Sometimes, adults need a playdate too. For a merry good time, head to The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s Emerson Studio to join in the fun of watching a pair of seasoned performers – two of St. Louis’ finest – beautifully bookend each other in a dark comedy on self-discovery, “The Roommate.”
Jen Silverman’s sharp and funny character study, written in 2015, takes place in a big old house in Iowa City, Iowa. Under Rebekah Scallet’s concise and brisk direction, Kelley Weber and Nancy Bell breathe fresh life into contrasting personalities that are at crossroads.
Their odd-couple pairing is often the foundation for beloved television sitcoms, but in The Rep’s Studio space, it is an intimate journey molded by the playwright’s wit, technical brilliance, and the pitch-perfect comedic timing of the two lead actresses.
With a saucy wink and a broad smile, Scallet assuredly prepares us for the unexpected, timing out revelations for maximum effect, so that the audience is quickly invested in each unusual turn of events.
A never-better Weber plays sensible Sharon, recently divorced whose son lives away. She’s a chipper sort who has played it safe for most of her life, seemingly content with her rather traditional lifestyle. To help pay the bills and have some company, she advertises for a roommate.
Kelley Weber and Nancy Bell in “The Roommate.” Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Enter luminous Nancy Bell as Robyn, a free spirit who wants to relocate from New York City. She’s very different from Sharon – she reveals she is gay, vegan, a smoker trying to quit, and grows pot. (Marijuana remains illegal in Iowa, although medical marijuana is allowed). Mysterious, she appears to have more secrets, and some of her murky past eventually comes out.
Bell, widely respected for her talents on stage and directing productions, portrays Robyn with a marvelous ease. She understands Robyn’s desire to create a new identity after a lifetime of mistakes and regrets.
Weber, who hasn’t been as visible in recent years but recently retired as an educator, goes beyond the stereotypical Midwest homemaker to depict a range of emotions — showing loneliness, frustration, desires, and vulnerability.
Bell and Weber are old friends in real life, and project an unmistakable bond on stage. As natural as two people can be slipping into the skin of another – Bell sporting a temporary snake tattoo on her arm – they are convincing as they transform because of each other’s influence.
Most jarring is Sharon’s embrace of things dark, dangerous and criminal. Weber’s zest for walking on the wild side is not only believable but hilarious, while Robyn’s more casual personality takes a back seat when she becomes a cautionary voice of reason.
Kelley Weber is Sharon in “The Roommate.” Jon Gitchoff photo.
Those differences are what propel the action in this 90-minute show without intermission. Some twists and turns take place that are unforeseen, and while Silverman boxes in the characters toward its awkward conclusion, you never feel that the actresses are disingenuous. Their performances are complete.
While the offbeat story is the centerpiece, the creative team has enhanced the atmosphere with splendid work. Noteworthy is Jayson M. Lawshee’s warm interior lighting design and Kareem Deanes’ crisp sound design (with astute music choices for effective needle drops).
Scenic designer Robert Mark Morgan’s cozy kitchen design speaks to the room’s importance as the hub, the heartbeat of the home. With its exterior porch, sitting area and upstairs bedrooms factoring into the action, the setting is functional and the actors’ movements fluid.
The lived-in look and summer season is reflected in Lou Bird’s costume design too – mostly capris and an assortment of colorful print blouses for Sharon and ordinary jeans and T-shirts for Robyn.
A triumph all the way around, “The Roommate” emphasizes that reinvention can happen any time in life – with obvious bumps in the road. It is a bright spot on the fall theater landscape and opens the Studio series with flair.
Nancy Bell as Robyn. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
With all due respect to the renowned stars Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone currently performing in the Broadway production, our St. Louis dynamic duo gives confident, engaging, relatable performances that bristle with energy, indicative of their own star power commanding local stages. Bell and Weber for the win! (Special mention to former associate artistic director Becks Redman for her astute casting.)
“The Roommate” is also special for its significance in re-opening the studio performance space to inaugurate the Steve Woolf Studio series, named after the late artistic director who made his mark in that role for 33 years. He retired in 2019 and died at age 75 in 2021.
In the past, the Studio series presented adventurous productions on a smaller scale than the mainstage season and was known for showcasing a variety of voices. The Studio remained dark after the pandemic shutdown in 2020, although “Gruesome Playground Injuries” was presented at the Kirkwood Performing Arts’ Strauss black box theatre in 2022.
Sitting in the Loretto-Hilton Center’s Studio space Friday, being part of its return, felt like a warm group embrace. Fond memories were shared and that feeling of comfort and familiarity surfaced.
That feeling carried over in the goodwill and support for what the current Augustin Family Artistic Director Kate Bergstrom and Managing Director Danny Williams are trying to achieve since The Rep announced its struggle to remain open in fall 2023. They launched a successful “Rally for the Rep,” and the turnaround to date has been remarkable.
Live theater has taken on a feeling of coming home since its return from the global pandemic, and that reconnection is meaningful, especially that The Rep is beginning its 58th season.
Given The Rep’s challenges and its renaissance-in-progress, there is a new sense of belonging, that people are pulling together to help it succeed in its mission. “The Roommate” is one of the reasons to cheer.
Kelley Weber. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents “The Roommate” Oct. 23 – Nov. 17 in the Emerson Studio, 130 Edgar Road, St. Louis. Subscriptions and single tickets are available online at repstl.org, over the phone 314-968-4925 or in person at the Loretto-Hilton Center Box Office Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10:30-5pm. Seating for the production is General Admission with subscribers given priority seating beginning 30 minutes prior to curtain.
Rush Tickets: Available for students, seniors, educators, and theatre professionals by calling the Box Office at 314-968-4925, 1 – 2 hours prior to curtain time. For more information, please visit repstl.org.
Post Show Discussions follow Saturday, Nov. 2 and 9 at 4 pm performances.
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.
Need a vacation? Escape to Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen for an idyllic summer treat, for “As You Like It” is a robust, refreshing tonic that celebrates the restorative powers of art, love, and nature.
An absolutely perfect vehicle for the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s annual offering, this 1623 romantic comedy is fun and frisky.
It’s been 20 years since it was last performed on the mainstage, and one of the playwright’s most accessible.
Sprinkling her magic fairy dust, director Nancy Bell demonstrates why she is a master interpreter of the Bard. A creative genius, she stamps every project with esprit and has a firm grasp of iambic pentameter.
In much the same way she has engaged audiences by transforming classics into easy-to-understand mashups in past local Shakespeare in the Streets projects, she maintains a breezy and playful atmosphere.
The festival’s former playwright-in-residence, she wrote the vigorous “Remember Me” performed outdoors in Maplewood, “Blow Winds!” downtown, “Good in Everything” in Clayton, “The New World” in Benton Park West, and the St. Louis Theater Circle Award winners for Best New Play “The World Begun” in Old North St. Louis and “Old Hearts Fresh” in The Grove.
Christian Thompson, Wali Jamal.. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
To further illustrate a point about embracing change in “As You Like It,” Bell’s adaptation is a liberating antidote to a stuffy and strait-laced patriarchal Gilded Age.
A scintillating ensemble conveys a more laid-back, accepting merry band of brethren – well, emphasis on a sisterhood – once action shifts to the Forest of Arden.
The contrasts couldn’t be sharper when imperious Duke Frederick – ever-reliable Joel Moses in high-handed wickedness, banishes his sister Duchess Senior, a feisty Michelle Hand, from the royal court. Oh pshaw!
Defiantly, the Duchess flees to the Forest of Arden, where she discovers exile can be rejuvenating. It’s another memorable performance from the inspired Hand.
Also thriving in this pastoral setting is the Duchess’ daughter Rosalind, a clever girl who disguises herself as a man, Ganymede. After all, this is Shakespeare, so of course the plot includes mistaken identities.
