Go See a Play! What’s Happening March 8-13

Go See a Play! What’s Happening March 8-13

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor

We Are Family — that’s the running theme of several productions opening or continuing their runs: “August: Osage County” at Kirkwood Theatre Guild, “La Cage Aux Folles” at New Line Theatre, “Farce of Habit” at KTK Productions and “Well” at Mustard Seed Theatre.

And also the family that you make — “Company” at Over Due, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at Theatre Guild of Webster Groves, “Avenue Q” at the Playhouse at Westport and “The Glitter Girls” at Webster Groves.

The Carole King musical “Beautiful” comes to the Fox for a limited run and “Nonsense and Beauty” opens at The Rep’s Studio Theatre.

Whether it’s deep-diving drama or lighthearted comedy, or catchy musicals that you are in the mood for, GO SEE A PLAY!

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
O’Fallon Theatre Works
March 1-3 and 8-10
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
O’Fallon City Hall
Tickets: www.ofallon.mo.us
Tickets are on sale now at the Renaud Spirit Center and at the box office, which opens one hour before each show.

What It’s About: Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a musical comedy with a funny book by Rachel Sheinkin and a vibrant musical score by William Finn.

An eclectic group of six adolescents vies for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves! At least the losers get juice boxes.

A riotous ride complete with audience participation, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a fast-paced crowd-pleasing comedy.

Director: Melissa Boyer, with music director Wendi Dicken and choreographer Cameron Bopp.

Starring: Ann Hier Brown, Mark Killmer, Benni Jillette, James McKinzie, Ben Ketcherside, Josh Towers, Hayden Hays, Mia Porcelli and Stefanie Kluba.

“August: Osage County”
Kirkwood Theatre Guild
March 8 – 17
Roger G. Reim Theatre
111 S. Geyer Road
www.ktg-onstage.org
314-821-9956

What It’s About: Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best New Play, “August: Osage County” centers around the Weston family, brought together after their patriarch, world-class poet and alcoholic, Beverly Weston, disappears. The matriarch, Violet, depressed and addicted to pills and “truth-telling,” is joined by her three daughters who harbor their own deep secrets. More family arrives, equally well-trained in the Weston family art of cruelty. Bursting with humor, vivacity and intelligence.

“Avenue Q” 
The Playhouse at Westport Plaza
Jan. 25 – March 17
www.playhouseatwestport.com

What It’s About: Part flesh, part felt and packed with heart, “Avenue Q” is a laugh-out-loud musical telling the story of Princeton, a college grad who moves into the city with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He and his Avenue Q neighbors struggle to find jobs, dates and their life’s purpose.

Director: Lee Anne Mathews, with Music Director Charlie Mueller

Starring: Andrew Keeler, Brent Ambler, Jennifer Theby-Quinn, Kevin O’Brien, Grace Langford, Illeana Kirven, April Strelinger

Of Note: For mature audiences. “Avenue Q” won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

“Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”
Fox Theatre
March 12-17
Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. Matinee March 14 at 1 p.m.

What It’s About: The life of composer Carole King.

“Company”
Over Due Theatre
March 1-3, 8-10
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Olivette Community Center
9723 Grandview
314-210-2959
www.overduetheatrecompany.com

What It’s About: First produced in 1970, Company was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical. Company takes an unvarnished look at marriage through the eyes of Bobby who, unmarried on his thirty-fifth birthday, finds himself lost in the company of his married friends. With his trademark wit and sophistication, Stephen Sondheim examines the flawed nature of human relationships as Bobby journeys towards the realization that, in spite of all of his friends’ failings, there is no point in “Being Alive” unless he has someone with whom to share it.

“Farce of Habit”
KTK Productions
March 8 – 17
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
St. John the Baptist Church
4200 Delor
www.kurtainkall.org
314-351-8984

What It’s About: This absurdly funny Southern-fried romp takes us back to the Reel ‘Em Inn fishing lodge where this bizarre family guides you through a new series of preposterous events in “Farce of Habit.” Add to the original characters a gaggle of nuns on retreat, a nationally known relationship guru, a shy retiree and a couple of women who may (or may not be) who they claim to be. Throw in an approaching “storm of the century” and the fact that there is an axe murderer on the loose and you will be laughing your way through the lunacy of another Jones, Hope and Wooten comedy.

“The Glitter Girls”
Alton Little Theater
March 1- 10
Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
2450 North Henry in Alto
618.462.6562
www.altonlittletheater.org.

What It’s About: A brand new play economically described as “Steel Magnolias” meets “Survivor,” with a big dose of quirky humor thrown in for good measure. A strong ensemble play, which questions the wisdom of sudden wealth and the bonds of friendship.

Of Note: Sunday, March 10 is sold out.

“La Cage Aux Folles”
New Line Theatre
Feb. 28 – March 23
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive
www.newlinetheatre.com

Tickets: MetroTix.com

What It’s About: What happens when the son of a middle-aged gay couple brings home the daughter of an arch-conservative politician — and her parents — for dinner? Musical comedy ensues.

“La Cage Aux Folles” takes place on the French Riviera for a night of love, laughs, illusions and truths, and the triumph of family over bullies and bigots.

Based on the 1973 French play and its 1978 film adaptation, “La Cage Aux Folles” tells the story of a middle-aged show business couple, grappling with aging, fidelity, kids, and holding on to their dignity when the world around them would rather strip it away. At the center is Georges, a St. Tropez nightclub owner, and his husband Albin, who is also the club’s erratic headliner Zaza. When Georges’ son gets engaged to the daughter of a right-wing politician, we see the politics and culture wars of 2019, at their most ridiculous and most fevered, onstage right in front of us.

