Take Ten with Emily Baker

Take Ten with Emily Baker

By Lynn Venhaus

Long admired as a versatile performer among the regional theater community, actress Emily Baker’s recent return to the stage has been met with universal acclaim.

In March, she won Outstanding Performer in a Comedy, Female or Non-Binary Role. as Susan in Albion Theatre’s “Woman in Mind” from the St. Louis Theater Circle.

In the Alan Ayckbourn play, she portrays a woman who has suffered a mental breakdown and has developed a vivid fantasy world. In her real life, she is neglected wife who is estranged from her son. By contrast, in her imagination, she is happy and successful with a perfect family who adores her.

One critic described her 2024 performance as “a tragicomic tour de force,” another called it “richly realized.”

Her virtuoso work as Heidi Holland in New Jewish Theatre’s “The Heidi Chronicles” (May 29 – June 15), portraying the feminist art historian from the 1960s to 1980s, has been hailed as showing “commanding poise and self-confidence,” and displaying “strength, vulnerability and intelligence.”

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by Wendy Wasserstein was directed by Ellie Schwetye and starring Joel Moses, Will Bonfiglio, Kelly Howe, Courtney Bailey, Ashwini Arora, Joshua Mayfield and Paola Angeli.

“The Heidi Chronicles” at New Jewish Theatre. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

As Heidi wrestles with questions of identity, success, and fulfillment during a time of profound societal transformation, Wasserstein’s work offers a powerful look at a generation’s evolving ideals and the personal cost of progress.

“I am delighted to be working at New Jewish again with this awesome group of people,” she said.

Baker described this special project as a way to relate to her parents’ experiences.

“My parents lived through the time periods in ‘The Heidi Chronicles’ at about the same age as Heidi, so I was excited about the prospect of learning more about my parents and the times by discussing the play with them. I really enjoy when a play gives you the ability to dig deep, not only into the character but also your own life and family,” she said.

Baker has returned to New Jewish Theatre for the first time since 2015, in which she played Patricia in “Sight Unseen” opposite her husband, Aaron Orion Baker, one of her favorite roles.

He played a now-famous artist who visits his ex-girlfriend in hopes she has a painting he’d like to include in an exhibit. She and her husband both resent his presence, for he treated her shabbily, and she hasn’t forgotten that she was a ‘sacrificial shiksa.” As they say, the plot thickens.

Emily Baker, at right, with her husband, Aaron Orion Baker, at left, in “Sight Unseen.”

Baker has worked with St. Louis Actors Studio, Upstream Theater, St. Louis Shakespeare, West End Players Guild, the former Muddy Waters Theatre Company and That Uppity Theatre Company, among others.

A favorite part is Ivy, Violet Weston’s daughter who stayed to take care of her mother, in “August: Osage County,” which was performed by STLAS in 2017.

Among her portrayals at St. Louis Shakespeare, she played the title role in “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler,” Ariel in “The Tempest,” and Penelope in “The Odyssey.”

She won her first St. Louis Theater Circle Award as Gretchen in the comedy “Boeing Boeing” at the former Dramatic License Productions in 2013. A German airline stewardess, Gretchen isn’t aware that pilot Bernard has two other fiancées.

After a hiatus to raise daughter Evelina, she has returned to acting in satisfying roles. Next up is playing Eunice, one of Stella’s friends and neighbors, in the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which will be presented Aug. 7 – 17 at the Grandel Theatre in St. Louis.

The New Jewish Theatre presents “The Heidi Chronicles” from May 29 to June 15 at the Wool Studio Theater, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur, Mo. Performances are on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There is an additional show on Wednesday, June 4. Show times and tickets are available online at newjewishtheatre.org or by phone at 314.442.3283. NJT’s 2025 Season is generously sponsored by Mary Strauss. The play is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, with a 15-minute intermission.

As Susan in “Woman in Mind” with Isaiah DiLorenzo as her ‘imaginary husband.’

Q & A with Emily Baker

1. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?

I am a teacher/school librarian and actor.  I knew I was interested in acting pretty early on.  I also believed that I would enjoy working in education from a pretty early age.  Both of those avenues involve connecting to people and sharing a bit of yourself with them.  I think that’s what interests me most about both career paths.

2. How would your friends describe you?

My friends describe me as passionate, empathetic, creative, intuitive, helpful, and kind.

3. How do you like to spend your spare time?

I love nature.  I enjoy walking at the Missouri Botanical Gardens with my family, hiking, and gardening.  I also enjoy reading, especially classics like Jane Austen and Shakespeare. 

4. What is your current obsession?

I’m obsessed with Duluth Trading Company’s Heirloom Overalls.  They come in so many colors and patterns.  I currently own seven pairs and I’m probably not done.

5. What would people be surprised to find out about you?

I’m an only child.  Most people are surprised to find that out.  I guess I don’t fit the mold of a typical only child.

As Heidi Holland in “The Heidi Chronicles” at New Jewish Theatre. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

6. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?

Becoming a mother changed my life forever.  There was a period of time where I was unsure if I would get the chance to be a mom.  Being a parent is a beautiful, frustrating, rewarding, and tiring job, but I’m so thankful I get the opportunity to learn and grow as a human with my daughter.

7. Who do you admire most?

It’s too hard to choose one person.  The traits I admire most in humanity are perseverance, compassion, and optimism.

8. What is at the top of your bucket list?

Traveling more abroad.  I’d like to see Spain, Greece, Italy, and get back to Scotland (it’s my favorite place on earth).  My daughter is fascinated with the Northern Lights so I feel a trip somewhere where we can really see them clearly is in our family’s future, too.  I would travel often if I had the time and money to do so.  Seeing new places gives you perspective and helps you understand yourself and the world better.

9. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?

I have to pick two.  Visiting Forest Park and going thrift shopping.  There is so much to do in Forest Park — much of which is free — and it’s so close.  And with thrift shopping, you never know what you might find.  It’s kind of like a treasure hunt.  I can do it for hours, hopping around to different ones.

10. What’s next?

I’ll be playing Eunice in “A Streetcar Named Desire” with the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis later this summer.

Emily Baker as Ivy Weston, with Meghan Baker as Barbara and Kari Ely as Violet, in St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s “August: Osage County.” Photo by Patrick Huber.

Name: Emily Baker
Age: (optional) 42
Birthplace: St. Louis
Current location: St. Louis
Family: Aaron Orion Baker, Evelina and Thief (our 90-pound dog)

Emily Baker and Maggie Wininger in Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” by STLAS.


Education: BA in Theatre and English (Truman State University), Master of Arts in Education (Truman), and Master of Library and Information Science (Mizzou)

Day job: Middle and High School Librarian and Technical Theatre Teacher and Director in the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District.

First job: My first job was developing contact sheets of photo negatives at my dad’s photo studio when I was 13.


First play or movie you were involved in or made: I played the duck (no lines other than quacking) in a staging of the classical music piece “Peter and the Wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev when I was 6 or 7.

Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium?  Ivy in “August: Osage County” (St. Louis Actors’ Studio), Solange in “The Maids” (Upstream), Patricia in “Sight Unseen” (New Jewish), Gretchen in “Boeing Boeing” (Dramatic License Productions) and Susan in “Woman in Mind” (Albion).

Dream job/opportunity: My dream roles are mostly Shakespearean.  I’d love to play Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing” and Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth.”

Awards/Honors/Achievements: I’ve been the recipient of two St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards (Gretchen in “Boeing Boeing” and Susan in “Woman in Mind”).

