At only 16, Nadja Kapetanovich is beginning to make a splash on local stages. She is appearing as Ellie in “The Whale,” a role she says is her favorite to date: “It has been a true gift.”
A junior in high school who lives in Alton, Ill., she has appeared in community theater, youth productions and recently, in regional professional theater. She was Tony Manero’s little sister Linda in Stray Dog Theatre’s “Saturday NIght Fever” last fall and a dancer in St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s “Winds of Change,” an original production presented in the Bevo Mill neighborhood as part of the Shakespeare in the Streets event in 2022.
She played another daughter in “From the Garden,” an original play by Don Cameron Miller, that was produced by Wee Laddie Theatrics. She will be part of a reading this summer for another original play, “13 Hours of Sun,” by Elizabeth Breed Penny.
And then trying to figure out school, future, and what’s ahead.
Here’s a glimpse into the young actress currently in “The Whale” at St. Louis Actors’ Studio Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. April 5 through April 21 at The Gaslight Theatre, 358 N. Boyle. For more information: stlas.org.
Take Ten Q & A with Nadja Kapetanovich
Nadja Kapetanovich and William Roth in “The Whale.” Photo by Patrick Huber.
1. What is special about your current project?
“The Whale” has been a true gift. Getting to play a character who is so misunderstood and broken has been a big challenge, but doing it alongside this cast of actors is everything I could have ever wished for. Being directed by Annamaria Pileggi has taught me so much, and I will always thank her for showing me what it feels like to really understand a character and allow myself to truly feel every emotion that comes in a natural way.
2 Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
“My favorite memories from when I was a little kid were going to see musicals and plays in St Louis with my family. My childhood dream was to be an actor, and my parents were extremely supportive and helped me to find my first few auditions. I have always loved dissecting people’s personalities and finding out who they really are, which is why I found the process of developing your own version of a show with your cast and crew members to be extremely exciting and rewarding.”
3. How would your friends describe you?
“I did not know how my friends would describe me, so I asked them! Here were some of the things they said: “outgoing,” “super-funny and spontaneous,” “constantly bursting into song, would burst into dance but space often doesn’t allow,” “hard-working and persevering,” “passionate about her dreams,” “kind-hearted, honest, and true to her word,” and “quick-witted.” I have the best friends ever.”
4. How do you like to spend your free time?
“Recently, I have been spending my free time going on walks with my friends, trying to teach myself guitar, playing piano, painting and drawing, and reading.”
5. What is your current obsession?
“My current obsession is going on walks after school and on the weekends. I love walking around my neighborhood while listening to my favorite music. I am also currently very obsessed with vegetarian chicken sandwiches.”
6. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
“Many people are very surprised to find out that I speak Bosnian. I do not tell my new friends this, and just let them find out by hearing me speak to my dad in Bosnian for the first time. I really appreciate the shock value.”
:The Gingerbread Lady” at KTK Productions. Nadja was nominated for an Arts For Life Theater Mask Award in 2023.
7. Can you share one of your most defining moments?
“One of my most defining moments was when I was 3 years old and I saw my first musical. I think it might have either been “Annie” or “Cinderella.” At this moment, I absolutely fell in love with live theatre. On the way home from the show, I turned to my mom and said “Mommy? On Monday I need you to find out how I can become an actress.” The rest is history!
8. Who do you admire the most?
“The person I admire most in my life is my grandma. She is the most caring and helpful person I have ever met, and she is full of a huge amount of love and life. She has taught me so so much, and has been there for me whenever I needed help with anything. She is truly inspiring, and I hope that I will be like her in my future.”
9. What is at the top of your bucket list?
“Currently, moving to a big city is at the top of my bucket list. Chicago, New York, or St. Louis are all places I would really love to live. Also, I would love to be in a film in the near future.”
10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?
“The COVID-19 pandemic was extremely hard for my family and I. A few months after quarantine started, my grandpa was infected with COVID. He ended up passing away from the virus, and we were not able to say goodbye to him because of social distancing. I learned that I get my energy from being around other people, so having to be apart from all of my friends and loved ones during that time was extremely difficult. Also, not getting to perform for a year was very sad. I was supposed to make my professional debut in “Looking For Normal” at Max and Louie Productions, but the show was cancelled due to the pandemic. Moving forward from COVID in the arts was extremely exciting, and it feels great to be able to come back and make my professional play debut four years later.”
11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis – or your hometown?
“As someone who lives about 45 minutes away from St. Louis, I come often, but usually visit the same places over and over. I love the Zoo and the Art Museum. I also really enjoy walking in Central West End before rehearsals with my dad. In my hometown, Alton, I really love walking down by the river and on the docks with my friends.”
12. What’s next?
“I’m currently auditioning for some summer shows, and I will be doing a reading of a play by Elizabeth Breed Penny called “13 Hours of Sun” this summer. Apart from theatre, I am very focused on school right now. I’m going to be a senior next year, which means I have to start applying to colleges and decide what I am going to do with my future.”
Nadja in “Winds of Change,” an original production presented in the Bevo Mill neighborhood as part of the Shakespeare in the Streets event in 2022.
More Information on Nadja Kapetanovich
Age: 16 years old Birthplace: Alton, Ill. Current Location: Alton, Ill. Family: Jennifer and Mirsad Kapetanovich are my incredible parents.I do not have any siblings, but spend a lot of time with my grandparents. Education: Currently a high school junior. Day job: High School First Job: Selling vegetables at a farmers’ market First play you were involved in: “Shrek the Musical” when I was 8 years old. Favorite Jobs/Roles/Plays or work in your medium: My favorite role I have played is Ellie in “The Whale,” but Jeannine Pratt in “Ordinary People,” Esther Smith in “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and Polly Meara in “The Gingerbread Lady” are also high on my list. Dream job/opportunity: Professional actor/clinical psychologist Awards/Honors/Achievements: I was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for my role in The Gingerbread Lady” a few years ago! I also won Best Supporting Performer in a Play for the 2023 St. Louis Broadway World Awards. Favorite quote/words to live by: “There are places you haven’t been where you already belong” A song that makes you happy: “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
“Freaky Friday” at Christ Memorial Productions in 2023..
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.
Anyone who has experienced grief knows that moving forward, life is measured by “Before” and “After.”
“The Whale” delves into the mental and physical health problems of a morbidly obese recluse, showing us the “After” and explaining the “Before” in an emotionally honest drama by Samuel D. Hunter.
In yet another well-cast, impeccably directed production, St. Louis Actors’ Studio imbues this gut-punch of a script with empathy and authenticity.
In his play, Hunter forces us to see the complexities in human nature, so impressions aren’t so easily defined, and judgment can wait. He has crafted flawed characters who have dealt with adversity and challenges in very different ways. Yet, they are stuck in time.
First presented in 2012, Hunter later wrote a bleak screenplay adaptation for the 2022 film that won two Oscars – one for Brendan Fraser’s performance and the other for makeup.
The film, while much dimmer inside the claustrophobic apartment, is very similar to the stage play, yet the characters are more severely portrayed, and redemption doesn’t seem plausible.
Set in a small town in northern Idaho, over the course of a week, four people interact with a nearly immobile Charlie (William Roth) in his dingy living room – nurse and friend Liz (Colleen Backer), estranged daughter Ellie (Nadja Kapetanovich), ex-wife Mary (Lizi Watt), and Mormon missionary Elder Thomas (Thomas Patrick Riley).
All affected by loss and loneliness, they are each wrapped in their own cocoons, and grace has eluded them. Director Annamaria Pileggi has drawn out nuances among this exemplary cast as they reveal truths about themselves. You feel their misery, but you also see signs of hope.
In a brave, towering performance, William Roth has never been better as Charlie, a sensitive soul whose heartache and regrets have led to self-destructive behavior. A writing instructor who now conducts classes online, he has ballooned to 600 lbs., suffers from congestive heart failure and is on a trajectory to imminent death.
Roth has delivered virtuoso performances before, notably as George in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and as Charlie Aikin in “August: Osage County,” both at St. Louis Actors’ Studio, which he founded and is the artistic director.
William Roth as Charlie. Photo by Patrick Huber
But this realization is both heartfelt and haunting. Hunter enlists many ways to display Charlie’s self-loathing, visually masking his pain with an eating disorder, and describing memories from what had been an ordinary life. Roth disappears into the role, wistfully recounting happier times at the seashore with his wife and child, and then later being with his lover and former student Alan. Will he ever forgive himself for what he perceives are his failings?
Using a colloquial term, Charlie has “let himself go.” Eating his feelings since Alan’s death eight years ago, he has guilt in his psyche – but passion in his heart for literature. You feel his remorse – and his enormous capacity for love.
Through grading papers, talking to his class via computer, and reading aloud their essays, Charlie displays a fine mind, a keen grasp of literature, what authors meant, and encourages self-expression.
Conveying that love for the written word that once gave him great joy makes it much sadder that, sidelined by grief, he’s not the teacher he once was, and not entirely comfortable connecting with his students (yet, astute in his comments). The isolation, as reflected in that tiny room, is crushing.
He also has vast unconditional love for his daughter Ellie, a sullen teenager who feels abandoned and lashes out cruelly. After years of no contact, he has attempted to reconnect with her, and she is seemingly unreachable – tough, rebellious, impulsive.
Her mother, angry and filled with rage too, has kept her from establishing a relationship with her father. At 17, she hates everything and everybody, and is flunking out of school. She is repulsed by his appearance, but visits anyway — after all, he is writing her English papers, and there is a pledge of money.
Displaying hostility, confusion, forlornness, and defiance, Nadja Kapetanovich is a knockout in a finely textured performance as Ellie. It’s a sensational breakthrough performance in regional theatre.
Kapetanovich, Riley, Watt, Backer, Roth. Photo by Patrick Huber.
Thomas Patrick Riley also has a breakout opportunity as Elder Thomas, and he’s splendid. He has the most complicated backstory of them all, and represents the evangelical religion that Hunter focuses on as a root to issues expressed here, particularly religious homophobia, and pointedly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
More dots in the plot are connected through Liz, the tough-love nurse played with heartbreaking compassion by Colleen Backer, whose ability to shift moods between comic and dramatic is one of her finest features.
Liz is Alan’s sister, so there is that. And she’s trying to keep Charlie healthy and alive, but also enabling him with high-fat, high-sodium foods (fried chicken, sub sandwiches, pizza, doughnuts and soda). She offers comfort while admonishing him with lectures. It’s an endearing performance by the always entertaining Backer.
In a brief but pivotal role, Lizi Watt blows in as the blustery ex-wife Mary, whose resentment is at a full rolling boil. She’s full of outrage, and vents to Charlie on how exasperated she is about their daughter. While she’s snarling, she’s also drinking copious amounts of vodka. It’s apparent that Ellie is a mirror image of her mother.
What is interesting about these hardened characters is you see them mentally and physically soften when confronted with Charlie’s predicament – if only fleeting. There is also more humor in the play than I recall from the film, which are moments of relief from the grim subject matter and the blame game volleys.
Wearing an impressively designed body suit by Angela B. Calin and engineered and constructed by Laurie Donati of the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, Calif., Roth’s physicality is key to the character, portraying the very real struggles of someone so overweight as to be in pain from the slightest exertion.
Costume Designer Teresa Doggett also worked skillfully on Roth’s prosthetics to ready him for this appearance on stage, and her casual outfit choices for the five actors were on point.
Patrick Huber’s scenic and lighting design reflects the slovenly quarters but also Charlie’s thirst for knowledge, with crammed bookshelves and papers everywhere. Props designer Emma Glose did a fine job littering the apartment with discarded food boxes, beverage containers and academia.
Caleb D. Long supervised the crafts parts as technical director. Another standout is the sound design by Kristi Gunther, also production manager, which incorporated hearing seaside noises like seagulls and the waves on the beach to evoke pleasant memories.
Others responsible for shaping this tight production: Bryn McLaughlin was the assistant director, and stage manager Amy J. Paige, with Glose her assistant.
This show’s cast was able to let us into their world, tinged with melancholy, and indicate the possibility of mercy, which is a final grace note.
And we can debate the ending for a long time, but I choose triumph, even if it is just in the teeniest glimmers of change that may be ahead for all.
St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents “The Whale” Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. April 5 through April 21 at The Gaslight Theatre, 358 N. Boyle. For more information: 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.
By Lynn Venhaus Embarking on his most challenging role to date in an acting career spanning 35 years, William Roth has transformed himself into Charlie, the 600-lb. writing instructor recluse that is the center of Samuel D. Hunter’s play “The Whale.”
St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents “The Whale” April 5 – 21, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. at The Gaslight Theater, 358 N. Boyle. For more information: stlas.org.
Wearing a body suit by Angela B. Calin, and engineered and constructed by Laurie Donati of the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, Calif., with prosthetics by costume designer Teresa Doggett, Roth must physically move like someone so morbidly obese as to have issues with the slightest exertion.
Director Annamaria Pileggi made sure his physical gestures matched, and he had watched some episodes of TLC’s “My 600-lb. Life” and other documentaries for research as well.
The play is part of the St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s 16th season, “A Way Forward,” and has provided a strong ensemble environment for its 5-person cast, including Colleen Backer, Nadja Kapetanovich, Thomas Patrick Riley and Lizi Watt. Backer is a regular on The Gaslight Theatre stage, while this is Watt’s third show in two years, and Kapetanovich and Riley are making their debut.
The Whale. Photo by Patrick Huber.
When founded by Roth in 2006, the mission was that “through the use of ensemble work, to explore the endless facets and various themes of the human condition by producing existing and original collaborative theatre.”
Roth, who grew up in the Central West End, purchased and helped rehab The Gaslight Theater, which had been a key fixture in the iconic Gaslight Square heyday, into a 99-seat black box, That continues to be the home for STLAS shows, and also programs concerts and other entertainment acts.
An adjacent restaurant, West End Grill and Pub, opened in 2009, and Roth was one of four owners. It closed and reopened in 2019 with two of the original owners, and that version of WEGAP closed in 2022. It is now operated as Black Mountain Wine House, at 354 N. Boyle.
He continues to be the theater’s artistic director and is a member of SAG/AFTRA and Actors’ Equity. He has produced more than 75 shows at STLAS, including New York premiere productions of “Day of the Dog” and four seasons of the LaBute New Theater Festival at the 59E59 street theaters and The Davenport in Midtown Manhattan.
The festival will celebrate its 10th year this July, and a special edition of all the world-premiere plays LaBute has written for the annual event will be published collectively this year, Roth said. LaBute has contributed a one-act play per year, and has often attended the annual event.
In the July 2013 issue of the publication American Theatre, Roth explained how LaBute agreed to put his name on the festival. When STLAS was staging “The Shape of Things,” he began corresponding with the playwright, and after they produced an anthology of his short plays titled “Just Desserts,” Roth asked.
“He came to me with this idea of a short play festival named after myself. It makes you feel both proud and silly, but if it helps draw in writers and/or audience, I’m willing to do it. I’m a crusader for theatre, wherever it might be,” LaBute told the magazine.