Director: Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy-Windsor, with music direction by Nicolas Valdez and choreography by Michelle Sauer and Sara Rae Womack.

Starring: Zachary Allen Farmer (Albin/Zaza), Robert Doyle (Georges), Kevin Corpuz (Jean-Michel), Tielere Cheatem (Jacob), Zora Vredeveld (Anne), Kent Coffel (M. Dindon), Mara Bollini (Mme. Dindon), Lindsey Jones (Jacqueline), Joel Hackbarth (Francis), and as the notorious Cagelles – Jake Blonstein, Dominic Dowdy-Windsor, Evan Fornachon, Tim Kaniecki, Clayton Humburg, and Ian McCreary..

Of Note: In its original 1983 production, the show was a safely old-fashioned musical comedy. But in its 2008 London revival and 2010 Broadway revival, the show was transformed from a lightweight comedy into a more serious story with a lot of laughs.

The original 1983 Broadway production ran four years and 1,761 performances. The show received nine Tony nominations and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book — beating out Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. It’s been revived on Broadway and in London multiple times.

“Nonsense and Beauty”
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Emerson Studio Theatre
March 6 – 24
www.repstl.org
314-

What It’s About: In 1930, the writer E.M. Forster met and fell in love with a policeman 23 years his junior. Their relationship, very risky for its time, evolved into a 40-year love triangle that was both turbulent and unique. Based on a true story, Nonsense and Beauty captures the wit and wisdom of one of the last century’s great writers. This world premiere was developed as part of The Rep’s 2018 Ignite! Festival of New Plays.

Director: Seth Gordon

Starring: Jeffrey Hayenga, Robbie Simpson, John Feltch, Lori Vega and
Donna Weinsting.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves
March 1-3, 7-10
Shows at 8 p.m., except Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
517 Theatre Lane, Webster Groves
Tickets are available only at the door (cash or check).
Sorry, we do not take advanced reservations
www.theatreguildwg.org
314-962-0876

What It’s About: Ken Kesey’s iconic counter-culture novel is set in a psychiatric hospital, where convicted criminal McMurphy winds up. He challenges authority and changes patients’ lives. This is the play adaptation, which was turned into an Oscar-winning film.

Director: Jessica Johns-Kelly.

Starring: Jerry Crump, Matthew Linhardt, Betsy Gasoske, Greg Savel, Tyler Crandall, Hal Morgan, Jason Blackburn, David Eiben, Christian Davis, Sherre Ward, Scott Ewers, Russ Leonard, Donald Kidd, Aaron Mermelstein, Noreen Ann G. Rhodes and Amie Bossi.

Of Note: This show contains content not suitable for children.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves is very old historic building with many steps and is not handicapped or wheelchair accessible.

“Twelfth Night”
St. Charles Community College
March 6 – 10
Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 10 a.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
SCC Center Stage Theater in the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville
www.stchas.edu
636-922-8050

What It’s About: Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the quick-witted Viola assumes the disguise of a pageboy for Duke Orsino and finds herself at the center of an explosive love triangle in which identity, passion and gender all threaten to come undone. Bursting with vitality and romance, this delightful abbreviated version of “Twelfth Night” gives us one of Shakespeare’s most remarkable heroines matching wits with a host of captivating characters–from the love-struck Olivia to the puritanical Malvolio.

“Two Degrees”
Tesseract Theatre Company
March 8 – 17
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
The .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Midtown
www.tesseracttheatre.org

What It’s About: In a new play by Tira Palmquist, , Emma Phelps is a paleoclimatologist, focusing on ice in Greenland. In drilling and studying ice core samples, she sees first hand the symptoms of our changing planet, which makes the need to act all the more crucial and urgent. In addition to her growing sense of urgency for the planet, Emma, as a recent widow, experiences grief that compounds itself with each passing month. Now she’s been asked to come to Washington D.C. to testify in a Senate Committee regarding climate change legislation, and in this intersection of science and politics, of politics and the personal, she finds more than just a little is breaking up under the strain of change.

“Well”
Mustard Seed Theatre
Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre
314-719-8060
www.mustardseedtheatre.com

What It’s About: Lisa Kron’s experimental play intends to explore racial and religious integration and cultural concepts of health. She does not want to talk about her Mother, who unexpectedly joins her on stage. What could possibly go wrong?

Director: Deanna Jent

Starring: Lori Adams, Katy Keating, Alicia Reve Like, Carl Overly Jr., Robert Thibault and Leslie Wobbe.

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Fox Theatre seeks young girl for role in musical ‘Waitress’

Fox Theatre seeks young girl for role in musical ‘Waitress’

“Waitress,” the Tony nominated musical will be premiering at the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Tuesday, March 26, for a limited engagement and is looking for two young girls to perform the role of “Lulu” for the duration of the engagement.

WAITRESS tells the story of “Jenna”, an
expert pie baker working at a local diner and stuck in a loveless
marriage.   Her salvation comes in the
form of her daughter, “Lulu.”

The character of “Lulu” is a sweet and
carefree 4 to 5-year-old who appears in the production’s finale scene.  Qualified young girls should be shorter than
4’2 and be no older than 5 years and 3 months. 
Individual applicants are welcome, as are sets of twins or siblings.
Space is limited to the first 60 applicants to sign up.

