The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Announces 2021-2022 Season

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Announces 2021-2022 Season

New season includes world premieres of ‘Dreaming Zenzile’ and ‘The Gradient,’ plus ‘The Trinity River Plays,’ an original work by Rep playwright-in-residence Regina Taylor 

 The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) is pleased to announce its 2021-2022 Season, featuring two world premieres. The season kicks off September 10 with the world premiere production of ‘Dreaming Zenzile,’ a musical about the South African songstress Miriam Makeba, written and performed by Grammy-nominated international music sensation Somi Kakoma.

‘Dreaming Zenzile’ will be followed by the world premiere of Steph Del Rosso’s ‘The Gradient,’ a satire set in the not-so-distant future in which a new facility promises to take men accused of sexual misconduct and rehabilitate them into responsible citizens. The Charles Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ will become a new holiday tradition under the direction of Hana S. Sharif, Augustin Family Artistic Director at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. The second half of the season will feature ‘The 39 Steps,’ a farce written by Patrick Barlow adapted from the novel by John Buchan and the Alfred Hitchcock film; ‘The Trinity River Plays,’ a trilogy exploring one woman’s life journey by The Rep’s playwright-in-residence, Regina Taylor; and ‘House of Joy,’ an action-adventure romance by Madhuri Shekar.

The full schedule for the 2021-2022 Season is as follows:

  • Dreaming Zenzile: September 10 – October 3, Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts
  • The Gradient: October 1 – October 24, Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA
  • A Christmas Carol: December 3 – 23, Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts
  • The 39 Steps: January 21 – February 13, Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts
  • The Trinity River Plays: February 11 – March 6, Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA 
  • House of Joy: March 18 – April 10, Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts

“We are excited to be returning to the stage for a new season of live theatre featuring the work of thought-leading playwrights including our own playwright-in-residence, Regina Taylor,” said Hana S. Sharif, Augustin Family Artistic Director at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. “We know our audiences have been eager to return to the theatre and we’re delighted this compelling season offers something for everyone to enjoy.”

Subscriptions for The Rep’s 2021-2022 season are available now, and single tickets go on sale August 2. For more information and to purchase, visit repstl.org. 

Hana S. Sharif

About The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

The Rep is the St. Louis region’s most honored live professional theatre company. Founded in 1966, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a fully professional theatrical operation belonging to the League of Resident Theatres, The League of St. Louis Theatres and is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization for the not-for-profit professional theatre. Visit www.repstl.org for more, and find The Rep on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The Rep Commissions Voter Education Videos

The Rep Commissions Voter Education Videos

In an effort to support voter education and participation on November 3, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is developing videos to inform and empower voters. 

In partnership with the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOVPC), a non-partisan statewide network of voter advocates, The Rep commissioned professional artmakers to create short, entertaining videos designed to educate voters. 

“As one of the largest performing arts nonprofits in the state of Missouri, The Rep is more than a venue for great plays – we also exist as a town hall in service of the St. Louis region and beyond,” said Hana S. Sharif, Augustin Family Artistic Director at The Rep. “We are grateful to MOVPC for their advocacy for voters’ rights and are proud to join them in that work.”

The Missouri Absentee Voting Video, written by artist, community organizer and award-winning theatre maker Annalisa Dias, explains all voting options available to Missourians who are unable to vote in person or feel unsafe with in-person voting due to the pandemic. 

“I feel very grateful to have been invited to use storytelling to help catalyze civic processes,” said Dias. “It’s exciting to contribute to helping people understand how to exercise their rights.”

The National Voter Protection Video will be available soon. It examines the Election Protection Hotline, which connects voters with trained lawyers who can answer questions on overcoming obstacles to voting and combating voter intimidation. This video was written by award-winning playwright, film/television writer and educator Steph del Rosso. (del Rosso’s play The Gradient was slated for production in The Rep’s 2020-21 season which was shortened by the pandemic.)

“So often, #Vote campaigns ignore the reality of voter disenfranchisement,” said del Rosso, “blithely demanding participation without recognizing how fraught the process is for many communities. I’m so excited that The Rep is partnering with the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, since fighting voter suppression and connecting voters to tangible resources is a powerful and shame-free organizing strategy.”

“Our goal is to ensure that all eligible voters are able to cast a ballot,” said Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, which coordinates nonpartisan 866-OUR-VOTE Election Protection efforts in the state. “We are grateful to The Rep for commissioning these videos so that voters are armed with the information they need to vote. We must continue to work to ensure every voter is able to access their right to vote freely and without fear.” 

The Missouri Absentee Voting Video is animated by video artist, VJ and designer Kassie M. Sanders, and the National Voter Protection Video is illustrated by Elle Powell.

The Rep believes institutions of creative expression can be uplifting spaces that encourage and engage the community. To further model this renewed commitment to civic engagement, The Rep is making November 3 a paid holiday for its staff, to encourage voting and volunteerism on election day. The Rep has also created a Voter Resources Webpage of Missouri and Illinois voter information. 

Additionally, The Rep is hosting a panel discussion to empower individuals to exercise their fundamental right to vote titled “Breaking Down the Ballot”. This roundtable discussion, moderated by Hana S. Sharif and featuring a bipartisan group of thought leaders, political experts and voting rights advocates, will allow community members to ask questions about critical ballot measures affecting our region. The virtual roundtable is free and open to the public. Visit The Rep’s Facebook page or YouTube channel on October 26 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. to participate. No pre-registration is required.

For more information, visit repstl.org. Receive assistance through the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR VOTE. View the Missouri Absentee Voter Video now.

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ABOUT THE REPERTORY THEATRE ST. LOUIS

The Rep is the St. Louis region’s most honored live professional theatre company. Founded in 1966, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a fully professional theatrical operation belonging to the League of Resident Theatres, The League of St. Louis Theatres and is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization for the not-for-profit professional theatre. www.repstl.org

The Rep Offers Free Short Plays for Home Use

The Rep Offers Free Short Plays for Home Use

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.