Associate Director John Pierson, playwright Neil LaBute, William Roth in New York.
Every year, they receive about 250 submissions from around the globe, and a jury selects which ones should be produced, mostly relationship studies – with an edge. There is also a high school playwrighting contest component, too.
Since 2013, when the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards began, STLAS has won 18 awards and received about triple that in nominations, with 18 nominations garnered in 2014 the most in one year.
Two Best New Play Awards have been for one-acts at the LaBute New Theater Festival — ‘Percentage America” by Carter Lewis and “One Night in the Many Deaths of Sonny Liston” by J.B. Heaps.
Roth has been nominated for his work as George in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and Mervyn in Martin McDonagh’s “A Behanding in Spokane.”
At STLAS, his roles have included Horace in Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes,” Teach in David Mamet’s “American Buffalo,” Charlie Aikin in Tracy Lett’s “August Osage County,” Saul in Sam Shepard’s “True West,” Robert in David Mamet’s “A Life in the Theatre,” Ben in Harold Pinter’s “The Dumbwaiter” and Peter in Albee’s “The Zoo Story,” Ben in Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys,” Michael Waterman in Steven Dietz’s “Fiction” and Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s “A Man for All Seasons.”
During his acting career, he has performed with The Classic Theater Company, American Ballet Theater, River City Players, Magic Smoking Monkey, The Goldenrod Showboat, The International Hemingway Festival, HotHouse Theatre and Muddy Waters.
“August: Osage County.”
He spent six years with the Orthwein Theatre Company, appearing in several shows, including “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Our Town,” “Hamlet,” “ER,” and “Harvey.” His Shakespeare productions include “King Lear,” “Richard III,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “A Winter’s Tale,” “As You Like It,” “Macbeth,” “Othello,” and “Antony and Cleopatra.”
In recent years, he has been cast in a couple films, including LaBute’s “Fear the Night” in 2023 and locally shot “Hungry Dog Blues,” which was written and directed by Jason Abrams and won several awards at the 2022 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.
He will be seen in the upcoming “On Fire,” which stars William H. Macy and John Corbett. Roth plays a construction guy in the film adaptation of St. Louis native John O’Leary’s book about his experience surviving a horrific housefire when he was nine years old and burned on 100% of his body. It was shot in St. Louis last fall, directed by Sean McNamara.
Another side gig is his band, Holy Friars, which plays songs by George Harrison, among other artists.
Coming soon is also the announcement of STLAS’s 17th season. For more information about St. Louis Actors’ Studio, visit www.stlas.org
William Humphrey and William Roth in “True West” in 2019. Photo by Patrick Huber.
Here is the Take Ten Q&A with William Roth:
1. What is special about your latest project? Telling Charlie’s story. Trying to figure out what is going on inside this 600lb man
2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts? Seeing Plays, Opera, Symphony. Wanting to participate
3. How would your friends describe you? Idiotic Introvert
4. How do you like to spend your spare time? Playing hockey
Joel Moses and William Roth in “The Zoo Story.” Photo by Patrick Huber.
5. What is your current obsession? My Band “The Holy Friars”
6. What would people be surprised to find out about you? Enlisted in the Marine Corps on my 17th Birthday
7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life? London Trip 1976 — I saw Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Robert Morley and Antony Hopkins all in different plays over a 10 day period.
8. Who do you admire most? Most of the people I meet
9. What is at the top of your bucket list? I don’t have one, just try to achieve something each day..
10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?- Shut down our season and theater, patrons learned to stay home and watch TV –trying to get them back to the theater one at a time is not easy, the couch is nice place to sit.
11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis? Forest Park, Zoo, Art Museum, my neighborhood street.
12. What’s next? Hockey Sunday and Tuesday evenings
William Roth in “American Buffalo.” Photo by Patrick Huber.
More about William Roth:
Age: 60 Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio Current location: St. Louis Family: Wife Elisa, daughter Josephine, son Jack Education: BS, ASM Aeronautics (yea I know) Day job: Running STLAS, Roth Investments LLC and The Eleven Inc First job: US Marine First play or movie you were involved in or made: The Black Stallion film (1979), South Pacific at Webster Groves Theater Guild-1970ish Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? George (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf), Earl Moss (The Late Henry Moss), Thomas Moore (A Man For All Seasons) Bill( Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush – LaBute world premiere), Dream job/opportunity: I have it Awards/Honors/Achievements: Honored that folks still come to see our plays Favorite quote/words to live by: “All Things Must Pass, None of Life’s Strings Can Last. So I Must Be On My Way, Face another Day” A song that makes you happy: Any song by George Harrison, or The Grateful Dead
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in 2014, with Kari Ely, Betsy Bowman, Michael Amaroso and William Roth. Photo by John Lamb.The Gaslight Theatre is home to STLAS and other events. To find out what’s playing, visit www.gaslighttheater.net
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.
It’s that down-to-the-wire time where I write about the year that was in local theater. It’s my annual opportunity to celebrate theater, to encourage artists to be artful, and to give some virtual bouquets to people doing outstanding work.
When media folks publish lists at year’s end of their favorite things in arts and entertainment, I admire the succinct way they make their cases. Good, quick reads. And I do that for my best films of the year lists for KTRS (Dec. 29) and Webster-Kirkwood Times (Jan. 5). But when it comes to regional theater, that’s not how I roll.
Call me fastidious, but I prefer to be thorough. Hence, the Lotties (Lynn’s Love of Theatre Awards), which usually arrive sometime in January, and get really specific (some call it ‘give everyone a trophy,’ I refer to it as “these are my opinions, and I’d like to recognize these people.”) Besides “Lotties” implies “a lot,” as in largesse.
I do start assembling this in December – and on my lovely train trip home from the holidays in the west, I mulled over my choices while observing the beautiful topography of New Mexico from Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. As relaxing as that was, it was short-lived, because 2024 was not on pause.
The Lehman Trilogy at The Rep
But looking back is necessary. It’s time for the victory lap on a truly outstanding 2023, which started strong, morphed into an exciting summer, and finished with some of the companies’ best works. I know there are struggles post-pandemic — the world is not the same, and neither are we, nor the arts. Yet, if I had to describe the year in two words, I’d use “moving” and “meaningful.”
To put awards timing in perspective, the Grammys and Screen Actors Guild are in February and Oscars wind up film awards in March. As a grateful longtime local reviewer, I consider awards seasons a way to get through a dreary winter, a time to shed light on people doing good work, and a terrific reason to get together.
The St. Louis Theater Circle’s annual awards will be March 25 at the Loretto-Hilton Center at Webster University. More details will be forthcoming Friday (including ticket link) because that’s when my colleagues in the Circle will announce our awards nominations in 33 categories. Jim Lindhorst and Michelle Kenyon will be on KWMU (90.7 FM) at 12:30 p.m., and our group releases our press release at 1 p.m. (stay tuned here, on social media, and the Circle’s Facebook page). We’re working hard on the show, as a collective we founded in 2012.
So, what were the takeaways of 2023 on local stages? For me, in these dark times, theater continues to be a beacon of light.
Spencer Kruse and Jacob Flekier in “Broadway Bound”
When I’m focused on live theater, I forget about the soul-crushing Twilight Zone episode that’s on an endless loop when I wake up – that bad people are not accountable, facts are dismissed so cavalierly and belligerently, manners have disappeared, science is mocked in favor of personal agendas, while outrage and cultural wars spread, and uncertainty, anxiety, isolation and fear– aaarrrrggghh.
I learned last year, because of two serious sudden life-threatening emergencies, that if you don’t pay attention to your health, consequences are dire. (Much gratitude for the tremendous selfless health care professionals in this town, city ambulance EMTs, and those who donate blood.)
Live theater has always been a source of salvation, of rejoicing, of awe and wonder, of communal laughter, and ultimately, feeling something. And when it clicks, connection. I hear from professional movers and shakers that people want escape, especially after the tough several-year slog through a global pandemic and ongoing political chaos.
Obviously, elevated endorphins are a good thing. But for emotional wallops, those hard-hitting, thought-provoking works that stick with you, and the performers who impress because they rise to the occasion, are unforgettable. Hooray for the fearless and adventurous artists who try new things, raise the bar, and collaborate in the best way possible. Oh, how I admire the many talents and supremely gifted people in this regional theater community.
Sometimes, by virtue of writing for several different publications from home, as an independent contractor, I get stuck, for it is easy to sink into despair when it is cold and gray outside, when a chill goes right through your bones, and daylight dims.
There is nothing better than sharing an experience, re-affirming that we’re not alone, understanding that human decency is noble, and realizing that even though we may be broken, we can still find solace in beautiful small moments.
Like soaring vocals, funny people showing off their quippy comic timing, and the artisans crafting stunning costumes, sets, lighting, and moods. Seeing what people can create and the inspirations behind it – always enriching.
The 145s
Theater helps us discover the good in people, reflect on our common and unique human condition, shows triumph over adversity, and offers more understanding. With hope, maybe we can somehow make a difference in the smallest of ways.
The last five years have been exhausting and overwhelming. In December, I officially became a published author. I wrote a chapter about my journey in a woman’s anthology book, “Ageless Glamour Girls: Reflections on Aging,” that is currently a bestseller on Amazon. I joined 13 women over age 50 in sharing lessons we’ve learned. My chapter: “You Are Not Alone: Dealing with Grief and Loss.”
I am grateful to all the angels sent my way to remind me that a sense of purpose is the very best reason to live. And that spring is six weeks away. I look forward to humming happy tunes. And so we beat on…
If you are out and about, say hey. Few things I like better than talking about theater and seeing people do something they love to do.
Warning: This article is long. It might be comparable to William Goldman’s book assessing the 1967-68 Broadway season, “The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway,” which was published in 1969 (an example of my drama geek youth if I was reading that book when I was 14).
And if you feel like celebrating, join us for the St Louis Theater Circle Awards on March 25. It has always been a great night to enjoy everyone’s company, celebrate the past year’s accomplishments, and look ahead to ’24 – and spring will have arrived!
Into the Woods at New Jewish Theatre
This Year’s Awards
Clearly, there is a big hole here in that I did not see “Death of a Salesman” at the Black Rep because I was in the hospital (that pesky internal bleeding incident from outpatient surgery), twice, and then at home recovering. I know I missed a great one.
Because of scheduling issues in my busiest periods as a working journalist, I’ve missed a few, but overall, I attended at least 72 eligible shows, not including one-acts at festivals (was at some of Fringe, and all of Tesseract and LaBute), touring and school productions. Hope to get to as much as possible this new year (but it’s hard when they’re all lumped together opening same weekend). Here’s my assessments on 2023 output. Gushing will ensue.
Production of the Year:“It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play” at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
The Rep gets the honor, rebounding in spectacular fashion after what I considered their worst show “Side by Side by Sondheim,” last February, to end the year on a glorious high note, with the “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play.”
Overflowing with cheer and kindness, the crisp and polished production was more than a performance – it was a change in direction and a celebration of community.
It’s A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play at The Rep
Everything about this show gleamed – the company of all local performers and the nostalgic setting of KSTL’s studio harkened back to the Golden Age of Radio.
This play-within-a-play was a savvy adaptation by Joe Landry, reworking his play that modified the movie that’s now a holiday staple. The twist to the timeless tale is that it’s being performed by characters who work at the radio station.
Opening night Dec. 3 also was a statement, and people eagerly responded with enthusiastic applause.
After The Rep went public with their financial woes in mid-October, starting a “Rally for the Rep!” campaign to raise $2.5 million to continue the 57-year-old regional professional theater in the new year, handwringing and finger-pointing occurred. But goodwill flourished too.
A Dec. 17 benefit, an online auction, and other fundraising efforts helped. This production was the first opportunity for The Rep to welcome patrons back to the Loretto-Hilton Center since the news broke, and a merry mood was evident.
It warmed the heart. And perhaps was an omen for the future.
“The Birthday Party” at Albion Theatre
Companies of the Year: The Muny (large) and Albion Theatre (small)
I have professionally reviewed Muny shows since 2009, first for the Belleville News-Democrat, until 2017 when the parent company went in a different direction, and now continue on my website, www.PopLifeSTL.com in addition to mentions on KTRS with Jennifer Blome and Wendy Wiese, and our PopLifeSTL podcast. But I’ve been attending since my grandmother took me to “Flower Drum Song” in 1965, when I was 10. Life-changing.
The 105th season was the best one yet. Each sterling production was technically outstanding, enormously entertaining, and the audience leaned into the premieres with gusto (“Beautiful,” “Chess,” “Rent” and “Sister Act.”). In addition, the enduring “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” “West Side Story,” and “Little Shop of Horrors” really did deliver all the feels. I was impressed with the sheer magnitude and artistic daring of each show.
Believe. Longing. Belonging. Overcoming. Those were the themes. It was a seven-show arc of uncommon grace – a genuine depth of feeling in each well-executed one. In every performance, there was a palpable sense of yearning – a future Hall of Fame talent finding her voice, outsiders opening their hearts in a timeless fairy tale classic, of high-stakes gamesmanship and personal cost in a political arena, star-crossed lovers clinging to a dream, unearthing your worth and wish fulfillment in a flower shop, discovering love and nurturing friendship in a bleak place, and using your gifts to foster community.
That big sprawling Muny family made it look effortless when it wasn’t at all – a massive team of creatives, performers and technicians crafting the magic we demand from our musical theater under the stars. Nobody does what they do, and that “alone in its greatness” tagline from my teenage years still stands. We expect a lot from this cultural institution – and they delivered at a very high level.
“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” at The Muny
Albion Theatre was in its second season last year, and produced superb works: “The Birthday Party,” “Absent Friends” and “Mindgame,” all very clever, all home runs.
You never know what awaits you in the Kranzberg Black Box when Albion is putting on a show, but British-born founder and artistic director Robert Ashton guarantees an intriguing premise, a dandy ensemble and a thoughtfully put-together play. The company’s niche is exploring the long and rich history of playwriting in Britain — with forays into Ireland, and even with UK ancestors (maternal great-grandfather from Manchester, England, and great-grandmother from Glasgow, Scotland), I am continually fascinated by the culture and how much detail he puts into each production.
Joe Hanrahan of The Midnight Company
Artist of the Year: Joe Hanrahan
Playwright, actor, producer, director – a man of many hats who is constantly pushing himself and his The Midnight Company with new endeavors. He started a hybrid of cabaret and theater with Jim Dolan at the Blue Strawberry, and Kelly Howe, as Linda Ronstadt, sold out multiple shows of “Just One Look,” a career retrospective, with the 13th show at the City Winery last November.
He continues to explore those new avenues, produced a fun reading of “The Humans of St. Louis” at last summer’s Fringe Festival (which I hope they develop further). He mounted an impressive full-scale “The Lion in Winter” with some of the best actors in town, revived a past production, “The Years,” with a fresh ensemble, and starred in a one-man show, the heartfelt and gut-punching “The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey.”
A true original is the best compliment I can give, whether he’s working on one of his own scripts, or collaborating with another company. He’s so prolific that I think people take his output for granted. Standing O.