For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com/LuluauditionsFAQ.

To sign up, visit http://www.fabulousfox.com/lulu_auditions.

The “Search for Lulu” will take place in St. Louis on Monday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and will last approximately 2 hours at Curtain Call Lounge (521 North Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103). The audition will consist of the child reading two lines from the show. If possible, parents should bring a current head shot and resume for each child. Headshot, resume and prior acting experience is not required.

The character of “Lulu” will be cast
locally in each tour market and two girls are chosen to share the role.  Each girl chosen will perform in 4
performances each during the one week engagement.

Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female
creative team, this irresistible new hit features original music and lyrics by
6-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles (“Brave,” “Love Song”), a book by
acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (“I
Am Sam”) and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Finding Neverland, Pippin, Hair).

Inspired by Adrienne Shelley’s beloved
film WAITRESS tells the story of
Jenna – a waitress and expert pie maker, Jenna dreams of a way out of her small
town and loveless marriage.  A baking
contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at
a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for
happiness.  But Jenna must summon the
strength and courage to rebuild her own life.

“It’s an empowering musical of the
highest order!” raves the Chicago Tribune. 
“WAITRESS is a little slice
of heaven!” says Entertainment Weekly and “a monumental contribution to
Broadway!” according to Marie Claire. 
Don’t miss this uplifting musical celebrating friendship, motherhood,
and the magic of a well-made pie.

Tickets are now available for WAITRESS at
the Fabulous Fox by visiting MetroTix.com, by calling 314-534-1111 or in person
at the Fabulous Fox Box Office. Ticket prices start at $24. Prices are subject
to change; please refer to FabulousFox.com for current pricing. WAITRESSis part
of the U.S. Bank Broadway Series.

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Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces ‘Love’s Labors Lost’ as Main Stage Production

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces ‘Love’s Labors Lost’ as Main Stage Production

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces ‘

Tom Ridgely to direct the production set for May 31 – June 23 in Forest Park

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis announced today that “Love’s Labors Lost” will be the 2019 season main stage production at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. A comedic masterpiece by William Shakespeare, the production is scheduled May 31 through June 23; preview nights are set for May 29-30.

Tom Ridgely, executive producer of the Festival, will direct the production, his first since taking the helm of the organization last spring. 

Belonging to Shakespeare’s “lyrical” period, which also included ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ the play tells the story of the Princess of France and her ladies who arrive on a diplomatic mission to Navarre only to be met by a young king and his lords who have taken a vow not to see women. Affairs of state give way to affairs of the heart as Shakespeare reveals with great humor and compassion the way our culture sometimes doesn’t fully prepare us for the realities of love and intimacy. A feast of language and theatrical virtuosity, ‘Love’s Labors Lost’ shimmers with all the passion and promise of a first kiss. 

Interesting point of note: “Love’s Labors Lost” features the single longest word in all of Shakespeare’s plays – honorificabilitudinitatibus. 

“’Love’s Labors Lost’is one of Shakespeare’s most dazzling and delightful comedies – and a brilliant study of the ways culture shapes courtship,” Ridgely said.  “The Bard’s insights into the different ways men and women love and want to be loved have never felt so contemporary, and the climactic final scene is one of the most moving and masterful in the canon. It’s also the perfect play for Forest Park, with its lovers and clowns cavorting all over the sumptuous royal park of the King of Navarre, and I can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”

 Formerly the artistic director and co-founder of Waterwell in New York, Ridgely was responsible for developing and producing more than a dozen world premieres and adaptations of classics. Under his leadership, Waterwell was nominated for three IT awards, a Drama Desk, a New York Magazine Culture Award and a Village Voice “Best of NYC.” He also adapted and directed Waterwell’s dual-language (English/Farsi) “Hamlet,” which was designed and performed by a company of predominantly Middle Eastern and South Asian artists. Ben Brantley of the New York Times described the production as “conceptually bracing…a magnetic reminder of where Hamlet came from and what he has lost.” 

Ridgely will be joined by creative team members Jason Simms (Set Design) of New York; Melissa Trn (Costumes), a former St. Louisan currently living in Los Angeles; and John Wylie (Lighting) and Rusty Wandall (Sound). This marks Wylie’s sixth season with the Festival, and Wandall’s eighth.

The cast for “Love’s Labors Lost” will be announced in April. 

About Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Shakespeare and works inspired by his legacy of storytelling. Since 2001, the festival has grown from producing a single production of Shakespeare in the Park to a year-round season of impactful theater in exciting and accessible venues throughout the St. Louis community. The festival’s artistic and education programs reached over 50,000 patrons and students during the 2018 season and have reached over one million since 2001. Leadership support for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2019 season is provided by the Whitaker Foundation. The festival is also funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.sfstl.com, or call 314-531-9800.

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The Rep Announces Line-Up for its Ignite Festival of New Plays

The Rep Announces Line-Up for its Ignite Festival of New Plays

A group of nationally renowned playwrights will present public readings of their newest scripts at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ Ignite! Festival of New Plays, running March 27 – April 4 in The Rep’s Emerson Studio Theatre.Launched in 2012, the festival offers St. Louis theatre lovers the chance to see in-development scripts performed by professional actors, and then offer their feedback directly to the playwrights in post-performance talkbacks.This year’s festival features:Quiz Out by Margot ConnollyDirected by Shelley Butler7:30 p.m. March 27High school junior Harper and her best friend Hannah join their church’s Bible Quiz team. The more time they spend together, the more they learn about themselves, their faith, their sexual identities, and the intense and occasionally claustrophobic world of Bible Quiz. A crazy, heartwarming comedy by an exciting new voice in the American theatre. 

