Joel Moses and Nicole Angeli in the Albion Theatre production of LUNGS.
2024—it was something. It was a year that made escape and entertainment more appealing than ever. But binging Netflix in my jammies? That’s alright for the occasional lazy Sunday, but it’s hardly nourishing for the soul. I wanted to have an experience, to join a dialogue—but not about the latest online outrage, or, God help us, elections.
In this brave new world, full of such people, there was one form of art—one of the oldest, in fact—that seemed more essential than ever. It gave me a sense of belonging, of groundedness. Theater is exactly what I needed in 2024. And luckily, St. Louis has one of the best independent theater scenes in the Midwest.
I had the privilege of watching twelve local theatrical productions in 2024. These ran the gamut from big-budget musicals at the Fox to small, intimate black box shows. They were a mix of classical and contemporary. I started with Shakespeare, sampled some 20th century British postmodernism, and savored some murderous musical comedy. I even attended the premieres of two never-before-seen plays, both written by a St. Louis local. I chose five of the choicest performances for my year-end sampler, presented below in chronological order.
1. Joy Christina Turner (The Tempest)- St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Ms. Turner played this gender-flipped Prospero flawlessly. Her character, the rightful duke of Milan, has been usurped by her scheming brother and exiled to an island in the Mediterranean. Her only companions are her daughter, Miranda; her familiar spirit, Ariel; and her spiteful servant, Caliban.
In the play’s first half, Prospero uses her powers to control and punish others. When Miranda, her sheltered daughter, discovers her first love, Prospero has a transformation of the non-magical kind. She sets Ariel and Caliban free and asks us, the audience, to set her free in turn.
Turner’s spirited delivery brings new life to one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters. Her Prospero is wistful, fearsome, and tender by turns. Her fluent delivery of Shakespeare’s ornately structured, allusion-packed dialogue shows true insight and is a treat for the ears.
2. Sarah Gene Dowling (Ruthless!) – Stray Dog Theatre
In Ruthless, talent kills… and if you get in her way, a certain young actress will do more than break a leg.
Preteen terror Tina Denmark isn’t the only one in the family cursed with talent. Her mother, Judy (played by Sarah Gene Dowling), begins the show as a frazzled fifties housewife who struggles to keep up with her attention-craving daughter. By the second act, she’s a vampy Broadway villain who singes her underlings with a cigarette holder.
Tina’s fiendish fame-seeking sets the story in motion, but Judy is arguably the main character. Ms. Dowling pulls off a Jeckyl-and-Hyde switch that is a sight to behold. Witness her fluttering eyelids and rolled Rs whenever the mysterious actress Ruth Delmarco (or R-r-r-r-r-UTH DelMaR-r-R-R-rco) is mentioned. Dowling has vocal range to match, and she gives every song her all. The duet “Parents and Children” is a surprisingly tender break from the musical murder and mayhem.
3. Jacob Schmidt and Bryce A. Miller (Trayf) – New Jewish Theater
Trayf is an unconventional buddy comedy, set in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights—“the center of the Jewish world.” The buddies are Zalmy (Jacob Schmidt) and Schmuel (Bryce A. Miller), two young men who belong to New York’s Hasidic Jewish community. These childhood best friends earnestly try to follow the strict rules of their ultra-orthodox sect: they shun secular music, refuse to operate machinery on the Sabbath, and dress daily in plain black suits and wide-brimmed hats. They enthusiastically drive around in the “MitzvahTank,” saving the souls of secular, assimilated Jews by performing acts of kindness. Yep—it’s a road trip comedy, too!
Schmidt and Miller come across as real-life besties—as close as brothers. Their relationship also symbolizes the tensions that orthodox Jews today must grapple with. Zalmy and Schmuel may live in one of the world’s biggest cities, but their own world feels incredibly small and insular. Zalmy is curious about the “Goyish” world—full of thrills and opportunities—while Schmuel warns of its dangers and temptations. When Zalmy befriends a hipster record store clerk, his relationship with Schmuel is put to the test. Can there be any room for compromise when your eternal soul is on the line?
Schmidt and Miller play this unorthodox comedy about orthodox Jews with heart and humanity. What follows is a fascinating cultural clash—one that could only happen in New York.
4. Joel Moses and Nicole Angeli (LUNGS)- Albion Theatre Company
LUNGS tells the story of a couple—let’s call them “M” and “W”—who have an intimate, yearslong conversation about family planning. Too bad the topic is broached in the most public of places—the IKEA checkout.
LUNGS was first performed in 2011 but it is more relevant than ever. Its slightly neurotic, overeducated couple (played by Joel Moses and Nicole Angeli) grapple with anxiety over climate change, economic uncertainty, and the looming threat of global conflict. But is all this a distraction from the couple’s real issues—communication and commitment?
Moses and Angeli tell an authentic, relatable story about love and intimacy in an increasingly loud, angry, crowded world. They also provide the audience with space to work out their own complicated feelings. For a story like this, I can think of no medium better than theater.
5. Gwennyth Rausch and Jan Meyer (Elephant’s Graveyard) – First Run Theatre
Elephant’s Graveyard, written by St. Louis local Marjorie Williamson, tells the intertwining stories of two women: Margaret (Gwennyth Rausch) and Smitty (Jan Meyer). The two have been best friends since college, even though their personalities clash and their paths in life diverged long ago. The pair made it to their seventies, but Margaret’s time is running out. She needs one last favor from Smitty; meanwhile, Smitty must find the strength to carry on without her only true friend.
Rausch and Meyer are the only actors in this show. Luckily, the two make a spectacular duo. They ride the emotional waves of this bittersweet comic drama together, sharing laughs, tears, cigarettes, and snack cakes. The two really feel like old friends with a long and complicated history. This raises the stakes for their end-of-life decisions and leads to a riveting, uncomfortably intimate final act. | Rob Von Nordheim
I’ve been watching Jacob Schmidt perform since his time at Pacific high-school and his time at East Central College. He’s a great actor and singer. Wish I could have seen Trayf.