Producers of the Year: Taylor Gruenloh and Rebekah Scallet
Taylor Gruenloh, along with his right-hand team of Brittanie Gunn and Kevin Corpuz, expanded Tesseract Theatre Company’s reach this year, producing such bold musicals as “The Last Five Years,” “The Mad Ones,” and “Kinky Boots,” along with a contemporary hybrid, “Welcome to Arroyo’s.”
His pivot a couple years ago to a new play festival was very engaging this summer, with “In Bloom” by Gwyneth Strope and “Red Curtain Rivalry” by Amy Lytle, who was in attendance.
Whatever he chooses to do, you know it will be different and enlightening, and he’s unafraid to tackle difficult subjects. I can’t wait to see the complex Tony winner “The Inheritance” this spring.
Taylor has decided to step down as artistic director after founding the company in 2010, but Gunn and Corpuz will continue to manage the company and take it in new directions. He is a playwright, and currently an assistant professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and teaching at Webster University. He won’t be fading away any time soon.
Rebekah Scallet. The woman’s got game. In her first full season as artistic director of the New Jewish Theatre, she wowed us with her confident and eclectic picks last year: “Broadway Bound,” “Every Brilliant Thing,” “Gloria: A Life,” “The Immigrant” and “Into the Woods.” Each one was a crown jewel in her cap. Strong casts, excellent material, and superb technical acumen combined for thrilling theater. She perceptively directed a magnificent “The Immigrant,” which was so very timely.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” on national tour with Richard Thomas and Yaegel T. Welch
Touring Production of the Year: “To Kill a Mockingbird,” The Fox.
I was fortunate to see the riveting Aaron Sorkin-scripted production starring Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch at a sold-out Shubert Theatre on Broadway in May 2019. The audience’s thunderous ovation was one of the loudest and longest that I ever took part in, and I consider that production one of the best plays I’ve ever seen. Could the touring show headed by Richard Thomas even come close? Yes, it did, and was just as powerful and emotional. Bravo.
(Runner-Up: “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.” They raised the roof and we responded. This is based on new touring shows, but I would be remiss if I didn’t include the “Come From Away” tour that stopped here for a weekend last fall. It was a profound experience, like God walking through the room. Vibrant, moving, relatable. Tears streamed down my face. I don’t think I was alone.)
My Ten Favorite A&E Things of 2023 (Most of these took place in the summer. Hmmm…)
Barbenheimer at the movie theaters
The delightful 145s Musical Improv Troupe — see them at The Improv Shop. One of the best Saturday nights you can ever have.
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra playing “The Princess Bride” score with the movie at Stifel, and the audience anticipating and cheering for their favorite lines.
The outstanding youth productions I saw last summer: “Grease” by Ignite Theatre Company “Sweeney Todd” by Debut Theatre Company “Bare: A Pop Opera” by Gateway Center for the Performing Arts
Inventively staged, tight ensembles, imaginative touches, strong music direction. Very impressive. Those kids seemed so poised and polished! Keep an eye out for Jordan Thompson, who played both Danny Zuko and Sweeney Todd. Wow, just wow.
Amneris’ wedding gown designed by Brad Musgrove for “Aida” at Stages St Louis
5. St Louis Shakespeare Festival’s touring production of “Merry Wives.” Sitting in Tower Grove Park with my peeps Carl “The Intern” Middleman (poplifestl podcast co-host) and Chas Adams (poplifestl.com reviewer) on a pleasant August night (!) to see those sparks fly with the intrepid traveling troupe of Michelle Hand, Joel Moses, Carl Overly Jr., Rae Davis, Mitchell Henry-Eagles, and Christina Yancy, directed by Suki Peters.
6. “Ragtime” at Union Avenue Opera. Those voices! Talk about a wall of sound! 49 people were part of that endeavor. This event was as hard-hitting as ever.
7. Costume Designer Brad Musgrove’s wedding gown for Amneris (Diana DeGarmo) in “Aida” at Stages St. Louis.
8. Sarah Gene Dowling’s wig design in “Into the Woods” at Stray Dog Theatre
9. Remarkable rigged sets to collapse dramatically: Rob Lippert for “Godspell” at Stray Dog Theatre and Jim Robert, for “Grand Horizons” at Moonstone Theatre Company.
10. Puppet Designer John Ortiz for Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Muny, and Nicholas Ward as The Voice and Travis Patton as the Manipulator.
TJ Staten Jr. in “It’s a Wonderful Life’
THE MVPs (must have been in two or more shows this year, not a rookie, and whose presence made a difference)
Bridgette Bassa Sarajane Clark Kevin Corpuz Rae Davis Ricki Franklin Joseph Garner Marshall Jennings Ryan Lawson-Maeske Debby Lennon Kevin O’Brien Jane Paradise Reginald Pierre Michael James Reed Sean Seifert Ron Strawbridge
ONES TO WATCH
DeAnte Bryant Hannah de Oliveira Evann DeBose Joey File Nick Freed Lindsey Grojean Alexander Huber Drew Mizell Kenya Nash TJ Staten Jr. James Stevens Claire Wenzel (now Coffey)
J’Kobe Wallace and DeAnte Bryant in “Eubie!” at The Black Rep
DYNAMIC DUOS and TERRIFIC TRIOS
Brian Slaten and Jessika D. Williams in “Gruesome Playground Injuries” Alicia Reve Like and Eric J. Conners in “The Light,” The Black Rep Chuck Winning and Nick Freed in “The Birthday Party” and “Mindgame,” Albion Theatre J’Kobe Wallace and DeAnte Bryant in “Eubie!” The Black Rep Jason Meyers and Colleen Backer in “Outside Mullingar,” West End Players Guild Jacob Flekier and Spencer Kruse in “Broadway Bound,” New Jewish Theatre Joel Moses and John Wolbers in “The Lion in Winter,” The Midnight Company John Contini and Alexander Huber in “Barrymore,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio Joneal Joplin and Jared Joplin in “Grand Horizons,” Moonstone Theatre Company Leslie Wobbe and Kate Durbin in “Walter Cronkite Is Dead,” West End Players Guild Kevin Corpuz and Grace Langford in “The Last Five Years,” Tesseract Theatre Company Kelvin Moon Loh and Eric Jordan Young in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” The Muny Vincent Klemski and Lincoln Clauss in “Rent,” The Muny Terrance Johnson (replacement for Evan Tyron Martin in early performances) and Adrian Vallegas in “Rent,” The Muny Kimmie Kidd, Ebony Easter and Adrienne Spann as The Radio, “Caroline, or Change,” Fly North Theatricals Kennedy Holmes, Taylor Marie Daniel, and Stephanie Gomerez as The Urchins in “Little Shop of Horrors,” The Muny Rob Colletti, Brandon Espinoza and Darron Hayes as the goons in “Sister Act,” The Muny
De-Rance Blaylock in “Caroline, or Change” at Fly North Theatricals
BRINGING THE HOUSE DOWN
(Best Musical Numbers)
De-Rance Blaylock singing “Lot’s Wife” in “Caroline, or Change” at Fly North Theatricals
John Riddle singing “Anthem” in “Chess” at The Muny
Ben Crawford singing “If I Can’t Love Her” in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” at The Muny
John Battagliese and Mike Schwitter as The Righteous Brothers singing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” at The Muny
Lindsey Grojean singing “If I Can’t Have You” in “Saturday Night Fever” at Stray Dog Theatre
The cast of “Rent” in “Seasons of Love,” especially Anastacia McKleskey, at The Muny
Kevin O’Brien and Phil Leveling in “No More” in “Into the Woods” at New Jewish Theatre
Meredith Aleigha Wells as Sister Mary Robert singing “The Life I Never Led,” Sister Act, The Muny
Christian Douglas singing “Maria” in “West Side Story” at The Muny
The extended curtain call for “Million Dollar Quartet” at Stages St. Louis with Scott Moreau (Johnny Cash), Jeremy Sevelovitz (Carl Perkins), Brady Wease (Jerry Lee Lewis), and Edward La Cardo (Elvis).
Meredith Aleigha Wells in “Sister Act” at The Muny
BEST YOUTH PERFORMERS
Zoe Klevorn “Caroline, or Change,” Fly North Theatricals
Rosario Rios-Kelly “In Bloom,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Michael Hobin “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” The Muny
Cameron Hadley, “Caroline or Change,” Fly North Theatricals
Malachi Borum, “Caroline or Change,” Fly North Theatricals
Riley Carter Adams “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Max & Louie Productions
Jada Little “The Piano Lesson,” Encore! Theatre Group
Vaida Gruenloh “In Bloom,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Tommy Pepper “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You,” Stray Dog Theatre
“Feminine Energy” by Myra L. Gary at Mustard Seed Theatre
BEST NEW PLAYS
“One Night in the Many Deaths of Sonny Liston,” LaBute New Theatre Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“Safe Space,” LaBute New Theatre Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“This Palpable Gross Play,” SATE
“See You in a Minute,” Contraband Theatre
“In Bloom,” New Play Festival, Tesseract Theater Company
“The Game’s Afoot,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Shake in the Streets
“Feminine Energy,” Mustard Seed Theatre
“From the Garden,” Wee Laddie Theatrics
“Clue” at Stages St Louis
BEST COMEDY PRODUCTIONS
Clue – Stages St. Louis
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Stray Dog Theatre
The Birthday Party – Albion Theatre
Gruesome Playground Injuries – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Broadway Bound – New Jewish Theatre
Merry Wives – St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Touring Company
This Palpable Gross Play – SATE
Outside Mullingar – West End Players Guild
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – St Louis Shakespeare
Murder on the Orient Express – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“The Immigrant” at New Jewish Theatare
BEST DRAMA PRODUCTIONS
It’s A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
The Immigrant – New Jewish Theatre
The Lion in Winter – The Midnight Company
Uncle Vanya – St Louis Actors’ Studio
The Lehman Trilogy – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Skeleton Crew – The Black Repertory Theatre of St Louis
What the Constitution Means to Me – Max and Louie Productions
Mindgame – Albion Theatre
Doubt: A Parable – Prism Theatre Company
Gloria: A Life – New Jewish Theatre
“Million Dollar Quartet” at Stages St Louis
BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS
Caroline, or Change – Fly North Theatricals
West Side Story – The Muny
Into the Woods – New Jewish Theatre
Eubie! – The Black Rep
Million Dollar Quartet – Stages St. Louis
Disney’s The Beauty and the Beast – The Muny
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical– The Muny
Chess – The Muny
Q Brothers A Christmas Carol – St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Kinky Boots – Tesseract Theatre Company
Ricki Franklin and Cassidy Flynn in “Twelfth Night” at St Louis Shakespeare Festival
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Ricki Franklin, Twelfth Night, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Claire Wenzel, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Stray Dog Theatre
Zoe Vonder Haar, Clue, Stages St. Louis
Annalise Webb, Absent Friends, Albion Theatre
Rae Davis, “Merry Wives,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Anna Langdon, Absent Friends, Albion Theatre
Bridgette Bassa, “The Nerd” and “Grand Horizons,” Moonstone Theatre Company
Diana DeGarmo, “Clue,” Stages St. Louis
Alexander Huber, in two roles – as girl and Madeleine, in “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom,” Stray Dog Theatre (the roles are female but gender-fluid)
Kristen Strom, “This Palpable Gross Play,” SATE
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at Stray Dog Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chuck Winning, The Birthday Party, Albion Theatre
Nick Freed, The Birthday Party, Albion Theatre
Stephen Henley, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Stray Dog Theatre
Bryce A Miller, The Nerd, Moonstone Theatre Company
Chuck Brinkley, Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
Cassidy Flynn, Twelfth Night, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, and Grand Horizons, Moonstone
Charlie Franklin, Clue, Stages St. Louis
Bob Harvey, Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
Colleen Backer and Jason Meyers in “Outside Mullingar” at West End Players Guild
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Mara Bollini, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Stray Dog Theatre
Colleen Backer, Outside Mullingar, West End Players Guild
Jessika D. Williams, Gruesome Playground Injuries, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Teresa Doggett, The Birthday Party, Albion Theatre
Leslie Wobbe, Walter Cronkite Is Dead, West End Players Guild
Sarajane Clark, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Stray Dog Theatre
Sarajane Clark, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Stray Dog Theatre
Nicole Angeli, Absent Friends, Albion Theatre
Jane Paradise, Safe Space, LaBute New Theatre Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Mark Price, Clue, Stages St. Louis
Ryan Lawson-Maeske, The Nerd, Moonstone Theatre Company
Stephen Peirick, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Stray Dog Theatre
Brian Slaten, Gruesome Playground Injuries, The Rep
Jacob Flekier, Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
Jason Meyers, Outside Mullingar, West End Players Guild
Armando Duran, Murder on the Orient Express, The Rep
Joneal Joplin, Grand Horizons, Moonstone Theatre Company
Ted Drury, The Birthday Party, Albion Theatre
Reginald Pierre, Safe Space, LaBute New Theatre Festival, St Louis Actors’ Studio
Michelle Hand and Riley Carter Adams in “What the Constitution Means to Me” at Max & Louie Productions
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Bryn McLaughlin, Uncle Vanya, St Louis Actors’ Studio
Rae Davis, Feminine Energy, Mustard Seed Theatre
Mindy Shaw, The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
Rhiannon Creighton, Doubt, Prism Theatre Company
Ashley Bauman, The Years, The Midnight Company
Nicole Angeli, Mindgame, Albion Theatre Company
Kelly Howe, See You in a Minute, Contraband Theatre Company
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Michael James Reed, Uncle Vanya, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
David Wassilak, The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
Bradley Tejada, Suddenly Last Summer, Tennessee Williams Festival
Joey File, The Years, Midnight Company
John Wolbers, The Lion in Winter, The Midnight Company
Joel Moses, The Lion in Winter, The Midnight Company
Joseph Garner, See You in a Minute, Contraband Theatre
Brian McKinley, Skeleton Crew, The Black Rep
Alicia Reve Like and Eric J. Conners in “The Light” at The Black Rep
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Alicia Reve Like, The Light, The Black Rep
Michelle Hand, What the Constitution Means to Me, Max & Louie Productions
Lavonne Byers, The Lion in Winter, The Midnight Company
Naima Randolph, Suddenly Last Summer, Tennessee Williams Festival
Kate Durbin, Doubt, Prism Theatre Company
Ricki Franklin, See You in a Minute, Contraband Theatre Company
Will Bonfiglio in “Every Brilliant Thing” at New Jewish Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Dustin Lane Petrillo, The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
John Contini, Barrymore, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
John Pierson, Uncle Vanya, St Louis Actors’ Studio
Will Bonfiglio, Every Brilliant Thing, New Jewish Theatre
Reginald Pierre, One Night in the Many Deaths of Sonny Liston, LaBute New Theatre Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Nick Freed, Mindgame, Albion Theatre
Chuck Winning, Mindgame, Albion Theatre
Kelvin Roston Jr, Twisted Melodies, The Rep
Olajuwon Davis, Skeleton Crew, The Black Rep
Xavier Scott Evans, Confederates, The Rep
Kimmie Kidd-Booker in “9” at New Line Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Diana DeGarmo, Aida, Stages St. Louis
Taylor Louderman, Chess, The Muny
Kimmie Kidd-Booker, 9, New Line Theatre
Jenelle Gilreath Owens, Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
Jerusha Cavazos, West Side Story, The Muny
Katie Geraghty, Sister Act, The Muny
Jackie Burns, Beautiful The Carole King Musical, The Muny
Sarah Gene Dowling, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Kristen Joy Lintvedt, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Jenny Mollet, Aida, Stages St. Louis
Marlee Wenski, Jesus and Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas, New Line Theatre
Grace Langford, Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jarrod Spector, Beautiful The Carole King Musical, The Muny