Frankenstein by Eric Schmiedl, adapted from the novel by Mary ShelleyDirected by Seth Gordon7:30 p.m. March 30

What does it mean to be human? In 1783, the lives of four outsiders come crashing together: Victor, a brilliant young student, Elizabeth, the love of his life, Henry, his best friend, and the Creature – a force that can unite them, or tear them all to pieces. This new adaptation celebrates the insight, passion and youthful exuberance of Mary Shelley’s seminal novel on the 200th anniversary of its publication. 

Frida Book and lyrics by Michael Aman, music by Dana P. RoweDirected by Gustavo Zajac7:30 p.m. April 4After an injury that should have killed her, the renowned artist Frida Kahlo finds relief from her pain through paintings that would change the rules of art forever. Despite a complicated relationship with her husband – the great painter Diego Rivera – and multiple surgeries, she never succumbs to self-pity. Frida is a new musical about a woman’s indomitable creative spirit and love for her husband, as told through the music, movement and art of her country. 

Tickets are now on sale and cost $10 for single performances or $25 to see all three readings.Notable Ignite! alumni include Dael Orlandersmith’s Until the Flood, which world premiered at The Rep in 2016 and played at theatres throughout the nation in 2018, The Invisible Hand by Ayad Akhtar, Gidion’s Knot by Johnna Adams and Soups, Stews and Casseroles: 1976 by Rebecca Gilman.Nonsense and Beauty, presented at the 2018 Ignite! festival, will make its world premiere in The Rep’s Studio Theatre this March.For more information on Ignite!, visit repstl.org/ignite.

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New Line Brings Back John Waters’ “Cry-Baby” to Open 29th Season

New Line Brings Back John Waters’ “Cry-Baby” to Open 29th Season

New Line Theatre, “the bad boy of musical theatre,” has announced that one of the most popular shows in the company’s long history is returning — the outrageous rock musical “Cry-Baby,” based on the iconic John Waters film, a wild and wacky fable about class, justice, and rock and roll, featuring classic songs like “Girl, Can I Kiss You With Tongue?”, “The Anti-Polio Picnic,” “Screw Loose,” “Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby (Baby, Baby),” “I’m Infected,” and many more.

The show will run Sept. 26-Oct. 19 at the Marcelle Theater in the Grand Center Arts District,  to open New Line’s 29th season. The other two shows in the season have not been announced.

It’s 1954. Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism, and Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker is the coolest boy in Baltimore. He’s the bad boy with a good cause — truth, justice, and the pursuit of rock and roll. Wayward youth, juvenile delinquents, sexual repression, cool music, dirty lyrics, social rejects, and at the center of this world are the star-crossed lovers, Cry-Baby and the square rich girl Allison, the good girl who yearns to be bad in Cry-Baby’s arms.

Fueled by hormones and the new rhythms of rock and roll, she turns her back on her squeaky clean boyfriend Baldwin to become a “drape” (a Baltimore juvenile delinquent) and Cry-Baby’s moll. At the other end of the topsy-turvy moral meritocracy of 1950s America, Baldwin as king of the squares leads his close-harmony pals against the juvenile delinquents, who are ultimately arrested for arson, sending the drapes all off to prison. 

It’s Romeo and Juliet meets High School Hellcats. Director Scott Miller says, “After a disastrous original run on Broadway, we proved that this razor sharp, wickedly funny show is so much better than people thought. The authors commissioned new orchestrations just for New Line, and we brought the show back to life. Now, productions are happening around the country, which is so wonderful.”

The critics were unanimous in their praise for New Line’s American regional premiere of “Cry-Baby” in 2012. Judith Newmark wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “If you just want to have a great time, then pick up tickets for New Lilne’s latest giddy extravaganza, Cry-Baby. You’ll laugh too hard to catch all the hilarious lyrics.” Mark Bretz wrote in The Ladue News, “A glorious and infectious American regional premiere by New Line Theatre. Under Miller’s devoted and painstaking direction, this Cry-Baby rocks the room with an effervescent energy, exploding across the stage.” Richard Green wrote for BroadwayWorld, “I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing through this stage-musical version of John Waters’ film, though I have to admit I never really tried. From the opening chords, which (of course) sound like some 1950s movie about teen rebels, we know we’re in for a counter-cultural extravaganza.” Chris Gibson at BroadwayWorld wrote, “At times, it’s like watching a throwdown between Little Richard and Pat Boone over who really sings ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’ the best. This is a rockin’ good show! Go see Cry-Baby and enjoy!”

Open auditions will be held in June. Details will be posted to the New Line website.

Season tickets will go on sale in May. The season will include two more shows which will be announced soon.

ABOUT NEW LINE THEATRENew Line Theatre is a professional company dedicated to involving the people of the St. Louis region in the exploration and creation of daring, provocative, socially and politically relevant works of musical theatre. New Line was created back in 1991 at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre just starting to take hold across the country. The company has given birth to several world premiere musicals over the years and has brought back to life several shows that were not well served by their original New York productions. Altogether, New Line has produced 86 musicals since 1991, and the company has been given its own entry in the Cambridge Guide to American Theatre and the annual Theater World. New Line receives funding from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

New Line is very proud to announce that season tickets sales for the 2018-2019 season skyrocketed, a massive 258% increase over last season! New Line’s 28th season also includes “La Cage aux Folles” in March, and the St. Louis premiere of the new rock musical “Be More Chill” in June.

