While the holiday season is packed with a variety of big, delightful shows, a few local companies are offering more intimate plays with smaller casts and more personal themes. West End Players Guild’s Walter Cronkite is Dead and St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s Barrymore offered two fantastic theater options for theatergoers looking to be entertained without all the holiday trimmings. Both shows closed December 10, however I recommend giving these companies serious consideration as you plan your 2024 theater calendar.
“Walter Cronkite is Dead” reminds us we still have much in common
Flights out of Reagan National Airport were significantly delayed on September 10, 2010. As a result, passengers were lounging throughout the airport and filling the seats in its many bars and restaurants, and frequent traveler Patty is searching for a place to sit. She spies an empty seat at a table in a crowded bar and makes a beeline for it, but fellow traveler Margaret tells her that seat is taken. After looking for a few more minutes, Patty decides to take a seat on her luggage near Margaret’s table and empty chair and quickly falls off, tumbling to the floor at Margaret’s feet. Margaret begrudgingly offers the empty chair to Patty, saying she was saving it for her son, but his flight was delayed.
The two eventually start a conversation, and there are lots of starts, stops and hesitant misgivings before a genuine connection emerges. Margaret is from the east coast and has four children all named after Kennedys. Patty is from Kentucky, not a fan of the Kennedys or their politics and had two children, a daughter and a service-member son who died in the Middle East. More different than alike, they find commonality in their humble childhoods, the deaths of their husbands and a persistent hopefulness despite the pain they’ve experienced. Don’t let me mislead you — these women are never going to be friends, and they definitely ruffle each other’s feathers. But that’s where the comedy and heart lie as they, nonetheless, keep talking and find they have much more in common than they assumed.
Joe Clarico’s “Walter Cronkite Is Dead” never shies away from conflict and could easily veer into melodrama or be infused with a bitter undertone. Director Anna Blair ensures the show stays on course and finds moments of genuine warmth, laughter and connection. Kate Durbin, as Margaret, and Leslie Wobbe, as Patty, present a master class in nuance, authenticity and staying in the moment. The one act, two hand play is a funny, heartfelt reminder that even when our politics differ greatly we have so enough shared values, hopes and goals that it’s worth it to keep talking.
Next up at West End Players Guild is An Evening of One Acts from February 9 to 18 and Dark Matters, by Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa from April 5 to 14.
Barrymore profiles a brilliant star in waning light
While sister Ethel preferred the stage lights of Broadway and brother Lionel adored the soundstages of Hollywood, their baby brother John found success (and scandal) in both worlds. The second prominent generation of a famed family of actors, which includes Drew Barrymore today, the Barrymore siblings reached their pinnacle of fame during the emergence of the screen era. They were among the fortunate few performers who successfully crossed over from silent films to talkies, particularly Lionel and John. One of the first major stars of the screen era, John’s too short life ended in 1942, just as he was rehearsing for a comeback.
The biographical Barrymore, written by William Luce, presents an overview of the actor’s life interspersed with Barrymore rehearsing his lines for Richard III in a dingy rented theater, with an offstage prompter providing both line cues and biographic information. Though he gives it his all, Barrymore seems to have neither the fortitude nor desire to get through the script or stop drinking, leading him to liberally reminisce about his life and adventures.
Director Erin Kelly expertly guides John Contini through the ever-changing emotional and topical landscape of an unsober man’s rambling with clarity. Contini brings considerable presence, a masterful voice and a range of emotions that are consistently connected and at times powerfully raw. Alexander Huber is the sympathetic voice of Frank the prompter in the wings, and he brings a sense of respect and a longing to see Barrymore succeed to the role. Contini commands the stage and the audience with ease, adding grace, fading charm and dignity to the role. The performance is moving, occasionally quite funny and intimately connected to the craft of acting. It’s a real tour de force that fans of one-person plays won’t want to miss.
Next up at St. Louis Actors’ Studio is Copenhagen by Michael Frayn from February 9 to 25, 2024 and The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter from April 5 to 21, 2024.
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