Phil Leveling, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Duane Foster, Caroline or Change, Fly North Theatricals
Ken Page, West Side Story, The Muny
Jon Hey, Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
Ryan Vasquez, Little Shop of Horrors, The Muny
Albert Jennings, Aida, Stages St Louis
Jeremy Sevelovitz, Million Dollar Quartet, Stages St Louis
Adrian Villegas, Rent, The Muny
Drew Mizell, Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
James T. Lane, Sister Act, The Muny
Claybourne Elder, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
De-Rance Blaylock, Caroline or Change, Fly North Theatricals
Sara Sheperd, Beautiful The Carole King Musical, The Muny
Molly Wennstrom, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Bryonha Marie, Sister Act, The Muny
Melissa Felps, The Mad Ones, Tesseract Theatre Company
Ashley Blanchet, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
Guinevere Govea, Spells of the Sea, Metro Theatre Company
Jessica Vosk, Chess, The Muny
Jane Paradise and Reginald Pierre in “Safe Space” at LaBute New Theatre Festival, St Louis Actors’ Studio
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (Male or NonBinary)
John Riddle, Chess, The Muny
Tielere Cheatem, in the role of Lola, Kinky Boots, Tesseract Theatre Company
Ben Crawford, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
Robin De Jesus, Little Shop of Horrors, The Muny
Drew Mizell, Saturday Night Fever, Stray Dog Theatre
Kevin O’Brien, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Christian Douglas, West Side Story, The Muny
Garrett Young, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Cole Guttman, 9, New Line Theatre
Joe Hanrahan and Lavonne Byers in “The Lion in Winter”
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY
Clue, Stages St. Louis
The Birthday Party, Albion Theatre
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Stray Dog Theatre
Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
The Brechtfast Club, ERA
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, St Louis Shakespeare
This Palpable Gross Play, SATE
Absent Friends, Albion
Murder on the Orient Express, The Rep
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Stray Dog Theatre
The Brechtfast Club at ERA
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA
It’s A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play, The Rep
The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
Uncle Vanya, St. Louis Actors’ Studio
The Lion in Winter, The Midnight Company
The Lehman Trilogy, The Rep
Skeleton Crew, The Black Rep
Wrens, Prism Theatre Company
Doubt: A Parable, Prism Theatre Company
Feminine Energy, Mustard Seed Theatre
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL
Caroline, or Change, Fly North Theatricals
Eubie! The Black Rep
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
Million Dollar Quartet, Stages St Louis
Q Brothers Christmas Carol, St Louis Shakespeare Festival
West Side Story, The Muny
Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
Spells of the Sea, Metro Theatre Company
Rent, The Muny (tie) Sister Act, The Muny
Jessika D. Williams and Brian Slaten in “Gruesome Playground Injuries” at The Rep
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A COMEDY
Sean M. Savoie, Clue, Stages St. Louis
Anshuman Bhatia, Gruesome Playground Injuries, The Rep
Jason Lynch, Murder on the Orient Express, The Rep
John Wylie, Twelfth Night, St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Erik Kuhn, This Palpable Gross Play, SATE
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A DRAMA
Christina Watanabe, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Rep
Xavier Pierce, Twisted Melodies, The Rep
Matthew McCarthy, Suddenly Last Summer, Tennessee Williams Festival
Jayson M. Lawshee, Skeleton Crew, The Black Rep
Eric Wennlund, Mindgame, Albion Theatre
“Chess” at The Muny
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Rob Denton, Chess, The Muny
Sean M Savoie, Million Dollar Quartet, Stages St. Louis
Herrick Goldman, Aida, Stages St. Louis
Jesse Klug, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Jayson M Lawshee, Spells of the Sea, Metro Theatre Company
Jasmine Williams, Eubie!, The Black Rep
Heather Gilbert, Rent, The Muny
BEST VISUAL PROJECTIONS
Alex Bosco Koch, Chess, The Muny
Michael Salvatore Commendatore, Murder on the Orient Express, The Rep
Kylee Loera, Beautiful The Carol King Musical, The Muny
“Murder on the Orient Express” at The Rep
BEST SOUND DESIGN IN A COMEDY
Beef Gratz, Clue, Stages St. Louis
Kareem Deames, Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN IN A DRAMA
Michael Costagliola, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Rep
Kareem Deames, The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
G Glausen, Twisted Melodies, The Rep
Jacob Baxley, Mindgame, Albion Theatre
SPECIAL MENTIONS Amanda Werre, Sound Design, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre Erik Kuhn, Fight Coordinator, Mind Game, Albion Theatre Terrance Johnson, who filled in for Evan Tyron Martin as Tom Collins in the early performances of “Rent” at The Muny when Martin had COVID Fleur de Noise, a special segment in “The Game’s Afoot,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s Shake in the Streets
“Eubie!” at The Black Rep
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A COMEDY
Brad Musgrove, Clue, Stages St. Louis
Olivia Radle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, St Louis Shakespeare
Fabio Toblini, Murder on the Orient Express, The Rep
Michelle Friedman Siler, Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
Colleen Michelson and Sarah Gene Dowling (wigs), Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Stray Dog Theatre
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A DRAMA
Liz Henning, The Lion in Winter, The Midnight Company
Michelle Friedman Siler, The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
An-Lin Dauber, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Rep
Sam Hayes, Wrens, Prism Theatre Company
Teresa Doggett, Uncle Vanya, St Louis Actors’ Studio
“Kinky Boots” at Tesseract Theatre Company
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Robin McGee, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
Eileen Engel and Sarah Gene Dowling (wigs), Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
Brad Musgrove, Aida, Stages St Louis
Marc W. Vital III, Eubie!, The Black Rep
Michelle Friedman Siler, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Zachary Phelps, Kinky Boots, Tesseract Theatre
Leon Dobkowski, Sister Act, The Muny
“Skeleton Crew” at The Black Rep
BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A DRAMA
An-Lin Dauber, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Rep
Sara Brown, The Lehman Trilogy, The Rep
Nina Ball, Confederates, The Rep
Margery and Peter Spack, Skeleton Crew, The Black Rep
Matt Stuckel, Doubt, Prism Theatre Company
(tie) James Wolk, Suddenly Last Summer
BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A COMEDY
Tim Macabee, Murder on the Orient Express, The Rep
Lee Savage, Clue, Stages St Louis
Dunsi Dai, Grand Horizons, Moonstone Theatre Company
Margery and Peter Spack, Broadway Bound, New Jewish Theatre
Ellie Schwetye and Lucy Cashion, This Palpable Gross Play, SATE
Scott Neale, “The Game’s Afoot, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Edward E Haynes Jr., Chess, The Muny
Rob Lippert, Godspell, Stray Dog Theatre
Ann Beyersdorfer, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
C. Otis Sweezey, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Adam Koch, Million Dollar Quartet, Stages St Louis
Kristen Robinson, Little Shop of Horrors, The Muny
Tim Jones, Eubie! The Black Rep
Margery and Peter Spack, Spells of the Sea, Metro Theatre Company
Ryan Douglass, Beautiful The Carole King Musical, The Muny
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Patrick O’Neill, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Muny
Heather Beal, Robert Crenshaw and Vivian Watt, Eubie! The Black Rep
Mike Hodges, Saturday Night Fever, Stray Dog Theatre
Steph Paul, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Maggie Nold, Kinky Boots, Tesseract Theatre Company
Parker Esse, West Side Story, The Muny (original choreography reproduced)
Denis Jones, Sister Act, The Muny
Luis Salgado, Aida, Stages St. Louis
Patricia Wilcox, Beautiful, The Muny
Tyler White, Go, Dog, Go!, Metro Theater Company
“Saturday Night Fever” at Stray Dog Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Colin Healy, Caroline or Change, Fly North Theatricals
James Moore, West Side Story, The Muny
Larry D. Pry, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Charlie Alterman, Beautiful the Carole King Musical, The Muny
Leah Schultz, Saturday Night Fever, Stray Dog Theatre
David Sonneborn, Million Dollar Quartet, Stages St. Louis
Jason DeBord and Michael Horsley, Chess, The Muny
Leah Schultz, Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY
Steve Bebout, Clue. Stages
Alan Knoll, Broadway Bound, New Jewish
Suki Peters, The Birthday Party, Albion
Christina Rios, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, St Lous Shakespeare
Lucy Cashion, The Brechtfast Club, ERA
Becks Redman, Gruesome Playground Injuries, The Rep
Gary Wayne Barker, The Nerd, Moonstone Theatre Company
“Uncle Vanya” at St Louis Actors’ Studio
BEST DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA
Kate Bergstrom, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Rep
Carey Perloff, The Lehman Trilogy, The Rep
Rebeka Scallet, The Immigrant, New Jewish Theatre
Annamaria Pileggi, Uncle Vanya, St Louis Actors’ Studio
Tom Kopp, The Lion in Winter, The Midnight Company
Gary F. Bell, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Stray Dog Theatre
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
John Tartaglia, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The Muny
Robert Quinlan, Into the Woods, New Jewish Theatre
Josh Rhodes, Chess, The Muny
Brian McKinley, Caroline or Change, Fly North Theatricals
Justin Been, Into the Woods, Stray Dog Theatre
Rob Ruggiero, West Side Story, The Muny
Photos by Jon Gitchoff, Philip Hamer, Julia Merkle, Patrick Huber, Joey Rumpell.
“Little Shop of Horrors” at The Muny“West Side Story” at The Muny
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.
Writer-Director Helping Small Professional Theatre Sustainment Fund
By Lynn Venhaus Cory Finley first came on my radar with “The Feast,” his original play that was produced by the St. Louis Actors’ Studio in fall 2017. Since then, he has received national acclaim for two films, “Thoroughbreds” and “Bad Education.” He is definitely one to watch.
Now he is giving back to the small theater company that gave him a shot by being one of the artists trying to help STLAS and others in St. Louis through the Small Professional Theatre Sustainment Fund. This was started to help these struggling companies pay their bills until they can safely re-open.
The coronavirus pandemic has threatened extinction for millions of small businesses all over the world, including theater companies, who will continue to be hit hard as they might not receive any funding in 2021, and if they do, it would be a small amount.
“The federal government has offered some help, but small professional theaters are not in line for major funding and the existing funding that relies on tax dollars is vanishing,” said William Roth, STLAS Founder and Artistic Director. “We decided to take matters into our own hands with the creation of the Small Professional Theatre Sustainment Fund and enlisted the help of well-known St. Louisans with careers in the arts.”
By donating to the Fund, participants are automatically entered into a drawing to win a virtual hangout with Finley or other famous St. Louis artists Sterling K. Brown, Jon Hamm, Sam McMurray, Beau Willimon, or Neil LaBute (longtime friend of the St. Louis Actors’ Studio).
For every $75 donated to www.stlas.org/sustain, the participant’s name is placed into a drawing for 50 chances to win. The more a person donates, the better their chances are for winning. Contest ends Sept. 17 and the winner will be drawn on September 18.
During the virtual meet-up, the winner will be able to discuss anything of interest with the artist—from acting tips and insights, to fans just wanting to spend a little quality time. Names will be drawn until all artists are spoken for. For official rules and regulations, please visit the FAQ page. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Finley wanted to get involved because he believes in their work and the mission they’re starting.
“I was lucky enough to have STLAS put on a production of my play ‘The Feast.’ I’m a huge fan of the work they’re doing and I’m very concerned about the health of theater in America generally in pandemic conditions. I think it’s a great initiative to help keep vital institutions alive,” Finley said.
In a short-take review, I described the play this way: “One act, three actors, five genres, so says director John Pierson, who shrewdly realizes an eerie “Twilight Zone”-type mind game by Cory Finley of Clayton, Mo. The twisty-turny original play, only 65 minutes’ long, benefits from an accomplished trio of actors and Patrick Huber’s customary meticulous set and artful lighting design. Pierson’s crisp direction and keen sound design enhance the mysterious off-kilter quality.”
Pierson, a St. Louis actor, director and teacher, has been at John Burroughs School since 1993 and is chairman of the Theatre, Speech and Dance Department.
Finley, 31, a Burroughs graduate, is based in New York City, where he is a member of the Obie-winning Youngblood playwrights group at Ensemble Studio Theater. He received a commission from the Alfred P. Sloan foundation for playwrighting, and was the inaugural recipient of the Gurney Playwrights Fund for “The Feast,” which was presented first at The Flea Theater.
Three years ago this month, Finley’s play “The Feast” fit into the vision at The Gaslight Theatre, STLAS’ black-box home.
“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. Through the use of ensemble work, STLAS explore the endless facets and various themes of the human condition by producing existing and original collaborative theatre,” Roth said.
Finley received high praise for the film “Thoroughbreds,” which he adapted from his play and also directed. It was accepted for the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017, and nominated for the Audience Award in the Best of Next! competition. It played at the St. Louis International Film Festival that November. Sold to Focus Features for $5 million, the film opened in theaters in March 2018.
Finley wrote the crime-drama-dark comedy about two upper-class teenage girls in suburban Connecticut, who rekindled their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Then they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems — no matter what the cost. The cast included Anna Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke, and was the last film of Anton Yelchin, who died in a tragic accident at his home in June 2016. The film is dedicated to him.
Anton Yelchin, Cory Finley, Anya Taylor-Joy. Photo by
Indie Wire described the film as “Heathers meets American Psycho.” Rotten Tomatoes had a score of 86% and the critic consensus was: ” Thoroughbreds juggles genres with panache, delivering a well-written and refreshingly unpredictable entry in the teen thriller genre.”
In 2019, Finley scored a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay for “Thoroughbreds.” The annual awards, held since 1984, honor independent filmmakers working with small budgets. For more information on the film, visit www.thoroughbredsmovie.com
Last year, Finley directed “Bad Education,” which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 and sold to HBO for $20 million. HBO aired it April 25 this year (Currently available in HBOMax catalog) and as of Sept. 8, it is available on DVD and Blu-Ray. It is also available for rental or purchase on streaming platforms.
“Bad Education” is nominated for two Emmy Awards — Best Television Movie and Hugh Jackman for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. The Emmy Awards are Sunday, Sept. 20.
The film, based on a true story, focuses on the popular superintendent of New York’s Roslyn school district as well as his staff, friends and relatives who become the prime suspects as the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in American history unfolds. Former Roslyn student Mike Makowsky wrote the screenplay based on the New York Magazine article “The Bad Superintendent” by Robert Kolker.