For other information, visit New Line Theatre’s full-service website at www.newlinetheatre.com. All programs are subject to change.

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Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces New Initiative for Emerging Playwrights

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces New Initiative for Emerging Playwrights

Three emerging playwrights – two from St. Louis and one from Chicago – have been selected to participate in a new initiative developed by Shakespeare Festival St. Louis called the Confluence Regional Writers Project.

As part of the program, the festival has also selected St. Louisan Carter Lewis, a two-time nominee for the American Theatre Critics Award, as well as the Festival’s 2019 Playwrighting Fellow.

Mariah L. Richardson and Shualee Cook of St. Louis, and Kristin Idaszak, of Chicago, will participate as the emerging playwrights. 

“Confluence brings together two of the Festival’s top priorities: investing in local artists and engaging with our surrounding region,” said Tom Ridgely, executive producer of the Festival. “This sparkling cohort of writers is speaking from the unique perspective of not only who they are, but also where they live and work. If we truly want to understand what’s going on in America today, we need voices like theirs as part of our country’s cultural conversation.” 

In addition to fostering a regional culture of playwriting, the new program and its annual Playwriting Fellowship, will also include an annual Emerging Playwrights Cohort, staged readings, public workshops and a fully-produced new work for the stage. Nancy Bell, who authored the dynamic Shakespeare in the Streets productions, will serve as Confluence project director. 

“It’s an incredible opportunity for us to work with these very talented up and coming playwrights who live both locally and regionally throughout the Midwest. While St. Louis has a tremendous theatre scene, with lots of great opportunities for actors, directors and designers, we thought it important to cast a light on the ones who actually start the process for everyone else, the playwrights themselves,” Bell said. “The Emerging Playwrights Cohort will help us do just that by creating more resources for playwrights and helping to foster a more vibrant culture of new play development throughout our region.” 

Each cohort will attend a weekend retreat in February as well as monthly visits to St. Louis throughout the year for writing sessions, day-long workshops and mentorship activities with Lewis. Each will then be committed to producing a new full-length work. 

As part of his year-long residency at the Festival, Lewis, a playwriting and dramaturgy professor at Washington University in St. Louis, will receive a commission for a new work to be developed during the Festival. Through the years, Lewis has been recognized with several national playwriting awards including: the Julie Harris – Playwriting Award; the State Theatre – Best New American Play; the Cincinnati Playhouse Rosenthal New Play Prize (1996, 2001); the New Dramatist Arnold Weissberger Playwriting Award; and the Playwright’s Center Jerome Residency, to name a few. Lewis’ play, “While We Were Bowling,” won the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation Award for Best New American Play. 

In addition to the mentoring with Lewis, the festival will also provide each cohort with a stipend, workshops with guest artists and industry professionals, dedicated time and space to write together, as well as actors, a director and rehearsal time for a public reading of the work in St. Louis. 

Background highlights of playwrights: 

Mariah L. Richardson

Richardson most recently served as the Playwriting Fellow in the remounting of the Festival’s 2018 Shakespeare in the Streets “Blow, Winds” production. Additional works of hers have premiered at the Kranzberg Theatre (“Soy Yo! An Afro-Latina Suite”), St. Louis Community College (“Idris Elba is James Bond,” “Sistahs Indeed!”) and Metro Theater Company (“Delilah’s Wish”/Kevin Kline Award, 2011).  Richardson has performed with both Metro Theater and the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre. She received her Communications degree from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Playwriting from Smith College. 

Shualee Cook

Cook’s most recent work includes “Sunset Artists of the American West” (Chicago’s About Face Theatre) and “Cercle Hermaphroditos” (National Queer Theatre in New York). She also served as Resident Playwright with Tesseract Theatre (“Earworm”) in St. Louis and as the spring/summer resident at Stage Left in Chicago. Cook’s other plays that have received productions or readings include “Tempest in a Teapot” (R-S Theatrics, 2016 Idle Muse Athena Festival), “An Invitation Out” (Mustard Seed Theatre, 2017 Benchmark Theatre Fever Dream Festival), “Osgood Rex” (Saint Lou Fringe), “The Geography of Nowhere” (Mustard Seed Theatre), and “Music of the Goddess” (SATE’s Aphra Behn Emerging Artists Showcase). She was also a finalist for the 2016 David Calicchio Prize, the 2016 Jane Chambers Award, the 2015 and 2016 Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit, and was this year’s Honorable Mention Playwright for the Annual Parity Commission. 

Kristin Idaszak

Idaszak is a playwright, dramaturg, performance maker, and the Artistic Director of Cloudgate Theatre. Her play, “Second Skin,” received the Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award.  “Another Jungle” (Relentless Award Honorable Mention) received its world premiere with Cloudgate Theatre and The Syndicate in April 2018. Idaszak’s work has also been developed through residencies at the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Stage Left Theatre, and the Qualcomm Institute at Calit2 in San Diego. Kristin has co-created collaborative original work that has been seen at the WoW Festival at La Jolla Playhouse and the Blurred Borders Festival, an international showcase of contemporary dance theatre. Her numerous awards and accolades include: Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work nominee; two honorable mentions on the Kilroys’ List; 2015 Kennedy Center Fellow at the Sundance Theatre Lab; and two Playwrights’ Center Jerome Fellowships. Idaszak is an adjunct faculty member at The Theatre School at DePaul University. 

