St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 4, 2019

New shows this week include Arthur Miller's The Crucible at Stray Dog, a new comedy by the author of Silent Sky, and a Tony Award-winning drama at the Rep.

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Avenue Q

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The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents the musical Avenue Q running through March 3. "Part flesh, part felt and packed with heart, AVENUE Q is a laugh-out-loud musical telling the timeless story of a bright-eyed college grad named Princeton. When he arrives in the city with big dreams and a tiny bank account, he has to move into a shabby apartment all the way out on AVENUE Q. Still, the neighbors seem nice. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Lucy (the slut), Rod (the Republican), Trekkie (the internet entrepreneur), superintendent Gary Coleman (yes, that Gary Coleman) and other new friends! Together, they struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: www.playhouseatwestport.com.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents the Black Theatre Workshop Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 5 pm, February 8 and 10. Performances take place in the Metcalf Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit siue.edu.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Bullets in the Bathtub through April 13. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Classic Mystery Game Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through February 16. "Classic Mystery Game: a parody (or a spoof, maybe a send-up, possibly a take-off). The use of parody in human culture is ritualistic, so here is SATE, once more, to perform yet another ritual. Classic Mystery Game investigates Western society in 2019 through the lens of the hilarious 1985 movie, CLUE...which in turn was investigating Western society in 1985 through the lens of McCarthyism. Perhaps by distilling our world through so many layers of comedy, as the ritual calls for, we'll discover a bit of Truth - even if it's merely a smile at the end of a funny play." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

The Crucible

Stray Dog Theatre presents Arthur Miller's The Crucible Thursdays through Saturdays, February 7 - 23. There will also be a show at 2 pm on Sunday, February 17. "Lies. Betrayal. Lust. In 1690s Salem, a young girl leads a Puritanical purge of witchcraft against a local farmer and his wife. As fear and excitement grow in the town, the accusations grow more ferocious and terrifying, until no one is safe, and the truth is obscured completely. Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Dennie Nast Is Back

Ten Directions and the St. Lou Fringe present Audrey Crabtree in her one-woman show Dennie Nast Is Back Fridays at 8 pm through February 15. "Oscar-winner, Emmy-winner, 2-time Tony winner, 6-time Kevin Klein Award Nominee and international performance superstar Deenie Nast delivers a no holds barred, song-filled tribute to her lonely fans. Nast heads to St Louis with a hilarious and heartbreaking exploration of relationships, loneliness, and true connections. Nast is back with a vengeance, singing the hits from her past, revealing very personal stories, and re-enforcing her legendary status to modern audiences. Songs, physical comedy, audience interaction and general 'Nast-iness" will ensue!" Performances take place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle in the Grove. For more information: www.deenienast.com.

District Merchants
Photo by Eric Woolsey

New Jewish Theater presents District Merchants: An Uneasy Comedy Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through February 10. "In District Merchants, love, litigation, deep passions and predatory lending are taken to a new level. The play wades fearlessly into the complexities of life in America. It is set among Black and Jewish populations in an imagined time and place, simultaneously Shakespearean and post- Civil War Washington, D.C. In Posner's reimagining, the play becomes less about the quality of mercy and more about how flexible a supposedly egalitarian society can be to the varied tribes struggling to find partners in America. Aaron Posner expertly blends humor, emotional truths and topics that make people think. He is able to create characters who are deeply flawed, like we are. In his “uneasy” comedy, he wants us to look at a snapshot in time, the Reconstruction Era, but what he has written is relevant to audiences today." 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.

Act Two Theatre presents the comedy Don't Dress for Dinner Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm February 8 - 17. "Bernard and Jacqueline are a not-so-happily married couple, both of whom are having extramarital affairs. As Jacqueline prepares to go out of town to visit her mother, Bernard invites his mistress and Robert, his best friend (and also Jacqueline's lover, unbeknownst to Bernard), over for the weekend. He's even hired a Cordon Bleu chef to cater the evening. Jacqueline discovers Robert is coming to town and cancels her trip, causing Bernard to panic. When Robert arrives, Bernard asks him to pretend Suzanne is Robert's mistress. Robert mistakes the chef, for Bernard's mistress, producing a highly complicated dinner of hilarious hijinks, secret trysts and slapstick comedy." Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

