Review: Tesseract Theatre Company's THE INHERITANCE PARTS 1 & 2 is a Gripping Triumphant Success

The St. Louis theatrical community owes a debt of gratitude to Tesseract creative directors Kevin Corpuz and Brittanie Gunn for having the courage to secure the rights to Matthew Lopez’s THE INHERITANCE, the voraciousness to take on the epic 7-hour story, and the brilliance to hire visionary director Stephen Peirick to lead the production. THE INHERITANCE Parts 1 & 2, set from 2015-2018, is the story of romantic relationships, platonic friendships, and sexual encounters in New York.  

Using E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End as inspiration, Lopez tell the story of three generations of gay men and asks the questions: what does real love looks like, who is entitled to love, what debt is owed to the generations who came before, and what has the gay community learned from the AIDS epidemic? The script is a deep suitcase that unpacks a lot of baggage along the way while remembering the generation of men lost to AIDS, and most importantly, paying a debt of gratitude to the chosen family who cared for these men as they laid hopelessly dying from disease. Lopez’s script is magnificent. His words are elegant poetic prose.  

The Tesseract Theatre Company’s production of THE INHERITANCE was a marvelous accomplishment thanks to the genius direction of Stephen Peirick and the out-of-body performances he evoked from each member of his cast. Peirick took the more than 300 pages of Lopez’s wordy script and swiftly paced the production, making it so succinct that the time in the theater melted away as rapidly as a piece of satisfying chocolate on the tongue.  

Peirick artfully blocked his well-rehearsed actors on his diminutive set design consisting of two square risers surrounded by the three walls of the small black box theatre. Paintings of familiar New York City scenes representing The Bethesda Terrace Fountain, theatre marquees, and more were interspersed with artwork of cherry blossoms adorning the side walls. Decorating the back wall were vines of cherry blossoms in a crisscross pattern reminiscent of a NYC subway map. He judiciously used the performance space to move his actors between NYC, the apartment interiors, and an upstate New York estate while maintaining a lively pace and creating sensational storytelling. 

Peirick’s collaboration with his technical team enhanced his vision and added lush layers to support the narrative. Tony Anselmo’s perfection in lighting design and Jacob Baxley’s subtle sound design created a realism that heightened the emotional impact of each character’s story. Stage props were seamlessly integrated into the story using the actors who were not currently part of the active narrative. At no point in the production was there a lull for scene change. The plot continued to advance without delay supporting Peirick’s terrific timing 

The entire cast of this production created genuinely believable and memorable characters full of conviction. Alex C. Moore (Morgan/Walter) and Chris Kernan (Eric Glass) were the emotional soul that gave this production heart. Each embodied a genuine spirit, expressing the deepest desire to simply be loved while loving unconditionally. Moore and Kernan’s impassioned performances evoked gratitude and made their characters warm and loveable in emotionally grounded portrayals.  

Jonathan Hey (Henry) painted a character with stalwart conviction and unapologetic candor for his political beliefs and his business success. His lack of emotional attachment created a perfect juxtaposition to Walter and Eric’s yearning for connection. Tyson Cole’s (Adam/Leo) brave, raw and exposed performance created two characters with similar features who have vastly different socioeconomic resources. Both of his compelling characterizations were magnificent, but his anguish as Leo was transformative.

Tyson Cole as Leo and Gabriel Paul as Toby in THE INHERITANCE Parts 1 &2

In the two most heartbreaking and jaw-dropping performances Gabriel Paul (Toby Darling) and Margery A. Handy (Margaret) left the audience reaching for tissues to dry their eyes and wipe their sniffling noses. Paul created the tragic Toby as a self-destructive man who allowed unfortunate choices to ruin his life and nearly the life of 19-year-old Leo. Paul’s skillful and unfiltered embodiment of Toby kept the character from becoming an unlikeable caricature and instead created a nuanced character that elicited empathy for Toby as he spiraled and lost his grip on life.  

Handy’s Margaret was a mournful and regretful mother of a young gay son who she had abandoned. Her remarkable portrayal told the story of countless parents who had ostracized sons leaving them to die alone in the care of acquaintances, friends, or strangers during their remaining few weeks on earth. Handy’s brief stage time in the third act of Part 2 gave the production its emotional wallop. 

Margery A. Handy as Margaret in THE INHERITANCE Part 2

Donald Kidd, Stephen Henley, Kevin O’Brien, Jacob Schmidt, Sean Seifert, Nic Tayborn, and Kelvin Urday filled dozens of other roles and narrated critical plot points in the fashion of a Greek chorus. Each of these actors dug into their multiple roles with vigor, delivering riveting portrayals and creating unforgettable characters.  

The amount of preparation, rehearsal time, and sweat equity that went into this production was immense. Peirick, his cast, and crew created an exquisite and compelling seven hours of theatre. It is unfortunate that this gripping drama had such a short run. As an audience member I will be forever changed by the work these gifted artists brought to the stage. Tesseract Theatre Company’s THE INHERITANCE Parts 1 & 2 was a triumphant success. 

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