The Confluence Regional Writers Project is generously funded by Sondra and Dorsey Ellis.

About Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Shakespeare and works inspired by his legacy of storytelling. Since 2001, the festival has grown from producing a single production of Shakespeare in the Park to a year-round season of new plays in exciting and accessible venues throughout the St. Louis community. The festival’s artistic and education programs reached more than 50,000 patrons and students during the 2018 season and over one million since the festival’s first season in 2001. Leadership support for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2019 season is provided by the Whitaker Foundation. The festival is also funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.sfstl.com, or call 314-531-9800.

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Join Racial and Gender Equity Conversation Jan. 20

Join Racial and Gender Equity Conversation Jan. 20

Representation & Responsibility: Racial and Gender Equity in Film and TelevisionThe second installment of Opera Theatre’s 2019 Representation & Responsibility series will take Sunday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission. This community conversation will focus on the topic of racial and gender equity in film and television.The panel discussion will be followed by a light wine and cheese reception. It is free to attend, but RSVPs are encouraged at opera-stl.org.Kasi LemmonsA native of St. Louis, Kasi Lemmons has been acting, writing, and directing for 40 years. She has written and directed films including “Eve’s Bayou” (1997), starring Samuel L. Jackson, and “Talk to Me” (2007), starring Don Cheadle, and her film, “Harriet,: about the life of Harriet Tubman is set to be released in 2019. Some of the stars of Harriet include Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe, and Leslie Odom Jr.She wrote the libretto for Opera Theatre’s 2019 world premiere Fire Shut Up in My Bones.Colleen McGuinness Colleen McGuinness has written for numerous television shows, including NBC’s Emmy-winning “30 Rock,” for which she also received Emmy, WGA, and PGA award nominations. She most recently served as a consulting producer on Amazon’s “Forever,” starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen, and is now a co-executive producer on Stargirl, an upcoming series for the DC Comics streaming service. She has developed pilots with Tina Fey, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, HBO, and F/X, and is currently creating a show with Reese Witherspoon producing, based on the Curtis Sittenfeld book “You Think It, I’ll Say It.” McGuinness graduated cum laude in English from Harvard University and lives in Los Angeles with her husband Blake, son James, and dog Elaine. Cat NevilleCatherine Neville is the producer of St. Louis’s own nationally syndicated television series “TasteMAKERS” and host of “Feast TV? on KETC. She co-created Sauce Magazine in the early 2000s and launched Feast Magazine in 2010.This event is presented by Opera Theatre of St. Louis. For more information, visit www.opera-stl.org.

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The Q Collective Announces Playwrights for Transluminate Festival

The Q Collective Announces Playwrights for Transluminate Festival

The Q Collective announces the playwrights for its first annual Transluminate Festival. We are pleased to be featuring five works by three St. Louis-based playwrights: Elon Ptah, Charlie Meyers, and John Waller in this year’s festival. The Q Collective is also excited to announce that the festival will feature visual arts on display from Feb. 4 through the end of the month with a gallery opening party on Feb. 10 from 2 to 5 p.m.

BREANNAby Charlie Meyersdirected by Sean MichaelAndy and Breanna are androids, centuries removed from the human bodies they were born in. What does it mean to be a man or woman, or even a person, in a posthuman society? How will their connection change them, and potentially change the future?

HOMEBODYwritten and directed by Elon PtahA series of brief glimpses into the life a young, black transguy, Malcolm, as he navigates body image, friendship and dating. A journey from self-loathing to self-love, expressed through the portrayal of Malcolm as 2 characters.

MISS ARKANSASwritten and directed by J.D. CharlesA transgender woman, Stella-Jane competes in a beauty pageant where one of her competitors, Harper, is not so accepting of who she is. A heated argument between the two girls escalates and Stella-Jane’s strength is tested.

NOW BOARDINGby Charlie Meyersdirected by Sean MichaelJo is stuck in an airport. The gate attendant, Roger, speaks in confounding riddles. Tina, a fellow passenger, won’t mind her own business. Jo just wants to get on the plane but has some personal baggage to work through before it can get off the ground.

TWO SUGARSby Charlie Meyersdirected by Sean MichaelTwo friends, Rose and Max, meet for coffee after long years of silence between them. Though both have changed, they feel drawn to each other over coffee and conversation.

Performances of TRANSLUMINATE are Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 23 at 4:30 pm and 8 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance through Eventbrite.com or $20 at the door. All performances are at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive, St. Louis, MO 63105.

Casts for each play will be announced in the coming weeks.

Some plays contain adult language and frank sexual situations.

Artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

Visit The Q Collective at www.TheQCollective.theater, and “like” them on Facebook. To contact the staff, email the.q.collective.stl@gmail.com.