Caroline Amos is poetry in motion as Rosalind, sprinting across the stage with boundless energy. She is matched by the delightful Jasmine Cheri Rush as her loyal cousin-best friend Celia, the Duke’s daughter. Rush has returned for a second year, after playing Olivia in last summer’s “Twelfth Night.”
Bianca Sanborn, Michelle Hand, Riley Carter Adams, Beth Bombara. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Rosalind falls in love with affable landowner Orlando, also displaced, and Christian Thompson is a charmer as her heroic object of affection, if a bit dim because he doesn’t suspect anything unusual.
In fairness, he’s pre-occupied trying to stay one step ahead of his scheming brother Oliver (Greg Cuellar), who is not very nice – as in trying to get his sibling killed.
Their lives become topsy-turvy, with thankfully Orlando having a change of heart, and the sweet Celia zeroes in on him.
Further wackiness ensues with the introduction of effervescent Ricki Franklin as bawdy Touchstone, a clownish character. Franklin’s a bright addition for the second year in a row, a scene-stealer last summer as Dame Toby Belch in “Twelfth Night,” a gender-bending turn that earned her a St. Louis Theater Circle Award,
Delivering one of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquys, “All the world’s a stage…,” the mellifluous Wali Jamal earned applause immediately after reciting the passage so eloquently. He plays Jaques, a solitary and gloomy man who leans towards the melodramatic.
The multi-generational cast includes familiar and fresh faces, notably local treasure Joneal Joplin, who was in the festival’s first Forest Park show, “Romeo and Juliet,’ in 2001. He returns for his seventh one as Adam, a devoted servant of Sir Rowland de Boys, who is Oliver and Orlando’s father.
Jasmine Cheri Rush, Caroline Amos. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Making her festival ensemble debut is winsome young teen Riley Carter Adams, a seasoned performer on local stages with television credits. She is listed as “young lady.”
Romance is on the mind of several characters. Kathryn A. Bentley is a likable shepherd Corin, a sage advisor to Silvius, who is not listening. CB Brown is endearing as the lad in need of guidance, for he’s in pursuit of Phoebe, who only has eyes for Rosalind (Ganymede).
Molly Wennstrom is spirited as the unpleasant but lovestruck shepherdess, whose course is altered by Touchstone’s interesting moves. Phoebe’s due for a rude awakening.
Two of the goofiest characters are Isaiah Henry as William, a simple, unsophisticated country boy crushing on goatherder Audrey, humorously played by Bianca Sanborn.
In a crowd-pleasing turn, St. Louis professional wrestler Lenny Mephisto, aka Maniacal Mephisto, is pitted against Orlando as Charles, a wrestler in the duke’s court.
The wrestling match is well-staged, thanks to savvy fight and intimacy choreographer Rachel Flesher, and Cuellar, who also is fight captain.
Lenny Mephisto, Christian Thompson wrestle. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Captivating music is an integral part of this vibrant tableau, with an original score performed live on stage by local musician Beth Bombara in the role of faithful friend Amiens. Joining her are Sam Golden on viola and mandolin and percussionist Jeremy Reidy.
Scenic Designer Scott C. Neale, whose work has always astonished on the outdoor stage in Shakespeare Glen, has created a striking bucolic setting that is reminiscent of an old-timey illustrated picture book. Its reveal earned a hearty round of applause.
Among his six previous designs, you may recall his stunning set for “Antony and Cleopatra” in 2015 and “Henry IV and V” the year before.
As is customary, the technical work is superb, with distinct work by lighting designer Denisse Chavez and costume designer Dottie Marshall Englis. Sam Gaitsch choreographed buoyant moves, and props manager Taylor Laine Abs kept the accessories simple.
The unpredictability of working with live farm animals is evident with a goat and a sheep from D Bar S Ranch, which amused the crowd May 31. Apparently, from new accounts, they are adjusting to life in the spotlight.
Bianca Sanborn, Ricki Franklin. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
With its exuberant and energetic cast having a swell time on stage, that translates into one of the most enjoyable Shakespeare Festival’s mainstage efforts to date.
Due to their high standards, the festival has grown into the largest free outdoor Shakespeare play between the coasts. It’s a well-deserved achievement, and this supremely entertaining effort is not to be missed.
The festival is one of the best things about living in the St. Louis metropolitan region, and we are so very fortunate to be able to smile on a summer night under the stars in Forest Park.
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents “As You Like It” from May 29 to June 23, Tuesday through Sunday, at 8 p.m., free in Forest Park (Shakespeare Glen). https://stlshakes.org/production/as-you-like-it/
Shakespeare in the Park is free to attend, no reservations or tickets required for any of the performances. But every night a small number of reserved chairs and blanket spots are available for purchase – directly supporting the Festival’s mission and year round programming. Find your favorite spot: in the blanket-only section, box seats for up to six guests or general single-chair reservations.
CB Brown, Molly Wennstrom, Caroline Amos, Jasmine Cheri Rush. Photo by Phillip Hamer.The company. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
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.
Benjamin Britten said that “Composing is like driving down a foggy road.” He could just as easily been describing the experience of attending Union Avenue Opera’s production of his “Turn of the Screw.” Many know the story from junior high school English lit or from one of the 12 – 12! – films that have adapted the Henry James ambiguous novella about ghosts (or not) and innocents (maybe).
Union Avenue Opera’s (UAO) production of “Screw” keys off of the story’s enigmatic opacity of the goings-on at Bly, a country house in Essex and augments the story’s ambiguities with an immersive cerebral-ness. The experience begins with the two-level set (designed by Laura Skroska and lighted by Patrick Huber) that is part Hill House and part Rose Red – Shirley Jackson and Stephen King, respectively. The set has the perfect amount of goth to visually augment Britten’s tautly composed opera with libretto by Myfanwy Piper and is perfectly scaled for Union Avenue Christian Church’s compact stage.
Much has been written about the duality of Britten’s use of musical characterizations for “Screw” since its debut in 1954. This duality concerns those characters who can be interpreted as moral (the Governess, Miles, Flora and Mrs. Grose) and those that could be considered of the more ghostly or spiritual persuasion (Peter Quint and Miss Jessel). The former are surrounded by uncomplicated music and the latter with music that is amorphous and other-worldly. As the opera progresses the two styles become ever more entwined and intense – and ending with a profound feeling of disquiet.
Dress rehearsal for Union Avenue Opera’s production of The Turn of the Screw on July 5, 2023
UAO’s production of “Screw” is richly nuanced, compelling and emotionally powerful, and that’s thanks mostly to the direction of Nancy Bell and the strong cast, including Meroë Khalia Adeeb as the Governess, Sophie Yilmaz as Miles, Cecilia Hickey as Flora, Christine Brewer as Mrs. Grose, James Stevens as Peter Quint and Alexandra Martinez-Turano as Miss Jessel. Adeeb, Yilmaz and Martinez-Turano are making their UAO stage debuts in this production.
As the opera begins, a “character” named Prologue, played by James Stevens (Peter Quint later on), provides the background to the plot and sets the action in motion. On stage are blindfolded characters, and Prologue (or is he Quint?) removes the blindfolds.
As the opera “unfolds” in this moment, it seems Prologue’s removal is a visual metaphor for what is about to be revealed. Yet, the opera’s climactic, mysterious final scene lends itself to multiple interpretations, not a clear revealing. This brilliant effect is thanks to Bell’s direction.
This production’s performers are well balanced and well cast, top to bottom. Stevens in his dual roles delivers a riveting performance in both as he slithers from taunt to seduction to malevolence. As the Governess, Adeeb’s performance stands out among the others.
