Excitement was in the air at Xavier Hall on Friday night, as the Saint Louis University Theatre Company debuted their first main stage production of the year: “Bus Stop,” written by American playwright William Inge and directed by Sarah Whitney.
Smiling faces of well-dressed theatre students welcomed the public as they shuffled in, with many members of the production team eager with pride for the first audience to see their finished product. Parents, alumni, students and friends alike all crowded the hallway in front of the theatre before the performance, mingling in anticipation of seeing the SLU theatre program’s latest effort.
Upon entering the theater, it was immediately apparent just how much work went into the production of “Bus Stop.”
The stage had been transformed into a quaint 1950s diner that was both amiable and in need of a fresh coat of polish. A faded imprint of “Grace’s Diner” was visible on the glass door, as a flickering neon sign hung just outside. Frost seemed to be eating away at the outside of the windows while doughnuts and coffee warmed the top of the counter. Complete with chrome fixtures and a checkered tile floor, the whole set exuded the charm of a lost era, a theme that was apparent throughout the entire play.
“Bus Stop” – originally debuted on Broadway in 1955 – is a story of small town life, the trials and tribulations of finding love, and the humor of it all. The play is set in a small Kansas town, not far outside of Kansas City, during one of the winter’s harshest snowstorms. Due to the treacherous storm the Interstate is closed, and cars are forced off the road in order for the roads to be cleared. As a result, a bus and its diverse group of passengers, on its way out from Kansas City, is forced to stop at Grace’s Diner for the night; setting the stage for the show.
The play, which at its core is about understanding love, truly shines in its interactions between characters. This is a feat that was not easily accomplished, according to sophomore Andy Southern O’Brien, who played Dr. Gerald Lyman in the show – a middle-aged teacher with self-loathing issues and an affinity for young women matched only by his affinity for alcohol.
“Everyone’s on stage almost the entire show,” says O’Brien, “so it was difficult at first tracking where everybody was.” Little things such as knowing, “where the coats were ending up and where the hats were ending up” made the show challenging during rehearsals with such a prop heavy set, according to O’Brien. He admitted it was “a little stressful not knowing how well it would come together.”
However, the effort certainly paid off. While the characters were at some times long-winded and borderline cliché, their interactions with each other incited a sense of nostalgia for a time period long ago and managed to make each of the characters relatable in their own way. This was achievable in no small part, according to O’Brien, by being a “really well cast show…that perfectly came together with the set”.
“Bus Stop” will be running for one more week, with three shows this weekend, starting Friday at 8 p.m. at Xavier Hall.