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Take Ten with Edward Coffield

Take Ten with Edward Coffield

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Edward Coffield likes to make people laugh.
As a director, his forte has been comedy, and this past year, he has helmed “Life Sucks” and “An Act of God” at the New Jewish Theatre, where he took over the reins as Artistic Director from longtime chief Kathleen Sitzer, who retired in July after 22 years.
Kathleen programmed the 2018-2019 season, and he collaborated with her. The season opened with “Raging Skillet” on Oct. 3, then “An Act of God” Nov. 29 – Dec. 16 and continues with the upcoming “District Merchants” Jan. 24 – Feb. 10, “Time Stands Still” March 28 – April 14, and “I Now Pronounce” May 16 – June 2, a wedding comedy, which he will direct.
In assuming the Artistic Director position, Coffield said he wanted to deepen and extend the relationship he had with the company for 16 years, most recently as associate artistic director.
“New Jewish has a very steady and loyal audience who are smart and love a great story,” he said.
During his tenure at NJT, he directed “Yentl,” the original 2005 production of “Driving Miss Daisy,” “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding,” “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” and the award-winning “Jacob and Jack,” among many others. He was nominated for a Kevin Kline Award for “From Door to Door” and by the St. Louis Theater Circle for his work on the farce “Is He Dead?” for St. Louis Shakespeare.
Currently, he is working on “District Merchants,” which is being directed by Jacqueline Thompson.
This adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” takes love and litigation, deep passions and predatory lending to a new level as it explores race, religion, power and money in America.
“I am very excited to produce this play. When Kathleen Sitzer (NJT’s founding Artistic Director) was planning the 2018-19 season we had several conversations about producing ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ which we had produced previously in 2005. It is one of those plays that continues to remain relevant. The Jewish people read the Torah year after year. Not because the Torah changed but because we change. Maybe that is true with great plays, they should be revisited,” he said.
“Kathleen knew about this adaptation and we both like Aaron Posner the playwright (author of “Life Sucks”) – so it seemed like the perfect time to produce this play. Posner expertly blends humor, emotional truths and topics that make people think. He is able to create characters who are deeply flawed, like we are. In his ‘uneasy’ comedy, he wants us to look at a snapshot in time, the Reconstruction Era, but what he has written is relevant to audiences today,” he said.
What might be his calling card, the signature of a Coffield production?
“People tell me I have a knack for casting well,” he said.
Coffield recently directed the comedy “An Act of God,” which the New York Times referred to as “A gut-busting-funny riff on the never-ending folly of mankind’s attempts to fathom God’s wishes through the words of the Bible and use them to their own ends.”
In this 2015 play by David Javerbaum, God decides to introduce revised laws and doesn’t hold back.
“It’s funny, funny, funny,” he said, “plus Alan Knoll.”
Coffield and Knoll have worked on more than a dozen productions.
“We are close friends. He might be the funniest actor I know,” he said.
After three decades here, he will only take on certain projects.
“I will not direct a show that does not speak to me emotionally or intellectually,” he said.
In addition to running the J, he is on the faculty of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University, and freelances as a director. He has directed for Insight Theatre Company, St. Louis Shakespeare, Stray Dog Theatre, Ozark Actors Theatre and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and the former Orange Girls company.
He spent 28 years at The Rep as production manager.
“He understands how the theatre business works. He connects well with artists, technicians, staff and contributors,” said Steven Woolf, Artistic Director of the Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis, when Coffield was announced as NJT Artistic Director.
Working in the local theater community has its rewards, Coffield noted.
“We are a great theatre town and we continue to grow and expand. It is a very exciting time to be a theatre maker here,” he said. “I am so honored to be part of a great theatre community.”
The downside is: “There is a lot of theatre here and scheduling can be tricky,” he said.
As a new year is about to begin, he is excited about what’s ahead.
“I look forward to continue the growth and success of NJT,” Coffield said.
For more information, visit www.newjewishtheatre.org
Here are Edward’s answers to our Take Ten Questions:
Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
“From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a producer. I suppose at that point, I did not really know what that meant. I have come to learn that it means leading the collaborative process of theatre on stage and off.”
How would your friends describe you?
“Funny.”
How do you like to spend your spare time?
“Avid Foodie and Cook.”
What is your current obsession?
“Old episodes of “Perry Mason.”
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
“As gregarious as I am, I am very shy.”
Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?
“Years ago, in summer stock, I was stage managing a production of “Hello, Dolly!” One night as we are about to start the title song, I looked in to the audience and watched a 60-something man put his arm around his (I presume) wife. They snuggled together and sang along at the top of their lungs. I was so touched, I laughed and then teared up. It was a great reminder of the power and sweetness that the theatre has to make people change.
Who do you admire most?
“My late twin brother Philip. An actor and director – he taught me about theatre and most importantly, he taught me how to laugh.”
8. What is at the top of your Bucket List?
“A trip to Italy, Israel, Argentina …..it’s a long list.”
What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
“Farmer’s Markets.”
What’s next?
“Directing ‘I Now Pronounce’ for New Jewish Theatre.”
More about Edward:
Name: Edward (Eddie) Coffield
Age: 54
Birthplace: New Mexico
Current location: University City
Family: 2 cats (Barnaby and Cornelius), amazing father and siblings, and the greatest friends in the world.
Education: University of Texas at Austin
Day job: Artistic Director-Producer the New Jewish Theatre
First job: Long John Silver – “Ahoy, can I help you!”
Awards/Honors/Achievements: Multiple nominee Best Director- Circle Awards and Kline Awards
Favorite quote/words to live by: “Prance with vigor.”
A song that makes you happy: “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin.

