The St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 28, 2011

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

I'm now adding my own purely personal comments to events about which I think I have anything worthwhile to say. Because that's what bloggers do.  If I have left your show out, please leave a comment with all the details.

Muddy Waters Theatre Company presents Paula Vogel's The Baltimore Waltz Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, March 4 through 20. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand at Olive in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-799-8399.

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite past time. Performances take place Saturdays through April 9 at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185 or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis

Affton CenterStage Theatre Company presents Conventional Murder Weapons, a murder mystery dinner theater show, Thursday and Friday at 8 PM and Saturday at 4 and 8 PM, February 25 through March 5. Performances take place at 1719 Stemwood Way in Fenton, MO. For more information, call (314) 349-6880 or visit www.afftoncenterstage.org.

Everydaycircus Inc. performs shows hourly from 11 AM to 4 PM each weekend at City Museum, 701 N. 15th St. Shows are FREE with regular museum admission. (645-4445 or 231-CITY).

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the drama The Heiress, based on Henry James’s Washington Square, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, March4 through 11, and on Sunday, march 6, at 2 PM. Performances take place at the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956.

Macbeth

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Shakespeare's Macbeth Tuesdays through Sundays through March 11. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org. I know this play well (both as an actor and audience member) and was looking forward to this. Sadly, I was disappointed. Our little party found the direction heavy-handed and gimmicky, the pacing slow, and the overall result not terribly respectful of either the play or the audience. Your mileage may vary, of course, and others apparently have enjoyed it. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

A Midsummer Night's
Dream

Washington University Performing Arts Department presents Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM through March 6. Performances take place in the Edison Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Center on the Washington University campus. I love this play and still fondly remember my own performance as Oberon in St. Louis Shakespeare's production many years ago. A good performance of it will both amuse and charm you. For more information, call (314) 935-5858.

The St. Louis University Theatre Department presents Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing through March 6. Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit www.slu.edu/theatre.

Ruined

The Black Rep presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Ruined by Lynn Nottage through March 6. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call 314-534-3810. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Sirens

New Jewish Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of Deborah Zoe Laufer's Sirens, described as "an empty-nest story about a husband and wife and the hit love song he wrote for her ", Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 and 7:30 PM, through March 6. Performances take place at the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theatre at the JCCA, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information, call 314-442-3283 or visit www.newjewishtheatre.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical Two Gentlemen of Verona, based on the Shakespeare comedy, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, March 3 through 26. The show features music by Galt Mac Dermott and lyrics by John Guare. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

Playback Workshop Theatre presents The Vagina MANologues and The Saxophone Jesus Parables, written and directed by Jackie Masei, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, March 4 through 13. The show is “an exciting narrative one act social change play with an all African American Male cast, which weaves a critical response to Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues in order to open up dialogues about racism, bullying, sexism, homophobia, sexuality, and spirituality”. The show will be followed by a Playback Theatre performance. For more information, call 314-397-0733.