The Irish Repertory Theatre has been a leader in providing accessible online performances during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Digital Fall Season begam on September 22 featuring five Performances on Screen and three special events. All events are free, with donations suggested for those who can afford to give! Reservations are required to access Performances on Screen, and captions are available on Thursday evenings and Saturday matinees. The final offering in the series is Irish Repertory’s Artistic Director Charlotte Moore’s adaptation of “Meet Me in St. Louis” which is available for screen viewing through January 2, 2021.

On the surface, this 1944 product does not seem to warrant the “culturally significant” moniker granted the romantic musical comedy by the Library of Congress in 1994. It is far beneath the surface that any treasure lies, and this is the depth Charlotte Moore mines successfully in her 2020 adaptation of the classic. The vicissitudes of the members of the Smith family are revealed though imagery, figurative language, and tropes. Seen from the creator’s World War II perspective, the Smith’s journey stands as a challenging extended metaphor for what is important at the close of 2020, a year more memorable for its sorrows and failures than for its joys and successes.

Older Smith Esther (Shereen Ahmed) and Rose (Ali Ewoldt) grapple with what it means to be in love and what “wins” and “losses” are part of their significant relationships with the “boy next door” John Truitt (Max von Essen) and “college boy” Warren Sheffield (Ian Holcomb). Youngest Smith sister Tootie (Kylie Kuioka) has a debilitating fear of death and dying, and middle Smith sister Agnes (Austyn Johnson) struggles with being the “outsider” of the family unit. The sisters’ parents Anna (Melissa Errico) and Alonzo (Rufus Collins), their brother Lon (William Bellamy), and their Grandpa (Jay Aubrey Jones) provide emotional and physical support as they confront their own issues of gender parity, uncertain futures, and aging.

The themes of job insecurity and “bullying” are revealed subtly in the roles of housekeeper Katie (Kathy Fitzgerald) and Warren Sheffield’s ball date Lucille Ballard (Kerry Conte). Ashley Robinson plays both the postman and the trolly man, the town’s “essential workers.”

Directed by Ms. Moore, the overall performance is remarkable, given the methods employed to bring the musical “to the stage.” Individual performances were taped at a variety of locations. These performances were then edited by Meridith Sommers and superimposed on scenic backdrops designed by Charlie Corcoran. Although the actors never interacted, the finished product brings them together in a variety of virtual settings. The sound design and mix by M. Florian Staab, and lighting design by Michael Gottlieb further enhance the suspension of disbelief.

Thanks to the meticulous work of Charlotte Moore, this “Meet Me in St. Louis” stands as the 2020 Everyman’s tale of the quest for status, survival, safety, and security. . Ms. Moore’s diverse casting further strengthens the commendable effort.