Bastian Center Presents “God of Carnage”

The Mildred E. Bastian Center for the Performing Arts at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park will present Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage” Nov. 20-24 on campus, 5600 Oakland Ave. 

Performances are slated for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. All performances are free and open to the public. 

Translated by Christopher Hampton, “God of Carnage” centers around a playground altercation between two young boys that brings together both sets of parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off. What started as a civilized meeting deteriorates into chaos, as the parents become more childish than the boys. 

This production tackles issues relating to relationships, homophobia, gender and parenting. When two couples cannot resolve a seemingly simple issue, is it reflective of a much bigger societal problem. It highlights our inability to communicate and listen to each other. 

“I was drawn to ‘God of Carnage’ because I found it to be both brutally comic and reflectively tragic,” said Alex Saccavino, director. 

Reza forces the audience to ask themselves difficult questions. Is our civility a veneer? Do we have a natural inclination toward violence? Are we even responsible for our own behavior?  If we cannot succeed in resolving simple issues, are we doomed for failure?  

Saccavino says that hopefully this cast of both newcomers and seasoned performers will lead the audience to plenty of after-show discussions about the nature of who we are, albeit after a healthy dose of laughter. 

“God of Carnage” is one of two productions for the 2019-2020 season. The next one, “Eccentricities -- Tennessee Williams and His Women,” will be staged in early March 2020.

Seating for all performances is on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, call the box office at 314-644-9386.