St. Louis Actors’ Studio (STLAS) is pleased to present the 11th Annual LaBute New Theater Festival celebrating new works by emerging professional playwrights July 11-27 at The Gaslight Theater. STLAS received hundreds of submissions worldwide and selected five one-act pieces to be produced on the stage at The Gaslight Theater, along with another new piece by esteemed film director, screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute, the festival’s namesake who also serves on its creative team. This year’s productions include the following works/playwrights:
- Teotwawki by Aleks Merilo (two-time finalist) of Tacoma, Wash.
- Poor Me by Tracy Carns of New York, N.Y.
- A Modest Proposal by David MacGregor of Howell, Mich.
- Carpool by Dave Carley of Ontario, Canada
- Hungry Women by Melisa Maney of Hillsborough, N.J.
- Scenes from a Bookstore by Neil LaBute
Tickets are now available for the LaBute New Theater Festival via Ticketmaster or at the theater box office one hour before show time. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 3 p.m. General admission tickets are $65 each plus fees, $60 each plus fees for students with valid ID and seniors 65+. For more information, visit stlas.org or email help@stlas.org.

About St. Louis Actors’ Studio
St. Louis Actors’ Studio was founded to bring a fresh vision to theatre in St. Louis. Housed in The Gaslight Theater in historic Gaslight Square, STLAS is committed to bringing engaging theatrical experiences to our community of actors, writers, producers, filmmakers and all patrons of the arts; and to provide a strong ensemble environment to foster learning and artistic expression. St. Louis Actors’ Studio, through the use of ensemble work, will explore the endless facets and various themes of the human condition by producing existing and original collaborative theatre. For more information, visit stlas.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.