R-S Theatrics is thrilled to announce their return to live theatre with the St. Louis premiere of Breadcrumbs by Jennifer Haley, running October 8-24, 2021, at The .ZACK (3224 Locust St.).
In Breadcrumbs, a reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness, and essential self. Dallas Morning News calls Breadcrumbs “timely and touching,” while DC Theatre Scene says, “It is an act of boldness, to be done only by a playwright in absolute command of her gifts…”
This production will be directed by R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt. The cast includes Jodi Stockton as Alida and Julie Amuedo as Beth/Mother. The design team is Costume Designer Amanda Brasher, Lighting Designer Karen Pierce, Sound Designer Ted Drury, and Scenic & Properties Designer Sarah Lynne Holt. The team is rounded out by Stage Manager Lucy Bowe, Dramaturg Rachel Hanks, Resident Intimacy Coordinator Tress Kurzym and Resident Graphic Designer & Photographer Michael Young.
Breadcrumbs will perform Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm. General admission tickets will be $20, available through MetroTix or at the door. Audio description for the blind and partially-sighted from MindsEye will be available during the Sunday, October 10th performance. The October 15th performance will be followed by a presentation and discussion of the effects of trauma and dementia on brain development and behavior with Rachel Hanks, production dramaturg and licensed clinical social worker with a specialty in neurobiologically-informed interventions for traumatic stress and developmental trauma.
In accordance with Kranzberg Arts Foundation and R-S Theatrics guidelines, all audience members age twelve and up will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, a negative PCR test dated within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative antigen test dated within 24 hours of the performance start time. Other than actors onstage, everyone over the age of two must remain properly masked in The .ZACK at all times. This production is funded in part by the Arts and Education Council. Breadcrumbs is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
R-S Theatrics is a small professional theatre company in residence at Kranzberg Arts Foundation in St. Louis, Missouri. Our mission is to present St. Louis-area professional premieres of work that introduces new voices to important conversations in our community. Since launching in May of 2011, R-S has produced acclaimed productions of Parade, In the Heights, Every Brilliant Thing, and The Motherf**ker with the Hat, among many others.
Jennifer Haley is a playwright whose work delves into ethics in virtual reality and the impact of technology on our human relationships, identity, and desire. She won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, a Los Angeles Ovation Award and the Francesca Primus Prize for her play, The Nether, which premiered at Center Theatre Group and was subsequently produced at The Royal Court Theatre with Headlong in London. Other plays include Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, which premiered at the Actors Theatre of Louisville 2008 Humana Festival, and Froggy, in development with Center Theatre Group and American Conservatory Theater. Jennifer’s work has been developed at The Banff Centre, the Sundance Theatre Lab, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Lark Play Development Center, PlayPenn, Page 73, and the MacDowell Colony. She is a member of New Dramatists in New York City and lives in Los Angeles, where she founded the Playwrights Union.
Director Sarah Lynne Holt (she/her) has been a theatre artist in St. Louis since 2001. She holds a directing degree from Millikin University and has helmed shows at The Midnight Company, Solid Lines Productions, The Q Collective, Kirkwood Theatre Guild, That Uppity Theatre Company, PRIME, The Non-Prophet Theater Company, and The Tin Ceiling. At R-S Theatrics, she has directed boom, A Perfect Arrangement, and numerous other projects, including four years of shows in partnership with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s WiseWrite Young Playwrights’ Festival. She began working with R-S in 2014, served on the Board of Directors from 2015-2018, and has been Artistic Director since January 2020. Sarah previously held staff positions with Arcon Radio Players, The Non-Prophet Theatre Company, Last Chance Theatre, and Blue Lemon Theatre Group.Complimentary review tickets are available to media by request. To reserve tickets, request a full press packet, or get more information, contact Sarah Lynne Holt at rstheatrics@gmail.com or visit R-S’s website at r-stheatrics.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.