St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 4, 2018

This week brings us, among other thngs, the opening night for the last of Opera Theatre's four shows, a classic tragedy at Stray Dog, and a classic comedy at Act Inc.

An American Soldier
Photo by Ken Howard

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Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the world premiere of An American Soldier, by Huang Ro and David Henry Hwang, running through June 22. "Danny Chen is the son of Chinese immigrants, and a proud American. He enlists in the US Army in 2011, eager to serve his country. In boot camp, Danny is welcomed by his band of brothers. But in Afghanistan, his own base becomes enemy territory as military hazing turns deadly. Based on a true story, this opera asks powerful questions about what it means to be an American." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org call 314-961-0644.

Act Inc presents Noël Coward's comedy Blithe Spirit Fridays at 8 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm. June 8 - 24. "Blithe Spirit is a comic play by Noël Coward. The play concerns the socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to gather material for his next book. The scheme backfires when he is haunted by the ghost of his annoying and temperamental first wife, Elvira, after the séance. Elvira makes continual attempts to disrupt Charles's marriage to his second wife, Ruth, who cannot see or hear the ghost." Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, visit actincstl.com.

Clayton Community Theatre presents Neil Simon's comedy Brighton Beach Memoirs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through June 10. "This well-known play, the first in Simon's semi-autobiographical Eugene trilogy, shows the coming of age of a young man in Brooklyn in 1937. This story is an affectionate, thoroughly entertaining lesson in overcoming hard times with warmth, and humor. CCT plans to present the entire trilogy over the next three seasons." Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre. For more information, call 314-721-9228 or visit placeseveryone.org.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

The Black Mirror Theatre Company presents Eclipsed Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., June 7 - 10. “Magdalen Laundries were institutions of confinement, often run by Catholic nuns, in which as many as 30,000 Irish women and girls were held in forced labor, some for most of their lives. This eye-witness telling of the Laundries story is unique in that the playwright was a novice, a nun, in one of the laundries. Her experience of the cruelty caused her to leave the convent, eventually to take up the pen to record what she had seen, heard, and felt. Her play, Eclipsed, while based on fictional characters, was pivotal in bringing the tragedy of the Laundries to light. With a cast of nine women, Eclipsed is an ensemble piece which focuses on the breath of human experience inside these institutions - the sorrow and pain but also the humor and the girlish dreams of a better, a different life outside.” Performances take place in the black box theatre at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: blackmirrortheatre.com.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents An Evening of One-Act Plays on Monday, June 4, at 6:30 pm. "Plays can be on any subject, you may select your own actors and bring them, or ask if you would like the group to provide actors. If you want to bring a script, then let us know that you are coming. We don't need the script in advance but timing will only allow a maximum of about 8 plays to be read. There are no selection criteria other than "first come first served" and no playwrights or plays have been pre-selected." The event takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. For more information: www.stlwritersgroup.com.

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents A Fistful of Hollers through July 28. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Get "Hitched" To A Redneck Or Die through July 29. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

Stray Dog Theatre presents Ibsen's tragedy Hedda Gabler Thursdays through Saturdays, June 7 - 23. There will also a 2 pm on Sunday, June 17. " A masterpiece of modern theatre, Hedda Gabler exposes a powerful and reckless heroine who finds herself stranded in the seemingly ordinary but dangerously imbalanced Victorian Era. Employing methods that define the modern psychological drama, the plot stealthily reveals the bitter conflicts and thwarted longings that lie just below the “civilized” interactions of daily life and unflinchingly leads us to a shocking but inevitable conclusion." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The "Purple" cast of I Do! I Do!

Stages St. Louis presents the musical I Do! I Do!, by the creators of The Fantasticks, through July 1. "I DO! I DO! tells the poignant story of 50 years in the married lives of Michael and Agnes. This two character musical version of the comedy/drama 'The Fourposter' takes place entirely in a bedroom and takes its audience on a whirlwind journey that begins in 1895 and ends half a century later. I DO! I DO! offers its audiences a frank look at the miracle of marriage as Michael and Agnes experience childbirth, parenthood, and the eventual settling down to face the future and their advancing years together. Originally written for the Broadway stars, Mary Martin and Robert Preston, STAGES employs the innovative theatrical hat-trick of two separate rotating casts: neither of which you will want to miss! An unabashed gift to the many couples who have walked through our doors, I DO! I DO! will be sure to steal your heart while celebrating the many triumphs and heartaches of marriage: past, present, and future!" 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 Playhouse at Westport Plaza presents Late Night Catechism opening on Thursday, June 7, at 8 p.m. and running through June 17th. "Late Nite Catechism is, an uproarious piece of theater that takes audience members back - sometimes nostalgically, sometimes fearfully to the children they once were. The irrepressible Sister teaches an adult catechism class to a roomful of “students” (the audience). Over the course of the play, Sister goes from benevolent instructor, rewarding the “students” for correct answers with glow-in-the-dark rosaries and laminated saint cards, to authoritative drill sergeant. These abrupt mood swings are bound to strike a resonant chord with everyone who survived the ups and downs of going to school, with an omniscient authoritarian at the helm." The Playhouse at Westport Plaza is at 635 West Port Plaza. For more information: playhouseatwestport.com.