Favorite quote/words to live by: “Whatever can anyone give you greater than now, starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?”  – William Stafford from the poem, “You Reading This, Be Ready.”

A song that makes you happy: “How Do You Feel” by Jefferson Airplane 

Photo at right: Emily Baker with Will Bonfiglio during rehearsals for “The Heidi Chronicles”.

Ben Ritchie and Emily Baker in “All in the Timing” at St Louis Actors’ Studio in 2014. Photo by Patrick Huber.

New Jewish Theatre’s Bright and Funny ‘The Heidi Chronicles’ Engages with Vibrant Performances

New Jewish Theatre’s Bright and Funny ‘The Heidi Chronicles’ Engages with Vibrant Performances

By Lynn Venhaus

OK, Boomers. Does “The Heidi Chronicles” retain its bittersweet ‘voice of a generation’ 37 years after its laudable premiere in 1988?

Yes, it does in New Jewish Theatre’s persuasive production now playing through June 15. One woman’s coming-of-age story and her realization of self-worth still hits home.

Under Ellie Schwetye’s perceptive, poignant direction, an exemplary cast breathes life into these well-defined characters with warmth, wit and understanding. They are as resolute as the director and creative team in sharing this quest for fulfillment.

Those of different generations perhaps can relate in a universal parallel lives’ way, for whip-smart playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s entertaining and profound insights endure.

As a fellow child of the 1960s, Wasserstein’s words have always spoken to me. But now, looking in the rear-view mirror, with humor, heart and hindsight, this ensemble’s backbone and boldness was measurable.

Consciousness-raising, 1970s style. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Wasserstein, who sadly died of lymphoma at age 55 in 2006, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1989 for this masterwork. Fun fact: she was the first solo female writer so honored with the award.

Her long-lasting legacy is apparent, creating richly textured characters and the ever-identifiable self-doubts. She also wrote “The Sisters Rosensweig” and “An American Daughter,” plus an under-appreciated Paul Rudd-Jennifer Aniston 1998 movie “The Object of My Affection.” But none landed like Heidi’s story.

As Heidi Holland, Emily Baker’s transformation from awkward schoolgirl to confident feminist who becomes a well-respected art historian over the course of three tumultuous decades, 1965 – 1989, is realistic.

Hopeful in the 1970s but disillusioned in the 1980s, Heidi continues to search for what matters. She is passionate about women artists, informing students of neglected painters and their achievements in a man’s world. That she is fierce about – and good at teaching.

Owning her hard-fought choices, she eventually eschews the super-woman stereotype of yuppie-ism in favor of humanism, individualism and the road she wants to travel. In a discerning performance, Baker displays strength, vulnerability and intelligence.

Emily Baker, Joel Moses. Photo by Jon Gitchoff

The post-war Baby Boom generation known for navel-gazing and its cultural and societal impact has been analyzed many times, but this is one single woman’s voyage that resonates, and compassion is key.

Wasserstein’s atmospheric look back highlights specific years and events that everyone born between 1946-1964 has etched somewhere in their memory, starting with the agony of a teenage mixer then moving on to college activism, displaying the youthful optimism that presidential candidate Gene McCarthy, who opposed the Vietnam War, sparked in 1968.

That sets the tone for the significant characters who come in and out of Heidi’s life. Her first romance with a smooth-talking heartbreaker, the radical journalist Scoop Rosenbaum, leads to much second-guessing.

As the once-and-future womanizer who sells out for position and money, Joel Moses brings out Scoop’s brash, cocky and opinionated qualities, but also his charm. He winds up a prominent magazine editor who dines at Lutece and steps out on his wife, a children’s book illustrator and mother of his two children. But he and Heidi have always had a testy but candid connection.

Cutting a rug. Will Bonfiglio and Emily Baker. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

The one constant male in her life is stand-up guy Peter Patrone, a gay pediatrician she met when they were young, and they instantly bonded over snappy repartee. Will Bonfiglio adds nuance to the earnest doctor, for they don’t ignore the scariness and worry during the AIDS epidemic. He shares his concerns with sympathetic Heidi.

Wasserstein selected touchstones as turning points. Her militant feminist friends gather for urgent consciousness-raising (IYKYK) during the growing women’s movement. They also attend baby showers and weddings.

The tides change when her successful friends that once rejected materialism to emphasize social responsibility now care about being seen and embrace status symbols in the 1980s.

Kelly Howe is delightful as Heidi’s trendy best friend Susan Johnston, who knows how to flirt and roll up her skirt in the school gym, throws herself into activism, then achieves major success as a Hollywood producer. They no longer have much in common but past loyalty.

Courtney Bailey, Paola Angeli. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Besides the four main actors, there are four others who capably play 16 supporting roles. Courtney Bailey and Ashwini Arora provide much comic relief, most notably Bailey as mother-to-be Jill and Scoop’s bride Lisa.

Arora is amusing as April, a vapid preening TV host, but as radical lesbian Fran, ready for liberation – or unleashing – in society, she is hilarious. “Either you shave your legs, or you don’t,” she says at the women’s meeting.

Wearing New Wave shoulder-padded power suits and colorful attire, Paola Angeli is a hoot as Susan’s and April’s assistants, and in the female gatherings as a friend. In addition, Bailey is Debbie and Arora plays Molly and Betsy.

Joshua Mayfield smoothly tackles five parts, including schoolmate, activist, waiter and boyfriends.

One of the funniest scenes is a morning talk show set, with guest appearances by Scoop, Peter and Heidi on “Hello, New York,” and how they handle the host’s superficial questions. The trio’s body language says so much about their characters.

The politics, music and fashions convey Heidi’s rapidly changing world and Schwetye’s vision is a keen lens into the time. She served as sound designer too, and her selections are a superb life soundtrack.

Joshua Mayfield, Emily Baker. Photo by John Gitchoff.

Showcasing seminal moments, like Nixon’s resignation in 1974, John Lennon’s murder in 1980 and the Berlin Wall being torn down in 1989, sets the moods. Kareem Deanes handled the demanding video projections with flair and Michelle Friedman Siler’s costumes splendidly define the personalities and the periods. It was as if she raided my old closets.

Inventive scenic designer Patrick Huber expertly handled the demands of apartments, Plaza Hotel, pediatric ward, restaurant and TV studio with nifty features. He also skillfully designed the lighting. Props supervisor Katie Orr did a swell job gathering items to decorate a doctors’ waiting room and gift-wrapped baby presents.

By the time we get to Heidi’s speech, “Women, Where Are We Going?” at an alumnae luncheon where she is the keynote speaker, she wants to cut through all the greeting-card platitudes that have ruled the narrative for all good girls. It’s an honest outpouring, sharing frustrations, aggravations and confusion.

Women of The Me Generation wanted it all but discovered there were personal costs and sacrifices to be made. Yet, found that forging one’s own path was possible. At last, Heidi chooses herself – and also finds comfort in knowing her friends have become her family.

Wedding reception guests Kelly Howe, Ashwini Arora. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Not seen on a local professional regional stage since The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis in 2007, this was a welcome reminder of the past, present and possible future.

With its potent performances and humor shaped through flawed characters, sarcastic remarks and uncertain times, this “The Heidi Chronicles” unequivocally states its relevance.

One glorious takeaway is that contemporary women’s roles are ever evolving, and when it seems that progress is stymied, we should remember we stand on the shoulders of giants, and can lead the charge into the future supporting uncommon women of any age and their choices.