Clayton Community Theatre presents the drama Eurydice Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., February 7 - 17. "This 'weird and wonderful' (New York Times) adaptation of the Greek myth of the musician Orpheus and his wife, Eurydice, ruminates on love, loss, and the power of memory. Unlike most re-tellings of the myth, this play is told from Eurydice's perspective. When Eurydice meets an untimely death on her wedding day, she travels to the Underworld and loses her memory in the River of Forgetfulness. She encounters her father, who has retained his memory. With his assistance, Eurydice regains her memory of the life that she once lied and rebuilds her relationship with her father. Meanwhile, Orpheus determinedly tries to make contact with his wife. He eventually makes his way to the Underworld, where he convinces the Lord of the Underworld to permit him to take Eurydice back. Torn between her love for her husband and her father, Eurydice must decide if she will stay in the Underworld with her father, or return to her life with Orpheus." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Photo by John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens its 108th season with the St. Louis premiere of the comedy Exit, Pursued by a Bear Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, February 8 - 17. "Our twisted take on Valentine's Day is Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Lauren Gunderson, author of last season's smash hit Silent Sky. Exit is a nasty feminist revenge comedy featuring a good old boy named Kyle, his beleaguered spouse Nan and her two buddies, a sweetheart of a cross dresser named Simon and a stripper named Sweetheart. Nan has decided to teach Kyle a long-deserved lesson, and then cover him with meat and honey and feed him to a bear. Yes, it's that funny." There will also be a show on Thursday, February 14, at 8 pm. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Farragut North Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, February 8 - 24. Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Fiddler on the Roof
Photo by Joan Marcus

The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the musical Fiddler on the Roof through February 10. "Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific, The King and I and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play Oslo, bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. You'll be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family." The Fabulous Fox Theatre in on N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

Clinton County Showcase presents the comedy First Date Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, February 8 - 17. "Aaron is a “blind date virgin,” while Casey has been on more than her fair share. When the two are set up by a mutual friend, sparks fly-or do they? The night unfolds over the course of this couple's hilarious first date, and it's not without its share of surprises in the form of imaginary visits from Aaron's ex-girlfriend, Casey's uptight sister, the pair's protective parents and even their future son! Google background checks, awkward pauses and bailouts are all there during this unforgettable first encounter between two romantics, who just might be perfect for each other. Or not. " Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.

The Hundred Dresses

Metro Theatre Company presents The Hundred Dresses through February 25 " Wanda Petronski, the new girl in Room 13, is a Polish immigrant who lives in a shabby house and doesn't have any friends. Every day she wears the same faded blue dress, but tells her new class-mates that she has a hundred dresses at home. Her classmates tease Wanda about her hundred dresses until one day she disappears from school. As guilt overtakes the children, they decide to find out what happened to Wanda and to make amends. But is it too late? Bullying, friendship and forgiveness are at the center of this play adapted from the beloved Newbery Honor Book by Eleanor Estes." The performance takes place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information: metroplays.org.

The Stifel Theatre presents Legally Blonde the Musical on Monday, February 4, at 7:30 pm. "Elle Woods appears to have it all. Her life is turned upside down, however, when her boyfriend dumps her so he can start getting more serious about his life and attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle uses her ingenuity and charm to get into Harvard too. School begins with endless struggles, but with the help of her new friends, Elle quickly realizes her potential, and her true assets, as she sets out to prove herself to the world and make everyone a believer. " The Stifel Theatre is at 14th and Market downtown. For more information: stifeltheatre.com.

The Monroe Actors Stage presents the musical Little Shop of Horrors Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 pm, February 8 - 17. Performances take place in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

The Motherf*Cker With the Hat
Photo by Jill Lindberg

R-S Theatrics presents the St. Louis premiere of The Motherf*Cker With The Hat Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 7 PM through February 10. "How do you know where you're going...if you don't know who has been in your home? The seriocomedy explores how 5 people in New York navigate loyalty, trust, and duty through friendship, love and the challenges of adulthood. And how no one should ever underestimate the importance of cleaning up their accessories. Performances take place at the .ZACK, 3224 Locust in midttown. For more information: r-stheatrics.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through May 9. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama Oslo, opening on Wednesday, February 6, and running through March 3. "Winner of the 2017 Tony Award for Best Play. In 1993, two bitter enemies shocked the world by shaking hands and agreeing to work toward peace. This breathtaking drama tells the story of the secretive and precarious negotiations that made that moment possible. By focusing on the Norwegian couple who brokered talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, Oslo finds the unlikely story behind this historic event." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org

Wittenberg
Photo by ProPhotoSTL

Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Wittenberg Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm (except for February 10, which is at 2 pm) through February 10. "It's October 1517, and the new fall semester at the University of Wittenberg finds certain members of the faculty and student body at personal and professional crossroads. Hamlet (senior, class of 1518) is returning from a summer in Poland spent studying astronomy, where he has come in contact with a revolutionary scientific theory that threatens the very order of the universe, resulting in psychic trauma and a crisis of faith for him. His teacher and mentor John Faustus (Professor of Philosophy) has decided at long last to make an honest woman of his paramour, Helen, a former nun who is now one of the Continent's most sought-after courtesans. And Faustus' colleague and Hamlet's instructor and priest, Martin Luther (Professor of Theology), is dealing with the spiritual and medical consequences of his long-simmering outrage at certain abusive practices of the Church. Tavern disputes, tennis duels, 16th century lounge hits, and the slings and arrows of outrageous wit will tickle your brain into overdrive." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.

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 Events Calendar.

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.