Sunday, September 17, 2017

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 18, 2017

Church Basement Ladies
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The Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents Church Basement Ladies Thursdays through Sundays through October 1. "Church Basement Ladies, a celebration of the church basement kitchen and the women who work there, features four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and the problems of a rural Minnesota church. From the elderly matriarch of the kitchen to the young bride-to-be learning the proper order of things, the book and music give us a touching, funny look at their lives as we see them handle a record breaking Christmas dinner, the funeral of a dear friend, a Hawaiian Easter Fundraiser, and a steaming hot July wedding. They stave off potential disasters, share and debate recipes, instruct the young, and keep the Pastor on due course while thoroughly enjoying, (and tolerating) each other." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: playhouseatwestport.com.

Tesseract Theatre Company presents Coupler by Meredith Dayna Levy, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. rthrough September 24. "Six Londoners are about to discover that all the world is made up of love and trust, and a little bit of pixie dust...Coupler follows the twists and turns in the lives of the occupants of the last car of the Northern line, who are looking for love and struggling to trust. With the help of some pixie dust, and a particularly vocal tube train, they work to connect, listen, and eventually - inevitably - grow up." Performances take place at The .ZACK, 3224 Locust in Midtown. For more information: tesseracttheatre.org.

The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-Time

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the drama The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time throiugh October 1. "The 2015 Tony Award winner for Best Play, The Curious Incident is an immersive adventure that puts audiences in the shoes of 15-year-old sleuth Christopher. He's a brilliant young man, but struggles to process everyday information. Suspected of killing his neighbor's dog, Christopher journeys into London to track down the true culprit. But can he withstand the sensory overload of the big city?" Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

The Black Rep presents the St. Louis premiere of the comedy/drama Dot through September 24. "In DOT, Dotty Shealey and her three grown children are gathering once more for the holidays at the Shealey house (always a wild affair there.) But this year, there's more to deal with than exchanging gifts. Dotty is struggling to hold onto her memory, while her children are fighting to balance care for their mother and for themselves. Warm, funny and touching, DOT grapples unflinchingly with aging parents and midlife crises in the heart of a West Philly neighborhood." Performances take place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: theblackrep.org.

The Bankside Repertory Theatre Company presents Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through September 23. "Funny, sad and touching, Ruhl takes on the classic Greek myth of Orpheus from the heroine's point of view to explore the theme of grief. Is it easier to forget the past, or to cherish it with a broken heart?" Performances take place at the Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway in Alton , IL For more information: www.banksiderep.com.

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents The Feast September 22 - October 8. "Matt and Anna's relationship is going swimmingly, until the sewers under their apartment open up and begin to speak. Matt's paintings are getting stranger and every one he meets seems to know why. It could be about Anna, and it could be something much darker. An eerie comedy about what is real, what is not, and who knows the difference." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

KTK Productions presents Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through September 24. "The show is a cabaret revue sharply spoofing show tunes, characters and plots of contemporary and current Broadway musicals. Forbidden Broadway has mocked popular shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Spamalot, Annie, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Rent, Newsies, to name a few. It also targets famous Broadway actors, writers, composers, directors, choreographers and producers, including Julie Andrews, Mel Brooks, Carol Channing, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Crawford, Harvey Fierstein, Bob Fosse, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Goulet, Jerry Herman, Dustin Hoffman, Elton John, Angela Lansbury, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Patti LuPone, Cameron Mackintosh, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Liza Minnelli, Rita Moreno, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Stephen Sondheim, Barbra Streisand, Julie Taymor and Gwen Verdon. " Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information: kurtainkall.org or call 314-351-8984.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents The Haunted Hunter through October 27. "The rumor is true! Word on the street? This place is Haunted! That's right! ...and lots of famous sleuths, detectives and ghost hunters from around the world will be there to catch a glimpse of our famous, (and elusive), ghost "Billy", (better known as "Billy, the Spook"). Gee! If someone gets "Whacked", we'll have plenty of detectives to solve the crime, won't we! Everyone plays a part! You could be "Sherlock Homes", "Miss Garble", or even "The Hardly Boys". Call today for tickets to this "hauntingly silly" dinner theater." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Looking Glass Playhouse presents the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., September 21 - October 1. "Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film's Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz. Peter Parnell's new book embraces story theatre and features verbatim passages from Hugo's gothic novel. The musical begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be “Out There,” observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn't the only one captivated by her free spirit, though - the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies - and it's up to Quasimodo to save them all." Performances take place at 301 West St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Ill. For more information, visit www.lookingglassplayhouse.com.

Christ Memorial Productions presents the musical Meet Me in St. Louis, based on the classic film, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM through September 24. Performances take place at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, 5252 South Lindbergh. For more information, visit CMPShows.org or call 314-631-0304.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Smoking Gun through October 29. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

South Pacific
Photo: Peter Wochniak, ProPhotoSTL
Stages St. Louis presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific through October 8. "One of the most powerful musicals of all time, this multi-award- winning classic from Rodgers and Hammerstein will sweep you away with its tale of love and loss in the SOUTH PACIFIC. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by James Michener and featuring some of the finest music ever written for the American stage, SOUTH PACIFIC spins a dangerously romantic tale centered around young American soldiers and nurses stationed on a tropical naval base during the Second World War. Seeking respite from the battles around them, they find refuge in the two groups as romance blooms in this lush tropical paradise." Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

The Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents Twisted Improv on Friday, September 21, at 8 p.m. at The Steamboat Room, 314 S. Clay in Kirkwood, MO. "Join Adam and his crew for an interactive night of fun and laughter.Beer, wine and food available from Kirkwood Station Brewery." For more information: ktg-onstage.org.

Inevitable Theatre Company makes its St. Louis performance debut with the regional premiere of Stewart Permutt's one-woman play Unsuspecting Susan, through September 30. "Unsuspecting Susan portrays the tranquil village life of upper-class Hampshire divorcée Susan Chester, whose hobbies include amateur dramatics, raising Sealyham Terriers, and collecting the juiciest gossip about her neighbors. After Susan's troubled son, Simon, moves to London, her seemingly perfect world is rocked by an unspeakable act of violence." Performances take place at The Chapel on Alexander Drive in Clayton. For more information: inevitabletheatre.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.

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