Moby Dick Takes Audiences on a Tragic but Fantastic Voyage

The Repertory Theater of St. Louis amazes audiences with an inventive, multi-sensory production of Moby Dick, adapted and directed by David Catlin. The constantly in motion three-act show distills Herman Melville’s dense and detailed novel into its most significant moments while delivering the entirety of the story. Mesmerizing performances and a set design and rigging that increasingly surrounds and envelops the audience ensure this captivating play leaves a lasting impression.

The play begins with one of the most famous opening lines in literature, “Call me Ishmael,” as Walter Owen Briggs introduces his character with the same solemn tone as the novel. A young man eager for adventure and life experience, Ishmael has made his way to Nantucket in search of an opportunity on a whaling ship. Just missing the ferry on arrival, he’s forced to spend two nights in a crowded local inn sharing a room with a foreigner known as Queequeg. After a skeptical introduction, the two become as close as brothers and join the same ship, helmed by Captain Ahab, under the careful watch of first mate Starbuck. Briggs embodies Ishmael’s sense of wonder and seriousness in a sympathetic performance that conveys his curiosity, elation and horror with every turn of the story.

While the captain is an erratic, inconsistent man hellbent on a single mission, the first mate is a capable whaler who quickly earns the respect of all his crew. Starbuck is also the first to question Ahab’s leadership, loudly voicing his opposition to the captain’s dangerous quest. Ishmael is the least experienced crew member, but he catches on quickly under the watchful, informative eyes of Queequeg, Starbuck and the other sailors.

As Queequeg, Kevin Aoussou capably expresses the gravity and significance of the foreigner’s role as guide, mystic and savior. When the youthful Cabaco is lured to jump ship, it is Queequeg who dives into the waters to rescue him. Later, Queequeg wakes from near death to protect and save Ishmael. Aoussou’s performance is compassionate and physical, with endearing amiability and a touch of humor. Christopher Donahue captures the essence of the maniacal, unhinged Ahab as well as the captain’s more lucid moments all while stomping around the stage in a herky-jerky motion caused by his substantial wooden leg while Felipe Carrasco is a persistent voice of reason and capability as Starbuck.

A trio of identically dressed women is referenced as the Fates, though they transform into both luring Sirens and raging Furies as the story progresses. Playing various secondary characters and a variety of sea creatures, including the great whale itself, Bethany Thomas, Ayana Strutz and Maggie Kettering are a formidable chorus that fills in story gaps. With beautiful synchronicity, they create an expansive soundscape of spoken word, music and song that surrounds the audience, pulling us further into the increasingly terrifying story arc. With haunting eyes, tortured expressions and twisting movements, they show us the pain of a whale in slaughter. With forceful anger and the vengeance of their dead kin, they exact their revenge on the mad captain. Their textured storytelling and poignant reactions add another layer that pulls the audience into the epic tale.

The performers use every inch of their bodies and the inventive set to create the feeling of the sea, the lure of its capricious waters and the hunt for whales. They sway almost imperceptibly on calmer waters and swing wildly from the rigging when the waves grow and the water churns with storms, to stunning effect. Caught up in the captivating retelling, you catch your breath and can almost taste the salty winds and feel the sea’s movement in your seat. Astonishingly poetic and beautifully retold using multiple forms of stagecraft, including evocative aerial work, Moby Dick is a tale adventurous theatergoers and all who can appreciate the legendary epic will not want to miss.


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