Finley said he was drawn to the script for several reasons.
“I thought the script had a really unique tone, a complex character at its center, and themes about greed, institutional failure and systemic corruption that spoke to me,” he said.
And working with the cast was a positive experience.
Jackman played Frank Tassone, who was sentenced to 4 to 12 years for the $11.2 million embezzling scheme, and Alison Janney played Pam Gluckin, an assistant superintendent who took part in the scheme.
“I was enormously lucky that my A-list cast all had the work ethic and humility of actors just starting off: particularly Hugh and Alison made my job incredibly easy and were intensely collaborative and open, as well as super-prepared,” Finley said.
He said he is not at liberty to divulge his next project just yet..
How has he been coping with the pandemic in New York?
“My partner is a medical resident who got pulled into the COVID ward right at the height of the pandemic, so I had a very intense view of the worst of it through her. But she’s now back home doing tele-health and things are much more normal,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have a job that I can do from home — the writing and prep parts of my job at least — and so I’m far less affected than many New Yorkers have been.”
What has he learned during this time of quarantine?
“It’s a total cliche, but I’ve learned how important a sense of social community is, and how badly we all need it back,” he said.
Cory FInley at Film Independent Spirit Awards. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
Q&A QUESTIONS FOR “TAKE TEN” 1. Why did you choose your profession? I always loved creating and managing made-up worlds: first pretend games, then Dungeons and Dragons, then school plays, then directing film.
2. How would your friends describe you? Tall, polite, bad at remembering things, dad jokes, no sense of direction.
3. How do you like to spend your spare time? Playing basketball with great enthusiasm and minimal ability.
4. What is your current obsession? Youtube chiropractic adjustment videos. Also, archived Firing Line videos of William F. Buckley debating prominent leftists of the 60s — Noam Chomsky, James Baldwin, Huey Newton. They show at once how far our politics have come and how little our discourse has changed.
5. Who do you admire most? In no particular order: Caryl Churchill, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lebron James.
6. What is your favorite thing to do in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area? Ted Drewes and the Tivoli Theatre.
More to Know: Name: Cory Finley Age: 31 Birthplace: St. Louis, MO (Clayton, specifically) Current location: Manhattan Day job: Many years SAT/ACT tutoring Favorite movies: Brief Encounter, There Will Be Blood
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.
Will Help Struggling Arts Community in Wake of Global Pandemic
Donate for Chances to Win Virtual Hangouts with Sterling K. Brown, Jon Hamm, Beau Willimon, Sam McMurray, Cory Finley and Neil LaBute
The Coronavirus pandemic has threatened extinction for millions of small businesses all over the world, including many beloved St. Louis theater companies. In fact, local and regional arts commissions announced recently that many struggling organizations will not receive any funding in 2021, and those that do are expected to receive only a small percentage of what they have been granted in the past.
In an effort to help small professional theater companies in St. Louis as well as those across the nation to pay their bills until they can safely reopen, the St. Louis Actors’ Studio announced today the creation of the Small Professional Theatre Sustainment Fund. “The federal government has offered some help, but small professional theaters are not in line for major funding and the existing funding that relies on tax dollars is vanishing,” said William Roth, Founder and Artistic Director of the St. Louis Actors’ Studio. “We decided to take matters into our own hands with the creation of the Small Professional Theatre Sustainment Fund and enlisted the help of well-known St. Louisans with careers in the arts.”
By simply donating to the Fund, participants are automatically entered into a drawing to win a virtual hangout with such famous St. Louis artists as Sterling K. Brown, Jon Hamm, Sam McMurray, Beau Willimon, Cory Finley or Neil LaBute (longtime friend of the St. Louis Actors’ Studio).
For every $75 donated to www.stlas.org/sustain, the participant’s name is placed into a drawing for 50 chances to win. The more a person donates, the better their chances are for winning. The winner will be drawn on September 17.
During the virtual meet-up, the winner will be able to discuss anything of interest with the artist—from acting tips and insights, to fans just wanting to spend a little quality time. Names will be drawn until all artists are spoken for. For official rules and regulations, please visit the FAQ page. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
About the Participating Artists Actor Jon Hamm is a John Burroughs grad best known for his Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning role on “Mad Men.” He will star in the upcoming film “Top Gun: Maverick” in theaters this winter.See Jon Hamm’s video message here:https://vimeo.com/427780482
Sterling K. Brown is a graduate of MICDS and recent Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner for his work on NBC’s smash hit “This is Us.”See Sterling K. Brown’s video message here: https://vimeo.com/429676164
A graduate of Washington University, character actor Sam McMurray has appeared in “Freaks & Geeks,” “Friends” and “Raising Arizona.”
Director and screenwriter Cory Finley is another John Burroughs alum. STLAS produced his play “The Feast” and he recently directed the film “Bad Education” for HBO.
Playwright, screenwriter and activist Beau Willimon is yet another John Burroughs alum, STLAS produced his play “Farragut North” (of which the movies “Ides of Mach” starring and directed by George Clooney is adapted.) He developed “House of Cards” for American television and was its showrunner. He most recently wrote the screenplay for “Mary Queen of Scots.”
STLAS Associate and Tony Award-nominated playwright and screenwriter Neil LaBute whose films include “In the Company of Men,” “Your Friends & Neighbors,” “Nurse Betty” and “The Shape of Things.” Neil hosts his “LaBute New Theater Festival” at STLAS’ Gaslight Theater in St. Louis each fall in in NYC periodically.
About the St. Louis Actor’s Studio
The St. Louis Actors’ Studio is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded by William Roth in 2006 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. Through the use of ensemble work, STLAS will explore the endless facets and various themes of the human condition by producing existing and original collaborative theatre. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.stlas.org/sustain. This program would not be possible without the generous support of Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Barnes and John Russell.
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.
As a regional surge in COVID-19 cases grips the area, more local arts and entertainment events have either been cancelled or postponed in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The month-long “Hamilton” national tour stop at the Fox is now postponed, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis has cancelled its festival season and people are now moving dates from spring to either later in the year or 2021.
Based on the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization’s recommendations on social distancing and against large group gatherings, St. Louis city and county, St. Charles County and Illinois put a public health emergency plan in place. They have shutdown gatherings of 10 or more, encouraged social distancing and ordered everyone to Stay-at-Home. Announced dates: St. Louis quarantine is through April 22; Illinois is through April April 30; Missouri is through April 24; and the nation is recommended until April 30.
Here is a round-up of the latest on community theater, regional professional theater, national touring shows, certain events and venues. If alternate programming has been put into place, it’s mentioned. As everyone knows by now, things change daily, so check with websites to see the latest. I’ll update as groups provide new information.
PROFESSIONAL VENUES
Kranzberg Arts Foundation
All Kranzberg Arts Foundation venue operations have been temporarily shut down.
This includes theatres, galleries, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and libraries.
These closures will remain in place until at least May 11.
This includes the Kranzberg Arts Center, The Marcelle
Theatre, The .Zack Theatre, The Big Top, The Grandel Theatre, The Dark Room,
Sophie’s Artist Lounge and the High-Low building.
Fox Theatre Performances at the Fabulous Fox have been postponed through April 30 and tours have been cancelled through June 7.
On April 10, the Fox announced that “Hamilton” has been postponed but no date has been set yet. It was scheduled to play at The Fox May 5 – June 7.
“The Fox is in discussion with the HAMILTON producers to reschedule the engagement and hopes to announce that information soon. said spokesman Megan Ketcherside.
Ticket holders should
keep their tickets until new dates are announced. More information will be
available once new dates are secured.
The Fabulous Fox Theatre hopes to bring the show to St. Louis in 2020, but as with all things related to COVID-19 and the social distancing necessary to keep guests and associates safe, theatre management will follow the lead of government and health officials in this matter> Ketcherside said.
The other shows that have been postponed: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” originally scheduled for March 17-29; Teen Talent Competition originally scheduled for April 4; “Cats,” originally scheduled for April 7-19; Celtic Woman has been rescheduled for April 20, 2021; and Chaka Khan, originally scheduled for April 24.
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” will now be Dec. 22 – 27. “Cats” can’t be rescheduled for 2019-2020 but Fox is working on a future date.
Plans to reschedule other postponed shows are currently underway. Ticket holders should hold on to their tickets – they will be honored on the new dates.
Decisions about other future shows will be made as we
follow the evolving situation with the COVID-19 virus and the City of St.
Louis’ determination of the length of this prohibition, public relations
manager Megan Ketcherside said.
Operational hours are subject to change based on the
COVID-19 situation. For now, the Fox Box Office is temporarily closed. The MetroTix
314-534-1111 phone hours are now from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Visit the website, www.fabulousfox.com/coronavirus
Family Arena
As of March 25, the Family Arena and The Family Arena Box
Office is closed to the public until such time as the limit on public
gatherings is lifted in St. Charles County.
Tickets are still available for purchase at
Ticketmaster.com.
Manager Tom O’Keefe said if you purchased tickets at the
box office for an upcoming rescheduled event that you would like a refund for,
please hold on to your tickets until they re-open and they will refund your
tickets at that time.
They have partnered with Ticketmaster to address all fan
questions regarding the cancellation and rescheduling of live events. Visit the
Ticketmaster Help Center for guidance and check back regularly for additional
information and status updates, www.familyarena.com.
Stifel Theatre
The Stifel Theatre and Enterprise Center Box Offices will
not open until further notice. For guests who purchased tickets to an upcoming
show through the box office that has been cancelled, please hold on to your
tickets until we re-open and are able to assist with your questions.
These events at Stifel Theatre have been postponed. Ticket
holders should hold on to their tickets, as all tickets will be honored on the
rescheduled dates.
Here are rescheduled dates:
Gabriel Iglesias, from March 13 to Oct. 15 and from March 15 to Oct. 14; Franco
Escamilla, from March 14 to Nov. 13; Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers from March 18
to Oct. 14; Nathaniel Rateliff from March 19 to Nov. 14; Ron White from March
20 to Sept. 11; Bert Kreischer from April 5 to July 30; Iliza: The Forever Tour
from April 23 to Sept. 24; and Trolls LIVE! From May 15-17 to Oct. 2-4.
The following events have been cancelled and refunds will
be available at original point of purchase:
“Sesame Street Live,” March 27-29; TD Jakes, April 10; The
Color Purple, April 11; Variety Children’s Charity featuring Steely Dan, April
23; The Spongebob Musical, May 2-3; and Mother’s Day Soul Jam, May 8.
Decisions about other future shows will be made as they continue
to monitor this rapidly evolving situation. Visit www.stifeltheatre.com
Chaifetz Arena
The arena is closed until further notice and in an abundance of caution, the
venue will be thoroughly cleaned while closed.
They are currently working to reschedule all impacted
events and will provide updates as quickly as possible. We ask all current
ticket-holders to retain their tickets for these events until such time when a
new date is determined as your current ticket will be valid for the new date. “Please
be patient and hang tight as we work through this unprecedented time,” a
spokesman said.
Additionally, they have partnered with Ticketmaster to
address all fan questions regarding the cancellation and rescheduling of live
events. Visit the Ticketmaster Help Center by clicking here for guidance and
check back regularly for additional information and status updates as they
become available.
Impacted Events: Festival Of Laughs from March 20 to Sept.
26; Sturgill Simpson from March 21 to TBD; Gateway Blues Festival from March 28
to TBD; AEW Dynamite from April 8 to Oct. 7; NF from April 11 to Aug. 15;
Legends of Hip Hop, from April 17 to Nov. 7; The Millennium Tour, from April 24
to Aug. 8; Three 6 Mafia, from May 23 to Oct. 2; and Lauren Daigle, from May 29
to TBD.
The Playhouse at Westport
All March/April events were cancelled, including “Flanagan’s Wake,” which had
been extended to mid-April.
John Denver Tribute May 7-10 and Rockin’ Chair June 5-6 remain
scheduled.
Off the Page is launching a new way to keep making art together, in this time of separation. Please head over to ART APART, TOGETHER to help us make a new work together: https://www.offthepageeducation.org/art-apart-together/
EVERYONE is encourage to participate–kids, adults, teachers, students, artists, people who don’t yet identify as artists! You read or watch the prompt and then respond immediately in the art form of your choice. We work with amazing collaborators to shape your responses in to a new work and have actors record it. We make a video of our brand new, collaborative work!
New prompts each week, so you can keep generating material while we work on new scripts. We want to hear from you.
The Muny
The
Muny administrative offices and box office are closed through late April.
Ticketing services for the 2020 season are available online at any time.Ticketing
related questions can be sent to boxoffice@muny.org
“We are closely monitoring all developments regarding the
COVID-19 outbreak and will continue to follow the guidance of health and
government officials with the goal of keeping our staff and community as safe
and healthy as possible,” the Muny statement reads on their website.
“With the start of our 2020 season still months away, we
remain optimistic that the season will proceed as planned and hope the
restrictions on gatherings are lifted in early May, as scheduled. If that
changes, we will adjust accordingly. Meanwhile, we continue communicating with
health officials on all levels to stay fully informed and responsive to this
unprecedented situation,” the statement reads.
Given the Stay at Home order for St. Louis City and County,
and for the health and safety of our team, The Muny Offices are currently
closed and some ticketing dates have changed. However, we’re still busy getting
ready for the 2020 summer season, and we can’t wait to meet you at The Muny
this summer!
Ticketing Update as of March 26 – These dates are subject
to change.
Muny Season Tickets will be mailed in early May
Season Ticket Exchanges: May 26 – 29
Single Ticket on Sale: June 1
To purchase new season tickets, or pay a current balance on
existing season tickets, please visit:
muny.org/buy-tickets
To purchase season tickets with a gift card you currently
have in-hand, please email The Muny Box Office at boxoffice@muny.org and a Muny
Ticketing agent will contact you to process
your request. If you wish to purchase a gift card, it will not be mailed until
the restrictions on gatherings have been lifted.
Also, if you are looking for a way to stay entertained
during these “quiet days,” we encourage you to enjoy a specially curated set of
video clips from our previous productions on our social media channels. You can
follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
The Cake starring Rigel Harris, Denny Dillon and Dria Brown. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
The Repertory Theatre had to cancel the run of “The Cake,”
which began in the Studio Theatre on March 14, but was forced to be shutdown
March 16, and to postpone our Mainstage world premiere of “Dreaming Zenzile” from
March 21, with the goal of mounting it this summer.
“The Cake”
An online stream of “The Cake” has been made available to all
Studio Theatre patrons who previously purchased tickets at no additional cost.
There are a limited number of streaming tickets available
for purchase for those who are interested in viewing the final performance of the
Steve Woolf Studio Series this season. That is available through April 24.
Additionally, The Rep is collaborating with a national
group of theatres to commission a series of short plays specifically developed
to spark joy and connection among people who are sheltering in place. These
initiatives are designed to keep the art alive and vital, even in a time of
isolating quarantines.
“Keep an eye out for more entertaining content and
educational resources from The Rep and our local and national partners by
following us on social media,” spokesman Jeremy Goldmeier said.
