Review: St. Louis Actors' Studio Presents ROCK 'N' ROLL

We probably take the cultural impact of rock 'n' roll for granted, not fully comprehending the effect this raw, powerful blast of rebellious freedom has had worldwide, where it has somehow managed to shape generations that are far removed from its origins. With his play Rock 'n' Roll, Czech playwright Tom Stoppard is able to show us firsthand how this music molded the beliefs, hopes, and dreams of his own youth, and he filters it through a unapologetic, surprisingly sentimental haze that makes for an engaging and compelling ride through time. The St. Louis Actors' Studio is currently presenting a very entertaining and sharply acted and directed production of this work at the Missouri History Museum.

Rock 'n' Roll is told from the perspective of Jan, a young Czech PH. D student, who returns home to Prague after leaving Cambridge in 1968 when he's unable to stomach the pro-Soviet rants of his Marxist professor. He comes back with the intention of saving both his mother and rock 'n' roll, but he encounters an overbearing and unsympathetic state in place that has no place for someone of his questionable journalistic ilk. When he first arrives, Jan is reluctant to sign his name to any petition, or really take a stand for anything at all except to profess his undying love for the music of Syd Barrett, The Velvet Underground, and others. But, when he's thrown in jail, just like his favorite local band, The Plastic People of the Universe, he begins to change his tune. Once he's released from prison he finds his beloved album collection shattered into pieces, and his resolve growing a bit firmer in response.

Charlie Barron does strong work as Jan, and even an inconsistent accent doesn't act as a hindrance to his performance, which is intense and energetic throughout. Jerry Vogel is an especially interesting contrast as his Marxist-inclined professor, Max. Carrie Hegdahl also stuns with her acid-tongued portrayal of Max's cancer-riddled wife, Eleanor (she also appears as her grown daughter, Esme in the second act). Chris Jones makes a good impression as Jan's more political-leaning friend, Ferdinand, and Emily Baker is particularly alluring as a student abroad named Lenka. Solid support is also provided by: Kevin Beyer, Missy Miller, Rachel Fenton, Ben Ritchie, Kimberly Sansone, Michael Perkins, and Brittni Lombardo.

Milton Zoth's direction is smartly conceived and executed, and the action moves quickly as time progresses and the locales change. He has his cast focused and engaged, and each characterization is neatly etched and defined. Patrick Huber's set is neatly changeable, making transitions smooth and easy, and his lighting scheme provides clarity. Teresa Doggett's costumes are nice fits for the times depicted, and Robin Weatherall's sound design, in combination with the psychedelic video projections of Michael Perkins, provides mood setting blasts from the past, but are teasingly brief.

The St. Louis Actors' Studio has mounted a fine production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, and it continues through November 21, 2010 at the Missouri History Museum.

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