Last Friday was opening night for Saint Louis University Theatre’s first production of the year, “House of Blue Leaves.” The play tells the story of Artie Shaughnessy, played by junior Christian Vieira, an aspiring songwriter who can’t seem to catch a break.

Aside from trying to turn his songs into hits, Artie is also dealing with a mentally disturbed wife, appropriately named “Bananas” and played by sophomore Alex Woodruff, and a persistent girlfriend, played by senior Lindsey Trout, who is trying to convince him to leave his wife and go to California.

The play takes place primarily on the day of the Pope’s visit to New York, an event that has everyone in a tizzy. During the course of the day, an interesting cast of characters comes through Artie’s apartment, and the action gets ever more comical without being over the top (although it does come close at times).

By the end of Act II, the relationships between the characters have taken numerous twists, resulting in quite the unexpected ending.

While the entire cast is made up of talented actors who play their roles well, Woodruff’s performance as Bananas Shaughnessy particularly stood out.

The persona of Bananas is not quite “all-there,” and is largely living her life through memories she is holding onto. Woodruff did an impressive job embodying this persona, presenting Bananas with an air of innocence while at the same time clearly showing the hurt Bananas feels in her life.

With a running time of two hours, “House of Blue Leaves” had the potential to feel long or drag, but at no point does it fall victim to this trap. If anything, the play felt short and could have lasted longer.

Overall, the play was excellent, and is definitely worth going and seeing. “House of Blue Leaves” is directed by Gary Barker and will be performed Oct. 10-12 at the Saint Louis University Theatre in Xavier Hall.