She provides an impressive range of technical voice control and realistic acting during her transformation from the poised servant we meet at the beginning to the unraveled, emotionally undone protector in the final scene.
Christine Brewer as Mrs. Grose embodied her character fully through her effective acting and her rather authoritative singing with impressive dynamic control and proper diction. Yilmaz provides a Miles with an unsettling dissonance. Her voice offers the higher pitch of the boy she portrays – a sort of reverse castrati.
Britten’s score receives a beautifully haunting rendition by the UAO orchestra, led by conductor Scott Schoonover.
Dress rehearsal for Union Avenue Opera’s production of The Turn of the Screw on July 5, 2023
Union Avenue Opera presents “Turn of the Screw” at 8 p.m. on July 7, 8, 14 and 15 at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Boulevard. For more information, visit www.unionavenueopera.org
CB Adams is an award-winning fiction writer and photographer based in the Greater St. Louis area. A former music/arts editor and feature writer for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, his non-fiction has been published in local, regional and national publications. His literary short stories have been published in more than a dozen literary journals and his fine art photography has been exhibited in more than 40 galley shows nationwide. Adams is the recipient of the Missouri Arts Council’s highest writing awards: the Writers’ Biennial and Missouri Writing!. The Riverfront Times named him, “St. Louis’ Most Under-Appreciated Writer” in 1996.
By Lynn Venhaus Our past, present and future intersect in playwright Heidi Schreck’s deeply affecting memoir, “What the Constitution Means to Me,” to make a riveting statement on what our rights are as an American during the 236 years since the document’s adoption.
Far from a dry lecture on rules of law and bills of rights, this persuasive play is alive with hope and humor because of the passion displayed by the performers, playwright, and production team.
Directed with conviction and a contemporary focus by Nancy Bell, this Max & Louie Production wears its heart on its sleeve about liberty and justice for all, firmly establishing fervent exchanges on women’s lack of protection, and the need for a more perfect union. Could we modernize the Constitution to assuage the inherent gender and racial biases?
Schreck’s compelling 2017 play, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2019 as well as Best Play nominee at the Tony Awards, and winner of the Obie Award for off-Broadway play, hits a bullseye in so many ways.
Force-of-nature Michelle Hand, charmingly embodying Schreck as her adult self and a version of her then-15-year-old in 1989, chronicles what four generations of women in Schreck’s family endured and key impactful moments in her life. She is so relatable you identify with her plight.
The play’s structure outlines Shreck as a debater in 1989, who gave speeches on the U.S. Constitution to win money for college. The set, designed by Dunsi Dai is an American Legion hall in Wenatchee, Wash., with framed military veterans lining the walls and a World War II veteran representing the moderator and judges.
Isaiah di Lorenzo compassionately portrays the Legionnaire and then makes the story personable as a version of himself.
Michelle Hand and Isaiah di Lorenzo. Photo by Dunsi Dai
Both Bell and Hand are masterful storytellers, and their ease with the material immediately engages us.
While feminism is a major focus, so are other injustices regarding marginalized citizens – and immigration, sexual and domestic abuse — and Schreck’s points are delivered with such urgency as to galvanize the audience.
The use of historic audio recordings from several Supreme Court cases emphasizes Schreck’s points – including Justices Potter Stewart, Earl Warren, Stephen Breyer, Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Phillip Evans’ sound design is impressive, as is lighting design by Zak Metalsky.
Because this show is so skillfully staged, it sparks a fire in the audience – uplifting, and full of possibilities about how the next generation of Americans could change the contradictions and failures while holding on to our aspirations.
The final portion is somewhat improvised, where Schreck and a local high school debater discuss whether the Constitution should be abolished and replaced. The audience is the jury, and one member delivers a final verdict. The experience is an interactive one, and the audience wasn’t timid in expressing their opinions.
As the three teenage actresses alternating as a student debater for each performance, Riley Carter Adams, Aislyn Morrow, and Maahi Saini bring their energy and youthful interpretations to the live theater experience.
On opening night, April 6, Riley Carter Adams was poised and personable, able to explain her stance to the audience with persuasive skills.
The play runs 1 hour and 40 minutes without an intermission, and its timeliness is key. The entertaining presentation keeps us charmed, the facts keep us on our toes, and the intent wills us to pay attention.
Let’s face it, we’ve been through a lot the past few years, with the global pandemic and political tribalism, an attempted insurrection and threat to democracy, but the dialogue here is fiery to show us what should matter, and progress is possible.
I left fired up, linking a personal connection between women’s lives and the Constitution — as well as the right to debate and freedom of speech – and the work we must do for domestic tranquility and general welfare for all.
Max and Louie Productions presents “What the Constitution Means to Me” from April 5 to 23 at The Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis, 63103. Free secured parking Tickets are on sale at www.maxandlouie.com or by phone at Metrotix (314)534-1111.Times: Thursdays at 7:30pm (April 6, 13, 20), Fridays at 8pm (April 7, 14, 21), Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm (April 8, 15, 22) and Sundays at 3pm (April 16, 23)
Michelle Hand and Riley Carter Adams. Photo by John Lamb
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.
Playwright Heidi Schreck’s highly impactful and timely memoir, What the Constitution Means to Me, winner of Best American play, and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, opens Max & Louie Productions upcoming 2023 theatrical season, running at The Marcelle Theatre, April 6-23rd in St. Louis..
“When in the Course of human Events it becomes necessary to recover from the fatigue and grief that we have all experienced, Max & Louie Productions presents the opportunity to feel uplifted, to galvanize, and to explore just what the Constitution means to You,” said Stellie Siteman, Producing Artistic Director.
This boundary-breaking play breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans. Fifteen-year-old Heidi Schreck earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. What the Constitution Means to Me is inspired by the prompt she received on these tours: draw a personal connection between your life and the Constitution. Actor Michelle Hand brilliantly resurrects Schreck’s teenage and present self to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women in her family and the founding document that shaped their lives, digging into its beauty, aspirations, contradictions, and failures.
The cast includes Michelle Hand, Joel Moses, Riley Carter Adams, Aislyn Morrow, and Maahi Saini.
Nancy Bell Directs.
Critic’s Pick! “Brilliantly Crafted Show, Harrowing, Funny, and Humane, that accesses the political through the deeply personal. A Masterful Act of Storytelling.” – New York Magazine
What the Constitution Means to Me will run at the Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63103. Free secured parking.
The dates of the production are April 6- April 23, 2023. Tickets are now on sale at maxandlouie.com or by phone at Metrotix (314) 534-1111. Tickets are priced from $15-$50
Max & Louie Productions has received its Missouri ArtSafe certification. To ensure that we may create safely, present safely, and attend safely we pledge to Covid-19 Safety Protocols which patrons are encouraged to view at Max & Louie Productions’ website at www.maxandlouie.com
Actors/Director Bio’s and Headshots
Michelle Hand* (Heidi) is delighted to work with this creative team to finally put the skills she honed as a middle-school debater in the Bellarmine Speech League to good use. More recent stage appearances include Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Sugar in Tiny, Beautiful Things at Max & Louie Productions (St. Louis Theater Circle Award Nomination) and Mrs. Bennett in Pride and Prejudice at the Repertory Theater of St. Louis (St. Louis Theater Circle Award Nomination). She is so grateful for the many opportunities she has had in the span of her career, from co-founding the Orange Girls Theater Company, to appearing in the Off-Broadway premier of Day of the Dog, to collaborating with the great companies, the great actors, and the great theater artists of St. Louis in over 40 productions. Thank you for your continued support of this community. This one is for Basil.
*Member of Actors’ Equity
Joel Moses (Legionnaire) St. Louis credits include The Christians (West End Players), Bronte Sister House Party (SATE), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (New Jewish Theatre), The Zoo Story, and The Dumb Waiter (St. Louis Actors’ Studio). He spent several years with the Organic Theater Company in Chicago where favorite performances included Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Emilie: la Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight, The Diviners, and playing the title role in King Ubu.