The New Jewish Theatre presents “The Heidi Chronicles” from May 29 to June 15 at the Wool Studio Theater, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur, Mo. Performances are on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There is an additional show on Wednesday, June 4. Show times and tickets are available online at newjewishtheatre.org or by phone at 314.442.3283. NJT’s 2025 Season is generously sponsored by Mary Strauss. The play is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, with a 15-minute intermission.

Sunday, June 8 – Post-Show Talkback with the Director and Cast. Join members of the cast and crew following the 2pm performance for an engaging post-show discussion on the creation of NJT’s special production.

Emily Baker. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.

Murky ‘Old Times’ Lacks Heat in Midnight Company’s Take on Pinter

By Lynn Venhaus

The playwright Harold Pinter made a long and distinguished career out of confounding people with odd plays featuring weird situations, convoluted dialogue, and peculiar characters. “Old Times,” written in 1971, is his freaky, flaky waltz down memory lane that never resolves anything but builds unnerving tension. It is one of his more divisive dramas.

When Roundabout Theatre Company was in rehearsals preparing for a revival in 1984, actor Anthony Hopkins asked Pinter to explain the play’s ending. He famously responded: “I don’t know. Just do it.”

OK, then. When the playwright intends to leave us hanging, it may be hard for a theatergoer to decipher, and there are plenty of theories about what really happened in this show. The point is caring enough to be satisfied with your highly personal observation.

This play is already a tall order for even the most accomplished artists, and unfortunately, is more frustrating than fulfilling in The Midnight Company’s latest presentation.

Director Sarah Lynne Holt has framed Pinter’s familiar enclosed space setting in a stripped-down theater-in-the-round style at The Chapel, where the audience is squished into a wedge of chairs where your view of the three actors may be limited.

That’s a detriment to absorbing the highly stylized delivery of the three actors where every non sequitur, riddle, pause and selected memory is supposedly fraught with meaning. And the sound isn’t consistent either, which makes it even harder to understand the disjointed patter.

The staging is clumsy, and while I realize it’s a low-budget production, the serving of tea is awkward, and the pouring of brandy into cordial glasses, not snifters, is puzzling.

Kelly Howe, Joe Hanrahan and Colleen Backer. Photo by Joey Rumpell.

Individually engaging performers — Colleen Backer as Kate, Kelly Howe as Anna, and Joe Hanrahan as Deeley, aren’t meant to be a cohesive trio, and their distance only raises more questions, as intended.

On the surface, it appears that a husband, Deeley, and a wife, Kate, are visited by her old friend and former roommate, Anna, from their carefree single days. They live remotely by the sea while she lives in Sicily but once lived in London. Kate and Anna haven’t seen each other in 20 years.

Well, that’s the story that they seem to be sticking with, and from the start, you can tell something is off kilter. Reality is blurred and recollections are tested in a most bizarre reconnection.

Vague on purpose, Howe hints that Anna has a swinger past and can still seduce, trying to be coquettish with both Kate and her husband.

The married couple don’t find that odd, nor do they appear to be what they seem. So, what kind of a charade is exactly going on?

While Backer and Howe are two evocative actresses — and it’s important to see their facial expressions if you can position yourself to do so, even their suggestive glances and knowing looks can’t convince us of any sexual heat between each other and Deeley.

And Deeley comes across as kind of pervy with his unfiltered accounts of sexual desire, conquests and previous hook-ups with these and other women. Is Hanrahan purposely playing him as creepy? We do discover his lounge lizard past.

The characters are all supposed to be in their 40s, and clearly, Hanrahan is not, even though he doesn’t look his age.

But one aspect that supposedly distinguishes other productions is sexual tension, as in the 2015 Broadway revival starring Clive Owen, Eve Best and Kelly Reilly, where critics repeatedly mentioned it. The heat is not evident here.

While that is an elusive quality, that addition could have been crucial to the audience buying into this scenario.

The women affect British accents while Hanrahan avoided it, so that’s another point that may bother you.

Pinter teases that there is something darker afoot. But the information is slim about their quirky characters the more the play goes on. Kate, who barely speaks, finally blurts out that she remembers her roommate being dead. Say what?

They may all be alive or dead, they all might be figments of someone’s imagination, and the way they reminisce about the past may be total fiction. Emotions are guarded and the characters don’t say what they mean. You wanted Pinteresque, and you got it.

If you are fascinated by his maddening style of doling out clues and pieces of information that may or may not wind up germane to the story, then you’ll invest the time to solve the puzzle.

If you are irritated by his overuse of pauses, or if you lack the patience to be convinced of anything not spelled out, then this material will let you down. It’s all in your perceptions.

Hailed as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Pinter won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, and is famous for “The Birthday Party,” “The Homecoming,” “Betrayal” and “The Caretaker.” He died at age 78 in 2008.

He tended to concentrate on isolation, fear and troubled personal relationships, creating an elliptical dialogue. He also liked to confuse time and space. Frequent descriptions of his work – unpredictable, unspecific, and combative – are apt.

Another choice is that Holt does little to guide the audience in a certain way, preferring to keep everyone guessing and debating afterwards instead. But according to the press release, she didn’t want to make it easy for people to agree on what happened.

The Emperor’s New Clothes or brilliant 20th century mind at work? You say subtle, I say pretentious.

I don’t find this material a good fit for the strengths of the award-winning veteran performers. They can, and have done, so much better. I usually enjoy watching them on stage, but Pinter’s obtuseness can only carry a show so far, especially when you feel disengaged.

The clock is ticking, and the play lasts 1 hour and 35 minutes with one intermission. Fatigue sets in when you realize they aren’t really saying much – and won’t.

I am pretty sure no two people who see “Old Times” will agree on interpretations, and then again, there’s no one right answer.

The trick is caring. The murkiness is troubling, and if you are OK without a satisfactory resolution, that’s your prerogative.

The Midnight Company presents “Old Times” July 11-27 at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees July 14 and 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be reserved at MetroTix.com. For more information, visit www.midnightcompany.com

Take Ten with Kelly Howe

Take Ten with Kelly Howe

Editor’s Note May 22: “Just One Look” returns to the Blue Strawberry on Wednesday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, and can be reserved at BlueStrawberrySTL.com or by calling 314.256.1745.

By Lynn Venhaus

Originally scheduled for three performances, the Linda Ronstadt tribute show “Just One Look” has been playing for more than a year.

Now 19 performances (and counting) later, the original cabaret will be on stage for a return engagement on Wednesday, May 15, at the Blue Strawberry. Kelly Howe reprises her critically acclaimed performance.

The Midnight Company first mounted the show in March 2023. Creative Director Joe Hanrahan wrote and directed the piece, framed as an interview and career retrospective, with Howe singing Ronstadt’s most iconic songs.

“The response has been absolutely bonkers. People have seen it three and four times. They’re not only sending friends, they’re coming back with friends. And the audiences are consistently great, hooting and hollering. I’ve never really been a part of anything like it. It’s great! I’m having more fun with every show,” she said.

“I love singing these songs. Lucky she has incredible taste in music, so we really couldn’t go wrong in choosing if we tried. She really chose great great songs, as we talk about in the show,” Howe said.

Ronstadt ruled the pop charts and filled stadiums in the 1970s and 1980s. The reigning rock goddess of her era, she later sang Gilbert and Sullivan in “The Pirates of Penzance” on Broadway and the Great American Songbook in collaborations.

Her worldwide album sales totaled more than $50 million, she won 10 Grammy Awards, and received the National Medal of Arts and Humanities, plus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Her songbook featured collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, and her personal life included long-term relationships with, among others, California Governor Jerry Brown when he was running for president, and filmmaker George Lucas best known for the “Star Wars” universe.