On March 27, The Rep announced that they have honored the entire contracts of
the guest artists who devoted their talents to “Dreaming Zenzile” and “The
Cake,” despite their runs being delayed or cut short.
“In these uncertain times, The Rep felt it was imperative
that these artists, whose livelihoods depend on their contracts, not bear the
additional burden of lost wages in this pandemic,” a statement said.
“As you know, The Rep has an extraordinarily talented and
dedicated staff that works year-round to support the productions, education,
and community initiatives to serve the greater St. Louis region. We have
continued to pay the full salaries of our full-time, year-round administrative
staff, with no furloughs or other lapses in pay. We have moved our
administrative and box office teams to work remotely to serve you during this
period,” a statement said.
Play at Home
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has teamed with
Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, The Public Theater and Woolly
Mammoth Theatre Company to present Play at Home, a series of micro-commissioned
short plays from some of the American theatre’s most exciting and prominent
playwrights.
These new plays – which all run 10 minutes or less – are
available for the public to download, read and perform at home for free at
playathome.org.
In the wake of widespread event cancellations following the
spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the participating theatres conceived Play
at Home as a way to support artists, connect people to theatre, and to ignite
imagination and joy in these uncertain times.
Each organization commissioned multiple playwrights – most
of whom had plays canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak – to create new
works that were big, joyful and not bound by the constraints of what might be
“possible” on a traditional stage.
The Rep’s commissioned playwrights feature:
Regina Taylor (playwright of The Rep’s 2020-2021 production
of Oo-Bla-Dee)
Karen Zacarias (playwright of The Rep’s 2020-2021
production of Native Gardens)
Steph Del Rosso (playwright of The Rep’s 2020-2021 world
premiere of The Gradient)
Guadalís Del Carmen (who appeared at The Rep as an actor in
2020’s Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles)
Tre’von Griffith (a St. Louis performer and playwright,
co-founder of TLT Productions)
These plays are meant to be read at home among family and friends, and we highly encourage readers to share photos or videos of their home performances on social media using the hashtag #playathome.
Max and Louie Productions
Estelle Siteman of Max & Louie Productions said they optimistically look forward to bringing the second play of our 2020 season,”Looking for Normal” by Jane Anderson to the Marcelle. “This beautiful ,moving play full of wit and wisdom opens July 16 through the 26.2020,” she said.
Moonstone Theatre Company Sharon Hunter said Moonstone Theatre Company has postponed their July opening of “The House of Blue Leaves” to July of 2021 at the Wool Studio Theatre at the J. They will announce our season shortly. which will now begin in November 2020 with a Neil Simon comedy.
Joe Hanrahan of The Midnight Company
The Midnight Company Midnight Artistic Director Joe Hanrahan has moved his one-man play from May 28 – June 13 to a June 4 – 20 run. This is the premiere of the full version of “Now Playing Third Base for the St. Louis Cardinals…Bond, James Bond,” which will be at The Chapel, 4238 Alexander Drive, 63105. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m.
It was performed in a shortened version at the 2018 St. Louis Fringe Festival, and audiences responded enthusiastically and critics raved. Snoops Theatre Thoughts said “A delightful show that’s part personal memoir, part history lesson, part nostalgia, and all fascinating. A difficult show to describe but what it is is excellent.” Limelight said “Hanrahan jumps from omniscient narrator to 15-year old movie fanatic to baseball and theatre historian, the audience hanging on every word. The Cardinals are the talk of the town again. This show should be the talk of the town, too!” Hanrahan said, “There’s never been a play we’ve done that’s received such enthusiastic, visceral reaction, due, surely, to the St. Louis history of the show. At the Fringe, productions are limited to one-hour playing time, and this new version will allow us to incorporate new material that should make the show ever more entertaining and informative.” “Now Playing Third Base for the St. Louis Cardinals…Bond, James Bond,” concerns a teen-age boy in 1964. JFK’s assassination still casts a pall on the nation. The Beatles’ emergence in February of ’64 starts to lighten the mood of the nation. The Cardinals continue the good times in St. Louis with a mad dash toward the pennant. And when a new movie hero hits the screens that summer, a bunch of boys on a baseball field have their first theatre experience when one of their gang offers a 30-minute one-man show of “From Russia with Love.” Throughout, the playwright draws links between what’s happened and happening – from JFK to James Bond, from segregation in St. Louis to segregation in baseball’s Southern Leagues and Florida stadiums where The Beatles were supposed to play, from WWII to British film production crews and JFK hit squads, from the first cave man who stood up by the fire to the theatre musings of Peter Brook…all of it swirling in front of the eyes of a young boy, and the memory of that time. Shane Signorino will direct the show as he did at The Fringe (Shane just received a Theatre Critics Circle nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Midnight’s POPCORN FALLS), Kevin Bowman will serve as Production Designer, Michael B. Perkins will design video support (as he did for Midnight productions of A MODEL FOR MATISSE, JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG, and LITTLE THING BIG THING), and Elizabeth Henning will be Stage Manager.
There will also be a concurrent exhibit in The Chapel lobby of memorabilia from 1950’s/60’s baseball and James Bond films, presented by George Venegoni.
Grace Langford and Jaclyn Amber in “Head Over Heels” Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre
New Line managed to get two weekends of performances of “Head Over Heels” before the local government mandates of crowd size forced it to close early in mid-March.
Its June production of “Urinetown” has been cancelled.
Stray Dog Theatre
“Annie,” which was to open April 9, has been postponed,
with dates to be announced.
“We will honor all tickets already purchased to any of the
new performance dates once they are announced. To purchase tickets to any other
future productions, please call our box office directly at (314) 865-1995.
“We are currently planning to hold the remainder of the
2019-2020 season as scheduled. Any changes or additional information will be
shared as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to
contact us,” said Artistic Director Gary F. Bell.
“We would like to thank everyone for the hard work they’ve
already put into the production and we would like to thank you for your
patience as we work to bring you the quality story telling you, our family,
deserve. Annie is that bit of light we all need right now, ‘the sun will come
out tomorrow’ and we will overcome anything,” Bell said.
“We know we are not the only organization dealing with
these difficult decisions and we stand with them, ready to come back stronger.
Your continued support of all arts organizations is always appreciated but
never more than in times like these. We look forward to seeing you soon,” he
said. “Please stay safe and be kind to one another.”
Kenneth Lonergan’s “Lobby Hero” is set to run June 4
– June 20
“However, due to the extreme strain currently being faced
by many organizations we have made the decision to halt online sales of
upcoming productions. We will resume online sales once matters have settled and
the timeline of events moving forward becomes more defined,” Bell said.
“You may continue to purchase tickets for upcoming shows by calling our Box
Office at (314) 856-1995 or emailing us at boxoffice@straydogtheatre.org. Thank
you for your patience and your continued support as we manage these unfortunate
events.”
Neil LaBute’s Ten X Ten Series 2nd Week free Video is now availalbe! Check our Twitter account for the link (http://twitter.com/STLAS1)LaBute’s Ten X Ten Series is offered as free content weekly via @STLAS1. It is a collection of original monologues initially written for AUDIENCE CHANNEL#LaBute10x10
This is in response to the cancellation of LaBute’s new play, “Comfort,” which STLAS was to stage this spring.
New Jewish Theatre
Judi Mann, Kelly Weber and Joneal Joplin in “We Are the Levinsons”
Initially, New Jewish rescheduled “We Are the Levinsons”
from March 19 to May, but now they have pushed it back, along with their
Sondheim musical revue, “Putting It Together.” They would like to reschedule later this
summer.
All activities at the JCCA have been suspended during the
public health crisis.
For more information, please contact them by email or by
phone, 314-442-3283.
Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has canceled its season. On April 7, Andrew Jorgensen, general director of Opera Theatre, announced the cancellation of the 2020 festival season that was to open May 23 and run through June 28 with this repertory: the world premiere of Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman’s Awakenings, Bizet’s gripping opera Carmen, Strauss’ effervescent comedy Die Fledermaus, and the long-awaited company premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah.
Unfortunately, due to the size of seasonal staff required to produce each opera season, it is not possible for us to assemble the same casts, creative teams, and backstage artisans at any other point in the next several months. Even if we could postpone our season by a month, we simply don’t know when it will be safe for groups to gather again.
At this time, there is no active plan in place to move any of the 2020 productions into the 2021 Festival Season. However, they are still evaluating various options and scenarios — stay tuned for more!
For a complete list of all affected programs and public events, including information on whether an event is canceled or postponed, visit the website and scroll down for a complete list:
This page will be updated frequently in the weeks ahead as new information becomes available regarding the status of events, including possible rescheduling or digital streaming.
“As always, our highest priority is the health of the entire OTSL family — patrons, staff, and artists,” the statement reads.
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
The 2020 Shakespeare in the Park production of “Much Ado
About Nothing” has been moved to Aug. 12 – Sept. 6. Producing Artistic Director
Tom Ridgely said it was in order to provide the best possible chance of safely
gathering artists and audiences for its 20th anniversary season. It
is to be directed by Bruce Longworth.
“For the past 20 years in St. Louis, the opening of
Shakespeare in the Park has helped to mark the unofficial start of summer,” Ridgely
said. “This year it’s clear that the only way to care for our actors, crew,
volunteers and community is to give as much time as possible for social distancing
measures to take effect and hope to be one of the ways we all bring our summer
2020 to a much happier close.”
The previously announced creative team of Matt Pace &
Brien Seyle (Original Music), Josh Smith (Scenic Design), Dorothy Englis
(Costume Design), John Wylie (Lighting Design) and Kathy Ruvuna (Sound Design)
remains the same.
In response to the widespread cancellation of live events,
the Festival has already shifted to generating a full schedule of new and
original content for the online and social media platforms under the umbrella
of “ShakespeareTV.”
These include the previously aired “watch party” of its
canceled regional tour of Cymbeline, a live reading of “Venus and Adonis”
(which Shakespeare wrote during a plague-induced theater closure) and a
five-night reading of Albert Camus’ postwar masterpiece “The Plague.” Together
they’ve already been viewed 10,000 times.
Now through May 29 on ShakespeareTV, which can be accessed
on their Facebook page:
THE ZOOM PLAYS: a weekly series of 20- to 30-minute
original plays written especially to be performed live over the
videoconferencing app Zoom. Created and performed by local playwrights,
directors and actors.
GREEN SHOW MONDAYS: an eclectic variety program featuring
music, comedy and performance from Festival favorites.
SHAKESPEARE AND CHILL: a special selection of
Shakespeare-inspired movies featuring live commentary from artists and
scholars, co-curated by Cinema St. Louis.
Other one-night only events to be announced.
May 29 – June 21 is SHAKE20
A 20th anniversary reboot of the beloved engagement program
SHAKE38 featuring community responses to 20 of Shakespeare’s plays streaming on
Facebook and Instagram Tuesdays through Sundays 8 p.m. during the Festival’s
originally scheduled run, May 29-June 21.
Like the original, SHAKE20 will be a region-wide
collaboration involving artists and organizations including SHAKE38 alumni:
Slightly Askew Theater, Prison Performing Arts: The Alumni Group, RS-Theatrics,
Poor Monsters and Theater Nuevo. More details about the program and how to
apply will be shared soon.
“In the meantime, we
hope that you and yours stay well. We have planned an incredible season of free
Shakespeare, and we cannot wait to share it with you. It’s an interesting time
to be in the business of live theatre and touring productions, but the Festival
is committed to paying our artists and staff throughout this crisis,” Ridgely
said.
So, if you have ever considered becoming a member, know
that we are always grateful for your support—but especially so at this time,” he
said.
“During this crisis, we feel more connected to Shakespeare
and his contemporaries than ever before. Biographer Jonathan Bate wrote, ‘The
Plague was the single most powerful force shaping [Shakespeare’s] life and
those of his contemporaries.’ During times of quarantine, Shakespeare wrote
some of his most important sonnets and plays,” Ridgely said.
“We can’t claim to have his genius, but we will take
inspiration from his dedication and from artists around the world that are
stepping up to create, facilitate, and share stories in new and exciting ways.
Stay tuned for updates on new and existing Festival programs,” he said.
For more information, visit the website sfstl.com and on
social media. Visit https://www.facebook.com/shakesfestSTL
Stages St. Louis
While Stages St. Louis continues to follow guidance from the CDC as well as
mandates from both local and national government, for the time being, they have
made no adjustments to the schedule for our upcoming 2020 Season.
However, here are some changes regarding tickets, activities
and outreach:
Single tickets for the 2020 Season will now go on sale
beginning Monday, April 27.
All in-person activities with the Stages Performing Arts
Academy will be canceled until the start of our Summer Semester on Monday, June
1.
The Stages administrative, production, and academy offices
will remain closed until Thursday, April 23.
In the meantime, the Box Office is still open for questions
or subscription ticket sales online at www.StagesStLouis.org or by phone at
(314) 821-2407.
The Stages Performing Arts Academy will continue to offer
digital and streaming content in order to continue performing arts education
for students at home and can answer any and all questions by phone at (636)
449-5775.
Shows are: “A Chorus Line,” May 29 – June 28; Disney’s Alice in Wonderland,” June 16 – June 28, “La Cage Aux Folles,” July 17 – Aug. 16; and “Always…Patsy Cline,” Sept. 4 – Oct. 4.
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Executive Artistic Director Carrie Houk said after careful deliberation, they find it necessary to push the 5th Annual Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis to summer due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Our first commitment is to keeping the company and community safe. The dates were May 10-17.
The Tesseract Theatre Company Plans are underway to present the 2020 Festival of New Plays June 11 – 28 at the .Zack Theatre. The four plays are “Last Night” by Rachel Lynett, “All That Remains” by J.M. Chambers, “Feast” by Megan Gogerty and “The Length of a Pop Song” by Taylor Gruenloh.
For more information, contact: brittaniegunn@gmail.com or visit the website, www.tesseracttheatre.com
That Uppity Theatre Company Joan Lipkin said they we had hoped to do a new devised piece Crossing Borders/Chasing Freedom May 2-3, “but of course that is on hold. We are still planning to do Dance the Vote Sept 26 at the Missouri History Museum,” she said.
Upstream Theater In keeping with the evolving response to the current public health crisis, Upstream Theater is postponing our premiere of IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT until next season. The play is now scheduled to run from October 9-25.If you have purchased single tickets or a season passport we will be happy to honor your ticket at that time.
West End Players Guild
Steven Dietz’s “Bloomsday” set to open April 17 and run through
April 26 has been cancelled. It was the final production of the group’s 109th
season.
“As our country copes with the growing threat of the
Coronavirus, one of the most important steps we must take to protect ourselves
and each other is the kind of “social distancing” that is impossible at a
theatrical production. Our Board of Directors believes it is highly unlikely
that the need for social distancing will be any less in April than it is today,
and decided that the best course of action for our company and our patrons was
to act now to cancel the show,” a statement reads.
Patrons who have purchased advance tickets through Brown
Paper Tickets will be issued automatic refunds. WEPG will reach out to season
ticket holders in the near future with refund options.
