St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 7, 2011

[Updated Saturday, February 12, 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.

The Fox Theatre presents 9 to 5: The Musical through February 20. The Fox is at 527 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Aga-Boom Theater

The COCA Family Theatre Series presents the Aga-Boom Theater Of Physical Comedy through Sunday, February 13. COCA is at 524 Trinity in University City. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents the comedy Bullshot Crummond  Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2:30 PM, February 12 and 13, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, call 618 939 7469.

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

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Patrick Marber's Closer, which “follows four lives intertwine over the course of four and a half years in a densely plotted, stinging look at modern love and betrayal”. Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through February 27 at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978or visit stlas.org. The play is recommended for mature audiences only.

The Presenters Dolan present the husband and wife team of Joe Dreyer and Rosemary Watts in Crazy Relationships: Love's Many Aspects on Saturday, February 12, at 8 PM at The Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-725-4200 stn. 10 or visit presentersdolan.com.  Joe and Rosemary are an entertaining couple all by themselves, but even more so when joined (as they are here) by clarinetist Scott Alberici and bassist Dave Troncoso.

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 through February 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

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).

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 hear tell stage blood is spilled in vast quantities.

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 through February 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Lindenwood University's J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts presents the The Nick of Time Players Improv Show on Saturday, February 12, at 8 PM, in the Emerson Black Box Theater. The Scheidegger Center is on the Lindenwood campus in St Charles MO. For more information, visit lindenwood.edu/center.

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 through February 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Alpha Players of Florissant present Neil Simon's Proposals through February 13 at The Florissant Civic Center Theater, Parker Rd. at Waterford Dr. in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 314-921-5678.

Black Cat Theatre presents Alan Ayckbourn's comedy Round and Round the Garden Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM through February 26. Black Cat Theatre is located at 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. For more information, call 314-781-8300 or visit blackcattheatre.org.

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.

Shadowlands

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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!


Alton Little Theater presents Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine through Sunday, February 13, at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618-462-6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

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 Saturday, February 12, at 7:30 PM. 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.

True West

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 through February 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Dramatic License Productions presents a Valentine's Cabaret, featuring Ken Haller, Kim Furlow, Elise LaBarge and Jeremy Whaley with Ron Bryant on piano, on Saturday, February 12, at 8 PM. For more information, call 636-220-7012 or visit dramaticlicenseproductions.com.

Soundstage Productions presents St. Louis's own Jeanne Trevor and Kevin Kurth in a Valentine's Day Cabaret Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, February 12 and 13, at SoundStage in the Crestwood Art Space. Their individual and duet CDs will for sale as well. For more information, send email to soundstage at msn.com.