In “Just One Look,” Hanrahan portrays a veteran rock ’n roll journalist who finally gets to interview his unrequited love, Ronstadt, though she’s now retired to her hometown of Tucson, suffering from Parkinson’s disease. During the course of the show, they remember her debut in Los Angeles, and Howe becomes the younger Linda, recalling her storybook career and singing her great songs.

“Both Kelly and I have a deep appreciation for the great music Linda Ronstadt delivered. Both her rockers and her ballads are among our favorite songs. We aim to remind people who she was, and to honor her work and her life,” Hanrahan said.

Howe recreating a version of Ronstadt’s album “Hasten Down the Wind.”

After Ronstadt’s long success on the pop music charts, she went on to triumphs on Broadway with Gilbert and Sullivan, three albums of the Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle, Mariachi and lullaby albums, and much more. She had three number 1 hit albums, and 10 albums in the top ten. 

She recorded over 30 albums, and appeared as a guest on 120 albums by other artists – from Philip Glass to a duet with Homer Simpson. There was a number 1 single,  3 number 2s, 10 top ten singles, 21 reaching the top 40, and two number 1 hits on the Country charts. 

Ronstadt’s hits included “Different Drum,” “Blue Bayou,” “Desperado,” “It’s So Easy,” the title song of this show and many more.

“When Joe and I first talked about doing a show like this, we didn’t know at first who it would be about. We both thought of Linda Ronstadt separately. He’s a big fan, and I’ve always been a big fan of hers too. She was still coming out with huge hits when I was a kid. I can’t remember not knowing who she was or wanting to sing like her,” she said.

“In preparation for the show, I really dug into her music more than I had before. She is just incredible. One of the greatest singers of all time. And one of the coolest people too. I love her. I didn’t imagine I’d get to play Linda Ronstadt when I grew up, but I’m sure glad I did! It’s a cool gig, man,” she added.

Howe is an award-winning performer herself. She was nominated twice for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Female or Non-Binary Role, by the St. Louis Theater Circle — for this year’s awards in March for her role as a grieving mom in “See You in a Minute” from Contraband Theatre, and for her role as a factory worker in “Sweat” presented by the Black Rep in 2021.

She has also been in “Tommy” as Mrs. Walker at Stray Dog Theatre and the title character in “Rodney’s Wife” at The Midnight Company, as well as part of two Aphra Behn Festivals from SATE. Kelly earned her BFA in theatre from Stephens College then moved to New York City where she worked as an actor, vocalist, and occasional producer for a decade before coming home to St. Louis. 

The Just One Look Band is led by Music Director/Pianist Curt Landes, who has played with Chuck Berry, Albert King, Glenn Campbell, John Hartford and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared at numerous national and local music festivals.

Tom Maloney is on guitar and bass. He was the music director for an international Johnnie Johnson tour. He’s played with everybody from Jerry Vale to Homesick James, and co-wrote and produced Jeremiah Johnson’s #1 song on the Billboard Blues Chart, HiFi Drive. 

And Mark Rogers will handle percussion and provide backup vocals. Mark co-founded many local bands, including Street Corner Symphony, Walnut Park Athletic Club and The Heaters.  He proudly claims that he’s used the same drum set since 1968, and and the same milk can as a drum stool since 1973.

Kelly Howe as Mrs. Walker in “Tommy” at Stray Dog Theatre in 2019.

This partnering with Blue Strawberry wasn’t the only collaboration that Midnight has mounted several over the past year.

“Jim Dolan of The Blue Strawberry and I have discussed incorporating a theatrical element into classic cabaret, and with the Linda Ronstadt show, we’re aiming to create that,:” Hanrahan said last March.

“Blue Strawberry is excited to be working with Joe Hanrahan and Midnight to present this show. As a longtime fan of Joe and Midnight’s work, we are honored to be a part of this production,” Dolan said.

The Midnight Company’s performance of “Just One Look” takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, at The Blue Strawberry, 356 N. Boyle. For more information, visit: bluestrawberrystl.com

“Rodney’s Wife” at The Midnight Company in 2022.

Take Ten Questionnaire With Kelly Howe

1.What is special about your latest project?
Well, my current project “Just One Look: A Tribute to Linda Rondstadt” has been running for more than a year. It was originally scheduled for three performances, 18 sold out performances and a quick stint at City Winery later, we’re still going. So, I’d say it’s definitely special. It’s certainly fun.

2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
I’m not sure I’d call it a choice. Since the first time I was on stage as a kid, there wasn’t really any other option. It’s kind of
just part of who I am.

3. How would your friends describe you?
This is funny, I don’t know! Nice like, kind of funny, good in the kitchen, Beatles obsessed…that basically sums me up lol.

4. How do you like to spend your spare time?
I like to see plays! Lucky this town is lousy with them! I also love to travel. Anywhere and everywhere. Wish I could do it
more.

5. What is your current obsession?
I just finished watching “Ripley” on Netflix. It was very well done, very compelling. But most of all beautiful to look at. A
trip to Italy has been on my list for a while, but the show has made it more a priority. My current obsession is figuring out
when and how I can get my old man and me to Italy. Itinerary TBD.

6. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
I hate mayonnaise, ketchup and yellow mustard. Pickles too. I’m basically anti-condiment.

7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?
I was in the St. Louis Children’s Choir as a kid. When I was in the 8th grade we went on a trip to Russia, Czechoslovakia (it
was called at the time), and Austria. It was amazing. I think being exposed to such different cultures at such an early age
really defined who I am in many ways. Travel is the best education there is, in my opinion.

8. Who do you admire most?
Hmmm, I am filled with admiration for a lot of folks about town…I’d have to say my parents though, and my husband. Two I
was lucky enough to be born to, one I chose. They are definitely the people I aspire to be most like.

9. What is at the top of your bucket list?
I have a long list of places I still have to see. My bucket list is populated with travel destinations. Plenty of roles I’d like to
play too, too many to list.

10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?
Man, this is a lot. I was tending bar before the pandemic started, I will never forget the night I closed the bar when everything shut down. So crazy. Jack Patrick’s survived the pandemic and is still one of the best spots in town! But I didn’t feel comfortable continuing that work in the pandemic, I’m a bit compromised. I did not like the isolation though! It was very difficult. I spent most of it tutoring a 10 year old…tutoring is generous, I was more like her school chum as she was isolated and doing online learning. She is very smart and needed little help, but the time spent with her was a great gift. We read a lot. It was definitely helpful to be around such positivity and optimism, the optimism and wonder of a 10 year old was good medicine when all else seemed lost.

It felt like theatre was over. Zoom plays and the like were happening, but of course nothing compares to live in-person performance, and when we were in it, it felt like that was gone forever. What I’ve learned working on some early post-pandemic productions, and how the community has fought back since is that theatre, art and artists are resilient. We can creatively adapt and move forward, because if you make art, if you make theatre, there’s really no other choice in the matter. Life is so much less beautiful without it. So we must keep on
keepin’ on.

11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
Man, I love St. Louis. It’s hard to choose a favorite thing. There is endless theatre to see. The food scene is top notch. There are the baseball Cardinals! STL City, The Blues. If you’re hip to the goings on in town, it’s hard to be bored.

12.What’s next?
“Old Times” with The Midnight Company. A Pinter play! I’m really excited for this one. Sarah Holt is directing. Joe Hanrahan, Colleen Backer, and myself will appear. I’m really excited to work with Sarah and Colleen. I know I love working with Hanrahan. July 11 – 27.