Other Chicago credits include work with First Folio Theatre, Assassination Theater, 16th Street Theater, Theatre Y, and Stage 773. He received his MFA in Acting from Northern Illinois University and studied abroad at the Moscow Art Theatre. This is Joel’s first appearance for Max & Louie Productions!
Riley Carter Adams (Debater) is a 7th grader at John Burroughs School. When she was seven, Riley created her first YouTube vlog channel, Black and Girly with Miss Riley. She has performed in a plethora of youth and equity theatre productions on several stages with COCA, Gateway Center for Performing Arts, Kirkwood Youth Theatre, Ignite Theatre Company, Union Avenue Opera, The Black Rep, The Rep, and The Muny. In 2019, Riley made her television debut in a recurring role in a Showtime Original series entitled On Becoming a God in Central Florida, co-executive produced and starring Kirsten Dunst and executive produced by George Clooney.
In 2020, she starred in the local Nine PBS sensation A New Holiday, directed by Brian Owens and co-written with Sophia Stephens. Riley currently voices the character of the effortlessly brave, Nevaeh Campbell, in the animated series, Drawn In, a collaboration between nine PBS and Lion Forge animation. She was featured in The Muny’s 104th season casts of Camelot and The Color Purple and starred as Matilda in COCA’s summer mainstage production of Matilda the Musical and in the New Jewish Theatre’s World Premiere of The Bee Play, as Paris. Riley enjoys writing in her journals, drawing, reading, learning new vlogging techniques from her favorite YouTubers, and spending time with her family and friends.
Aislyn MorrowShe/They (Debater) attends Grand Center Arts Academy and will graduate in May 2023. She has appeared in Godspell, as Morgan, Milk Like Sugar as Myrna Desmond and in She Kills Monsters as Lilith Morningstar/Lilly, at Grand Center Arts Academy and most recently, OurTown at the Sun Theatre all directed by Michael Musgrave-Perkins.
She has also appeared in A Year with Frog and Toad, as Lizard, Squirrel, and Mole, with Fly North Theatricals, directed by Colin Healy, and in Ranked- A New Musical, as Jacquie, at COCA, directed by Grace Austin. When she’s not performing in theatre or musical theatre, Aislyn enjoys being the cheer captain of Titans Cheer Team at Confluence Preparatory Academy.
Maahi Saini (Debater) attends MICDS and is in 8th grade. She has appeared in two MICDS plays Happiest Day in Moneyville USA and A Collection of Aesop’s Fables. Maahi has multiple public speaking awards, most coming from a foundation called NSF (North South Foundation), where they are given a prompt one minute before they speak. “It’s called impromptu for a reason!”
She enjoys playing volleyball and squash and watching every sport possible especially ice hockey and football. Maahi enjoys spending time with friends and creating and editing video content. Maahi has always had a passion for drama and is so grateful for this opportunity!
Nancy Bell (Director) is an award-winning actor, director, and playwright with a body of working spanning thirty years. Her plays Blow Winds, Remember Me, The World Begun, Good in Everything, Old Hearts Fresh, and The New World were produced at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, where she served as Playwright-in-Residence. Elsewhere, her plays have been developed or produced in California, New York and elsewhere.
As a performer, she has worked at Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theatre Workshop, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Old Globe Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Geffen Playhouse and dozens of others nationally. Among many other TV and film credits, she appeared on Star Trek Voyager and as Susan Bates on the long-running soap Guiding Light.
As a director, she has worked at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, the New Jewish Theatre, St. Louis Actors Studio, COCA, and elsewhere. Nancy is Associate Professor of Theatre at Saint Louis University. www.NancyEllenBell.com
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.
ERA’s album will premiere at the Album Release and Listening Party at Off Broadway on June 3, 2021 at 8 p.m. Equally Represented Arts (ERA) presents “SHE” ALBUM RELEASE & LISTENING PARTY INFORMATION Thursday, June 3, 2021 Doors open at 7 p.m. Radio play begins at 8 p.m. at Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave, St. Louis, MO 63118
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at offbroadwaystl.com Off Broadway will have capacity limits and employ safety precautions as outlined on their website and social media channels.
DIGITAL ALBUM PURCHASE INFORMATION SHE will be released as an album for digital purchase via bandcamp at eratheatre.bandcamp.com. Album price will be $10.
ABOUT SHE SHE controls the radio station of the fascist regime in power. SHE’s also the star of the broadcast. Her recording studio abounds with music and oysters. But in the nearby government camps full of misfits and would-be revolutionaries, only torture and starvation is thick on the ground. Tonight, however, SHE’s realm feels different. The bombs sound closer. Time moves faster. But SHE will finish her radio show, and it will be her finest. If executing every number in the broadcast means some people need to die, so be it; it is a small sacrifice. The citizens need her and she will not let them down.
COLLABORATORS Written by Nancy Bell. Music composed by Joe Taylor. Lyrics by Nancy Bell. Director: Lucy Cashion Stage Manager: Miranda Jagels Félix Assistant Stage Manager & Intern: Spencer Lawton Production Managers: Will Bonfiglio, Lucy Cashion, & Joe Taylor Artwork: Martin Brief Marketing: Keating Pre-Mixing: Joe Taylor Mixing & Mastering: David Beeman with Nancy Bell………………SHE Will Bonfiglio……………Nils (the brother) Gabe Taylor…………….Fritz (the production manager) Alicen Moser……………GIRL (the wandering spirit of SHE as a child) Mitch Eagles…………….Michel (the loyal one) Joe Taylor……………….George (the music director) Anthony Kramer………..Max (the back-up vocalist) & P.A. Voice Additional Vocals: Taylor Tveten Piano: Audrey Morris & Joe Taylor Bass: Andy Hainz Percussion: Dustin Sholtes Saxophone & Clarinet: Matt McKeever Violin & Guitar: Kevin Buckley Trumpet: Ryan Torpea Accordion: Jessica Adkins Foley: Lucy Cashion & Joe Taylor
Recorded by Joe Taylor at Kid Scientist Studios & David Beeman at Native Sound Recording on Cherokee Street, St. Louis, USA
With public support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
About ERA Equally Represented Arts (ERA) is an experimental theatre company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Theatre is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, live art form. ERA’s mission is to use the elements unique to theatre’s identity to expand the possibilities for what that art form can be and challenge our community’s expectations for meaning in theatre, art, and the world. We root ourselves in the belief that all theatre’s components are equal and that innovation stems from experimentation. We are an ensemble company. We make our work collectively and consider all artists involved in a project equally essential to that project. We believe that actors are creative artists. Our process for each production is unique to that production. For more information, please visit eratheatre.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.
Greetings! This is a people, places and events column about local and
national showbiz items that will appear regularly. Feel free to message me with
interesting tidbits.
Today we provide some ways to fill your
quarantine days and nights, a list of resources for artists, updates on the
Theatre Proms and more.
MRS. AMERICA: St. Louis anti-feminist icon Phyllis Schlafly was an Alton, Ill. housewife when she gained national attention in conservative politics, fighting the Equal Rights Amendment and founding the Eagle Forum in 1972. She’s the subject of a nine-part miniseries, “Mrs. America,” which starts Wednesday, April 15 on Hulu. The first three episodes: “Phyllis,” “Gloria” and “Shirley” will air then, then each week through May 27, depicting the battles between Schlafly and the leaders of the women’s movement in the 1970s.
The cast includes Cate Blanchett as Schlafly, Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan, Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug and Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm.