Life Sucks

New Jewish Theater presents Life Sucks by Aaron Posner through June 10. "An irreverent adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, Posner's contemporary riff on the work is altogether wise, profoundly humane, hilarious, quirky, endearing and, in countless clever ways, brilliantly faithful to its source. Posner brings a playful, far from cynical, originality to the story of a group of yearning, frustrated, heartbroken, questioning, and in many ways privileged souls who are, in their varied and deeply flawed ways, trying to cope with all the essential conundrums of existence. It is essentially a play about love, loss and longing - with a healthy dose of Jewish philosophizing thrown in. Never has unhappiness been so much fun." Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.

Mustard Seed Theatre and Theatre Nuevo present Luchadora! through June 17. "A story of a young girl's journey to save the honor of her family, and inspired by the Ancient Chinese folktale of Mulan, LUCHADORA! explores themes of courage, identify, family and determination. Join Lupita as she becomes immersed in the world of Lucha Libre wresting, and gains profound insight about her Mexican-American culture and family history. The cast includes 4-6 youth ages 14-18 and 6-10 adults. Directed by Anna Skidis." 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.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Gluck's Orfeo and Euridice June 9 - 21. "What would you do if you lost your soulmate? For Orfeo, the answer is simple: get her back - even if it means traveling to the underworld. He braves every challenge, armed with nothing more than his music and his devotion. Little does he realize that his greatest obstacle will ultimately be his own passion. As a myth, it's a celebration of love and of music's transcendent power. As an opera, it's a ravishing masterpiece." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org call 314-961-0644.

Regina
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mark Blitzstein's Regina running through June 24. "Theft. Blackmail. Murder. Is there nothing that Regina Giddens won't do to satisfy her ambition? Based on Lillian Hellman's play The Little Foxes, and set against a Southern backdrop of spirituals, jazz, and ragtime, this deliciously twisted opera pits siblings and spouses against each other in a battle for the family business. Prepare to be scandalized - and entertained - as the renowned Susan Graham returns to Opera Theatre to portray one of the American stage's most fascinating characters." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org call 314-961-0644.

Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents the tragedy Romeo and Juliet nightly except for Tuesdays through June 24. Beginning at 6:30, the Green Show presents pre-play entertainment a variety of local performers. The play begins at 8 p.m. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. For more information, visit sfstl.com.

The Monroe Actors Stage presents the Neil Simon comedy Rumors Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 pm, June 8 - 17, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Run-On Sentence opening on Wednesday, June 6, at 8 pm and running through June 17th. " Based on the experiences of female prison inmates, Run-On Sentence, tells the story of cellmates whose lives are turned upside down by the arrival of a new inmate. Commissioned by Prison Performing Arts in 2016, Run-On Sentence was initially performed by inmates at Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center (WERDCC) in Vandalia, MO and students at Fairleigh Dickinson University. SATE produces it's professional premiere." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Spring Comes Laughing, it's summer Youth Fundraiser, Thursday through Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, June 7 - 10. 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.

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents Tarzan the Musical at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through June 9. The O'Fallon Municipal Centre is located at 100 North Main Street in O'Fallon, MO. For more information, visit www.ofallon.mo.us or call 636-379-5606.

La Traviata
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Verdi's La Traviata through June 23. "Violetta has one important rule: never fall in love. As a Parisian courtesan, her life is full of parties, admirers, and - most importantly - freedom. Then she meets Alfredo. His naive sincerity sweeps her off her feet. Just when Violetta thinks she has escaped her past, she is asked to make an unthinkable sacrifice. Will pride, love, or honor prevail? Embrace the romance of this Verdi masterpiece, featuring the directing debut of star soprano Patricia Racette" Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information: experienceopera.org call 314-961-0644.

Yeast Nation
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the St. Louis premiere of the rock musical Yeast Nation Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, through June 23. "The world's first bio-historical musical comedy, from the mad geniuses who brought you Urinetown! It is the year 3,000,458,000 BC. The Earth's surface is a molten mass of volcanic islands and undulating waves. The atmosphere is a choking fog lit by a dim red sun. And the mighty waters of the world are inhabited only by rocks, sand, salt, more rocks, a little silt, and the great society of salt-eating yeasts - yes, yeasts! - the world's very first life form! These single-cell salt-eaters are the only living creatures on earth, and they're struggling against a food shortage, a strange new emotion called Love, and the oppression of a tyrannical yeast king. But when the king's son ventures out of the known yeastiverse, the yeasts' epic story - and ours - is changed forever." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in Grand Center. For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

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.