More Information On Kelly Howe:

Birthplace: Centralia, IL
Current location: South St. Louis City
Family: me and my old man, Kyle
Education: BFA in theatre from Stephens College
Day job: Swade Cannabis Dispensary (drug dealer)
First job: St. Louis Bread Company, one of the first!
First play or movie you were involved in or made:
Peace Child The Musical at Stages. Pretty much sealed the deal for me.
Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? I was lucky enough to perform SWEAT for Lynn Nottage with The Black
Rep. We were a part of The William Inge Festival that honored Lynn Nottage that year. Hard to beat that one.
Dream job/opportunity: Man, I just wanna keep getting hired for stuff. I’m not so picky. Ha.
Awards/Honors/Achievements: Lots of nominations, no awards. Yet.
Favorite quote/words to live by: All you need is love!
A song that makes you happy: Yikes, so many. Beyoncé’s cover of “Blackbird” has so far made me cry every time I’ve
heard it. Happy tears from the beauty and weight of it.

Linda Ronstadt

Midnight Company Adds Encore to ‘You Made Me Love You’ and Sets More Upcoming Shows

Midnight Company Adds Encore to ‘You Made Me Love You’ and Sets More Upcoming Shows

Due to sold-out shows, The Midnight Company will present an encore presentation of YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU at The Blue Strawberry on Thursday, September 14, 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now and can be reserved at BlueStrawberrySTL.com or by calling 314.256.1745.

YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU, written/directed by Midnight’s Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan,stars Jennelle Gilreath Owens.  In the one woman show, Jennelle pays tribute to Judy Garland, telling her story and singing Judy’s greatest songs. Jennelle also reveals incidents from her own life, illustrating through Judy’s story and her own the challenges a woman faces in life and show business.

Jennelle is backed by a band led by Music Director John Gerdes (on bass), with Lea Gerdes on woodwinds, Paul Cereghino on piano, and Clarence Newell on drums.  Featured guest singers,collaborating with Jennelle on some of Judy Garland’s historic duets, are Kimmie Kidd and Jeffrey Wright.

The Midnight Company continues its string of Cabaret Theatre presentations at The Blue Strawberry with two extended performances of JUST ONE LOOK on Wednesdays,  August 16 and 30, 7:30.  JUST ONE LOOK stars Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt in a rousing  rendition of the life and times and spectacular music career of the singer.  Also in the show is Hanrahan (who wrote/directed the show) as a veteran music industry reporter who finally gets his chance to interview his long unrequited love.  The JUST ONE LOOK band is led by Music Director Curt Landes on piano, with Mark Rogers on drums/vocals and Tom Maloney on guitar/bass.

And Midnight will be introducing a new show, PROFESSOR SUNSHINE’S Traveling Post-Apocalyptic ROCK ’N ROLL REVIVAL at The Blue Strawberry, with performances on Wednesday September 20 at 7:30pm and Saturday September 23 at 8:30pm.  The ROCK ’N ROLL REVIVAL is a modern version of the touring shows that roamed the Wild West.  This show travels the new Wild West in a dark, burnt out world, as crumbling towns await the appearance of the show bringing with them a bit of song and temporary salvation.
Hanrahan (who wrote/directed the show) will be your host, Professor Sunshine, and Kelly Howe will be Cheyenne, the show’s sultry, savory chanteuse, singing her patented version of savage, classic rock ’n roll.  The House Divided Band will feature the same players as JUST ONE LOOK – Curt Landes, Mark Rogers and Tom Maloney.

Tickets for the extended JUST ONE LOOK shows and for the ROCK ’N ROLL REVIVAL are on sale now at BlueStrawberrySTL.com or by calling 314.256.1745.

Linda Ronstadt Show ‘Just One Look’ Extended for Two More Shows

Linda Ronstadt Show ‘Just One Look’ Extended for Two More Shows

Blue Strawberry and The Midnight Company have announced that the Linda Ronstadt show, JUST ONE LOOK, has been extended.  March 8 and March 15 performances are Sold Out, and tickets for additional performances March 22 and 29 will go on sale Monday, March 6.  Tickets are $25 for the 7:30pm shows, and can be reserved at BlueStrawberrySTL.com or by calling 314-256-1745.

JUST ONE LOOK, written and directed by Midnight Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan, stars
Kelly Howe as Linda Ronstadt, and the show’s band includes Curt Landes, Piano and Music Director, Tom Maloney on guitar and bass, and Mark Rogers, percussion and vocals.

Jim Lindhorst at Broadway World said of the show “JUST ONE LOOK is just one night of exceptional music. It’s a nostalgic rock ‘n roll cabaret performance that is uniquely driven by a theatrical narrative and it works on every level. Hanrahan’s vision created an entertaining way to present the music that goes beyond cabaret performance. But it is Kelly Howe’s phenomenal delivery of Ronstadt’s tunes that make for a most enjoyable night in a cabaret venue.”  

And Sarah Fenske of the Riverfront Times said “Kelly Howe simply dazzles as Linda Ronstadt…an astonishing parade of hit after hit after genre-defying hit….thanks to Howe, Hanrahan and the rest of this throughly enjoyable production, you can’t help but marvel.”

After JUST ONE LOOK, Midnight’s 2023 season will continue with THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY (May 4-20 at the Kranzberg Black Box), THE YEARS (July 13-29 at The Chapel), YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU (July 26, August 2 & 9 at The Blue Strawberry) and THE LION IN WINTER (October 5-21 at the .ZACK.)
For more information, visit midnightcompany.com. 

Kelly Howe Will Sing Linda Ronstadt in Midnight Company’s Cabaret

Kelly Howe Will Sing Linda Ronstadt in Midnight Company’s Cabaret

The Midnight Company will feature two original cabaret shows as part of their 2023 season, and the first – JUST ONE LOOK, the story of the legendary singer Linda Ronstadt – will play at The Blue Strawberry on Wednesdays March 1, 8 and 15 at 7:30pm.  The show stars Kelly Howe as Ronstadt, and it’s written and directed by Midnight Creative Director Joe Hanrahan, and tickets, at $25, are on sale now at BlueStrawberrySTL.com or by calling 314-256-1745.  (In July, Midnight will present YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU, a very personal tribute to Judy Garland, at The Blue Strawberry.)

Hanrahan said “Jim Dolan of The Blue Strawberry and I have discussed incorporating a theatrical element into classic cabaret, and with the Linda Ronstadt show, we’re aiming to create that.”  Dolan said “Blue Strawberry is excited to be working with Joe Hanrahan and Midnight to present this show. As a longtime fan of Joe and Midnight’s work, we are honored to be a part of this production.”

After Linda Ronstadt’s long success on the pop music charts, she went on to triumphs on Broadway with Gilbert and Sullivan, 3 albums of the Great American Songbook with Nelson Riddle, Mariachi and lullaby albums, and much more.  She had 3 number 1 hit albums, and 10 albums in the top ten.  She recorded over 30 albums, and appeared as a guest on 120 albums by other artists – from Philip Glass to a duet with Homer Simpson.  There was a number 1 single,  3 number 2s, 10 top ten singles, 21 reaching the top 40, and two number 1 hits on the Country charts.  Ronstadt’s hits included Different Drum, Blue Bayou, Desperado, It’s So Easy, the title song of this show and many more.  Her worldwide album sales totaled more than fifty million, she won ten Grammy Awards, she’s a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and she’s a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Hanrahan said “Both Kelly and I have a deep appreciation for the great music Linda Ronstadt delivered.  Both her rockers and her ballads are among our favorite songs.  We aim to remind people who she was, and to honor her work and her life.”

