St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 26, 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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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!

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

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Donizetti's comedy The Elixir of Love in rotating repertory with three other operas May 31-June 25. 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.

Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of the musical Hands on a Hardbody Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 29 - June 21. "This unique new musical is based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, about an annual contest at a Texas truck dealership, where ten hard-luck Texans compete for a new hardbody truck. A new lease on life is so close each of them can touch it, and now for once, their fate is in their hands. Under a scorching sun, over the next 144 hours they will laugh, cry and push their bodies and minds to the limits, as they fight to keep at least one hand on a brand new truck. The contestant with the most nerve and endurance will drive away with the American Dream." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information: newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

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 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Pinter's The Homecoming through 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Photo: Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's The Magic Flute in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. "Mozart’s most enchanting masterpiece returns in an all-new production, directed and designed by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi. In this fantastic fairy tale, a prince goes on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess. His  companion, a bird catcher, hopes to snare true love. But in the end, it’s revealed that no one’s magic is ever quite as it seems." All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.  Read my preview article! Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Music, Courage, and Belief in Dialogues of the Carmelites. "Based on a true story of Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution, Dialogues of the Carmelites challenges modern understandings of faith and courage, asking audiences to contemplate the true meaning of sacrifice. Guest speaker Dr. Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, Society of the Sacred Heart, will lead off the conversation with reflections on this true story, joined on the panel by conductor Ward Stare, director Robin Guarino, and soprano Christine Brewer." 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, June 2, at 7:30 PM at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Road. 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!

Circus Flora presents its new show, The Pawn, May 29 through June 22 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. " Drawing from the history of chess, this mythic tale is steeped in the rich sights, sounds and mystique of ancient Persia and India. The audience will journey to an exotic world where myth and intellect collide, and the stone city surrenders to the desert's ever shifting sands. Follow the Pawn on his journey through curious creatures and intrigues: knights mounted on steed, bishops zigzagging across colored squares, chess pieces flying through the air. In this world, the chess pieces do not wait to be moved. They have their own adventures to play out under the big top. For more information, visit circusflora.org.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical They're Playing Our Song May 30 - June 29. "Meet Vernon, a neurotic, witty composer and Sonia, a wacky, free spirited lyricist who form an unlikely partnership to write the next great love song. A rocky and hilarious start leaves them struggling to find their creative harmony - and romance was definitely not what they were expecting! But a series of unlikely events lead to a match made in musical comedy heaven. They're Playing Our Song is inspired by the real life love story of Academy Award-winning composer, Marvin Hamlisch (The Way We Were, The Sting) and Grammy Award-winning lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (“That's What Friends Are For”, “Nobody Does It Better” ). Topping off the jazzy score is a laugh-a-minute book by America's leading funny man, Tony Award Winner Neil Simon (Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple). A sweet and sophisticated musical romp, They're Playing Our Song will have you singing along from curtain up to curtain down!" Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Tesseract Theatre Company presents This is Nowhere by Caitlin McCommis Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 4 PM, through 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.

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.