SATE opens its Season of Motherhood with World Premiere of ‘Confetti Kids’  

SATE opens its Season of Motherhood with World Premiere of ‘Confetti Kids’  

Maya doesn’t have a ride to prom. Her friends have ditched her, and her mom, Dr. Rachel Graves, is too busy fighting for a community that’s been poisoned by WWII-era radioactive waste. Like most fights, the front line has formed at a St. Louis County PTA meeting.

Confetti Kids by Aurora Behlke is a world premiere, with performances Aug. 20–Sept. 5, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 PM, at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive (63105). Tickets are $20 for artists, seniors, and students; $25.00 for general admission; and are available through Eventbrite. 

Confetti Kids follows Rachel Graves, a nuclear scientist and single mother whose carefully controlled world begins to unravel as her community confronts the legacy of decades-old radioactive contamination near her daughter’s high school. As Rachel is drawn into the fight for environmental justice, she must navigate the tension between scientific objectivity and the deeply personal stakes of protecting her family.

All while life continues to revolve around the very real, very urgent matters of teenage friendships, prom preparations, and growing up. Blending humor and hope, Confetti Kids explores motherhood, friendship, inherited consequences, and the choices we make when the past presents constant obstacles. 

For generations, Coldwater Creek has been woven into the fabric of North St. Louis County. A place where families walked, children played, and neighborhoods grew. What many residents didn’t know was that the creek also carried the legacy of radioactive waste generated during uranium processing for the Manhattan Project.

As contamination spread through flooding, Coldwater Creek became the center of decades of community advocacy, scientific investigation, and ongoing environmental cleanup. Its story raises urgent questions about environmental justice, public trust, and what we owe communities living with the consequences of decisions made long ago.

The performing ensemble includes: Nicole Angeli, Adam Flores, Hailey Medrano, and Tia Williams.

Kristen Strom will direct the production. Jim Bernatowicz is the stage manager. Lighting design by Theresa Comstock, costume design by Kayla Lindsay, set design by Erik Kuhn, with sound design by Ellie Schwetye. Props by CeCe Entz, Video/Projection design by Eric Satterfield. Dramaturg was Keir Aitken. Mason Hunt serves as master electrician, and graphic design by Dottie Quick. Ellie Schwetye, Rachel Tibbetts, and Summer Baer are co-producers. 

Confetti Kids was developed through the 2024 Confluence Writers Project, the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s fellowship supporting emerging playwrights from Missouri and Illinois. Written by Aurora Behlke for the festival, the play continues the Confluence Writers Project’s mission of nurturing new voices and bringing original Midwestern stories to the stage.

This production also marks SATE’s second full production of a Confluence developed play, following its acclaimed world premiere of Courtney Bailey’s Brontë Sister House Party, another commission that went on to earn multiple St. Louis Theater Circle Awards. SATE is proud to continue to foster new and impactful work by local playwrights. 

Funding for Confetti Kids made possible by Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission.

COCA’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Presented with Comedic and Theatrical Flair

COCA’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Presented with Comedic and Theatrical Flair

By Lynn Venhaus

For COCA’s magical production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” I had the pleasure of being surrounded by beloved family for a special afternoon of live musical theater.

This was not an assignment for regional professional theater reviewing, but rather supporting the arts and being with people I love. It was a charming and delightful show Sunday, the last of six performances this July – and the audience was clearly appreciative of this momentous labor of love. It was just fun to be a part of, and watch families enjoy the experience.

As a fan of the show, seen multiple times, it was heart-warming to see how transfixed my guests Josie, 9, and Meadow, 3, were by the fairy tale’s whimsy and wonder, and so were us moms and company. I spied many little girls in mermaid outfits in the beautiful Catherine B. Berges Theatre in University City.

So many fine elements were impressive – the vibrant characters in the underwater kingdom, the dazzling seascape, the glistening costumes, and the lush orchestrations. Shout-outs to scenic designer Seth Howard, technical director Cameron Tesson, costume manager Cody Floyd, Jayson Lawshee-Gress’ lighting designs and Luke Bowers’ sound designs.

Kaelyn McCurtis as Ariel

With that many costumes, special mention to assistant costume designer and draper Meredith LaBounty and costume shop manager Ari Stern. And to the volunteer make-up artist Michael Coleman.