Her songbook featured collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, and her personal life included longterm relationships with, among others, Governor Jerry Brown of California when he was running for president, and George Lucas of STAR WARS.

In JUST ONE LOOK, Hanrahan will portray a veteran rock ’n roll journalist who finally gets to interview his unrequited love, Ronstadt, though she’s now retired to her hometown of Tucson, suffering from Parkinson’s disease.   In the course of the show, they remember her debut in Los Angeles, and Howe becomes the younger Linda, recalling her storybook career and singing her great songs.

Kelly Howe was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the St. Louis Critics Circle for her role in The Black Rep’s SWEAT.  In St. Louis, she’s also been seen in TOMMY (Stray Dog), THE APHRA BEHN FESTIVAL (SATE) and RODNEY’S WIFE (Midnight.)

Joe Hanrahan, Midnight’s Artistic Director, directed Midnight productions of RODNEY’S WIFE and ST. LOUIS WOMAN in 2022.  For the Company, recent Hanrahan scripts have been ST. LOUIS WOMAN and ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE in 2022, and NOW PLAYING THIRD BASE FOR THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS…BOND, JAMES BOND and TINSEL TOWN in 2021.  Both of those scripts were nominated for Best New Play by the Critics Circle, with TINSEL TOWN receiving the award.  Previously Joe has also directed for The Black Rep (THE BROWNSVILLE RAID and NO CHILD), SATE (CUDDLES) and R-S (THE FLICK).  

Miranda Jagels Felix will Assistant Direct.  She directed Kelly Howe for THE APHRA BEHN FESTIVAL (SATE),  assistant directed and performed for THE GOOD SHIP ST. LOUIS (Upstream), performed in HAG-SEED (Prison Performing Arts) and will assistant direct UNCLE VANYA (The Actors Studio) in February.

The JUST ONE LOOK Band will be led by Music Director/Pianist Curt Landes. Curt has played with Chuck Berry, Albert King, Glenn Campbell, John Hartford and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared at numerous national and local music festivals.  Tom Maloney will be on guitar and bass.  Tom was the Music Director the an international Johnnie Johnson tour.  He’s played with everybody from Jerry Vale to Homesick James, and recently co-wrote and produced Jeremiah Johnson’s #1 song on the Billboard Blues Chart, HiFi Drive.  And Mark Rogers will handle percussion and provide backup vocals.  Mark co-founded many local bands, including Street Corner Symphony, Walnut Park Athletic Club and The Heaters.  He proudly claims that he’s used the same drum set since 1968, and and the same milk can as a drum stool since 1973.

After JUST ONE LOOK, Midnight’s 2023 season will continue with THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY (May 4-20 at the Kranzberg Black Box), THE YEARS (July 13-29 at The Chapel), YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU (July 26, August 2 & 9 at The Blue Strawberry) and THE LION IN WINTER (October 5-21 at the .ZACK.)
For more information, visit midnightcompany.com.

Midnight Company’s Fine Performances and Skilled Craftsmanship Sharpen Explosive ‘Rodney’s Wife’

Midnight Company’s Fine Performances and Skilled Craftsmanship Sharpen Explosive ‘Rodney’s Wife’

By Lynn Venhaus

During the ten-minute intermission, I overheard a woman in the audience tell her companion: “I hope my kids don’t find my diaries.”

Whoa, and that reaction was before The Midnight Company’s seismic second act of “Rodney’s Wife.” I surmised other parents probably shared that sentiment at some point during this unsettling, distressing drama written by Richard Nelson.

Director Joe Hanrahan, who is eager to explore different dimensions, does not shy away from edgy or dark, thinks cinematically, and has an affinity for the period and the inner workings of show business, slowly pulling back the curtain, so to speak.

He has assembled a cast of six local acting heavyweights, who illustrate why they are so highly regarded, and the retro Italian setting is a designers’ dream.

The daughter of Rodney and his second wife, who found her mother’s diary from an eventful summer in 1962, introduces herself and takes us back to that time.

Kelly Howe is believable in dual roles, carefully choosing what emotion to display when. The statuesque Fay is a former actress who had married a widower 10 years ago. Rodney (John Wolbers) is now a fading movie actor. Is she content in her current role as “Rodney’s wife”?

In a quietly shattering performance, Howe starts out staying in the background while other big personalities suck the air out of the room — and then tries not to be suffocated.

Kelly Howe as Fay. Photo by Joey Rumpell

Her arrogant, domineering husband and his overbearing, busybody sister Eva (Rachel Tibbetts) try to control the temperature in the room. Eva was married to Rodney’s manager but is now a widow.

For people who pretend to live out loud, something is obviously ‘off,’ and subtle clues poke through the facades. Nelson builds tension, with anxiety and desperation fighting for attention in a shades of Anton Chekhov meets Tennessee Williams way, minus all-encompassing gloom and predictably overwrought hysteria.

Without spoiling any crucial plot turns, “Rodney’s Wife” has many layers and moving parts in its portrayal of a dysfunctional family. Oh, it’s complicated, all right. The melodramatic action is akin to divulging bombshells on a TV soap opera, and torching others with the secrets.

A prolific American writer, Nelson won a Tony Award for best book of a musical (James Joyce’s “The Dead” in 2000), and several Obie Awards. “Rodney’s Wife” was mounted off-Broadway in 2004 at the Playwrights Horizons, starring David Strathairn and Jessica Chastain as father and daughter.

As Fay prepares for a small celebration in a rented villa on the outskirts of Rome, well-heeled and seemingly carefree folks rush in, laughing and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Rodney’s daughter Lee (Summer Baer), who has been mostly away at boarding school and college, has surprised her father with big news — she is engaged to Ted, a smart, amiable American writer (Oliver Bacus).

Rodney is regaling his future son-in-law with boorish moviemaking stories. Turns out the actor, a legend in his own mind, is filming a spaghetti western, but this is not exactly Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name. These are the low-budget early years of the Italian fascination with the American West, before Sergio Leone would make his mark with this distinctive genre.

Dissatisfied and unpleasant, Rodney is rescued from his miserable experience by his new manager Henry (Ben Ritchie), who drops off a script that he views as more suitable for his talents, only they’d have to leave for America the next day. In addition, Henry, while professional and practical, has his own worries back home.

And why is Fay like a cat on a hot tin roof in the midst of the merriment?

Summer Baer and Ben Ritchie. Photo by Joey Rumpell

What started out as a forced happy family gathering unravels into shock and betrayals, attitudes are laid bare, and scabs are picked at and reformed. Some prefer not to play along, others mask their feelings for survival, and the perpetual role-playing is ongoing.

All six are clinging – whether to fading beauty, to their comfortable lifestyle, to forging a new identity, to the past, to keeping up appearances, their deceptions, or to whom they think they are/should be.

As the self-absorbed Rodney, John Wolters is revelatory, displaying a dramatic heft that you don’t often see when he’s trotting the boards, usually (but not always) in lighter fare. I wish Nelson had not written Rodney as a cliché.

Sartorially splendid, Rachel Tibbetts’ Eva craves the spotlight as much as her actor brother, and she fools no one as a busybody Karen trying to tell everyone else how to live their lives. Her equally loud brother indulges her, and Tibbetts embraces being abrasive in a role that’s mostly comical, but she conveys enough depth to make it more than one-note.

