Chuck's Choices for the weekend of September 25, 2015

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents the A.E. Hotcchner Playwriting Festival Friday and Saturday, featuring new plays by student authors. This year's plays are : We the Congressman by Katie Goldston on Friday, September 25, at 7:00 p.m.; Library Love Story by Rachel Wilson on Saturday, September 26, at 2:00 p.m.; and The Divine Buoyancy of Being by Cary J. Simowitz on Saturday, September 26, at 7:00 p.m. The performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Student Center on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

My take: Anything that encourages new playwrights is good as far as I'm concerned, and some of the plays from the Hotchner festival have gone on to have lives outside of the festival. Drop by and see what the next generation of authors is producing.

The Full Monty
Photo: Peter Wochniak

Stages St. Louis presents the musical The Full Monty, based on the hit movie, through October 4. "Welcome back STAGES' red-hot award-winning smash hit THE FULL MONTY! If you were sold out the first time, you'll want to be sure to meet Jerry, Dave, Harold, Ethan, Malcolm, and "Horse" - six unemployed steelworkers who come up with a bold and unconventional way to make some much-needed cash, after witnessing their wives go wild for a group of male strippers. In the process, they discover renewed self-esteem and the importance of family, friendship, and the very human desire to live life to the fullest. With razor-sharp humor and toe-tapping pizzazz, THE FULL MONTY is musical theatre at its most heart-warming. " 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. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

My take: Not everybody agrees with me, but I think this stage version of the classic British comedy works pretty well, with a book by noted playwright Terrence McNally that respects the original screenplay and a very effective score by David Yazbeck. Stages has demonstrated that they can be relied upon for a professional production, so I have no hesitation in recommending this.

Venus in Fur
Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild opens their 105th season with David Ives' Venus in Fur Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, September 25 - October 4. " It's the end of a rainy day and a dismal casting call. As the director packs up to head home the door swings open, and in walks the woman who seems born for the role - strangely, eerily so. Is it the director's dream come true, or a stylish nightmare? Venus in Fur is David Ives at his best - very sexy, very funny and very, very smart. " There will also be a show on Thursday, October 1, 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.

My take: Full disclosure: I'm on the board and play reading committee at West End and was a big supporter of this play. I was very impressed by the Rep's production of this smart comedy/drama/fantasy when they did it and I expect good things from this production. I have worked with both of the actors and can personally attest to their skill. Trust me, Paula Stoff Dean was born to play this part.

Held Over:

All the Way
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama All the Way through October 4. " It's 1963. Following the assassination of JFK, Lyndon Johnson becomes America's "accidental president." Launched into the presidency over a country in turmoil, LBJ maneuvers and manipulates his way through a series of power plays to pass the Civil Rights Act and to guarantee a full term in the Oval Office. Deception, bullying and blackmail are all strategies in his arsenal. But in this 2014 Tony Award Winner for Best Play, featuring a large landscape of people and characters, LBJ makes clear that it's not personal, it's just politics. " Performances take place on the mainstage at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: If this play tells us anything, it's that the fight for justice never ends because the forces of hate, fear, and repression never go away. Brian Dyskstra heads a large and impressive cast as LBJ, beset on all sides because he decided to place principle above party and the good of the nation about political expedience by pushing through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It's hard to imagine a contemporary politician at the national level who would have this kind of courage, which does not bode well for the republic. This is great theatre and a great moral lesson. You will be sorry if you miss it. Performances continue through October 4th.