St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 27, 2015

[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 web site.

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Art
Photo: John Lamb

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Yasmina Reza's comedy Art through May 3 at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. "How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? One of Marc's best friends, Serge, has just bought a very expensive painting. It's about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn't have the proper standard to judge the work. Another friend, Ivan, though burdened by his own problems, allows himself to be pulled into this disagreement. Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are drawn and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” This is where the friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds." For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

St. Louis University Theatre presents Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It through May 3. The source of some of Shakespeare's most famous lines this comedy follows the challenging path of love for Rosalind and Orlando. Performances take place in Xavier Hall, 3373 West Pine Mall. he cast will also be performing an excerpt from the show as part the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis Shake 38 event on Saturday, April 25 from 12-1 pm at the LaMancha Coffee House, 2800 N. 14th St. in Old North St. Louis. For more information, call (314) 977-2998 or visit slumarketplace.slu.edu.

Stray Pups Youth Theatre presents the musical Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr. April 30-May 10 "The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

Kevin Spirtas

The Gateway Men’s Chorus presents Cabaret Risque on Saturday, May 2, at 8:30 p.m., preceded by a cocktail hour at 7 p.m. The show will star St. Louis native Kevin Spirtas, star of television’s Days Of Our Lives, Jim Brickman’s PBS special Love Songs and Lullabies, and Broadway’s A Chorus Line, Hairspray, and The Boy From Oz. Ken Haller is master of ceremonies and guest performer for the event, with music direction by Al Fischer. Procedes benefit the Gateway Men's Chorus. The show takes place Rialto Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive in Grand Center. For more information: gatewaymenschorus.org.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful Of Hollers May 1 through August 29. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Neil Simon's comedy Fools Fridays through Sundays, May 1-9. "Leon Tolchinsky is ecstatic. He's landed a terrific teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives he finds people sweeping dust from the stoops back into their houses and people milking upside down to get more cream. The town has been cursed with Chronic Stupidity for 200 years and Leon's job is to break the curse. No one tells him that if he stays over 24 hours and fails to break the curse, he too becomes Stupid. But, he has fallen in love with a girl so Stupid that she has only recently learned how to sit down." Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: theatreguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

An Invitation Out
Photo: John Lamb

Mustard Seed Theatre presents An Invitation Out by Shaulee Cook through May 3. "In this world-premiere comedy of manners, a young man searches for “truth” while living in virtual reality and explores the “reality” of life offline." Performances take place 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!.

St. Louis Community College at Wildwood presents the one-acts Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2. The campus is at 2645 Generations Drive in Wildwood, MO. For more information: stlcc.edu/WW

Clayton Community Theatre presents Shakespeare's Macbeth Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, through May 3. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Mayhem In Mayberry May 1 through July 26. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Odd Couple
Photo: John Lamb

Dramatic License Productions presents the female version of Neil Simon's comedy The Odd Couple through May 10. "Oscar and Felix become Olive and Florence in this, the equally-hilarious female version of Neil Simon's classic comedy about two unlikely roomies who will either become the best of friends or kill each other trying!" Performances take place at Dramatic License Theatre located at upper-level Sears wing of Chesterfield Mall. For more information, call 636-821-1746 or visit www.dramaticlicenseproductions.org.

Once on This Island
Photo: Stewart Goldstein

The Black Rep presents the musical Once on This Island through May 3. "Once on this Island is a warm fairy tale for children of all ages, told with breezy Caribbean rhythms. A young peasant girl in the French Antilles uses the power of love to bring together people of very different social classes." Performances take place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: theblackrep.org.

KTK Productions presents the farce Sex, Please, We're Sixty through May 3. "Mrs. Stancliffe's Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast has been successful for many years. Her guests (nearly all women) return year after year. Her next door neighbor, the elderly, silver-tongued, Bud "The Stud" Davis believes they come to spend time with him in romantic liaisons. The prim and proper Mrs. Stancliffe steadfastly denies this, but really doesn't do anything to prevent it. She reluctantly accepts the fact that "Bud the Stud" is, in fact, good for business. Her other neighbor and would-be suitor Henry Mitchell is a retired chemist who has developed a blue pill called "Venusia," after Venus the goddess of love, to increase the libido of menopausal women. The pill has not been tested. Add to the guest list three older women: Victoria Ambrose, a romance novelist whose personal life seems to be lacking in romance; Hillary Hudson a friend of Henry's who has agreed to test the Venusia: and Charmaine Beauregard, a "Southern Belle" whose libido does not need to be increased! Bud gets his hands on some of the Venusia pills and the fun begins, as he attempts to entertain all three women! The women mix up Bud's Viagra pills with the Venusia, and we soon discover that it has a strange effect on men: it gives them all the symptoms of menopausal women, complete with hot flashes, mood swings, weeping and irritability! When the mayhem settles down, all the women find their lives moving in new and surprising directions." Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information: kurtainkall.org or call 314-351-8984.

Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents Shakespeare's The Tempest Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., April 29-May 3. “Prospero, Duke of Milan, usurped and exiled by his own brother, holds sway over an enchanted island. He is comforted by his daughter Miranda and served by his spirit Ariel and his deformed slave Caliban. When Prospero raises a storm to wreck this perfidious brother and his confederates on the island, his long contemplated revenge at last seems within reach.” Performances take place on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, events.webster.edu or call 314-968-7128.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie May 1-10. "Small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, sets out for New York in 1922, to put some excitement in her life...and hopefully find a rich husband. Millie begins her new flapper lifestyle with enthusiasm but encounters some unexpected turns when she moves into a hotel run by the evil Mrs. Meers and takes a job at Sincere Trust in an attempt to catch the rich and eligible boss...but instead finds herself falling in love with (gasp) an ordinary man. This zany musical, based on the popular movie, took Broadway by storm, winning the TONY Award for Best Musical! It's an absolutely fun-filled, toe-tapping tribute to the flapper era and the exciting beginning of the thoroughly modern woman!" Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre of the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information, call 314-821-9956 or visit ktg-onstage.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.