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Go See a Play! What’s Happening Dec. 27- Jan. 2

Go See a Play! What’s Happening Dec. 27- Jan. 2

By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
As the year winds down, so do our stage offerings. But there is plenty of cheer to mark the holidays — the national tour of “Anastasia” is at the Fox while the Church Basement Ladies are rocking around the Christmas tree at The Playhouse@Westport and Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure is enthralling kids and adults at The Grandel.
The first production of the new year kicks off at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. “Alabama Story” begins previews Jan. 2. Inspired by true events and written by Kenneth Jones, the drama is about a determined librarian and a segregationist senator who face off over an innocent children’s book in 1959 Montgomery.
Make sure your new year includes plans to Go See a Play!
“Alabama Story”
Carl Palmer and Jeanne Paulsen. Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Jan. 2 – Jan. 27
www.repstl.org
314-968-4925
What It’s About: Depicting the marriage of two rabbits — who happen to have different colored fur — the story has Sen. E.W. Higgins calling for a book ban. But even as the pressure mounts, librarian Emily Wheelock Reed refuses to yield to censorship. Inspired by true events, this is a stirring testament to free expression.
Director: Paul Mason Barnes
Starring: Jeanne Paulsen (Emily Wheelock Reed), Carl Palmer (Senator E.W. Higgins), Larry Paulsen (Garth Williams, Others), Corey Allen (Joshua Moore). Anna O’Donoghue (Lily Whitfield) and Carl Howell (Thomas Franklin)

Lila Koogan as Anastasia. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.“Anastasia”
The Fabulous Fox
Dec. 26 – Jan. 6
www.metrotix.com or www.fabulousfox.com
What It’s About: Inspired by the beloved films, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical “Anastasia” is from the Tony Award-winning creators of “Ragtime,” Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics), with a book by playwright Terrence McNally.
It transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure”
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure”Metro Theatre Company
Dec. 2 – Dec. 30
The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center
www.metroplays.org
What It’s About: Part rock concert, part theater, all of your favorite characters as Metro Theater Company presents this new, wild and wondrous take on Lewis Carroll’s beloved, poetic tale of self-actualization. A cast of actors/musicians plays an eclectic mix of everything from soul and rock to punk to ska as Alice chases through Wonderland in search of her own inner musical voice. A fun, hip, and refreshing fusion of music, theatre and poetry, it is the search for one’s authentic self, asking how can you march to the beat of your own drummer when you’re still writing the song? It places Alice in a strange, new world, where she conquers her fears and uses her musical skills to defeat the Jabberwock.
 

Lila Koogan as Anastasia. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.“Anastasia”
The Fabulous Fox
Dec. 26 – Jan. 6
www.metrotix.com or www.fabulousfox.com
What It’s About: Inspired by the beloved films, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical “Anastasia” is from the Tony Award-winning creators of “Ragtime,” Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics), with a book by playwright Terrence McNally.
It transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure”
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure”Metro Theatre Company
Dec. 2 – Dec. 30
The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center
www.metroplays.org
What It’s About: Part rock concert, part theater, all of your favorite characters as Metro Theater Company presents this new, wild and wondrous take on Lewis Carroll’s beloved, poetic tale of self-actualization. A cast of actors/musicians plays an eclectic mix of everything from soul and rock to punk to ska as Alice chases through Wonderland in search of her own inner musical voice. A fun, hip, and refreshing fusion of music, theatre and poetry, it is the search for one’s authentic self, asking how can you march to the beat of your own drummer when you’re still writing the song? It places Alice in a strange, new world, where she conquers her fears and uses her musical skills to defeat the Jabberwock.
 

“Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas”The Playhouse @ Westport
Nov. 8 – Jan. 6
635 Westport Plaza in Maryland Heightswww.playhouseatwestport.com
MetroTix: www.metrotix.com or 314-534-1111
What It’s About: An all-new holiday show is set in 1959, on the day of the Sunday School Christmas Program. During holiday preparations, the down-to-earth ladies are creating their own memories from Christmases past and present. Content to do things the way they have always been done, yet pondering new ideas, the reality of everyday life hits home as they plan the Sunday School Christmas Program.
As the children rehearse in the sanctuary, several of the ladies are in the kitchen finishing up the treat bags filled with apples, peanuts and ribbon candy while the others put the final touches on the nativity pieces. As they mend old bathrobe costumes, discuss the politics of who’s going to play the various roles, little do the ladies know what surprises are in store for them.
Known for their hilarious antics and subtle charm, they are once again called upon to step in and save the day!
Directors: Lee Anne Mathews and Emily Clinger, with music direction by Joseph Dreyer
Cast: Rosemary Watts, Lee Anne Mathews,
Of Note: Performances are Sundays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, tickets will be available at the Playhouse @ Westport Plaza box office one hour prior to show time. Groups of 10 or more can call 314-616-4455 for special rates.
All five installments of the musical comedy “Church Basement Ladies” are inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the bestseller “Growing Up Lutheran.”
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure”
“Wonderland: Alice’s Rock ‘n Roll Adventure”Metro Theatre Company
Dec. 2 – Dec. 30
The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center
www.metroplays.org
What It’s About: Part rock concert, part theater, all of your favorite characters as Metro Theater Company presents this new, wild and wondrous take on Lewis Carroll’s beloved, poetic tale of self-actualization. A cast of actors/musicians plays an eclectic mix of everything from soul and rock to punk to ska as Alice chases through Wonderland in search of her own inner musical voice. A fun, hip, and refreshing fusion of music, theatre and poetry, it is the search for one’s authentic self, asking how can you march to the beat of your own drummer when you’re still writing the song? It places Alice in a strange, new world, where she conquers her fears and uses her musical skills to defeat the Jabberwock.
 

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