As the not-fully-formed 25-year-old adult daughter Lee, Summer Baer modulates the tones between dutiful daughter, her stepmom’s pal, tolerant of her hovering aunt and supportive fiancé to Ted. But what is it that she wants? A conflicted Lee doesn’t appear to be as forceful expressing what she wants as everyone around her seems to know what’s best for her.

Photo by Joey Rumpell

Although Bacus portrays Ted as assured as he’s making first impressions, it is as if Lee has blithely brought a prey into the lion’s den. You feel for this guy, hoping he’s better at seeing the red flags than we are.

Nelson has boxed himself into a corner narratively, and both Fay and Lee are frustratingly enigmatic – but the pair of actresses do everything they can for more fully realized interpretations.

However, his savvy choice of Rome 1962 is an exciting canvas for Bess Moynihan, whose scenic and lighting designs are astonishing, and for Liz Henning, whose astute costume designs are some of the best she’s ever done on local stages. Miriam Whatley has designed props that are ideally suited to the atmosphere.

Moynihan’s flair for striking production design – complete with an inviting patio –provides a good flow for character movements. Her superb lighting, especially the natural dawn, effectively establishes the shifting moods over the course of a night and day.

The drama’s impressive sleek look touches on what an attractive playground Italy was in the 1960s, not only because of the cultural revolution in movies, music, art, fashion, and style but how post-war Italy was putting fascism in the rear-view mirror and hedonism was in full throttle.

Hanrahan and company are successful in creating an intoxicating vibe of exotic travel, lush surroundings, and a pop art palette without having the benefit of idyllic sun-drenched exteriors. (I mean, we’ve seen “Three Coins in the Fountain”! I digress…).

As an example, Federico Fellini had unleashed “La Dolce Vita” in 1960 and was working on his opus, “8-1/2” (released in 1963), and he wasn’t the only director getting buzz in this new golden age. Michelangelo Antonioni’s “L’avventura” also was released in 1960.

Rodney looks like a guy who could be driving an Alfa Romeo while the handsome, well-mannered Ted could be tooling down the Amalfi Coast in a Fiat, doing his best Marcello Mastroanni.

The women wear their stylish cocktail dresses and chic casual attire with aplomb, sometimes adorned with bright scarves, and their hair is fixed in elegant styles – Lee’s swept-back ponytail, Eva’s classic elegant knot. The air of luxury permeates the small space.

During intermission or before/after the show, be sure to view a special fashion collection in the Chapel, which highlights haute couture of the era, and the designers, colors and styles that were famous.

Because of the fine performances, The Midnight Company has elevated this work, sharpening the explosive interpersonal dynamics. With inspired highly skilled craftmanship from the creative team, The Chapel’s intimate space has been admirably transformed into a mid-century modern with an international aesthetic.

Using the irony of such a luxurious landscape, Nelson has basically imprisoned his characters, who are products of their time, for better or for worse, which makes the sorrow and the unspoken regrets hang heavy in the air.

The Midnight Company presents “Rodney’s Wife” from July 7 to July 23, with performances at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 10 and 17, at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive, St. Louis. For more information, visit: www.midnightcompany.com.

The Midnight Company Announces Line-Up for 25th Anniversary Year

The Midnight Company Announces Line-Up for 25th Anniversary Year

The Midnight Company, celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season in 2022, is announcing its lineup of productions for this landmark year.

Midnight will open with ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE by the Company’s Artistic Director, Joe Hanrahan, running May 5-21 at the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre.

Inspired by true events, the play is designed as a public lecture from a respected psychiatrist.  He’s been dealing with professional ridicule for his research into the phenomenon of Alien Abduction.  In the course of the play, he will present two patients who, in very different ways, have been victims of their perceived abductions. While he’s not exactly sure what’s going on, the psychiatrist is convinced that something real, something profound, is happening to these people and to our world. 

Hanrahan said “The recent recorded sightings by military pilots and renewed government interest in UAPs provide the current backdrop for this modern ghost story.”  ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE will be directed by Morgan Maul-Smith.  Recently she directed ON GOLDEN POND at Kirkwood Theatre Guild and EARWORM by Shualee Cook at Tesseract, and she’s also directed in Montana at Missoula Children’s Theater.

Midnight’s second show of the season will be RODNEY’S WIFE by Richard Nelson, directed by Joe Hanrahan, running July 7-23 at The Chapel. The play is set in Rome, 1962. Rodney is a fading American movie star, brought over to star in one of the first Spaghetti Westerns.  With him is his (second) wife, his daughter from his first marriage and his sister, whose husband, Rodney’s agent, just died, leaving her grasping on to her brother, getting into the middle of everything happening to his family. 

This powerful yet delicate 2004 play won critics’ raves, with New York’s Time Out saying “Nelson plunks his characters down at the crossroads of erotic tension and family guilt,” citing its echoes of “the closely observed simplicity of Chekhov” as well as “the eloquent bitterness of Albee.”  Hanrahan said,

Morgan Maul-Smith. Photo by Rachel Bailey

”Rome in1962 was the most exciting city in the world. The playwright has taken the passion and lust for living characteristic of the time and place, and infused it into a tumultuous day and a half in the lives of these characters.” The cast will include Kelly Howe as Faye (RODNEY’S WIFE), Rachel Tibbetts as Eva (Rodney’s sister) and John Wolbers as Rodney. The Italian villa set will be designed and lit by Bess Moynihan, with costumes by Elizabeth Henning.

The final show of the season will be ST. LOUIS WOMAN, written and directed by Joe Hanrahan, running October 6-22 at the .ZACK.  The show tells the stories of women who inspired and helped forge the legendary history of St. Louis music, and then spread that sound around the world.  The One-Woman Show with Music – performed by St. Louis singer/actress LAKA – begins with “Frankie And Johnny” and “St. Louis Blues”, two songs that put St. Louis on the musical map. 

And continues with characterizations and songs of Willie Mae Ford Smith (the Godmother of Gospel), Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday (who didn’t live in St. Louis, but played often at the Plantation Club, a hotspot on Delmar Boulevard in the 40’s, where the best black musicians of the day entertained white audiences), Tina Turner and more. 

Their abilities to rise above their troubled beginnings in a racially divided city and time, and to pour their souls into memorable song, provide the narrative for an exhilarating, inspiring show.  Hanrahan said “The first time I heard LAKA sing, I knew I wanted to work with her.  We talked of collaboration, and it led to ST. LOUIS WOMAN.  It’s our take on great music that came out of St. Louis, and the legendary women who made it.”

The Midnight Company made its debut in 1997, with a production of Eric Bogosian’s POUNDING NAILS IN THE FLOOR WITH MY FOREHEAD at the original home of the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. Since then the Company has presented 50 productions, most new to St. Louis, along with several original scripts written by Hanrahan. 

Their seasons have included such modern classics as WAITING FOR GODOT, SKYLIGHT, GIVE ‘EM HELL HARRY and A JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG, and featured noted contemporary playwrights Wil Eno, Conor McPherson, Steven Dietz, Daniel MacIvor and Mickle Maher.

David Wassilak formed the Company with Hanrahan in 1997, and was part of the group till his departure in 2007. Sarah Whitney then joined Midnight in 2010 as Associate Artistic Director, and directed many of its productions till she left the Company in 2020.

Kelly Howe. Photo by Todd Davis.