WEPG will begin its 110th season in September.
Alfresco Productions Auditions
for “Hairspray Jr.” will be by video for the Granite City community theater
production. The show is to run July 24-26 and deadline for video submissions is
April 19. The age limit is from 6th grade to 18 years old. For more
information, visit: https://www.alfrescoproductions.org/auditions
Alton Little Theatre
All productions and concert events through May 1 have been
cancelled. Ticket holders for “Holy Laughter” and Todd Oliver and
“Broadway Salutes America” may be refunded or transferred. Call
618-462-3205 for options.
“Brigadoon” has been moved from May to June, with plans for
a June 5 opening, with eight performances through June 14. Season ticket
holders can follow the same schedule but can call the office at 618-462-3205 anytime
in May.
“Shrek” auditions have been rescheduled for Saturday, May
10, at 10 a.m. and Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. Director Kevin Frakes will be casting
at least 30 characters. The show will run July 31-Aug. 9 for eight
performances.
Clayton Community Theatre “The
Philadelphia Story” was to run March 12-22 but was cancelled after opening
weekend.
They hope to premiere “Broadway Bound” July 9 -14
Curtain’s Up Theater Company
The group based in Edwardsville has postponed its production of “1776” for a
future date in 2020, to be determined, and cancelled March 28 auditions. The musical
was to be performed June 26-28 at The Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville. To keep
informed of updates, visit www.curtainsuptheater.com
Kirkwood Theatre Guild
Kirkwood Theatre Guild cancelled its remaining two shows: “On Golden Pond” and “Shrek:
The Musical,” which were set to run in April and May.
Hawthorne Players
The run of “Picnic,” set for March 27, 28 and April 3-5, was cancelled.
Auditions for “A Chorus Line,” which were scheduled March 29 have been put on
hold. More information will be forthcoming. Please follow or check out website
www.HawthornePlayers.com for any further announcements.
Looking Glass Playhouse
LGP began the March 12-22 run of “It’s Only a Play” but was forced to cancel it
after state and local mandates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They have cancelled the rest of the season, including “Rock
of Ages” in May and have moved it to the opening slot in the fall.
“We are reaching out to the publishers to reschedule and are hopeful that we
will be able to still perform the show in September,” he said.
They hope to announce the full season soon and for patrons
who renew their season tickets for next year, they will receive a 10 percent
discount.
“Currently, we are still planning our summer youth
production “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” and summer fundraiser “The Rocky Horror
Show.”
Monroe Actors Stage Company
The current production of “Watch Over the Rhine,” which was to run April 17-19
and 24-26, has been postponed.
Due to the current health crisis in our area, all MASC rehearsals and
activities at the Capitol Theater have been postponed effective Monday, March
16.
“The MASC Board will be discussing the plan of action
moving forward regarding Watch on the Rhine, the current show in production,
and the remainder of the 2019-2020 season, as we monitor the progression of
this crisis. Specific information regarding these two shows will be sent out
accordingly. The health and safety of our membership and patrons is our highest
priority,” a statement read.
O’Fallon Theatre Works
The group cancelled “Man from Earth” in March.
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” is planned for July, and auditions
were recently handled by video.
Over Due Theatre Company
The group in Olivette has postponed “My Fair Lady.” It was
to run April 24-26 and May 1-3.
For the time being, they are still planning on holding auditions for “Bye Bye
Birdie” May 9 and 10. The show is set for July 24-26 and July 31, Aug. 1 and 2.
The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves
They have postponed our May production of “Rehearsal for Murder.”
“We are hopeful and fully intend to mount this production
at a later date,” a statement read.
AWARDS EVENTS
St. Louis Theater Circle
Often referred to as “Theater Prom,” the eighth annual St. Louis Theater Circle
Awards were to take place on March 30 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the
campus of Webster University, but the event has been cancelled. Local theater
critics will still honor outstanding regional professional theater, however.
Instead, HEC will provide a streamcast of the awards on
Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m. on their Facebook page. So, instead of fancy
outfits and schmoozing, the event will be downscaled reading of the nominations
and awards.
The theater critic members of the St. Louis Theater Circle
have recorded the nominations, and their voice-overs will run over photos of
the nominees. Then HEC announcer Rod will announce the winner. There are 34
categories to give awards in, which cover dramas, comedies and musicals. A
special award is being given to Ken and Nancy Kranzberg for their tremendous
support and commitment to the arts.
Visit the Theater Circle’s Facebook page for more
information.
If you would like to see who was nominated, here is the
PopLifeSTL article:
https://www.poplifestl.com/brighton-beach-memoirs-kinky-boots-and-man-of-la-mancha-lead-8th-annual-st-louis-theater-circle-awards/
Arts For Life
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.
AFL President Mary McCreight has suspended all public
activities of the AFL organization, effective until at least May 1. This
includes all judging activities of the Theatre Recognition Guild.
“As our world, our nation and our region face a major
health threat, it falls upon us as a community to adopt measures that will both
foster the protection of those who work and ‘play’ in Metro St. Louis community
theatre and ultimately allow AFL to continue our charitable mission of service
and recognition once the threat passes,” she said.
(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).
ST LOUIS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS
In partnership with The Fabulous Fox, The Muny and The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, the St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards announced today the shift from in-person celebrations to virtual for their 2019-2020 season.
The new date for this year’s medallion ceremony, also known as the nomination ceremony, will be April 28, 2020 with the awards ceremony slated for May 24, 2020. Both streamed live online at no charge, these virtual celebrations will honor each of the 42 participating schools in the 2019-2020 season, including the schools who were unable to produce their productions due to the unprecedented circumstances associated with COVID-19. Exact times and streaming information will be released at a later date.
ARTS CENTERS AND CONCERT HALLS
The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts
All events and performances scheduled through June 1 have
been cancelled at “The Hett,” which is located on the campus of McKendree
University.
“TAO Drum” has been
rescheduled from March 24 for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14; and “Ishmael Beah”
has been rescheduled from April 15 for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 4, 2021.
The ReMINDers has been cancelled for April 6.
They are offering patrons the possibility of applying their
tickets to a future event at the Hett, donating the ticket value to the
University or contacting them for a full refund, less any original mailing
fees. Please contact the box office during operating hours to discuss ticket
disposition at 618-537-6863. The box office is open from noon to 4 p.m.
Monday-Friday.
Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is located at 701 College Road in Lebanon. For
more information, please contact thehett@mckendree.edu.
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
All performances through April 12 are postponed or
canceled. For information regarding tickets and schedules, visit slso.org.
The Sheldon Concert Hall & Art Galleries
All Sheldon-presented concerts and other events through May
10 have been postponed or canceled. Plans to reschedule are underway, and
ticket buyer should retain their current tickets – they will be honored for the
new dates. Additional information will be provided to ticket buyers as events
are rescheduled. Affected concerts include: Ian Walsh and Kevin Buckley,
“Keepin’ It Reel,” March 17-18; Honoring Our Own, Miz Renee Smith, March 17;
David Halen, violin, April 1; Brothers Lazaroff, April 4. Scheduling changes
for events presented by non-Sheldon promoters will be handled on a case by case
basis. All updates can be found at TheSheldon.org or at MetroTix.com.
The Sheldon is located at 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis.
Fair Saint Louis
Fair Saint Louis and America’s
Birthday Parade events have been canceled this year due to concerns about the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Fair Saint Louis was set to run July 2-4 at the Gateway Arch
with concerts, air show, and fireworks each night.
“While we are saddened to cancel two of our region’s most
popular and free Fourth of July celebrations, the safety of our community is of
utmost importance to us,” said David Estes, Chairman, Fair Saint Louis. “Fair
Saint Louis and America’s Birthday Parade embody the prideful spirit of our
city, and over the past few weeks, we’ve seen that spirit shine so brightly
within our community as we face this unthinkable challenge together.”
This year would have marked the 40th Fair Saint Louis and 138th
America’s Birthday Parade.
“We look forward to returning to downtown St. Louis and celebrating
with our community in the future when the time is right,” said David Plufka,
Chairman, America’s Birthday Parade.
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 eighth annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are taking place in cyberspace on Tuesday, April 7, rather than at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. That March 30 event was cancelled because of the current public health crisis. The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected the St. Louis region, with government quarantine orders in both St. Louis city and county through April 22.
The awards honoring excellence in professional regional theater for the 2019 season are being made available by the Higher Education Channel at 7 p.m. on their platforms. Their link is: Higher Education Channel TV (HEC-TV)
The streamcast will be able to be seen on HEC Media’s Facebook page, channel 989 on Spectrum (Charter) and channel 99 on AT&T U-verse.
HEC Announcer Rod Milam will state the winner after the Circle members voice-over the nominations in 33 categories. It is expected to take a half-hour.
The Muny, now in its second century of performances at its outdoor amphitheater in Forest Park, leads the way with a total of 25 nominations, followed by 24 for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) and 21 for New Jewish Theatre. Stages St. Louis follows with 13 nominations, West End Players Guild with 10 and Stray Dog Theatre with a total of eight nominees.
In all, 25 local professional companies received nominations for 51 different shows. Lighting designer Sean M. Savoie leads all nominees with three different nominations out of a total of 125 nominated artists, including six who received two nominations apiece. The awards honor outstanding achievement in locally produced professional theater for the calendar year 2019.
More than 120 locally produced professional theatrical productions were presented in the St. Louis area last year.
Ken and Nancy Kranzberg will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their long-standing commitment to the arts and theater in St. Louis, including Grand Center.
The official hashtag for the event, to be used on Twitter and Facebook, is: #TCA20
The St. Louis Theater Circle would like to thank the folks at HEC Media, including Dennis Riggs, Boyd Pickup, Rod Milam, Paul Langdon, Christina Chastain and their colleagues, for stepping up and making this streamcast production possible after the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of our eighth annual gala.
The St. Louis Theater Circle includes Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Tanya Seale, Broadway World; Judith Newmark, Judy’s Second Act: Mark Bretz, Ladue News; Tina Farmer, KDHX; Gerry Kowarsky, “Two on the Aisle” HEC; Bob Wilcox “Two on the Aisle” HEC: Ann Lemons Pollack, St Louis Eats; Steve Allen, Stage Door STL; Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX; Michelle Kenyon, Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts; Bob Cohn, St. Louis Jewish Light; and Lynn Venhaus, PopLifeSTL.com. Eleanor Mullin is the administrator.
For more information, visit the Circle’s Facebook page.
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.
September 2020 will mark the beginning of St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s fourteenth season theme “Dramedy.”
As we continue our exploration of human relationships, we present an offering of plays this season that tell stories of expectant families, existing relations and belief systems that we use to blame our choices and actions. Season 14 will make you think and laugh until you cry.
Our 2020-21 season: And Baby Makes Seven by Paula Vogel Directed by Associate Artistic Director, Annamaria Pileggi September 18 – October 4, 2020
Anna, Ruth and Peter await the arrival of their newborn child, but first they must rid the crowded apartment of their three imaginary children.
“AND BABY MAKES SEVEN is a profound and clever comedy.” —Drama-Logue.
“What’s remarkable about BABY—a really lovely play—is the sense of innocence and optimism that rises from potentially dark subject matter.” —Philadelphia City Paper.
“AND BABY MAKES SEVEN is a hilariously inventive play. Playwright Vogel’s writing is witty and precise.” —Daily Californian.
“Filled with outrageous touches, AND BABY MAKES SEVEN offers one of those rare theatergoing opportunities where everything comes together in a string of magical moments. Be prepared to be enchanted seven times over.” —Austin American Statesman.
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN By Young Jean Lee Directed by Joanna Battles December 4 – December 20, 2020
When Ed and his three adult sons come together to celebrate Christmas, they enjoy cheerful trash-talking, pranks, and takeout Chinese. Then they confront a problem that even being a happy family can’t solve: When identity matters, and privilege is problematic, what is the value of being a straight white man?
“The signal surprise of STRAIGHT WHITE MEN, written by the ever-audacious Young Jean Lee, is that the play is not a full-frontal assault on the beings of the title…Ms. Lee’s fascinating play goes far beyond cheap satire, ultimately becoming a compassionate and stimulating exploration of one man’s existential crisis. Believe it or not, Ms. Lee wants us to sympathize with the inexpressible anguish of her protagonist, a middle-aged, upper-middle-class straight white man…[A] mournful and inquisitive play…” —The New York Times.
“A prime example of dramaturgical normcore—that is, experimental plays dressing up like fourth-wall family dramas—[STRAIGHT WHITE MEN] tickles your soft aesthetic underbelly, before easing in the knife of reality…If Lee wants to dissect the conscience of our society’s most visible and powerful population, what better mode than living-room realism, sadly, our default theatrical setting? …However, if you expect deconstruction-prone Lee to break down this form through surreal flourishes or screwing with the frame, you may be surprised. Most shocking is the absence of shock. She’s too good a writer for the drama not to work on its own terms, and as such, the result is both emotionally satisfying…and unflinching in its critique of white-driven social justice.” —Time Out NY.
“To cut to the obvious, STRAIGHT WHITE MEN is a loaded title…But the play turns out to have a disarming gentleness to it. Lee has more sympathy for her subject than scorn…STRAIGHT WHITE MEN is a family drama that on the surface looks fairly standard, but the play transcends psychological realism. Lee is wrestling with the meaning of straight white male privilege through characters who are self-conscious beneficiaries of an identity increasingly out of favor in 21st century America yet still, like it or not, in control.” —Los Angeles Times.
Hand To God by Robert Askins Directed by Associate Artistic Director, John Pierson February 19- March 7, 2021
After the death of his father, meek Jason finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry, in the devoutly religious, relatively quiet small town of Cypress, Texas. Jason’s complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door, and—most especially—his mother are thrown into upheaval when Jason’s puppet, Tyrone, takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality all its own. HAND TO GOD explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality, and the ties that bind us.
“The fearsome critter [Tyrone], who takes possession of a troubled teenager’s left arm in Robert Askins’ darkly delightful play really inspires goose bumps as he unleashes a reign of terror…But he’s also flat-out hilarious, spewing forth acid comedy that will turn those goose bumps into guffaws.” —The New York Times.
“Furiously funny…Askins’ most impressive talent is his ability to make us laugh while juggling those big themes that make life so terrifying: death, depression, alcoholism, sexual guilt, emotional repression, religious hypocrisy and the eternal battle between your good puppet and your bad puppet.” —Variety.
“A scabrously funny scenario that steadily darkens into suspense and Grand Guignol horror, this fiery clash of the id, ego and superego is also an audacious commentary on the uses of faith, both to comfort and control us.” —The Hollywood Reporter.
“I don’t know which I want to do more: Sing Hallelujah—or wash its dirty little mouth out with soap. …Clearly a singular vision is at work here, with playwright Robert Askins venturing successfully into territory—satire—rich with potholes.” —Deadline.
“HAND TO GOD is so ridiculously raunchy, irreverent and funny it’s bound to leave you sore from laughing. Ah, hurts so good.” —New York Daily News.
