January 2012

Dear Subscriber: 

I HOPE THE HOLIDAY SEASON was wonderful for you and your friends and families. Seeing the faces of the younger theatergoers during The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was very special. It was a great way to introduce them to the theatre, and this unique and energetic production engaged their imaginations while also encouraging them to read Twain’s classic novels. The show now moves on to Kansas City and then to the New Victory Theatre on 42nd Street in March.

WE BEGIN 2012 with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s soaring triumph, Sunday in the Park with George. One of Sondheim’s most unique and acclaimed musicals, this Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece explores the life and work of 19th century painter Georges Seurat as he creates his most well-known work, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. While the first Act is set in the 19th century, some of the conversations, ideas and thoughts established there appear in the second Act, which takes place in the 1980s. It is a masterful piece of writing as it shows the impact the past can have on the present and how connected all things may be.

THE FIRST ACT brings us to Paris, where we are immersed in the happenings of all the people on the island as George watches, inspired by what he sees. Many disparate, interesting people all become a part of George’s new painting, along with his mistress, Dot. As George works, Dot tries to capture his focus from his art. She loves him for his talent, but slowly realizes that the very thing she loves will be the one thing that forever keeps them apart. Handcuffed by his desperate need to create, George slowly drives her into the arms of another, leaving him alone.

IT’’S NO WONDER that Seurat was so immersed in his art—he was in the process of creating a new and groundbreaking technique. At a time when the scientific community was exploring issues of color and light, Seurat applied their theories to his painting style, which came to be referred to as Pointillism. The idea was that individual dots of pure color on a canvas would be mixed into the whole color by the brain of the viewer. Seurat’s work in this field was probably the most well known of the artists at the time. Sondheim brilliantly echoes this sense of colored dots in the music of the piece. There are staccato notes that meld into a whole song, capturing the mood of the story as well as the sense of the painting technique. It really is an astounding melding of two forms of expression—paint and music.

THOUGH THIS NEW STYLE is usually referred to as Pointillism, Seurat founded the technique in 1884 as "Chromoluminarism," drawing from his understanding of contemporary scientific explanations of optic and color perceptions. The term "Chromoluminarism" becomes of interest in the musical, as in the second Act George is demonstrating the use of a new electronic sculpture, which is part of his "chromolume" series. In this Act, we jump forward in time to the 1980s where we meet George’s great-grandson, also an artist, who is very much like his namesake. He too is consumed with a new form of art, to the detriment of his life and relationships. Guided by his great-grandfather’s legacy, this George travels to the island to present his own work and, hopefully, to find a way to move forward.

WHILE THE TWO ACTS may at first look and feel totally separate, they are connected. Clues to this connection are in the first Act, which then resonate in Act Two. Keep your eye on Dot’s little red book as it turns out to have great meaning for the whole show. The score of this musical is as unique as it is melodic, clever, comic and also deeply moving. It is one of the best scores written, I think, in modern musical theatre history. Its emotion and use of words and music to convey inner thoughts as well as the sense of the picture on display is surely genius.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGEopened Off-Broadway in 1983 with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters in the lead roles. Reportedly, after seeing the show, Leonard Bernstein wrote to his friend Sondheim to commend him, calling the show "brilliant, deeply conceived, canny, magisterial and by far the most personal statement I’ve heard from you thus far." The show soon transferred to Broadway where it earned 10 Tony Award nominations, a New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

PERHAPS THE REASON this show is so intimate, personal and relevant no matter what the time, is its themes about connection. Whether it is 1800s Paris, 1980s New York or our modern day, we can all understand the need for strong, genuine connection with another person and the many obstacles life can create that stand in our way. In our current age of disconnection and Internet friends who never see each other face to face, we can certainly relate to George’s struggle with isolation. His turmoil is self-created; it is the single-minded pursuit of his passion that leads to his loneliness. Dot is the only person he can ever try to truly see and understand, but even she cannot persuade him to live fully in the real world. According to an interview in Time Out, while writing the piece, Sondheim and Lapine traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago where the painting hangs and lost themselves in front of Seurat’s masterpiece. Sondheim reported:
We discussed the fact that nobody in the painting was looking at anybody else and we started to fantasize about that and the fact that it looks like a stage set. And then James said, "The main character is missing," and I said, "Who?" and he said "The artist." Once that was spoken it immediately became a play.