The Company has performed in a variety of spaces – recently at the venues of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and The Chapel – and productions in the past have been presented at spaces of The Missouri History Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The Jesse James Farm in Kearney, MO, Stray Dog’s Tower Grove Abbey, Winter Opera, pubs including McGurk’s, Dressel’s and The Great Grizzly Bear (and former pubs such as The Monocle and Cafe Balaban/Herbie’s Vintage 72), former trlrvision production studiosTechnisonic and Avatar, the former venue St. Marcus Theatre, Carrie Houk’s former Maplewood Acting workshop HH Studio, and warehouses at The Lemp Brewery, plus a production at The historic Learning Center (formerly the Wednesday Club) for The Tennessee Williams Festival, and several appearances at both the St. Louis Fringe Festival and the St. Louis Theatre Crawl.  

While at the Post-Dispatch, theatre critic Judy Newmark wrote, “The Midnight Company have gone out of their way to demonstrate that theatre is an art, not a building…their imagination and refusal to accept conventional limits can teach something to all of us us, in theatre or not.”

A visit to the website, MidnightCompany.com, offers a look at all previous Midnight shows, including photos, graphics, video, and reviews, and there’s a Blog with commentary on influences on the group’s work, decisions on choosing the plays they present, takes on trends in St. Louis theatre, the Women We Love series and much more.


   LAKA in ST. LOUIS WOMAN photo:  Todd Davis

One Of Year’s Best Ensembles Hits Hard in Timely ‘Sweat’ at Black Rep

One Of Year’s Best Ensembles Hits Hard in Timely ‘Sweat’ at Black Rep

By Lynn Venhaus
A domino chain of events have a devastating effect on a group of blue-collar steel workers in Lynn Nottage’s hard-hitting play, “Sweat,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2017 and retains its timeliness.

The Black Rep’s outstanding production, which kicked off its 45th season on Sept. 9 and continues through Sept. 26, features powerful performances in a lived-in atmosphere.

You know these characters, the ‘little guys’ who’ve worked the factory floor for years and thought their labor unions would protect them when the corporate owners moved operations to another country for a cheaper labor force.

Set in a local tavern where the Olstead mill workers hang out in Reading, Pennsylvania, this could have taken place in Granite City or Centralia, Ill., or near the shuttered car plants in St. Louis.

Director Ron Himes knows this and understands how today’s political and racial tensions are much the same as then, as well as immigration issues. Those are addressed in two story arcs — changing demographics and the territorial birthright felt by the longtime Caucasian residents.

Sadly, this tale is often not one of fiction in real lives — and has become familiar to anyone living anywhere in the Rust Belt, part of those Northeast and Midwestern regions where an industrial decline has been going on for decades, especially where coal and steel were economy mainstays.

The 2015 play starts and ends in 2008, but most of it takes place in flashback eight years earlier – in 2000, a pivotal time in America, after NAFTA is in place and corporations are going to Mexico. Transparency is not a word in these companies’ vocabulary, as they leave communities shattered and people broken.

The North American Free Trade Agreement was signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 1994 and created a trilateral trade bloc.

The action veers from longtime friends celebrating birthdays, laughing, joking and talking about their lives to escalating tension as uncertainty about their jobs increases, along with harsh outlooks on their economic futures.

This ensemble is nimble and natural, conveying the complexities of their relationships with skill and emotional depth. The cast projects how longtime friends act and what their workplace is like with ease.

Nottage’s dialogue is shrewd and perceptive about race, class and identity. She understands the frustrations of these characters, and the lens in which they view the world.

Nottage, who is the only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize twice for Drama, first for “Ruined” in 2009, frequently writes about marginalized people.

For Cynthia and Tracey, is friendship or survival stronger? The actresses Amy Loui and Velma Austin expertly convey their conflicts and mood shifts, show how friendships sour when misunderstandings and envy erupt.

Their friend Jessie drinks too much and once had dreams of traveling the world but got a job at the factory and stayed. Kelly Howe gives what could be a stereotype some nuance – and superbly displays various levels of inebriation.

The cast is anchored by Stan, the bartender who was injured on the job at the mill and reflects on multiple labor issues as he is often the voice of reason – and at least history.

He attempts to put things in perspective and tells the young bucks who are chomping at the bit that they should be outraged by the bosses, not the little guys trying to get ahead like they are.

In his Black Rep debut, Black Anthony Edwards is impressive as the guy who’s good at listening, who speaks common sense, and has made lemonade out of the lemons he was given impairing his leg and being unable to work at what he did for years.

Physically, he looks like the character Stan. Praise to the costume designer Hali Liles for her spot-on outfits depicting the wardrobes of ordinary people living in the Rust Belt.

After they strike, and Cynthia and Tracey’s sons Chris and Jason are laid off, their lives are altered forever after tensions explode in violence. The fight choreography by Paul Steger is fluid and the cast well-rehearsed to make it seem natural.

Chris wanted to make something of himself, and Brian McKinley earnestly portrays his yearning to achieve, especially after watching his dad Brucie (frequent Black Rep performer A.C. Smith) fall on hard times after being shut out at a textile plant.

The boys serve prison sentences, as reflected in the opening scene with parole officer Evan, played with authority by Don McClendon. Franklin Killian is strong as the hothead redneck Jason, now tattoed on his face and a white supremist. He perfectly embodies the once fun-loving guy now a lost soul.

The subject of the boys’ rage is represented by Oscar, a Colombian American who works as the bar’s busboy but seizes an opportunity to make more money by replacing striking workers. The regular clientele are seething about this ‘scab.’

Oscar, well-played by Gregory Almanza, pours out his heart to Stan, telling him about how ignored he is, perceived to be an immigrant when he was born in the U.S. His dad swept floors at the mill, now he wants to achieve more. He is caught in the crossfire of misplaced fury.

The scenic design by Tim Jones aptly captures this world, with detailed property work by Meg Brinkley, all expertly lit by lighting designer John D. Alexander. The jukebox works well, thanks to the terrific sound design by Kareem Deanes.

Featuring one of the year’s best ensembles, a timely tale and expert production elements, “Sweat” is not to be missed.

Velma Austin as Cynthia. Photo by Phillip Hamer.

“Sweat” will continue through Sept. 26, with Thursday show at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.

$15 student rush tickets are available for all shows — 30 minutes before the show with a valid student I.D.

For more information: www.theblackrep.org

Season subscriptions and single tickets for “Sweat” are available at www.theblackrep.org or by calling the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Groups of 12 or more may also reserve tickets by phone. Seating will be at 50 percent capacity; for complete information on current health protocols please visit www.theblackrep.org.

The Black Rep’s 45th Anniversary Season sponsors include the Arts and Education Council, The Black Seed Initiative, Centene Charitable Trust, Missouri Arts Council, Regional Arts Commission, Rodgers-Townsend, The Shubert Foundation, the Steward Family Foundation, and Washington University in St. Louis.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Our top priority for reopening is the health and safety of our staff, artists and patrons. We have been working diligently to bring live theatre back. The Black Rep is part of the growing coalition of St Louis performing arts venues and producers that have agreed upon Covid-19 Vaccination/Testing and Mask Requirements for audiences, artists and staff through the end of 2021.

Everyone must be fully vaccinated or have received a negative covid test results no more than 72 hours prior to coming on campus. A Covid19 vaccination card or a negative test result must be presented upon entering the building.

Masks are required at all times while indoors on campus. Even if you are seated in pods and distanced, masks must remain in place.

Everyone will need to complete the visitorscreening.wustl.edu within 2 hours of your arrival to campus. You will receive a message indicating that you are cleared to come to campus and you will be asked to present the “cleared” message to ushers at the entrance of the building. For those without smart phones, there is a station in Mallinckrodt where you can complete the screener on an iPad. If you receive a message that you are “not cleared”, we ask that you not come to campus or leave campus if you are completing the screener on campus.