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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Progress Also see Richard's review of The Privilege of Being Second
But if you really want to be up to date on our most inspired local living playwrights, you'd want to include writers like Courtney Bailey, Will Bonfiglio, and Lucy Cashion–and now John Wolbers too. Mr. Wolbers is the author of the excellent new play, Progress, about Elizabeth I and her privy court. His sometimes bawdy and profane, sometimes wistful and celestial two and a half-hour comedy goes on like a house afire in a world premiere with Michelle Hand as the Virgin Queen. It's all directed by Trish Brown of the Prism Theatre Company at the Kranzberg Arts Center. And though we may claim a similar skyward view of "the kneeling man" (Hercules) or "the chained woman" (Andromeda), the truth is that you'd have to travel another 40 miles south toward Chester, Illinois to really hit the exact same latitude as the Acropolis. But Chester has no Theatre of Dionysus to catch the same rays from the same stars. And the mystery of the waters has landed us up the river here instead. Separate and apart from all that, with the transporting effect of theatre, I feel like I'm writing to you from the other side of the galaxy now, looking back on a half-dozen of our well known local actresses, rearranged into a brand new constellation like the Seven Sisters (if you include the ensemble's "swing," if only to make the numbers add up). Scene one of Progress is mostly told through a series of lavish costume changes on Christmas Day 1562, as Elizabeth prepares to meet a line of visiting dignitaries at the Palace of Whitehall. She's been queen for about five years, after the death of her father Henry VIII and after three very brief title-holders in between (Edward, Jane, and Mary). There's a lot of wretched talk about the brutal murders and harsh punishments from before she ascended the throne herself. Mostly, though, Progress bristles with wicked, catty laughs. Liz Henning is the costume designer, and she should probably get an award for her all her brocades and laces and jewels. The sumptuous set and the soft glowing lights are by Katherine Stepanek. But the queen's impetuous suitors from Spain and Germany and even London itself are never actually seen. Instead, we're treated to a snarky feast of "backstage" gossip from her ladies in waiting, which is almost certainly a lot more fun. The newcomer to the royal service is another Mary, girlishly played by Sarah Lantsberger, who learns a lot in a hurry, including her lowliest duties to the queen. But this young Mary steps badly out of line and Ms. Hand, as the most powerful woman in the world, turns into a black hole of fury as everything around her freezes down to absolute zero. Mostly, though, she glows with charm in spite of the occasional flash of recrimination. The lively, laughing ghost of Beatrice Lillie is conjured up in full force by actress Margeau Steinau as Kat, the first lady of the court–though Ms. Steinau still manages to cast her own fate on the arena-style stage. Nicole Angeli is wary and bemused as Blanche, the royal secretary. And Carly Uding seems closest of all to the queen as Sidney, who's gone through smallpox together with her, though she's full of conflicted feelings about her royal friend. Rachel Tibbetts smolders with deep warmth and spontaneity as Dorothy, the mistress of the robes, amidst a stack of fancy garments. The whole thing is beautifully written, and there's a lovely mystical scene near the end. Structurally, it is "girl theatre" in the way people wrathfully tell each other off. But it's also great theatre in the way they manage to carry on in spite of it all. Director Brown keeps our eyes darting around as her circles of self and society, and of comedy and tragedy, snap open and closed–sometimes overlapping in the hottest moments. All of this as "Bess" storms back in with curses and growls at the way men treat her in her own castle, over and over again. And though I usually dislike "false endings" in plays, like hastily aborted landings at some airport runway, this one has about three of them approaching the final touch-down. But somehow they become like irresistible flirtations in the hands of the playwright, drawing us closer as we try to hold on to each beautiful "final" moment. Progress, produced by the Prism Theatre Company, runs through July 12, 2026 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand Avenue, St. Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.prismtheatrecompany.org. Cast: Production Staff: * St. Louis at 38.627° N, and Athens at 37.981° N ** Denotes Member, Actors' Equity Association |