Fun fact: I saw Schlafly debate Betty Friedan on the ERA during college. Phyllis came up to the podium, looking like Betty Crocker, and said: “How many women want to get drafted?” A guy in the audience yelled out: “How many men do?” When Betty came up, in a mumu, she clearly had the crowd on her side. Illinois State University, 1973.
*** THEATER PROMS: Springtime is awards season for the theater community, but this year, the mandatory Shelter-in-Place doesn’t allow gatherings of 10 or more. Therefore, events have been cancelled, rescheduled and rebooted
Often referred to as “Theater Prom,” the eighth annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards ceremony was to take place on March 30 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University, but the event had to be cancelled. Local theater critics still honored outstanding regional professional theater.
Instead, HEC provided a streamcast of the awards on
Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m. on their Facebook page. The event was downscaled
reading of the nominations and awards, but hey, it’s #TCA20. You can still see
it! Here is the YouTube link:
The theater critics recorded the nominations, and their voice-overs ran over photos. Then HEC announcer Rod Milam announced the winner. There were 34 categories to give awards in, which cover dramas, comedies and musicals. All in a half hour.
Many thanks to HEC Media, including Dennis Riggs, total pro announcer Rod Milam and ace producer Paul Langdon. Thanks to our theater buddy Andrea Torrence for the work on the graphics – the photos really made the virtual. event “pop.” I applaud your sharp professional skills and your devotion to local theater.
A special award was given to Ken and Nancy Kranzberg for their tremendous support and commitment to the arts. Where would St. Louis arts be without the Kranzbergs?
Congratulations to the winners AND the nominees, and
everyone who gave of their heart and soul to produce live regional professional
theater with such passion and panache in 2019.
It truly was a fantastic year, especially for drama, and
what a crowded field of talent among the 125 artists nominated and 51 shows
from 25 different companies.
It is a privilege to see such a variety of theater during
the year, and as a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle, it has been
a real joy these past eight years.
In due time, we’ll be back in darkened theaters watching
people create magic. We’ll get to hug and laugh again, and marvel at this thing
called art that connects us all.
Even virtually for one evening — that was a welcome respite
from the sad, terrifying and anxious daily news, wasn’t it, in what’s become
the norm in our current global pandemic. People really seemed to enjoy it,
lifted spirits – some casts had Zoom parties.
I look forward to seeing you all again, in the “After
Times.”
In community theater, the Arts For Life board of directors
presents two awards events each year, the Best Performance Awards honor musical
theater and youth productions, and the Theatre Mask Awards honor straight
plays.
The fifth annual Theatre Mask Awards, which honors both dramas and comedies, was to take place at a brunch on Saturday, April 4, at The Atrium Center at Christian Hospital. However, it has been rescheduled for July 18.
The 21st annual Best Performance Awards is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. at the Skip Viragh Center for the Performing Arts at Chaminade. However, the AFL board of directors will decide shortly on whether the event will be moved. Stay tuned.
For more information and to see lists of nominations, visit
www.artsforlife.org.
You can get tickets to both events for the special price of $40. Visit www.artsforlife.org for
more information and to see a complete list of nominees.
Emcees are Donna Northcott, a theater professor at Lindenwood University – St. Charles, for the TMAs, and local singer-actress Karen Fulks for the BPAs.
(Full
disclosure: I am a founding member of the St. Louis Theater Circle and I am on
the Board of Directors of Arts For Life).
***
HELP IS HERE: How can you help all the artists around the region and homebound folks around the region? During this unprecedented time of isolation, Stay-at-Home mandate, social distancing to #flattenthecurve, here are some resource links:
This fund will provide short term monetary relief to
employees and owners of independent bars, restaurants, and shops in the St.
Louis area affected by closures and other circumstances brought about by the
COVID-19 outbreak.
The fund will be used to direct resources to regional
nonprofits that are working with local communities disproportionately affected
by the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout.
Any individual artist living in the St. Louis metro area
who has had an event, gig, or paying opportunity canceled due to the COVID-19
crisis can apply for funding.
Support for Artists and Production Crews:
• I Lost My Theatre Gigs resource list and donation site:
https://ilostmytheatregigs.squarespace.com/
The National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/ Hotline:
1-800-799-7233 Text support: Text “LOVEIS” to 22522
Broadway may be dark, but today you can be a light for the
theater community.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS launched the COVID-19
Emergency Assistance Fund to help those onstage, backstage and behind the
scenes during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Through your donation to this
special fund, administered by The Actors Fund, you can ensure entertainment
professionals get the health care, emergency financial assistance and
counseling they need.
Any others I miss?
*** THEATER UPDATES: I try to keep up with the latest news on cancellations and postponements. Here’s the new one. https://www.poplifestl.com/?p=1845 ***
THE SHOW MUST GO ON: OverDue Theatre Company had to cancel “My Fair Lady” this spring but has put together a Quarantine Concert for Facebook Live on Friday, April 17, at 7 p.m. Special guests include Kaitlyn Mayse, Lauren Molina and Nikki Snelson. Featuring Kimmie Kidd, Eleanor Humphrey and Kay Love, there are 17 performers from the OverDue family who will perform too.
SOME GOOD NEWS: You know him, you love him from “The Office,” the immortal Jim Halpern of the Jim and Pam office romance. Actor John Krasinski has started his own web series, “Some Good News,” and the first episode on March 29 was such a hit, he has produced two more, all dropping on Sunday nights. It’s both inspiring and distracting.
The first one features an interview with Steve Carell, as they reminisce about “The Office.” Watch here: https://youtu.be/F5pgG1M_h_U
You can follow his page on Facebook for updates and a link
to submit good news.
*** CINEMA STL: Like everyone else, Cinema St. Louis has rescheduled some events. Here are the new dates/information: Classic French Film Festival: Working to move to late July/early August; St. Louis Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival: Moving from May 1 to hopefully this summer; QFest: Moving from mid-May to possibly July; Filmmaking camps: Camps slated for June and July will continue as scheduled for now; I Love Movies Trivia Night: Still scheduled for Friday, June 5, with backup dates of Friday, Aug. 28, or Friday, Sept. 4; St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase: This event is currently scheduled to go on as planned in July – deadline May 31; Golden Anniversaries: Films of 1970: The six-film fest is now slated for the following Saturday-Sundays: Aug. 22-23, Aug. 29-30, and Sept. 5-6 at the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Library; SLIFF: Hoping to go as scheduled in November.
*** TEAM LEGEND: About a year ago, singer-guitarist Joanna Serenko won the St. Louis Teen Talent Showcase, sponsored by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation. Now she’s a contestant on “The Voice.”
Joanna Sorenko
The poised and talented 2019 Kirkwood High School graduate had
a four-chair judges’ turn for her blind audition during Feb. 24 night’s season
premiere. She sang Amy Winehouse’s R&B rendition of The Beatles’ classic
“All My Loving,” and new judge Nick Jonas fought for her to be on his team.
Here’s her performance link:
The Battle Rounds began March 23, and Joanna was paired
with Roderick Chambers to sing Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.” Here is
the duet:
https://youtu.be/lVmvz9v5KgE
Kelly Clarkson described their duet as “effortless and
beautiful and passionate,” and coach Nick called her a “flawless singer” but
picked Rod as the winner — then John Legend stole Joanna, so she advances to
the Knockout Rounds on Team Legend. EGOT Legend said she had a lot of “style
and grace” in her voice.
Both the Battle and Knockout Rounds were taped earlier, so
they aren’t affected by the virus shutdown. However, the live shows in May
might be, which follows the Knockout Rounds. Go Joanna! (Tune in April 13).
For the first show, a viewing party took place at the Marcus
Des Peres Cinema. Due to the pandemic, that can’t happen now. If it starts up again,
I’ll let you know.
