THE MINUTES • Stray Dog Theatre

In the town of Big Cherry, members of the city council are trickling into their chambers (a wonderfully detailed set by director Justin Been) as Stray Dog Theatre’s smart production of The Minutes begins. There’s not much on earth more mind-numbing than the thought of sitting through exhaustive deliberations on parking spots and stolen bicycles. But the play that unfolds is a cunning orchestration from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts, who brought us Killer Joe, Superior Donuts and most notably, August: Osage County. Letts settles you deep into the humor and tedium of small-town minutiae, while the eerie currents that swirl underneath slowly bubble to the surface to erupt in a razor-sharp reproach of how history’s narratives are shaped.

We’re introduced to the self-satisfied Mayor Superba, (Gerry Love) and nine other council officials -- all richly drawn by this first-rate cast (with telltale names). These include the diligent council clerk, Ms. Johnson (Rachel Hanks), complete with a permanent smile and sing-song voice, the politically incorrect Mr. Breeding (John Reidy), an abrasive Mr. Assalone (Jonathan Hey), the grandstanding Ms. Innes (Lavonne Byers) and the longest-serving, oft-muddled Mr. Oldfield (Will Shaw). There’s also Mr. Blake (Tawaine Noah), determined to get a steel cage match featured at the town’s upcoming heritage festival, the wayward Ms. Matz (Jan Niehoff) and Mr. Hanratty (Patrick Canute), who has some visual aids in tow to bolster his argument for the only agenda item that seems to have any real merit -- an accessible fountain in the park. Included in this mix is the eager newcomer to the area, Mr. Peel (Nick Freed). He missed the last meeting to attend his mother’s funeral, and notices that the chair for Mr. Carp (Stephen Peirick), the eleventh council member, is conspicuously empty.

The cast of The Minutes at Stray Dog Theatre.
Photo credit: Stray Dog Theatre

Further baffling Mr. Peel is the fact that the minutes from that meeting haven't been distributed. Continued requests for the missing minutes and an explanation of Mr. Carp's absence are met with increasingly aggressive evasions, distractions, and even a spontaneous, long-practiced reenactment of the town’s origin story, as rain lashes down and thunder booms outside.

Been’s not only provided the aforementioned scenic design and solid sound design (Stray Dog’s pre-show music is always on point), but has also directed with a calculated progression of tension. There are hilarious meanderings and petty rivalries and alliances along the way, but from the imagery on the town’s seal to the statue atop Mr. Hanratty’s proposed fountain, the question of whose stories are told and how lurks at the play's core. 

John Reidy, Jan Niehoff and Lavonne Byers in
The Minutes at Stray Dog Theatre.
Photo credit: Stray Dog Theatre

The Minutes couldn’t possibly be more timely. From institutional reviews to presidential directives, a glance at recent headlines on this front bears it out. It’s the perfect time to catch this production, that illustrates with laughs and horrors how the pens that write foundational histories are held by a precious few. It’s playing at the Tower Grove Abbey until the 18th. Check it out!

THE MINUTES

Written by Tracy Letts

Directed by Justin Been

Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Ave.

through October 18 | tickets: $30 - $35

Performances Thursdays to Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm

Tawaine Noah and Nick Freed in The Minutes
at Stray Dog Theatre.
Photo credit: Stray Dog Theatre

Cast

Mayor Superba: Gerry Love

Mr. Peel: Nick Freed

Ms. Johnson: Rachel Hanks

Mr. Breeding: John Reidy

Mr. Blake: Tawaine Noah

Mr. Hanratty: Patrick Canute

Mr. Assalone: Jonathan Hey

Ms. Innes: Lavonne Byers

Ms. Matz: Jan Niehoff

Mr. Oldfield: Will Shaw 

Mr. Carp: Stephen Peirick

Crew

Artistic Director: Gary F. Bell

Associate Artistic Director: Justin Been

Choreographer: Kevin L. Corpuz

Costume Designer: Colleen Michelson

Cultural Consultant: Lizi Watt

Executive Director: Rob Ogden

Lighting Designer: Tyler Duenow

Production Director: Justin Been

Property Designer: Justin Been

Nick Freed, Tawaine Noah, Jonathan Hey and
Gerry Love in The Minutes at Stray Dog Theatre.
Photo credit: Stray Dog Theatre

Scenic Assistance: Snow Althen, Richard Brown, Soren Carroll, Sarah Gene Dowling, Jude Hagene, Chris Lenahan, Rob Lippert, Adam Rich

Scenic Designer: Justin Been

Sound Designer: Justin Been

Wig Designer: Sarah Gene Dowling

Advertising Sales: Lynn F. Pollak

Box Office Manager: Camille Fensterman

Marketing & Promotions: Sarah Gene Dowling

Social Media Content Creation: Grace Seidel

Graphic Designer: Justin Been