St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of January 31, 2011

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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.

Distracted

Stray Dog Theatre presents Lisa Loomer's Distracted, described as a “fast-paced and comic look at parenting in the age of the Internet and Ritalin”. Performances take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, February 3 through 19. There will be a matinee on the closing Saturday at 2 PM in addition to the evening show. Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, call 314-865-1995.  I've worked with most of the adult actors in this show in the past and know they do good work, so the performances should be strong, at least.  I've done several shows with Stray Dog over the last few years so I'm perhaps a bit biased, but I really do love their work in general.

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).

The Memory of Water

The West End Players Guild continues their 100th anniversary season with Shelagh Stevenson's “dark and hilarious” The Memory of Water Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, February 4 through 13. 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.  Full disclosure: I'm on the board and play reading committee at West End.  There, I said it.  That said, though, I think the group is presenting some very strong seasons these days with good, solid scripts.  This is one of them.

The Missouri History Museum presents a Teens Make History production of Nobody’s Boy, described as a “story of the struggle for freedom in antebellum St. Louis”, Saturdays at 11:30 AM, through February 19. The museum is at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For more information, call 314-746-4599 or visit mohistory.org.

The Avalon Theatre Company presents Arthur Miller's drama The Price February 3 through 13 in the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court, 119 Crestwood Plaza. For more information, call 314-351-6482 or visit avaontheatre.org.  If you know Miller, you know what to expect: literate, insightful writing and strong characters.  A good performance of this script is a treasure.

Reckless

Clayton Community Theatre presents the dark comedy Reckless Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through February 6. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Shadowlands, based on the real-life story of C.S. Lewis, who unexpectedly falls in love with young American poet Joy Gresham. Performances take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through February 13, at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Media Arts at the University of Missouri at St. Louis presents Diana Son's Obie Award-winning romantic comedy Stop Kiss Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday (February 6 only) at 6 PM, February 3 through 12. Performances take place in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the UMSL campus. For more information, visit touhill.org or call 314-516-4949.

The Missouri History Museum presents The Tragical Comedy of the French, Spanish, French American Ville de Saint Louis Saturdays at 2 PM through February 26. The museum is at Lindell and De Baliviere in Forest Park. For more information, call 314-746-4599 or visit mohistory.org.

HotCity Theatre presents Sam Shepard's True West Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 3 and 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM, February 4 through 18. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-289-4060 or visit hotcitytheatre.org.