She used to sing in the choir at Kirkwood’s United
Methodist Church and moved here from Cleveland in 2010.
***
AND THAT’S A WINNER: Sports commentator and hometowner Joe Buck is reaching out to sports fans, asking them to send videos so he can provide a “play-by-play” of what they’re doing while staying at home — perhaps dribbling in place? Just be careful what you send him.
*** HARRY POTTER INTERACTION: Want to escape to fantasy worlds during this global pandemic? “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has launched a new website called Harry Potter at Home – a free magical resource to keep readers of all ages entertained while staying at home. In addition to the existing interactive features on WizardingWorld.com, the site creators have added new activity kits, “nifty magical craft videos,” quizzes, puzzles, and more. You can also listen to the first book on Audible for free or download and read it from a digital library.
*** AND HE SCORES! Congratulations to Tom Calhoun, one of the nice guys in local media and the St. Louis Blues announcer for 33 years, who was recognized with three honors by the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. He was recently inducted, presented with the President’s Choice Award and given a commemorative 1500th-game plaque at the fourth annual Illinois Enshrinement Dinner.
Tom Calhoun, Tom Morris and Laila Anderson
A veteran of KMOX, WIBV and other stations, he is currently an adjunct communications professor at Southwestern Illinois College and general manager of its campus radio station, Blue Storm. He has never missed a Blues game since 1987 — until the global pandemic sidelined the team and the NHL cancelled the season. (Just think: a year ago, on April 10, we won the first of the 16 games we needed to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs).
Cutline: Pictured, left to right, Tom Calhoun, head of the St. Louis National Hockey League Off-Ice Crew Tom Morris and St. Louis Blues inspiration and “super-fan” Laila Anderson. Photo by Bill Greenblatt
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE:The Black Rep was awarded the August Wilson American Century Cycle Award by Christopher Rawson of the Pittsburgh Gazette on its opening night of “Two Trains Running.”
In 2008, they were the third company in America to complete
the 10-play American Century cycle and are currently two-thirds of the way
through it for the second time. Each of the 10 plays are set in a different
decade of the 20th century.
The Black Rep board at ceremony – Rawson at far right. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Rawson, the newspaper’s senior
theater critic and an August Wilson House board member, made the presentation
Jan. 10. The award was established only recently, so presentations are being
made gradually to the 15 qualifying companies.
“August is still alive, first, in the people,
places and stories from what we call August Wilson’s Hill, and second, in the
theaters around the country that bring them to life. This award, presented
jointly by his hometown newspaper and his childhood home, celebrates the
conjunction of these two. It says that we are all connected in August’s work,
through our recognition of its rich humanity and spiritual passion,” he said.
Wilson’s widow, Constanza Romero Wilson, sent thanks to The Black Rep “for your ongoing support of his legacy and for continuing to tell the stories for many generations to come. You ‘belong to the band’!” The quotation comes from Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean,” where “the band” refers to those who struggled to free black Americans from slavery and Jim Crow.
Meadow Nguy
*** IN THE CREDITS: Meadow Nguy of O’Fallon, Ill., makes an appearance in the seventh episode of the new Amazon Series “Hunters” starring Al Pacino. She was seen in “Law and Order: SVU” last November, and has been on “Madam Secretary” and “The Blacklist.” She moved to New York after graduating from Indiana University with a degree in musical theater. She appeared on stages in St. Louis, including the 2012 “Spring Awakening” at Stray Dog Theatre and their world premiere of “Spellbound,” and in the metro-east during her high school years. She won the Illinois Musical Theater Award, her ticket to the Jimmy Awards in 2012.
*** BOOKSHELF: New Line Theatre Artistic Director Scott Miller is also a prolific writer. His latest, “Idiots, Heathers, and Squips,” digs into a new batch of original, interesting musicals produced the first 15 years of the millennium.
He does deep dives into these 11 that represent “the astonishing variety and fearlessness of this new Golden Age: Urinetown, Sweet Smell of Success, Jerry Springer the Opera, Passing Strange, Cry-Baby, Next to Normal, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, American Idiot, Heathers, and Be More Chill.
LISTEN IN: MK Andersen’s“The First Hundred Days.” She is inspired by the idea that if the first hundred days of a presidency are the most pivotal and important, then the first hundred days of X,Y and Z must also be important. New ones are released every Tuesday: https://yourdaybymk.com/podcast-first-hundred-days : MK, who operates a wedding planning business, is a graduate of University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in political science. For the podcast she has talked to a writer at Netflix, a former university president and others. In episode 2, a fascinating talk with former FCC Chairman Newton Minow (1961-1963) is here. Minow, 94, served under President Kennedy. He practices telecommunications law in Chicago and in 2016, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.
Fun fact: “Gilligan’s Island” creator Sherwood Schwartz named the tiny ship that took that fateful trip for Minow because he thought he had ruined television. Minow is noted for a speech in which he called American television a “vast wasteland.”
Reel Times Trio
*** REEL TIMES TRIO: Of course I’m going to plug my own, Reel Times Trio podcast, which is Carl “The Intern” Middleman, myself and a rotating guest to discuss the latest movie releases, what’s out on DVD and streaming, what’s new in Hollywood and Broadway, what’s happening locally, good TV and more.
We’re on iTunes and SoundCloud, and have a Facebook page where we post episodes each week. We also are posted here at PopLifeSTL.com During the pandemic, after a brief layoff, we have transitioned to Zoom. Find us here: https://soundcloud.com/lynn-zipfel-venhaus
Bill Hader and Henry Winkler in “Barry”
*** ICYMI: Need something to do? HBO has unlocked the vault on nine popular series that you can watch for free on HBO Now or HBO Go, or if you have cable TV, now through May 31. The shows are: Barry, Big Little Lies, The Wire, The Sopranos, Succession, Veep, Silicon Valley, Six Feet Under, True Blood and Ballers.
Need to know where you can find a movie to watch, whether
it’s streaming or not? Check out www.justwatch.com or
download the app on your phone.
Did you miss Andrea Bocelli’s free streaming concert from Milan on Easter Sunday? Here is the YouTube link to the half-hour concert, featuring the famed opera singer performing “Ave Maria,” “Santa Maria” and “Amazing Grace”: https://youtu.be/huTUOek4LgU
He told NBC News: “I believe in the strength of praying
together. I believe in the Christian Easter, a universal symbol of rebirth that
everyone – whether they are believers or not – truly needs right now. Thanks to
music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in
the world, we will hug this wounded earth’s pulsing heart…”
One of the best ads yet on staying safe for the good of a city, Here’s Doner Advertising Agency’s uplifting message to Detroit: https://youtu.be/JJzlXhXrD7I
*** MEMORY LANE: Valentine’s Day marked the 50th anniversary of bestseller “Love Story,” the young romance that had hearts aflutter back when I was in high school. This is actually my own book cover.
*** WORD: “The world needs artists more than ever to remind us what truth and beauty and kindness really are.” — Terence McNally (1938-2020), in his Lifetime Achievement Award speech at last year’s Tony’s.
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.
Several visionary local artists proved that fortune does favor
the bold through their efforts to present a gift to a theater-starved community.
This precious lifeline was “Mute: A Play for Zoom” on Sunday,
April 5. We experienced an original 5-person 30-minute play on the internet
with a hundred other people that Sunday night, boldly going where no one had
gone before.
This absurdist apocalyptic academic farce was a burst of
creativity and a jolt of connectivity like the sun coming out on a cloudy day.
A maiden voyage by playwright Nancy Bell, director Lucy Cashion
and production manager Spencer Lawton explored our strange new world of making
art during a quarantine. It starts out as a video conference call among
colleagues at a university. For these academics, there is confusion, and eventually
fire – and a hamster.