It’s the first COCA musical directed by Will Bonfiglio as the Artistic Director of Theatre, and he surrounded himself with a strong creative team. Peerless Larry D. Pry as the music director and vivacious choreography by alum Alisa Cooper.

The production benefitted from student assistant director Aspen Meyer and JiaLi Deck as alumni assistant choreographer. And no production can do without a stellar production manager (Carolyn Carter), with assistants Lexi Sims and Gray Campbell, and youth manager Cassie Gant, who also served as an effective prop designer.

Always a fan of Bonfiglo’s innovative eye, he has an imaginative, clear image of an overall picture and how to achieve maximum heart-tugging. To date, Bonfiglio is the only three-time St. Louis Theater Circle Award winner as lead actor in a comedy.

Dr. Philip A. Woodmore as King Triton.

Bonfiglio incorporated so many enchanting aspects – including aerial wizardry! (Kudos to flying effects by On the Fly Productions and fly operators Mason Hunt, Connor Kielty, Isaac Bunting and Elliot Wright).

He set the shimmering tone in the opening “The World Above,” and the cast quickly endeared themselves. Kaelyn McCurtis was a spunky, engaging Ariel with a gorgeous voice, and Xander Ungerboeck was a likable Prince Eric.

Nayomi Shackelford was quite the villainess as Ursula – and special shout-out to Ursula’s shell designer Bess Moynihan. Flotsam and Jetsam looked great – Rian Page and Karajana Caplinger were quite nimble, too.

Grimsby is always an unsung hero, so bravo to Grayson Ritson for an impeccable job keeping the show moving fluidly. Ariel’s six sisters had fun with their roles – Nora Griswold, Clara Garcia, Cora Donaldson, Haylin Travis, Peyton Webster, and Molly Fitzpatrick.

Ariel’s sisters Nora Griswold, Clara Garcia, Cora Donaldson, Haylin Travis, Peyton Webster, and Molly Fitzpatrick with Flounder Nora Turner.

With adorable cheerfulness, the 16-person featured ensemble and the 13-person guppy and gull ensemble added to the show’s big, bright numbers. The cast included student performers, alumni, and adult professionals – including COCA’s Dr. Philip A. Woodmore, Artistic Director of Voice, as King Triton.

They sung their hearts out of composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater’s game-changing score from the 1989 animated film: especially “Part of Your World” and “Kiss the Girl.” Always a showstopper, “Under the Sea” was a fun spectacle – complete with jellyfish, swimming turtles and other marine life.

The three comical characters — Nora Turner as confidante fish Flounder, Brynn Meyer silly seagull Scuttle and Safiya Austin-El as skittish sidekick Sebastian the crab – were standouts, as was Byron Jenkins as the fussy French Chef Louis in his signature number “Les Poissons.”

Nayomi Shackelford as Ursula with Kaelyn McCurtis.

Pry led an accomplished pit orchestra of 12 – Jonah Larsen, Joe Winters, Anne Stevenson, John Gerdes, Timothy R. Clark, Kris Pineda, Jeffrey Brayden Bollwinkel, Becca Bessette, Stephanie Brueggeman, Brandon Thompson, Alex Macke and Mo Carr.

(Fun fact: The movie is regarded as the property that resuscitated Disney’s reputation and ushered in the studio’s creative renaissance in the 1990s.)

The stage musical arrived in 2007, and there was a live-action remake in 2023.

With strong performances and portraying a vivid underwater fantasy world, COCA offered family-friendly escapism and provided an emotional connection with comedic and theatrical flair.

Safiya Austin-El as Sebastian led the showstopper “Under the Sea.”

COCA presented their summer musical, “The Little Mermaid,” on July 17-19 and July 24-26.

Midnight Company Announces Cast of ‘The Years’ Running July 13-20

Midnight Company Announces Cast of ‘The Years’ Running July 13-20

The Midnight Company will present Cindy Lou Johnson’s THE YEARS, running July 13-29 at The Chapel.  Performances will be Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with Sunday matinees July 16 and 23. 

