St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 29, 2018

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues to rain talent up on us while new shows open at Kirkwood, Webster, and Hawthorne Players, among others.

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Admissions
Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the St. Louis premiere of Admissions by Joshua Harmon through November 11. "Prep school admissions director Sherri Rosen-Mason lives according to staunchly progressive values. Her daily battles include diversifying both the school's student body and the photos in its brochures. But when her teenage son claims those same values have denied him opportunities as a white student, it creates an explosive conflict that exposes their family's hypocrisies and privileges. This biting play's acidic humor goes straight for the throat." Performances take place in the studio theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

Act Two Theatre presents the musical Annie Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through November 11. "With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone's hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago at an Orphanage that is run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. When she escapes into NYC, Annie foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy." Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace Fridays through Sundays, November 2 - 11. "We meet the charming and innocent ladies who populate their cellar with the remains of socially and religiously “acceptable” roomers; the antics of their nephew who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt. We also meet the other nephew, Mortimer and his girlfriend Elaine and her father, a minister. Everything is running smoothly until Jonathan, another nephew, shows up." 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.

Over Due Theatre presents musical La Cage aux Folles Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, November 2 - 11. "Georges is the owner of the La Cage Aux Folles nightclub, which features a drag show starring his partner and the love of his life, Albin. After twenty years of un-wedded bliss, Georges and his partner Albin face the hardest challenge of their relationship, yet: meeting their son, Jean-Michel's fiance's parents. Albin has always raised Jean-Michel, Georges' biological son, as his own. But when Jean-Michel falls in love and becomes engaged to the daughter of an ultra-conservative, anti-gay politician, Georges feels compelled to try to present a more “traditional” family to Jean-Michel's potential in-laws. When Albin tries and fails to take on a masculine persona in the role of Uncle Al, he gets more creative in order to find a way to be part of the “meet the parents” experience. Based on Jean Poiret's 1973 French play of the same name, the multi-Tony award-winning La Cage Aux Folles is a musical filled with delightful spectacle and great heart." Performances take place at the Olivette Community Center, 9723 Grandview Drive, in Olivette, MO. For more information, call 314-210-2959 or visit overduetheatrecompany.com.

Carrie St. Louis

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents Carrie St. Louis Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3, at 8 pm. "A beautiful, smart, really funny and immensely talented Broadway phenom named St. Louis should like do a show here, right? That's what we thought. Fresh off a Broadway run of Kinky Boots, Carrie makes her St. Louis debut. She's thrilled to bring her goofy personality, backstage stories, and the songs she loves to The Gaslight!" The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents A Christmas Sleigh-Ing November 2 through December 29. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

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 Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Dead Like Me through November 3. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

A Doll's House, Part 2
Photo by Peter Wochniak

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents A Doll's House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath through November 4. "Hnath's audacious sequel, written more than 135 years after Henrik Ibsen's original, hit Broadway in 2017 like a sneak attack. Ibsen's familial drama remains a foundational piece of theatre, with a still-controversial ending in which a married woman chooses to walk out on her family. But Hnath took the themes and characters of that familiar classic and flipped them on their heads, imagining what would happen if protagonist Nora Helmer returned home 15 years after her dramatic exit." 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.

The Black Rep presents a special benefit performance of The Gospel at Colonus on Friday, November 3. Performances take place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: theblackrep.org.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents In the Works, a festival of contemporary American plays inspired by Shakespeare, featuring the regional premiere of Into the Breeches!, through November 24. "Building on its beloved summer productions in Forest Park and the acclaimed Shakespeare in the Streets program, the Festival now presents its very first season of contemporary American plays by writers in dialogue with Shakespeare, headlined by the regional premiere of Into the Breeches! Written by the award-winning playwright of Grounded, which starred Anne Hathaway in its New York run, Into the Breeches! is a hilarious and heartwarming look at the WWII home front and a group of ladies who band together to keep the local theater going with their very own production of Henry V. "In the Works" will also feature family matinees of A Most Outrageous Fit of Madness, a delightful new play for young audiences by Festival favorite Nancy Bell, inspired by the mistaken identity hijinks of The Comedy of Errors, as well as staged readings of the Festival-commissioned The Thousand Natural Shocks, a moving coming-of-age story about a teenage boy who finds strength and resilience through a high school production of Hamlet. (The Thousand Natural Shocks is appropriate for ages 13 and over.)" Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including dates and times: sfstl.com.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents singer/songwriter Jimmy Webb on Monday, October 29, at 7 pm. " By The Time I Get to Phoenix; MacArthur Park; Wichita Lineman; The Worst That Could Happen; The Moon is a Harsh Mistress; Didn't We, and 1968 Grammy Song of the Year: Up, Up and Away. Four-time Grammy winner Jimmy Webb does a great and gritty show of his songs, made famous by either Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Richard Harris, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, The 5th Dimension, James Taylor, Johnny Cash, Art Garfunkel, Linda Rondstadt, Josh Groban or Donna Summer. And with that a standout storyteller too." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Bob Gerchen

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents Bob Gerchen in Joe Cocker: Never Forget on Thursday, November 1, at 8 p.m. "Bob Gerchen finds the beauty, the grit, the soul and the pathos in the work of Joe Cocker, with a little help from a St. Louis Grown Blues Band. Bob sings Joe's hits, but also some songs you might not know. He tells the story of Joe's improbable rise and influence on American blues and soul (he got inside a lot of our souls), as well as on the life of the show's creator. A Joe Cocker cabaret, in the big tent of cabaret at The Gaslight." The performances take place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

The Monocle presents Paula Stoff Dean in an encore performance of her solo debut cabaret, Its About The Journey, on Saturday, November 3, at 8pm. "It's been several years in the making but Paula Stoff Dean is finally debuting in her first ever solo cabaret. Paula's voice has been described as one that can shake the rafters or break your heart. If you haven't heard her sing, make sure you mark this date on your calendars. She has been in various productions with several different theatre companies in the St Louis area such as Stray Dog Theatre, West End Players, Non Prophet Theatre Company, Dramatic License Productions, and most recently ComedySportz St. Louis." The show is directed by Kay Love with musical direction by Carol A Schmidt. The performance takes place in the Emerald Room at The Monocle on Manchester in The Grove. For more information: themonoclestl.com.