How it all came together was truly remarkable — ignited a
spark, a surge of energy that took us out of our stay-at-home melancholia and
made us appreciate authentic art and true talent.
It was like I was on a new adventure without leaving my couch.
The five-person cast included several lauded veterans and standout
newcomers as colleagues. St. Louis Theater Circle Award winners Michelle Hand
(a very nervous Maria), Michael James Reed (agitated Trent), Keating (trying to
hang on Fiona) and Sophia Brown (mysterious Lila and Man Ray) performed with their
customary immersion into character as well as Delaney Piggins, so good at New
Jewish Theatre’s “I Now Pronounce,” as confused Heather and Jakob Hulten as assistant
Dustin trying to herd the cats and keep normalcy.
They all connected in a believable way, providing distinctive
portraits in a very short amount of time as what the new normal is quickly
erodes into a disturbing situation. Reed mastered delivery of a barrage of new vocabulary
among his monologues, unleashing a torrent of new words among his distain for
the circumstances. He did it with a complete command of the twisty dialogue.
Worried about technical difficulties, it actually went off without a hitch, and ended abruptly according the script. Just be patient. Zoom is a terrific tool for bringing us all together, and the technical gurus behind this production did a fantastic job.
I have always been grateful we have the brilliance of Nancy Bell as a playwright and an actress and the visionary viewpoint of Lucy Cashion, who is never deterred by convention or obstacles, and noticed them right away as I began reviewing more regional professional theater in 2012.
And “Mute: A Play for Zoom” confirms how lucky we are to have
them producing art in St. Louis.
This is just a thrilling testament to the possibilities of how
to create art in unconventional ways under difficult circumstances.
While this view is indeed apocalyptic, the way it was executed was also life-affirming and uplifting in a bracing way – and to be able to appreciate how we can still connect through storytelling was indeed a lovely surprise gift.
Bravo to everyone involved.
Here is what the cast bios said on their event page:
CAST
Delaney Piggins [Heather] is a St. Louis
Actor/Playwright/Producer, who is excited to do her first “pants optional”
play.
Jakob Hultén [Dustin] is a SLU senior graduating with a BA in
Theatre and History.
Michelle Hand [Maria] is an STL born and bred professional actor
who, in her twenty years at work, has never quite done something like this.
Sophia Brown [Lila/Man Ray] is thrilled to be joining Mute! She
is a local theatre artist, most recently seen with the Imaginary Theatre
Company.
Keating [Fiona] is a kick-ass theatre artist who is madly in
love with STL, co-artistic director of Poor Monsters.
Michael James Reed [Trent] used to enjoy doing a play or two. He
now spends good portions of his day in a cardigan and Crocks.
They took a risk and it paid off.
Note: MUTE: A play for Zoom WATCH PARTY this Sunday, APRIL 12th
at 7PM. DETAILS TBA. https://facebook.com/events/s/mute-a-play-for-zoom-watch-par/159436718663052/?ti=icl
Join us for the watch party!!! Here’s the page where you can get
all the details coming soon.
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.
The New Jewish Theatre is pleased to announce its 2020-21 season, opening on October 15, 2020. From Neil Simon to Gloria Steinem, the upcoming season examines the idea of self and asks, “Where do I belong and to whom do, I belong?”
“I am thrilled to continue the great tradition of theatre at the J,” said Edward Coffield, Artistic Director. “I believe what we’ve selected will engage and excite the community.”
The highly acclaimed company will build on its current hit season (and 21 St. Louis Theatre Circle Award nominations) with four amazing plays and one incredible musical. The season opens with the funny and delightful Crossing Delancey. In December, the theatre presents Talley’s Folly by Missouri native and Pulitzer Prize winner, Lanford Wilson. Next, audiences will examine the work of women and the legacy of Gloria Steinem in Gloria: A Life by Emily Mann. In the spring, NJT delves into the passionate and engaging play by Anna Deavere Smith, Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities. The season concludes with Neil Simon and Marvin Hamlisch’s They’re Playing Our Song, a charming and romantic musical comedy featuring some of the greatest music written by the great Broadway legend.
“For the first time in our 24-year history, all five of our productions will be directed by women,” said Coffield. “I am pleased to welcome these engaging and creative artists to create work on our stage next season.”
Season subscriptions are $205.00 – $210. Subscription packages are available as either a classic five-show package or the very popular Flex Pass, which allocates six passes to be used at the patron’s discretion. Subscriptions go on sale starting May 13 with single tickets available in mid-August. Tickets may be purchased at the New Jewish Theatre Box Office, by phone at 314.442.3283 or online at newjewishtheatre.org
New Jewish Theatre
2020-21 New Jewish Theatre Season Information
Crossing Delanceyby Susan Sadler October 15 – November 1 Directed by Nancy Bell
Isabel is a modern young woman who lives alone and works in a book shop. When she is not pining after a handsome author, she is visiting her grandmother (Bubbe) in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. This irascible granny and her friend the matchmaker have found a “good catch” for Isabel. Her initial reluctance gives way to a blossoming romance when she finally meets Sam the pickle vendor, as the end of the play offers a new beginning.
Talley’s Follyby Lanford Wilson December 3 – 20, 2020 Directed by Sarah Whitney
Talley’s Folly deals with the courtship of the young Sally Talley and her Jewish suitor, Matt Friedman. Lanford Wilson is one of our most gifted playwrights, a dramatist who deals perceptively with definably American themes. He introduces us to two wonderful people, humanizing and warming them with the radiance of his abundant talent. It is perhaps the simplest, the most lyrical play Wilson has written – a funny, sweet, touching and marvelously written love poem for an apple and an orange.
Gloria: A Lifeby Emily Mann January 21 – February 7, 2021 Directed by Ellie Schwetye
Gloria: A Life isn’t just a straightforward bioplay about Gloria Steinem. It’s a unique, deeply moving performance created in the hopeful, conversational spirit of its extraordinary subject – an act of looking back in order to look forward. In a way, Gloria isn’t just a life: It’s an acknowledgement and celebration of many lives: dozens of brilliant, tireless women whose years and years of work hold us all up. This remarkable play shares the journey and places it squarely into our world today. A stage experience that’s one part theater, one part consciousness-raising group therapy session. This theatre event is an intimate recollection of Steinem’s journey.
Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities by Anna Deavere Smith April 8 – 25, 2021 Directed by Amelia Acosta Powell
Revolving around the Crown Heights riots that occurred after two killings in 1991, this play takes a searing look at the misunderstandings of, and sympathies between, two cultures living in the community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Fires in the Mirror is, quite simply, the most compelling and sophisticated view of urban racial and class conflict that one could hope to encounter. A solo theatre piece of epic proportion.
They’re Playing our Song by Neil Simon May 27 – June 13, 2021 Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and music by Marvin Hamlisch Directed by Grace Austin
America’s premier funny man and the Tony Award-winning composer of A Chorus Line collaborated on this hit musical. They’re Playing Our Song is a funny, romantic show about an established composer and his relationship with a zany, aspiring young female lyricist. At work and at play, this is a winning couple whose professional and personal successes and difficulties lead to one hilarious scene after another. A great score and, of course, a happy ending.
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.
By Lynn Venhaus
Managing Editor
Plays with substantial women roles were spotlighted at the seventh annual St.
Louis Theater Circle Awards March 25, with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’
musical production of “Evita” and a homegrown “A Streetcar Named Desire” from
the third annual Tennessee Williams Festival each receiving seven awards.
Both iconic female-lead shows had received the most
nominations, 11 apiece, when the Circle announced them in January. The awards
recognized outstanding work locally produced by regional professional companies
during the calendar year 2018.
