority of new Broadway plays…are vehicles for leading males—I think I’m justified in defending the evident need of more stage roles for mature women…

Let’s face it: we all love nothing more than to see a great actress create an unforgettable role. Those theatrical memories live in our minds forever: Julie Harris in The Belle of Amherst. Zoe Caldwell in Master Class. Cherry Jones in Doubt. There is something so magical about sitting in the theater and knowing you are experiencing a performance you will remember for the rest of your life. And that’s the kind of creative coupling I attempt to accomplish when marrying an actress to character.

He had definitely succeeded in creating the perfect coupling in High with Missouri’s own Kathleen Turner in the leading role of Sister Jamison Connelly. This is very exciting for The Rep and our audiences. I did have to assure some people that indeed this is the real Kathleen Turner. No doubt about it. She is a tireless worker, fully embracing this role and making it her own. There’s no "star" issue here—she fully participates in all the aspects of rehearsals and rewrites. Her performance in this show is absolutely unforgettable. While many of us know her for her turns on the silver screen, seeing her show-stopping live performance as close-up as The Rep can offer is really remarkable.

Joining Ms. Turner is Michael Berresse as Father Delpapp, who is in charge of the rehabilitation center where Sister Jamison works. If you saw the most recent revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway, you may remember Michael from the role of Zak, the director. He also played Bill in the revival of Kiss Me, Kate which got him a Tony nomination. Evan Jonigkeit plays Cody, a young drug addict who needs help to come to terms with what drugs have done to him. Evan is a young actor who is clearly going to have quite a career.

The play is set in today’s world, and Father Delpapp and Sister Jamison tangle about Cody’s treatment. Cody really has no interest in being treated and is very tough with the Sister. The yin and yang of these three people and their intersections is fascinating, sometimes funny, sometimes unnerving, compelling and dangerous. Our eyes are opened to what happens to addicts in ways that we don’t really get to see on broadcast television. The language in the play is tough, strong and clearly quite adult. At one point in the play, Cody gets his hands on some meth, and his reaction to being high is quite typical of meth users. He becomes interested in sex and wants to get out of his clothes, which he does for a brief moment and is the reason no one under the age of 18 will be admitted to the show without a parent or guardian.

These are strong people with strong opinions and great passion about what they do. Sister Jamison is nothing like Sister Clarissa in Over the Tavern (our next Mainstage show). While Sister Clarissa uses the ruler and the clicker, Sister Jamison uses the language of the street at times to connect with this kid of the street. And of course, Cody uses strong language too, though he is a little put-off by Sister’s swearing.

There is humor in the play, though it certainly isn’t a comedy. While this is a tough story, it wouldn’t work as well unless there were some light moments in the piece. Ultimately, this is a story about the power of faith. It’s what drives Sister Jamison to work so hard to save Cody. No matter what her exterior is like, her interior is one of belief and faith. This is what makes this play quite special.

Our creative team for this show has most impressive credits. Rob Ruggiero directs and is the only person to have won four Kevin Kline awards for directing (Take Me Out, Ella, The Little Dog Laughed and Urinetown, the Musical). He just made his Broadway directing debut with Looped starring Valerie Harper, in a performance which earned her a Tony nomination. The set is designed by David Gallo, who won a Tony Award for his design of The Drowsy Chaperone and is currently represented on Broadway by Memphis. David designed Sweeney Todd for us a few years ago. Jess Goldstein has designed the costumes. His major Broadway credits include Jersey Boys, and he has had many Drama Desk and Tony nominations. The lighting designer is John Lasiter, who so wonderfully lit Ella for us, and Vincent Olivieri joins us to do the sound. This is an impressive team to be sure, with a most impressive cast. All of this points to a chance that we might see this show on Broadway at some time after January—no one knows for sure—but it’d be wonderful, that we know.

Our first Studio show this season also touches on questions of faith and hope. We are pleased to be the first theatre to get rights to the award-winning Next Fall following its Broadway run. The show will be performed at the Grandel Theatre in Grand Center. The play was the subject of many articles in papers and magazines because of its approach to issues that are often drawn simplistically, yet in this play, there are just no simple answers. Next Fall is moving, funny, heartbreaking, triumphant—it will surprise and entertain you and give you much to debate. Geoffrey Nauffts’ Tony Award-nominated show is centered on the romance of Adam and Luke, a couple whose different religious beliefs have been a constant source of struggle through their five years together. When a car accident leaves one man hospitalized, they face a true test of faith in God, in themselves and in the world around them. There is great humanity in the complex collisions of the people around Luke and Adam, and that is an essential part of what makes this piece so fascinating.

Directing the play is our new Associate Artistic Director Seth Gordon. For Next Fall, Seth has assembled a wonderful cast including Jeffrey Kuhn (My Fair Lady) as the quirky Adam, and Colin Hanlon as his committed Christian partner, Luke, as well as Susan Greenhill, Keith Jochim (Frost/Nixon), Ben Nordstrom ([title of show]) and Marnye Young (A Christmas Story) as their hovering but well-meaning family and friends. Brian Sidney Bembridge joins us to design the set after designing lights for last season’s Crime and Punishment, and Lou Bird (The 39 Steps) returns to create the costumes. Longtime Rep Lighting Designer John Wylie ([title of show]) will take care of the lights, and Rep Resident Sound Designer Rusty Wandall is back to handle the sound.

We have two shows this fall that are sure to engage you and your friends in fascinating discussions and debates. Both have intriguing characters and stories, and we are pleased to be able to share them with you. And yes, it really is going to be Kathleen Turner on our stage—you don’t want to miss her in High.

See you at the theatre,

Steven Woolf 
Artistic Director

P.S. We recently replaced the theatre’s assistive listening system with a whole NEW system that is a big improvement over the old infrared system. Patrons who have used the new system are giving it rave reviews. If you have trouble hearing what’s on stage, visit the patron services desk to pick up one of the new devices. Also, remember that one of your subscriber benefits is discounted tickets. Take advantage of your discount today and get your tickets to Next Fall!

Quick New York Report: The Pitman Painters has just opened. It was a big hit at the National Theatre in London. It is set in the same area that Billy Elliot is set in, but this isn’t a musical. It is based on the true story of miners during the 1930s and ’40s who take an art class and find that their paintings are actually selling. This has the original cast and is entertaining, moving and well worth seeing.

VERY IMPORTANT PARKING UPDATE: Due to construction on the Webster University campus, you will see some changes in parking when you come to the theatre for High. Lots 1 and 2, our main lots, are still available for your use*, however the overflow access and exit onto Garden Avenue have been closed off. While students are not allowed onto these lots during evening performances, we expect that the demand for parking during the day will result in these lots being more congested than usual.  Further, once these lots fill up, access to additional parking will not be as direct as before. Please know that Webster University is working to reinforce the parking policies to allow more spots for Rep patrons. In addition, a new surface lot has been added next to the garage on Garden Avenue. In order to accommodate subscribers, we will be pre-selling parking to single ticket buyers to decrease the demand and traffic into lots 1 & 2. While we will do everything we can to make this process as convenient as possible, we know that parking challenges will exist and will change from day to day. The one thing we ask of our patrons is to arrive early in order to have the most options possible (especially for Tuesday evening performances). Also, please be patient with our parking attendants as they work to assist you. Everyone here is very aware of the importance of convenient parking and is working hard to make your experience as pleasant as possible. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our Marketing department at (314) 968-4288.

*Wednesday Matinee patrons will still need to use our complimentary shuttle as these lots are not available during the day.

For those attending Next Fall at the Grandel Theatre, please remember that parking meters are enforced until 10 p.m.