Review: SCREAM, ECHO. SCREAM. at Metro Theater Company

St. Louis playwright Summer Baer opened her new play Scream, Echo. Scream. last night in the performance space at Metro Theater Company. Scream, Echo. Scream. is the story of four Greek nymphs who gather every 100 years to perform a requiem honoring their departed sisters.  

The play, with music composed by Bryn McLaughlin, is set in fictional Laurel Grove where the nymphs gather each century for their ritualistic remembrance. McLaughlin’s intentionally discordant music sets a funereal mood for the centennial ritual. 

The center piece of the grove is a large willowy tree with a striking semitransparent trunk and two incandescent light bulbs hanging in the center of the trunk. The tree where the nymphs gather is their fallen sister Daphne who was transformed by the Greek god Apollo when she attempted to escape his advances. During the ceremonial grieving the nymphs place rocks as the base of the laurel tree to mourn their lost sisters.  

In Greek mythology, nymphs live for centuries but are not immortal. Their youthful virginity is intended to signify water (Naiads), trees (Dryads), and mountains (Oreads.)  

Baer and McLaughlin have constructed an ethereal story with themes of unrequited love, oppression, and threats to the environment. Through the centuries the nymphs' relationships evolve as they ponder their own immortality. The poetic narrative is smartly constructed. The incorporeal mood set by Lize Lewy’s direction evokes spiritually supernatural performances from Kristen Strom (Peyto), Summer Baer (Echo), Frankie Ferrari (Ozark), and Sarah Lantsberger (Socotra).  

The overall production is graceful and stylish, but Baer’s intelligent script may be smarter than the audience. Her deep dive into the stories of the nymphs in Greek mythology illustrated her passion for the story, but the narrative doesn’t stand on its own to create compelling storytelling without comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter.   

Storytelling must be both entertaining and graspable without extensive review of a dramaturgist’s work or thorough research before or after a production. Scream. Echo. Scream. is entertaining. The strong production quality holds audience interest, but the drawback is the playwright’s assumption that her audience has the same level of familiarity and expertise with the source material. 

Mythophiles will find Baer and McLaughlin’s work fascinating and captivating. Lewy’s direction is crisp. Their pacing moves the plot along effortlessly. Strom, Baer, Ferrari, and Lantsberger’s offer arresting portrayals of the nymphs and the script's metaphysical concepts. The technical aspects are first rate, especially Baer’s set and the large tree centerstage. Erin Riley’s lighting accentuates Baer's intentional designs. While the production is polished and entertaining, those without significant knowledge of the subject matter may find themselves struggling to keep up with the relationships between the nymphs, nature, and the gods.  

Scream, Echo. Scream. Continues at Metro Theater Company through May 24, 2025. Click the link below to purchase tickets.