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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood Also see Richard's review of Cabaret
And if you've never seen Shrek, or Aladdin, or Toy Story, or Beauty and the Beast, it's a pleasant, half-baked, two hour and fifteen minute panto with one intermission. And two specialty cocktails out in the lobby. Louis Reyes McWilliams looks like he's been slapped across the wrong end by the midwife, as Robin Hood. But he makes for an admirable, if dimwitted, hero. And his calls to idealism now and then ring beautifully in our ears. But we live in an age of post-idealism, which informs the show as well, and leavens his brave contrition. Jayne McLendon as Maid Marian is lovable, and reminded me of the delightful Joan Hackett, the heroine of 1969's Support Your Local Sheriff!. All the romance is kept at arm's length, though. Maid Marian is promised in marriage to the local nob, Sir Guy of Gisbourne, who is madly distracted and played to absolute perfection by Matt Lytle. What a lucky break for us they all are, thanks to casting director Becks Redman. This is what real actors do between Christmas theatre, and before some summer classic. They're all probably pre-cast in Hamlet, at the Shakespeare Festival this year, but nobody will tell you; it's all very hush-hush. Oriana Lada steals the show in a series of microscopically small comic roles, as a randy French girl or a series of mocking Europeans (in duo with excellent Fabiola Cabrera-Davila). She's credited in the program as Prince John's father's lover, Alize, of the French Protestants. And David Weynand is lots of fun as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Guy's hapless sidekick. It seemed a bit flat the day I went, but it's probably helzapoppin' in what they used to call the "creature features," the performances given for school kids. And please don't tell anyone I called it the "creature features." Eric Dean White is comically filled with the languid ruffles and flourishes of white privilege as Prince John, the usurper head of state while the right and true king, Richard the Lionhearted, is off pillaging Islam in the world of 1194. There are a couple of self-conscious little references to The Lion In Winter in the dialog, regarding Richard and John (along-side Alize, but not Geoffrey), but somehow those "inside jokes" have the opposite of the intended effect, sounding self-conscious and diminishing the newer work. In spite of it all, Michael James Reed adds undeniable good heart as Friar Tuck. It just seems a bit beneath them all, though they're good at not showing it. CB Brown beautifully plays yet another male role here, as Little John of Merry Men fame. I will confess that it endears me to her all over again to try to find the secret feminine side of her from my seat nearly 100 feet away, which was also the case when she appeared in trousers at last summer's Shakespeare Festival. I've probably fallen in love. And simultaneously misgendered us both. And you as well, for all I know, dear reader. Ms. Cabrera-Davila is a joy as the second female lead, Deorwynn, whose father has been imprisoned for poaching, and comically threatened with dismemberment. It's about the only dark moment in the show, aside from a good dungeon scene. The production is a lightweight and often fragile piece of entertainment with the nevertheless lovely musical accompaniment of DeAnté Bryant as the Troubadour. Mr. Weynand, whom we enjoyed so much in The Rep's recent Dial M For Murder, serves mainly as the comical sheriff, and he's very fine elsewhere as Deorwynn's father, whose punishment brings out a great, righteous outrage in Robin Hood. But the overall feeling is one of moral bloodlessness–in spite of all the familiar "pagan" appeals to virtue, as I've read they used to say. Do you think (my friend who moved to Iowa asks, in an email) you were dismayed by Sherwood simply because it was a kids' show? I haven't the slightest idea what she's talking about here, but just to entertain the question, there were hardly any kids in the lobby, or at the show! Six months ago when they mentioned it in the curtain speech, it went by in a flash, if they mentioned children at all! In fact, when I went, there were a lot of older folks, older than I! So, going in "blank" (which is easy for me), it just felt like a grown-up show, which just happened to have a very nice story-book set by Lindsay Mummert and Courtney O'Neill. There was a young little family next to me, with a toddler. And she was very quiet, but moved around a fair amount. If it had all been screaming children, filling the whole audience, I'm sure it would have looked like a very different show. Wait–is this all just some form of "group therapy"? The fine costumes are by Dottie Marshall Englis. Christina Watanabe is the lighting designer, and that somehow makes me want to give her credit for the perfect use of a fog machine out in the middle of the story. Though it's probably the stage manager, Shannon B. Sturgis, who actually handles that bit of magic, or Kentrell Jamison, serving as her assistant. Sherwood may be a better Christmas show for its panto structure, than for now, when it's pitting us against the wild winds of March. But it's good for a chuckle. I'm sure it's much better with a thousand screaming children all around. There's lots of dinner theatre style interaction on stage with the audience, which unexpectedly strengthens Sherwood quite a lot. However, the few children I saw in attendance at a Sunday matinee seemed far less entertained than their grandparents, I would say. But at least they got the olds out, and returning to the theatre, if that matinee was any indicator. Job well done! Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood runs through April 13, 2025, at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 130 Edgar Rd., St. Louis MO For tickets and information, please visit www.repstl.org. Cast: Production Staff: Additional Production Staff: * Denotes Member, Actors' Equity Association ** Denotes Member, USA-829 |
