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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Dead Man's Cell Phone
Summer Baer, a fine young comedic actress, masterfully directs this nearly two-hour show (with one ten minute intermission) at the Union Avenue Christian Church. And this production bursts with surprise and spontaneity, thanks to the conspiratorial flair of a great cast led by Nicole Angeli as Jean. Ms. Angeli's husband Ben Ritchie plays the mysterious dead man, Gordon Gottlieb, and the rest of the cast form a familial grid to cordon-off his darkest secrets. The play began its life at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington D.C. before going on to Playwrights Horizons in New York. All of this, right before that giant swarm of smartphones descended upon us, gluing themselves into our hands. The pace and discipline on stage are admirable, with Nick Freed as the dead man's charming brother Dwight. It's always fascinating to watch him try to penetrate another character's personal bubble on stage, his reach always exceeding his grasp. Payton Gillam plays multiple maniacs, including the Gottlieb brothers' dowager mother. Lynett Vallejo turns precise stage movement into a kind of Stanislavskian poetry as Gordon's widow, Hermia. And Act Two turns into a bracing adventure as Jean becomes obsessed with their story. A series of subtle scene changes add their own kind of storytelling on a set designed by the director. Jean improvisationally folds herself into of each of their lives, "yes-and-ing" her way through their secrets. Gordon's mother and wife–and even his lover–try to trip her up with stylized manners, till she is led to a deadly encounter on the other side of the world. And it all begins with Jean's innocent attempts to be helpful, and a series of comical abasements. Payton Gillam fills three roles like an expert in classic comedy, beginning as Gordon's mistress, forcing beauty tips on the awkward Jean. Ms. Gillam later appears as his mother, a monstrous Gildersleeve. Mr. Ritchie also proves formidable in his own way, returning in an almost Vonnegut-esque manner for some hair-raising backstory. And, in quiet moments, Charles Dickens' 19th century musings on human isolation add to the air of mystery, which is nightmarishly punctured by modern technology. A heavenly centerpiece takes on a life of its own here, heightening a tender love scene played out in a storage closet. Listed in the program are five electricians, who provide illumination for that unlikely chandelier, and for other sources of illumination as well, under the direction of lighting designer Renee Sevier-Monsey. An even more deeply evocative special effect appears in a haunting collection of voicemails that drift in like a mist: the handiwork of sound designer Bryn McLaughlin. Even West End's modest church basement venue takes on grander proportions in this "in the round" staging. Private hells played out in marriage, and personal limbos set in the great hereafter, rise up in the second half, in a piece that's elsewhere been performed without a break. In this case, after a brief intermission, sushi suddenly seems like cannibalism, and the desperate act of holding onto life carries with it some barbaric roaming fees. Dead Man's Cell Phone, produced by West End Players Guild, runs through April 19, 2026, at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Blvd., St. Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.westendplayersguild.org. Cast: Production Staff: |