WHEN WE WERE putting the season together, the idea that there would be two shows about artists wasn’t really part of the formulation. However, looking back at the towering performances in Red, I think we can again see the passion and commitment of the artist in the amazing performances in Sunday in the Park with George. Also, if you recall, at the end of Red Rothko tells his assistant Ken to "go make something new," and at the end of Sunday we hear the emotional song "Move On", also about the need for artists to go make something new. It is a thrilling song and the echoes back to Red are certainly there.

WE ARE PLEASED to welcome back four-time Kevin Kline Award-winning director Rob Ruggiero to bring the world of the island to life. Rob is no stranger to The Rep; he has directed such varied shows as High; Ella; The Little Dog Laughed; Urinetown, the Musical and Take Me Out. He has assembled a top-notch creative team including Musical Director F. Wade Russo (Urinetown, the Musical), Choreographer Ralph Perkins (Kiss Me, Kate), Scenic Designer Adrian W. Jones (The Little Dog Laughed), Costume Designer Alejo Vietti (Ella), Lighting Designer John Lasiter (High) and a new face, Sound Designer Michael Hooker.

OUR LARGE CAST includes several familiar folks as well as several local actors. George is played by Ron Bohmer whom you might remember from last season’s Studio hit, In the Next Room or the vibrator play. His love, Dot, is Erin Davie. Their companions on the island include Meggie Cansler, Kari Ely (The Heidi Chronicles), Mark Emerson, Steve French, Abbey Friedmann, Chris Hietikko (Humble Boy), Jamie LaVerdiere (You Can’t Take It With You), Deanne Lorette (Witness for the Prosecution), Sean Montgomery, Whit Reichert (Kiss Me, Kate), Zoe Vonder Haar (Urinetown, the Musical) and Rebecca Watson. We also have five students from Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts—Nyssa Duchow, Charlie Ingram, Jacob Lacopo, Audrey Rae McHale and Jordan Parente.

WE CONTINUE OUR Studio Theatre season with Keith Huff’s captivating two-man drama, A Steady Rain. This compelling piece of storytelling gives us Chicago policemen Denny and Joey, who relate their experiences in responding to a crisis on the streets of Chicago. It’s told in a very interesting way that can remind of Rashomon—they each have differing versions of the same story and deciding who is telling the actual series of events is fascinating. Like police procedurals (Law & Order, CSI, etc.), the story keeps your attention focused on the world of these two cops. I’m thrilled to direct Joey Collins (The Pillowman) and Michael James Reed (Macbeth) in this riveting play.

ALSO, LATER THIS SPRING, we’re kicking off an exciting new project—Ignite!, The Rep’s New Play Festival. Developed by our Associate Artistic Director Seth Gordon, this season Ignite! will bring us not only the world premiere production of The Invisible Hand, but also readings of several new plays in progress as well as commissions for future works that will likely premiere on our stages in coming years. It is an extremely exciting venture and an important step for us in the creation of new American theatre. We are happy to be playing our part in developing new work and hope you will join us for both the production and readings. These shows will certainly have a great life after their inception at The Rep, and you will be one of the few to have witnessed their first steps. For more information about Ignite! including ticket and schedule information, visit us online at www.repstl.org.

WE ARE PLEASED to share with you the thrilling Sunday in the Park with George, a most unusual and very special kind of musical theatre, and in the Studio, the visceral storytelling of A Steady Rain. Both pieces make for fascinating theatregoing. We’re glad you’re joining us.

See you at the theatre,

Steven Woolf 
Artistic Director

P.S.: Don’t forget to get your tickets to our 10th annual St. Louis Food and Wine Experience at the Chase Park Plaza on January 28 and 29. Please join us for great wine and delicious food; all proceeds benefit the education and community outreach programs at The Rep. Tickets are available through The Rep Box Office at (314) 968-4925, online at www.repstl.org or at participating Schnucks locations. Look for your brochure in the mail.