The Thorn is a High-Flying Entertaining Show at Stifel Theatre
–by Ashley Cox
An eclectic group gathered on Market Street on Wednesday night in Downtown St. Louis as people parked to attend two very different shows, Nicki Minaj at the Enterprise Center and The Thorn at the Stifel Theatre. This is The Thorn’s first visit to the Gateway to the West during its lengthy 25 year run and with its high attendance, it likely won’t be the last. The show’s co-founder & executive producer Sarah Bolin said during the opening remarks that the cast and crew spent the day visiting Arch and trying delicious barbecue in between rehearsal runs.
The Thorn can be described as a Cirque du Soleil style show for Christians, by Christians. At its heart, it is a passion play based by and large off of the Gospel of John, who acts as the event’s narrator (played by Jim Miles), but features acrobats, lyrical dancers, and aerial silks. Outside of John’s comedic interludes, it is largely pantomime with the bulk of ensemble never speaking. The music and singing is also largely prerecorded.
Cast standouts included the obvious Jesus, Toafik Lucas-Walker, and Satan, played by Stefani Galeb. Lucas-Walker portrayed Jesus Christ with a kind smile and compassionate eyes that could be seen to the back of the auditorium. The somewhat shockingly gruesome torture and crucifixion scenes were driven home by his wracking sobs. He portrayed the true pain and fear yet ultimate sacrifice. Galeb’s Satan was scene stealing. His writhing and lumbering form snaked throughout the show. The make-up, airbrush, and costume teams deserve special recognition for their ability to clinch Galeb’s stature into a true demon. Their work turning the dance and stunt ensembles into angels and demon is also something to be recognized. Designs painted in blue and red shifted the same cast into different roles depending upon the stage lighting in various scenes. Aerialist Emme Martini’s soaring angel was a special favorite of mine having taken beginning silks classes years ago.
I was concerned to see no padding for the stunt performers. Gabriela Kostadinova as Mary had a noticeable slip on the silks during her immaculate conception performance, which would have been bad if she had not saved it with quick thinking and incredible upper body strength.
The show is not aligned with any particular denomination and is recommended for those 12 and over. The crucifixion is especially graphic. I still am unsure how they captured the flayed torso and limbs to such a degree. A prosthetic sleeve of some sort? The first half of the show is appropriate for all audiences but the toddler next to me was having the wiggles about halfway through. While the show is targeted towards everybody, I personally recommend it towards those already familiar with the Bible and theology as the pantomime nature of the show means many scenes are not fully explained and may feel isolating or confusing for some. This is an excellent night out for local church groups and families and a unique experience not offered by other types of Christian media.
A similar offering at the Stifel Theatre is Father Mike Schmitz on Tour on October 24th. Upcoming events also include Shrek the Musical, which is one night only on October 16, and Disney/Pixar’s Coco in Concert with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on November 2nd and 3rd.