St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 19, 2014

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

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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Alpha Players present the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through May 25 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information: alphaplayers.org or, call 314-921-5678. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Always..Patsy Cline through June 22. "Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar star in the return engagement of the show critics called 'exceptional, must see entertainment.' The touching and true story of Country music legend Patsy Cline and her friendship with Texas housewife Louise Seger returns to STAGES this spring. Combining down home country humor, heartache and 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits such as 'Crazy,' 'Walkin' After Midnight,' and 'Sweet Dreams,' Always... Patsy Cline endures as a piece of genuine Americana." Performances take place at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Chuck Lavazzi

The Cabaret Project and 88.1 KDHX present the gala Second Anniversary Cabaret Open Stage Night on Wednesday, May 12, from 7 to 10 PM at the Tavern of Fine Arts. The master of ceremonies is 88.1 KDHX senior performing arts critic Chuck Lavazzi and the music director is Carol Schmidt. If you're planning to sing, be prepared to do one or two songs and bring music, preferably in your key. It's also recommend that you have your song memorized. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt at Waterman in the Central West End. There's free parking in the lot right across the street. For more information, visit tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com or call 314-367-7549.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents The Dapper Flappers through July 27. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Black Mirror Theatre Company presents Gonne/Yeats, A Literary Cabaret by local playwright and director Denis Corcoran on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, at 5 PM. "He, William Butlter Yeats, perhaps the world's greatest poet. She, Maud Gonne (McBride), an Irish patriot, feminist, ardent defender of Ireland's poor and homeless, said, in her day, to be the most beautiful woman in Ireland. He feel deeply in love with at their first meeting, a love which was the driving force behind so much of his poetry. Yet she preferred pike, pistol and politics to sweet words. In dialogue, verse and song, this is one of the most moving love stories, seldom told." Performances take place at Central Print, 2612 N. 14th Street. For more information, email blackmirrortheatre at gmail.com or call 314-740-6514.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry IV nightly except for Tuesdays through June 14. Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, written as two separate plays, have been edited to fit into one evening. Beginning May 25, the production alternates with performances of Henry V. “Audience members can expect a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience this season,” said Rick Dildine, Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St.Louis. “Many theaters around the world have performed these plays in consecutive seasons; however, we are performing them at the same time with the same cast on the same set.” Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Henry V nightly except for Tuesdays, May 22 through June 15. Beginning May 26, the production alternates with performances of Henry IV. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM. For more information, visit shakespearefestivalstlouis.org and don't forget to check out my interview with the directors.

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Pinter's The Homecoming, May 23 – June 8. " In an old and slightly seedy house in North London there lives a family of men: Max, the aging, crude patriarch, his ineffectual brother Sam and two of Max's three sons, both unmarried- Lenny, a small-time pimp and Joey, who dreams of success as a boxer. Into this sinister abode comes the eldest son Teddy, now a successful professor of philosophy in America. After six years abroad, Teddy brings his wife Ruth, to meet the family for the first time. In the style that became a trademark, Pinter creates mounting tension, with insidiously bizarre accusations and proposals by the men to Ruth, The Homecoming gives way to an ominous game of cat and mice." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's The Magic Flute in rotating repertory with three other operas May 24-June 28. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

New Jewish Theater presents Old Jews Telling Jokes through June 1. “Think you've heard them all before? Think again! If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh til you plotz. It is a kosher pickle barrel full of laughs! Straight from NY, this is the first independent production.; recommended for mature audiences.” Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Opening the Doors to 27 rue de Fleurus: The world premiere of “27”. "Audiences will have the unique chance to enter the world of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas through the music of composer Ricky Ian Gordon and the words of librettist Royce Vavrek in this world premiere, the second in Opera Theatre's New Works, Bold Voices cycle. Led off with remarks by Mr. Gordon and Mr. Vavrek, in this panel audiences will learn more about the famous salons that Stein and Toklas hosted, as well as the many luminaries and artists that crossed their doorstep. Additional panelists include conductor Michael Christie and director James Robinson, OTSL's artistic director." It's part of their Spotlight on Opera, a series of four insightful dialogues exploring the ideas in each season's opera, and it takes place on Monday, May 19, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

OnSite Theatre Company presents Prayer for the Gun Bug by Carter Lewis Friday at 9 PM, Saturday at 4 and 9 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM, May 23-25. “A Prayer for the Gun Bug is a sidelong glance at a world in hysteria. Carter W. Lewis's three short plays expose the world to be an overpopulated sardine can, crammed to the gills with incensed spiritual fanatics, most of whom are annoyed, confused and stockpiling weapons. So why are we laughing so hard?” Performances take place at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant, 3210 S. Grand Blvd. For more information: www.OnSiteTheatre.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Tesseract Theatre Company presents This is Nowhere by Caitlin McCommis Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM, May 32 – June 1 "Annie has built her life around travel and adventure, but it takes an unexpected turn when she's diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness. She's ready to settle down, but when an old friend and fellow-wanderer returns to tell her about his recent adventures, she finds herself yearning for a past life and faces a tough choice: to fight against the illness or to fight for herself?" Performances take place at the Regional Arts Commission on Delmar, across from the Pageant. For more information: tesseracttheatre.org.

Big Daddy's presents a free public workshop reading of the one-act play Sins of the Flesh or The Virgin Gallows by KDHX theatre reviewer Steve Callahan on Monday, May 19, at 6:30 PM. "Consider an imagined pre-Renaissance village in . . . where? Flanders? Lorraine? It's a world where cardinal thought-sins are capitally punished. Come hear the story of Geneviève, innocent (except in her mind); Père Noël, priest of an authoritarian Church; Violette, mute and a mere child, but a gifted seamstress; and the strange, magical and poetic Tavika—an itinerant chef and tinker." Big Daddy's is at 1000 Sidney in Soulard.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.