The Zoo Story/The Dumb Waiter by Edward Albee/Harold Pinter Directed by Associate Artistic Director, Wayne Salomon April 16 – May 2, 2021 Classic early one act plays by two giants of the theatre. Edward Albee and Harold Pinter.
THE ZOO STORY – A man sits peacefully reading in the sunlight in Central Park. There enters a second man. He is a young, unkempt and undisciplined vagrant where the first is neat, ordered, well-to-do and conventional. The vagrant is a soul in torture and rebellion. He longs to communicate so fiercely that he frightens and repels his listener. He is a man drained of all hope who, in his passion for company, seeks to drain his companion. With provocative humor and unrelenting suspense, the young savage slowly, but relentlessly, brings his victim down to his own atavistic level as he relates a story about his visit to the zoo.
“Edward Albee is a voice unparalleled in American theater.” —NY Times.
“The dialogue crackles and the tension runs high.” —Associated Press.
“Darkly comic and thrilling.” —Time Out NY.
THE DUMB WAITER: As the New York World-Telegram & Sun describes: “In the basement of a long-abandoned restaurant, two hired killers nervously await their next assignment. Barred from daylight and living public contact by the nature of their work, they expend their waiting time in bickering. So eerie is the situation that everything becomes comic, or grotesque, or both. Ben re-reading a newspaper and exclaiming in disbelief over the news items, Gus fussing with an offstage stove and offstage plumbing. Ben bludgeoning Gus into silence if he as much as mentions their work. Gus worrying that someone had slept in his bed. So then the ancient dumbwaiter comes to life, the suspense becomes almost unbearable—that expertly has Pinter put the nerves of his characters and audience on edge.”
“a distinguished gift for sheer, old-fashioned theatrical effectiveness, including the use of melodramatic suspense and the hint of sinister forces lying in ambush.” —NY Post
9th Annual LaBute New Theater Festival July 9 – August 1, 2021 A Celebrated month-long festival of world premiere one-act plays.
ABOUT ST. LOUIS ACTORS’ STUDIO St. Louis Actors’ Studio is one of the leading professional theatres in the St. Louis. area, producing a four-show season of plays at our 97-seat Gaslight Theatre. STLAS collaborates with renown director, screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute to produce the LaBute New Theater Festival each July in St. Louis and each January in New York City. The festival is a one-act play competition for emerging professionals and high-school writers.
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.
St. Louis Theater Circle Awards Ceremony Cancelled, AFL’s Theatre Mask Awards Moved to July
By Lynn Venhaus
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, productions scheduled in March, April and May at New Jewish Theatre, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Tennessee Williams Festival, Upstream Theater, West End Players Guild and the Playhouse at Westport have announced postponements, some with new dates and others to be determined.
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has closed all its venues.
St. Louis Theater Circle has cancelled the March 30 Awards Ceremony and Arts For Life has pushed back its annual Theatre Mask Awards. Metro Theatre Company has announced some changes in scheduling.
Here is the most up-to-date information available, and updates will be happening as we get word.
The companies are following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines for social distancing, which has recommended limiting gatherings of no more than 50 for the next eight weeks. St. Louis City and St. Louis County have banned such public gatherings.
On Monday, the White House advised the public to avoid groups of more than 10 and urged older people to stay at home for the next 15 days in a set of new guidelines designated to fight a spreading coronavirus outbreak.
Kranzberg Arts Foundation They announced Tuesday that they have followed the recommendations and guidelines put in place by our government and health officials and have moved to shut down all Kranzberg Arts Foundation venue operations. This includes theatres, galleries, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and libraries. For the time being, our tenant and resident organization offices remain open. These closures will remain in place until at least May 11:
The Grandel Theatre
The Marcelle
The Kranzberg Studio, Black Box, and Gallery
.ZACK Theatre
High Low
Sophie’s Artist Lounge
The Dark Room
To ticket holders, MetroTix will be reaching out and instructing guests to respond with “refund” or “donate”. “While this is a difficult time for everyone, arts organizations and artists will be particularly impacted by COVID-19 and the disruption to their jobs. We’re asking for guests, as they are able to, to consider donating to the organizations instead of asking for a refund,” Executive Director Chris Hansen said.
“We will continue to work with our funding partners and local government agencies to find ways to help support artists and arts organizations through these unprecedented times and to make sure the arts are still felt and present in people’s daily lives,” he said.
“We will stay connected through social media and other digital platforms and will share resources, updates, and next steps as frequently as possible,: Hansen said.
West End Players Guild West End Players Guild said Monday that Steven Dietz’s “Bloomsday,” originally scheduled for April 17 – 26, has been cancelled as the season’s final show but will be rescheduled in September as the first show of the 2020-2021 season.
WEPG said online ticket purchasers will receive an automatic full refund through Brown Paper Tickets. “Please allow two weeks for the refund to be posted to your credit card. Season ticket holders will be advised of refund options this week by email,” the statement said.
Photo by Greg Lazerwitz
New Jewish Theatre New Jewish Theatre has moved “We Are the Levinsons” to May 6 0 17. The St. Louis premiere had been scheduled to open this Thursday and run from March 19 to April 5.
A comedy that tugs on your heart, it centers on Rosie, a divorced fiftyish TV writer with an insufferable 21 year-old daughter, who suddenly finds herself responsible for her father’s care. This thoughtful and earnest play delves into some difficult but universal passages of life. We all must give up the insolence of youth and take on the mantle of adulthood. Along the way are opportunities to love and to pursue our dreams. We are the Levinsons teaches us how we should cherish these moments with tenderness and with laughter.
Fox Theatre
At the Fox Theatre, the touring production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which had been set to open Tuesday, March 17 and run through, has been postponed but a new date has not been announced.
“We are working with the producers of the show to reschedule for dates in the near future and I will be sure to keep you updated!” Publicity Manager Megan Ketcherside said.
“We appreciate your support and please know that the health and safety of our guests is always our top priority. We will continue to look to our government and health professionals for guidance as we work through this unprecedented time in our history.,” she said.
As of March 17 announcement, “Cats” scheduled for April 7-19 and Chaka Khan scheduled for April 24 are postpone until a future date can be determined.
The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation’s 10th annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition Finals are being moved from Saturday, April 4, to a later date, to be determined.
In the spirit of fostering the emerging talent in the St. Louis performing arts community, the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation is proud to underwrite and produce an adjudicated competition showcasing the talented teens of the St. Louis region. Students are competing for college scholarships, cash awards, prizes, and public appearance opportunities
The Playhouse @ Westport
All March events are presently cancelled, including Flanagan’s Wake due to the updated information and recommendations implemented to regarding Covid-19. “Flanagan’s Wake” had been extended through April 11, with a special St. Patrick’s Day performance March 17.
John Denver Tribute May 7-10 and Rockin’ Chair June 5 and 6 are still scheduled.
Refunds are available at point of purchase.
St. Louis Actors’ Studio
The St. Louis Actors’ Studio has postponed its world premiere of Neil LaBute’s “Comfort,” that was to run from April 17 to May 3 at the Gaslight Theatre, but is providing an offer for online content.
“STLAS to offer Neil LaBute’s 10 x 10 series as exclusive streaming content for its current subscribers (new subscribers to the 20/21 season) and ticket holders and will postpone the world premiere of LaBute’s play “Comfort,” said William Roth, founder and artistic director.
“While we wait at home for the virus to settle, Neil and I quickly put our heads together to see how we could entertain our best patrons as we figure out how to navigate these ever-changing waters. Neil has been so very generous to us and he truly appreciates, as I do, our ongoing collaboration as well as the patrons and artists of St. Louis.” Roth said.
Each of the 10-minute films features one actor telling their story directly to the viewer. The first five feature Frederick Weller (In Plain Sight, The Good Wife), St. Louisan Jenna Fischer (The Office), Louisa Krause (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Young Adult), Richard Kind (Luck, Burn Notice, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Judith Light (Other Desert Cities, Assembled Parties).
Weller’s character is a man who relays the story of an encounter he had with a woman sitting next to him on a flight. Fisher portrays a woman telling about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and about her new life partner. Krause’s character is a young woman who discusses the way in which she takes control of her sexual destiny. Kind portrays a man discussing his feelings about his long-time marriage and his views on same-sex marriage as well. Light becomes a woman remembering the ‘man who got away’ while discussing her former marriage and her new boyfriend.
The second five feature Adam Brody (Some Girls), Maggie Grace (Taken; Taken 2), Jason Patric (Your Friends and Neighbors), Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone) and Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping). Each film explores the nature of human relationships, specifically themes of love and lust, told by characters at different stages in their lives.
Brody portrays a young man bemoaning his impending hair loss and talking about his ‘ideal’ woman. Grace’s character is a woman talking about a friend who was killed in a car accident while texting her boyfriend. Patric embodies a man recounting the tale of a fight between parents that he was involved in at a little league game. Madigan plays a woman confessing to slowly having lost her will to live and asks a visitor for some spiritual help. Pullman becomes a man considering the ever-changing culture around him and his evolving views on love and life
LaBute explains, “The series was initially written as exclusive content for DIRECTV’s ‘AUDIENCE CHANNEL’ and has been rarely seen since its initial airing on television. 10 X 10 is a collection of original monologues— five men, five women—that are performed directly to the camera and in real time, meaning there is no editing or camera trickery. It is all about the material and the actor, bringing each piece to the audience at home as purely and directly as possible.”
The 10 x 10 videos will be released weekly to STLAS patrons via email with password a protected link. They will also be providing in-home entertainment from the Gaslight courtesy of St. Louis Actors’ Studio as it can be generated and as regulations permit.
Details for the new dates for “Comfort” will be announced soon. The new LaBute play is about a mother and son meeting after some time apart to see if their relationship can survive the past and two new book deals.
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Executive Artistic Director Carrie Houk said the multiple activities of the fifth annual Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis would be moved to summer. It had been scheduled for May 7 – 17 in the Grand Center.
“After careful deliberation, we find it necessary to push the 5th Annual Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis to summer due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Our first commitment is to keeping the company and community safe.The show WILL go on. We will be announcing new dates shortly,” she said. . The multi-award-winning Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis headliner is The Rose Tattoo. There will be more than a dozen separate elements, scheduled so that attendees may attend every one during the eleven-day run, all held in the Grand Center Arts District and on The Hill. Events include:
3 productions: The Rose Tattoo, The St. Louis Rooming House Plays, Amor Perdido
Academic series, “Tennessee Williams and his Midwest Experiences”
“Williams Playwriting Initiative”
A staged reading of Glass
screenings of Italian-themed The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone and Boom
Public Discussion Panels
La Dolce Vita Pool Party at the Last Hotel
Bus Tour of important Williams’ sites
“Tennessee Williams Tribute”
“TW Jam”
“In the meantime, love deeply, be kind, eat, drink, be merry and smell the roses. Lots and lots of roses!: Houk said.
Upstream Theater
Upstream Theater is postponing “Iphigenia in Splott,” set from April 17 to May 3, until the fall, Oct. 9 – 25.The regional premiere by Welsh playwright Gary Owen stars Jennifer Theby-Quinn and is directed by Patrick Siler. If you have purchased single tickets or a season passport they will honor your ticket at that time.
Stumbling around Cardiff’s gritty Splott neighborhood at 11:30 AM drunk, Effie is the kind of person you’d avoid eye contact with. You think you know her, but you really don’t—because here is someone whose life spirals through a mess of drink, drugs and drama every night, and a hangover worse than death the next day … until one night gives her a chance to be something more. Inspired by the Greek myth about a young woman offered as a human sacrifice, Gary Owen’s Iphigenia in Splott is a blisteringly poetic monologue that drives home the high price people pay for society’s shortcomings …
.Metro Theatre Company As of March 18, MTC’s artistic and administrative staff will go to a remote work model. Their physical office in Grand Center will be closed.
Their spring gala, After Dark, originally scheduled for May 7 will now be held Sept. 24. Tickets will automatically transfer to the new date. The Golden Ticket raffle will still happen digitally on May 7.
In light of school closures, for the time being MTC’s in-school arts-integrated curriculum work is paused. While we cannot be present in person in schools, our talented education team is developing digital resources to help parents supporting their children’s learning needs while they are home. Look for some of these digital resources via email and on our Facebook page in the weeks ahead, said executive director Joe Gfaller.
At this time we anticipate that our summer camps will proceed as planned, starting in June. Middle SchoolGrand Theater Camp is June 1-12; Advanced Middle School Grand Theater Camp is June 15-26; High School Grand Theater Camp is July 6-10; and Creative Arts Camp for Pre-K through 5th Grade is offered July 27-August 1 and August 3-7.
“Even as you engage in social distancing in the weeks and months ahead, we encourage you to find ways to continue to support those businesses and artists who make St. Louis such a rewarding community in which to live and raise a family. COVID-19 impacts our friends in travel and tourism, restaurants, entertainment, and small business – not to mention scores of working artsts across St. Louis,” Gfaller said.
St. Louis Theater Circle Awards
President Mark Bretz issued this statement on March 13: “In consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as decisions in the last few days by the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, the State of Missouri, Major League Baseball and many others, the upcoming St. Louis Theater Circle Awards presentation has been canceled, effective immediately.
Brown Paper Tickets said that those who already had purchased tickets to the gala, which was scheduled for Monday, March 30, will receive full refunds after contacting Brown Paper Tickets.
“We hope soon to reveal our alternative plan for announcing this year’s award recipients in each of our 34 categories. Thank you for your patience and understanding,” Bretz said.
12th Natya Indian Dance Festival – April 24- 26 – POSTPONED, Date TBD
Wydown Auditorium
Dedicated to Indian Classical dance, music and theatre, this year’s festival will include a special presentation of SAMARPAN-2, the 3.5 hour long story of India’s struggle for freedom from 16th-20th century through dance, music and drama with artists from India.
Arts For Life
AFL President Mary McCreight has suspended all public activities of the Arts For Life organization effective March 16 until at least May 1, 2020. This includes all judging activities of the Theatre Recognition Guild (TRG). The Theatre Mask Awards Ceremony has been rescheduled for July 18. The Best Performance Awards are not yet affected by this suspension as they are scheduled to take place in mid-June.
“We will continue to base our decisions on the best information available in this rapid evolving situation, recognizing the need for timely notifications. All of this uncertainty poses challenges, and we will endeavor to communicate about our plans and share decisions promptly and transparently,” she said.
“It is apparent most shows scheduled before May 1 would likely not be allowed to be open anyway given the restrictions on event/gathering sizes put in place by local authorities this weekend. We ask that all participating groups keep us apprised as to their individual decisions regarding cancellations and/or postponements as soon as possible. We know that the various licensing houses (MTI, Concord and others) are are offering generous low- and no-penalty options for groups to either postpone and/or cancel productions. Please check with your respective licensors,” she said.
Other Companies
As previously reported, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has postponed “Dreaming Zenzile” and hopes to reschedule this summer. “The Cake” in the Studio ran over the weekend, but beginning March 16, the production was suspended.
New Line Theatre closed “Head Over Heels” early because of the St. Louis City and County mandates about crowd size.
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.
