Stairs to the Roof
Playwright: Tennessee Williams
Producer: Sudden View Productions, Artistic Director, Carrie Houk
Direction: Fred Abrahamse
Set & Costume Design: Marcel Meyer
Lighting Design: Patrick Huber
Music: Henry Palkes
Choreography: Marcel Meyer
Cast: Paul Cereghino, Em Piro, Drew Battles, Julia Crump, Bob Harvey, John Krewson, Peter Mayer, Reginald Pierre, Laura Sexauer, Cooper Shaw, Alyssa Ward, Ben Watts, Peter Winfrey, Elizabeth Llyod, Clayton Cunningham.
Venue: Boo Cat Club, St. Louis
Date: November 2014
About: Abrahamse & Meyer directed and designed the first professional revival of this early Williams play in the USA. The production was presented by Carrie Houk as a forerunner of the annual St. Louis Tennessee Williams Festival. The production was presented in the newly renovated St. Louis Artist Guild Theatre [now the Boo Cat Club] where it is alleged Williams had worked as a young man.
What the Press Said:
“Tennessee Williams’ early romance gets to shine in this shimmering production…an otherworldly fantasy, ripe with colour and music…Stairs to the Roof pours onto the stage like some kind of magical blue liquor. It goes to your head.” ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH
“Stairs to the Roof is a dream-like romance…thanks to the brilliant direction of Fred Abrahamse, the production pops with an other-worldly feel. With the talents of Marcel Meyer as set designer, costumer and choreographer, it is awash with symbolism and a treat for the eyes as well as the ears.” ST LOUIS STAGE DOOR
“there are moments of breath-taking poetry…the productions most striking element is its visual language. Marcel Meyer’s silvery art deco set brings to mind the sleek alienating world of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and his costumes – decking out workers in black and white, protagonists in bright colours, and dressing carnies and swamp beasts and harlequins – works seamlessly with Williams’ symbolic world of romantic yearning and impersonal reality. Similarly, Abrahamse uses several directorial flourishes to set the mood…it is a rare gift” RIVER FRONT TIMES
“The sets, costumes, lights and many of the props utilize a matching palette of indigos, blues and cool-mint greens…a tone poem…simply smashing” ST LOUIS MAGAZINE
ST LOUIS THEATRE CIRCLE AWARDS:
Outstanding Director – Fred Abrahamse [nomination]
Outstanding Set Design – Marcel Meyer [nomination]
Outstanding Costume Design – Marcel Meyer [nomination]
Outstanding Lighting Design – Patrick Huber [nomination]
The 2014 JUDY Awards – presented by leading St Louis theatre critic, Judy Newmark in her annual theatre round-up in the ST LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Best Sets – Marcel Meyer
Most Ambitious production – “This is my favourite award, one that I can’t give every year. But this this year its east. Stairs to the Roof, an early play by Tennessee Williams, received its first production in many years – and it’s first ever in St. Louis – thanks to Carrie Houk. Directed by Fred Abrahamse and designed by Marcel Meyer, this surrealistic play seemed to flow onto the stage like a magical blue elixir.”
To mark the opening night of Stairs to the Roof, the major named 7 November Tennessee Williams day in St. Louis.