Nominees Kari Ely and Michelle Hand in “Into the Breeches!”The comedy “Into the Breeches!”, the first play in Shakespeare
Festival St. Louis’ new program, “In the Works,” won four awards. The world
premiere was in January 2018, with its first St. Louis performances in
September. The comedy from Chicago playwright George Brant is about a
fictitious theater group in 1942, and with the men away at war, the director’s
wife sets out to produce an all-female version of “Henry V.” It had roles for
six women and two men. In addition to awards for ensemble, director Nancy Bell
and best production, Michelle Hand won best actress.
The Circle, which includes veteran area theater critics, annually recognizes outstanding work in comedies, dramas and musicals, and with two opera categories.
Each of the 33 categories featured five nominees, with 23 local companies cited for 54 shows, and 120 artists receiving nods, including 10 with two apiece.
This year, there were three ties: sound design in a play, costume design in a musical and musical ensemble.
Evita won seven awards from the Circle“Evita,” the vibrant Tony Award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical, earned awards for musical direction (Charlie Alterman), choreography (Gustavo Zajac and Mariana Parma), set design (Luke Canterella), lighting (John Lasiter), director (Rob Ruggiero, his third), ensemble and production of a musical.
The landmark “A Streetcar Named Desire,” written in 1947 by the great American playwright Tennessee Williams, who spent his formative years in St. Louis, earned honors for Sophia Brown as Outstanding Actress – for her heart-wrenching portrayal of the emotionally needy and mental fragile faded beauty Blanche Dubois, sound design (original music by Henry Palkes and sound by Amanda Werre), lighting design (Sean M. Savoie), set design (James Wolk), direction (Tim Ocel), ensemble and production of a drama.
The 18 other awards went to separate shows, with both The
Black Rep and The Muny winning three apiece, and The Rep adding two more for earning
the most, nine.
Jeff Cummings and Katy Keating in “Life Sucks.” Photo by ProPhotoSTLIn comedy, Katy Keating won for Supporting Actress as feisty but unrequited lovesick Sonia in New Jewish Theatre’s “Life Sucks,” a ‘sort of’ adaptation of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” by Aaron Posner. She was also part of the award-winning ensemble of “Into the Breeches!”.
Isaiah Di Lorenzo in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” Photo by Ron James.Isaiah Di Lorenzo won Supporting Actor as The Player, the leader of the Tragedians, in St. Louis Shakespeare’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” He also was in the award-winning ensemble of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
Will Bonfiglio as Mary Dale in “Red Scare on Sunset.” Photo by Justin Been. Will Bonfiglio won his second Outstanding Actor Award, as film star Mary Dale in Stray Dog Theatre’s “Red Scare on Sunset.” He was honored in 2017 for the one-man show, “Buyer & Cellar,” also at Stray Dog.
For costume designs, Lou Bird won for The Rep’s “Born Yesterday” vintage wardrobe in the play category and there was a tie in the musical category between Leon Dobkowski, who won for The Muny’s colorful “The Wiz,” and Darryl Harris for the elegant “Crowns: A Gospel Musical” at The Black Rep.
There was another tie in sound design in a play – besides “Streetcar,” Rusty Wandall won for Lucas Hnath’s contemporary “The Humans” at The Rep.
Laurie McConnell, left, as Birdie Hubbard in “The Little Foxes.” Photo by Patrick HuberIn drama, Laurie McConnell won Supporting Actress as forlorn
Birdie Hubbard in St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s production of Lillian Hellman’s “The
Little Foxes.” She won in 2017 for Supporting Actress in a Musical, for her portrayal
of Joanne in “Company” at Insight Theatre Company.
Eric Dean White as Satan and Chris Ware as Judas. Photo by Ann AuerbachEric Dean White, a previous nominee, won Supporting Actor for playing the slick, smooth, haughty and conniving Satan in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at Mustard Seed Theatre.
Ron Himes in “Fences”
Another previous nominee and winner, Ron Himes won Outstanding Actor as bitter garbage collector Troy in August Wilson’s “Fences at The Black Rep last winter. In 2014, The Black Rep won best ensemble and production for “The Whipping Man.”
The Black Rep’s “Torn Asunder” best new playThe Black Rep also won Best New Play for Nikkole Salter’s “Torn
Asunder,” which dramatized true stories of newly emancipated African Americans
trying to overcome the vestiges of slavery so they could reconnect with their
families.
Joy Boland won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of the imposing villainess sea witch in Variety Theater’s “Disney’s The Little Mermaid.”
Beth Leavel as Mama Rose in “Gypsy.” Photo by Philip Hamer.For their powerhouse musical performances, Corbin Bleu won Outstanding Actor as the fleet-footed matinee idol Don Lockwood in “Singin’ in the Rain” and Beth Leavel was honored as the controlling stage parent Mama Rose in “Gypsy,” both at The Muny.
Corbin Bleu in “Singin’ in the Rain” at The Muny. Photo by Phil Hamer.Leavel had been nominated three times before (“Hello Dolly!” “Oklahoma!” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” all at the Muny. She is currently performing on Broadway in a St. Louis-produced original musical, “The Prom.”
Stephanie Merritt and Kent Coffel in “The Light in the Piazza” Kent Coffel won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance as well-meaning haberdasher Signor Naccarelli, Fabrizio’s father, in “The Light in the Piazza,” presented by R-S Theatrics in its St. Louis regional premiere.
Anything Goes at New Line Theatre. Photo by Jill Ritter LindbergTying with “Evita” for musical ensemble was New Line Theatre’s vivacious “Anything Goes.”
It was a three-peat for Ruggiero, who won for directing “Evita,” and had previously been honored for The Rep’s productions of “Follies” and “Sunday in the Park with George.”
“Regina” at OTSL was Outstanding Opera ProductionIn the opera categories, Opera Theatre of St. Louis was honored
for both Outstanding Achievement in Opera, which was given to director Patricia
Racette for “La Traviata,” and the Mark Blitzstein adaptation of “The Little Foxes”
— “Regina,” as Outstanding Production of an Opera.
Three special awards were bestowed: To the
Muny for a century of performances celebrated during its centennial season of
2018; to Kathleen Sitzer, founder and long-time artistic director of the New
Jewish Theatre, for lifetime achievement; and to Steven Woolf, Augustin
artistic director of The Rep for more than 30 years, also for lifetime
achievement.
Sitzer retired after New Jewish Theatre’s 2017-18 season, while Woolf will retire after The Rep’s 2018-19 season this spring. Organized in 2012, the St. Louis Theater Circle includes founding members Steve Allen of stagedoorstl.com, Mark Bretz of the Ladue News, Robert A. Cohn of the St. Louis Jewish Light, Chris Gibson of Broadway World, Gerry Kowarsky of HEC-TV’s “Two on the Aisle,” Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX, Judith Newmark, now of judyacttwo.com, Ann Pollack of stlouiseats.typepad.com, Lynn Venhaus, now of St. Louis Limelight magazine, Bob Wilcox of HEC-TV’s Two on the Aisle, and Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tina Farmer of KDHX and Michelle Kenyon of snoopstheatrethoughts.com. Eleanor Mullin is the administrator.
Those who helped produce the show at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University included Andrea Torrence and Peggy Holly, who put together the slide show; awards assistance Hannah Daines, stage manager Alycia Martin and assistant stage manager Delaney Dunster, voice-over announcer Colin Nichols and box office assistants Kimberly Sansone and Harry Ginsburg.
Renowned local musician Joe Dreyer was the accompanist and Deborah Sharn performed an opening number.
Special thanks to Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts, Price Waterhouse Cooper LLC, who tabulate the Circle ballots, and to the awards certificate calligrapher Susan Zenner.
Contact the Circle by email: stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net and like us on Facebook.
Evita at The RepInto the Breeches! at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
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.
