On the way to Broadway

By Tom Kennedy
Lifestyle Stringer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis kicked off its 1999-2000 season this week with "Book of Days," a play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Landford Wilson.

The play is set in a fictional town in Missouri called Dublin. The mysterious death of a prominent cheese factory owner tests the faith, friendship and loyalty of the play's characters. After the suspicious death, a Hollywood director, who is running away from his own problems, arrives in town to direct a production of George Bernard Shaw's "St. Joan" at the local community theater. The local production becomes instrumental in helping Ruth, the main actress, solve the murder.

The cast made the production come alive. The actors made the dialog dance. To single one cast member out would be unfair to the rest. But there were those whose parts were more significant to the plot than others. Specifically, Boris McGiver as Earl Hill and Shannon Burkett as Ginger Reed gave standout performances. McGiver's character plays a pivotal role in the play's intriguing, albeit easily unraveled, murder mystery. Burkett plays the small-town tramp role perfectly and enthusiastically.

Most productions stop here. They either have good acting or a good script, but usually not both. This play, however, does.

The dialog brings to life the American small-town scene. Everyone knows everyone else's business. Most of the town is concerned with appearance more than substance. The audience can see the town folk jockey for social stature and recognition.

There is a hole in the script. Wilson should have set the story farther south instead of in a small fictional Missouri town. The characters' religious zeal would be more realistic farther south in the Bible Belt.

The special effects in "Book of Days" creep up on the audience. During the dramatic tornado scene, cool air like the coming of a storm, breezed over the audience. Weather or not the temperature actually changed is irrelevant, because the perception was there and thus made it real.

You do not see the change coming; you just feel it. And that sums up the play. The audience members are taken into the small town whether they want to or not. The crowd is swept along by the winds of the performance until the viewers end up on their feet applauding.

"Book of Days" runs through Sept. 30 with shows every night except Mondays. Ticket prices run from $5 for students, subject to availability, to $30 on the weekends. Call (314) 968-4925 for additional information and directions.