Tickets, $20 for Thursdays and $25 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, will be on sale at MetroTix.com on Monday, June 12. The show will be directed by Midnight’s Artistic Director, Joe Hanrahan.

The play opens on a tumultuous day for two sets of cousins:  Andrea and Eloise, and Isabelle and Andrew.  It is Andrea’s wedding day, and she and her sister Eloise, are dealing with the recent death of their father, which was soon followed by their mother’s suicide.  On the day of her wedding, Andrea has gone into work to help someone, and returning home is mugged. Meanwhile Eloise has just learned of her husband’s betrayal and the end of their marriage.   They make it through that turbulent day.  And as the story continues, thirteen years pass, and all of the cousins are forced to deal with the vagaries of life and death that the years deliver.

Joe Hanrahan directed this script some years ago for The Orthwein Theatre Company, and Gerry Kowarsky, writing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, called that production of THE YEARS “…an exceptional work.  Many plays deal with the pain of family relationships, but few have as much insight, pathos and humor as THE YEARS.”  And Phyllis Thorpe, for Intermission, a theatre publication at the time, called it “…a beautiful play.  Those who saw it will cherish it for a long, long time.”  In its premiere New York production, Broadway World cited an “…amazing script,” that resulted in “…a poignant play.”

Hanrahan said, “THE YEARS is a delicate, haunting, unusual play.  It deals with situations everyone faces in life, and so we’re able to quickly connect and feel  deeply for these characters.  I’m so looking forward to working with it once more.  And so lucky to have such a great cast to tell this story.”

The Midnight production features Summer Baer and Alicen Moser as sisters Eloise and Andrea.  For Midnight, Summer was seen in last year’s RODNEY’S WIFE.  And recently she’s appeared in PROOF for Moonstone,  THE BIRTHDAY PARTY for Albion, and currently GLORIA: A LIFE at New Jewish Theatre.  Alicen, Artistic Director for Poor Monsters, just directed THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY for Midnight, and previously appeared in the Company’s Beatle play at the St. Louis Fringe Festival, THE EVEREST GAME.  She’s currently appearing in ERA’s THE BRECHTFAST CLUB.  

Ashley Bauman and Joey File will play their cousins, Isabelle and Andrew.  Ashley has appeared in AS YOU LIKE IT for SIUE, A LATE SUMMER NIGHT’S STROLL for St. Louis Shakespeare Festival and DR. FAUSTUS: THE MODERN PROMETHEUS for SATE.  Joey was also in the cast of AS YOU LIKE IT, and has also been seen in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and RENT at SIUE.

Michael Pierce will portray Jeffrey, husband to Eloise.  Michael, who will also serve as Fight Director for the play, has been seen in the Aphra Behn Festival for SATE, and LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR for New Jewish.  He also served as Fight Director for St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s TWELFTH NIGHT and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS for The Rep.  And Joseph Garner will portray Bartholomew, a stranger who becomes involved in the cousins’ lives.  Garner appeared in Midnight’s ANOMALOUS EXPERIENCE, was seen in THE CHRISTIANS at West End and currently in CLASH OF THE TITANS for Cherokee Street Theater.

Hanrahan recently appeared in Midnight’s THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY.  He wrote and directed the Linda Ronstadt show, JUST ONE LOOK, currently playing in extended performances at The Blue Strawberry, and is writing and directing the upcoming Judy Garland show, YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU, coming in late July there.  Hanrahan was nominated by The St. Louis Theatre Circle as Outstanding Director for last year’s RODNEY’S WIFE from Midnight.

Mason Hunt will be Stage Manager for the show,  Brad Slavik is designing the set, Tony Anselmo the lights, and Elizabeth Henning costumes.  Miriam Whatley will handle props.

Photos Todd Davis.  Alicen Moser (black eye/wedding dress)  Summer Baer (wedding veil/smile)

The Midnight Company’s 2023 season continues with:
Extended Performances of the JUST ONE LOOK July 19, August 16 & 30 at Blue Strawberry
YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU July 26, August 2 & 9 at Blue Strawberry
HUMANS OF ST. LOUIS at The St. Louis Fringe Festival  August 15-21
and
THE LION IN WINTER at the .ZACK  October 5-21

Kelly Howe in “Just One Look”

more at MidnightCompany.com