Kirkwood Theatre Guild presents Lord Arthur Saville's Crimes November 2 - 11. "Based on a story by Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile is engaged to the lovely Sybil Merton, but his chiromantist, Podgers, has read Lord Arthur's palm and foretold he would commit a murder. Desiring a blissful married life, Arthur feels duty bound to get the murder over with first. Despite help from his butler and the bomb-making anarchist, Winkelkopf, attempt after attempt fails. As the dust settles, hilarity and love abound in this witty and sweet comedy. " 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.

Macbeth: Come Like ShadowsPhoto by Eric Woolsey

Rebel and Misfits Productions presents Macbeth: Come Like Shadows Wednesdays through through November 10, as part of its Immersive Theatre Project. "Rebel and Misfits Productions is thrilled to present the third installment of the Immersive Theatre Project October 24-10. Dive into a shocking world and discover the heart and dark underbelly of a story that you have undoubtedly come in contact with before, but never allowed full access to the dripping heat and intimacy pulled along by its characters. This is one of Shakespeare's boldest and most passionate plays deeply imagined. Who are the inhabitants? Why do their souls choose the courses they embark upon? What is behind the door? Immerse yourself in a world of direct interaction, walk into this complexly-woven tale, wade into its unlocked depths. We invite you to meet these characters as you never have before. Drink with them. Dance with them. Share your secrets with them. They will, in turn, weave you into the fabric of the action. Come and experience this high-octane, dangerous, and sexy world, where nothing is ever quite what it seems." Audiences will board buses at 1615 South Broadway, St Louis, MO 63104 between 7:20 pm and 7:30 pm to be driven to the performance destination For more information: theimmersivetheatreproject.com.

Lindenwood University presents the musical Mary Poppins Thursday through Saturday, November 1 - 3, at 7:30 pm. "One of the most popular Disney movies of all time is capturing hearts in a whole new way: as a practically perfect musical! Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical." Performances take place in the Emerson Black Box Theatre at the Scheiegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information: lindenwood.edu.

The Stifel Theatre presents Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Live! Featuring The Brain on Tuesday, October 30, at 7:30 pm. " Following its record-breaking #BringBackMST3K Kickstarter campaign, the inaugural new season of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” launched on April 14, 2017, exclusively on Netflix and earned a critics' rating of “100% Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times hails, “At last, a revival of something actually worth reviving… a different cast but the same outlook and style - and mercifully, the same reliable, giddy humor.” “MST3K is just as hilarious as ever in rebooted form, turning its bemused eye on old, schlocky fare for some good, old-fashioned riffing,” raves Vanity Fair. And Nerdist says, “The references are updated, the sets are snazzier, but the heart and soul of MST3K certainly remains intact.” In November of 2017, it was announced that Netflix was renewing the series, and the second season will air “in the not-too-distant future.” The Stifel Theatre is at 14th and Market downtown. For more information: stifeltheatre.com.

Alton Little Theater presents the drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, through November 4. "Sometimes a play becomes a revolution, an idea lights the night sky, and a character becomes a part of cultural literacy. In 1963 a play called ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST ignited a national debate about mental health and treatment in state facilities ---and a charming rogue of a patient (character) did it all with reckless abandonment of the rules." Performances take place at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.org.

O'Fallon TheatreWorks presents the drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre auditorium Fridays through Sundays. November 2 - 11. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a chilling, cautionary tale of a charming rogue, Randle Patrick McMurphy, who contrives to serve a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather than prison. This, he learns, was a mistake. He clashes with the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, a fierce martinet. He quickly takes over the yard and accomplishes what the medical profession was unable to do for 12 years, prompt a presumably deaf and dumb Native American patient to speak. Leading the other patients out of their introversion, McMurphy stages a revolt so that they can watch the World Series on television, and arranges a rollicking midnight party. The party is too horrid for Nurse Ratched, who forces a final “correction” on McMurphy, a frontal lobotomy. The play is a 2001 winner of a Tony® Award, for “Outstanding Revival of a Play.” Parental discretion is advised." 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.

The Hawthorne Players present the drama A Raisin in the Sun November 2 - 11. "Set on Chicago's South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. When her deceased husband's insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man. Beneatha dreams of medical school. The tensions and prejudice they face form this seminal American drama. The Younger family's heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration." The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

Silent Sky
Photo by John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents Lauren Gunderson's Silent Sky Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through November 4. "When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn't allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women "computers," charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in "girl hours" and has no time for the women's probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman's place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women's ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

Theatre Nuevo and Equally Represented Arts presents Whither Should I Fly through November 10. It's " a devised exploration of prescriptive women's behavior through witchcraft and multilevel marketing presented as part of the 2018 FAUSTival (http://www.faustival.org). Performances take place at The Centene Center, 3547 Olive in Grand Center. For more information: https://www.artful.ly/theatre-nuevo/store/events/16020.

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.