St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of December 14, 2020

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

The Blue Strawberry presents Not an Open Mic with Zack Sloan & Neil C. Luke on Friday, December 18, at 7 pm. "Zack Sloan "Zacksquatch" and Neil C. Luke don't do an Open Mic, but they do do a lot of fine acoustic playing and singing. They are inviting their musician friends to come down." The Strawberry invites you to come on down and sing, play, listen and enjoy. The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. The Blue Strawberry is on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents an Terry Barber in Christmas Presence on Saturday, December 19, at 7:00 pm.  "From classics to classical—celebrate the holiday season with an evening of carols and inspirational popular favorites. This show is a crowd-pleasing favorite that will leave audiences uplifted and filled with joy!" The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. The show is also available via live streaming video. The Blue Strawberry is on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents Denise Thimes in A Denise Thimes Christmas on Sunday, December 20, at 4:00 and 7:00 pm.  Backing her in the holiday-themed show are Adaron “Pops” Jackson, piano; John King, bass; and Demarius Hicks, drums. The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. The show is also available via live streaming video. The Blue Strawberry is on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Circus Harmony in St. Louis and Circus Circuli in Stuttgart, St. Louis's German sister city, present Sister City Circus, on Circus Harmony’s YouTube page beginning on December 19 at noon.  "Through a series of online meetings, workshops, and classes the two troupes created 6 different circus acts and then filmed them at iconic architectural locations in each of their cities." For more information, visit the Circus Harmony YouTube page.

The Fabulous Fox 

The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents A Dickens of a Tour, a holiday theatre tour inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol,  through December 18. "The tour depicts several of that tale’s characters including the ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, Jacob Marley, Victorian dancers and more!  This unique hour-long tour includes some of the history of the Fox Theatre while it is beautifully decorated for the holiday season.  Guest will visit five stations with access to backstage and the Fabulous Fox stage.  The tours are under the direction of Lara Teeter, Creative Director and Larry Pry, Music Director."  Strict COVID-19 safety protocols will be enforced during the tours. For more information: fabulousfox.com.

First Run Theatre presents an on-demand streaming version of Look Into My Eyes, a new play by Robb Willoughby, through the end of February 2021. The play can be viewed on First Run's YouTube channel as well as on the First Run Facebook page.

Fly North Theatricals presents three new free digital series. Their new digital line up includes The Spotlight Series, the Grown-Up Theatre Kids Podcast, and Gin and the Tonic. The Spotlight Series highlights the Fly North family of students and actors performing songs from previous FNT shows. In the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast you can join Colin Healy and Bradley Rohlf every other Friday as they explore life after drama club and what it means to make a living in theatre far from the lights of broadway. Gin and the Tonic is a "reckless unpacking of music history’s weirdest stories hosted by Colin Healy.” The Spotlight Series and Gin and the Tonic are available at the Fly North Theatricals YouTube channel and the Grown-Up Theatre Kids podcast can also be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Sticher, other podcast platforms. All three are updated on a bi-weekly (every other week) basis.

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents The Anti-Clause through January 9, 2021. "Ever wanted to be on a TV Christmas Special? Well, hold onto that dream because we’re just pretending. Welcome to the Judy St Judy television talk show! It’s the only daytime show that really gives Jerry Springer a run for his money. All kinds of non-functioning family skeletons will be brought to light tonight but the big news is that Judy St Judy has scored a huge guest for this year's Christmas Special. Spoiler alert, it's Santa Claus! And not everyone is happy to see him. Gee, hope nothing bad happens!" The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

And in This Corner: Cassius Clay

Metro Theatre Company presents the streaming version of their critically acclaimed 2016 production of And In This Corner: Cassius Clay by Idris Goodwin for online classrooms, homeschools, learning pods, and other educational settings. "And In This Corner: Cassius Clay is the story of the young man who would become Muhammad Ali. From his relationship with a white police officer who introduced him to boxing as a kid in Jim Crow-era Louisville to his gold medal-winning performance in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Cassius holds onto the faith that his potential is unlimited. But it is the friends from his childhood who are becoming Freedom Riders who ultimately challenge him to understand that there is more to life than personal success: he must use his gifts to work for the good of his community." All tickets include a virtual lesson plan connected to Missouri curricular standards, along with additional resources to help address the topics of civil rights, racial equity, and social justice. For more information: www.metroplays.org/virtual-field-trips.

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Moonstone Connections, a series of in-depth interviews with arts leaders by company founder Sharon Hunter. New episodes air the third Tuesday of each month; see linktr.ee/moonstoneconnections for more information.

The Muny presents Attuned: Cast Me at the Muny, a nine-part podcast that "showcases audition tips and funny stories, while offering an inside look at what makes casting a Muny show so challenging." The series is available on demand at the Classic 107.3 web site. For more information: classic1073.org/podcasts

The OTSL Holiday Concert

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents an on-line Holiday Concert through December 31st. "This winter concert will delight the entire family with popular holiday songs, ranging from traditional carols to movie tunes". For more information: opera-stl.org/holiday-concert.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Cooking, Carols and Cocktails, a four-episode web series combining cooking classes by local chefs, musical performances, and tours of local restaurants, running through the end of January. "Join us in the kitchens of some of St. Louis’ master chefs as they guide us in creating a delectable seasonal spread. While your meal simmers, enjoy exclusive holiday music performances and a special cocktail taught by a guest mixologist. From appetizer to digestif, each of the four episodes in this series brings the best of St. Louis’ culinary and music scenes into your home for a festive feast." Tickets are available for individual episodes as well as for the full series. For more information: repstl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, in collaboration with Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, The Public Theater and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, present Play at Home, a series of micro-commissioned short plays from some of the American theatre's most exciting and prominent playwrights. These new plays – which all run 10 minutes or less – are available for the public to download, read and perform at home for free at playathome.org.

Adena Varner and family

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents a live video stream of the WiseWrite Digital Play Festival running until the end of the Rep's 2020-2021 season. “Step into the imagination of three young playwrights as The Rep presents professional readings of their new plays.” The production is directed by Adena Varner, the Rep's Director of Learning and Community Engagement. For more information: repstl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Love and Kindness in the Time of Quarantine via on-demand video stream through the end of 2020. "The beautiful and uplifting Love and Kindness in the Time of Quarantine offers hope, encouragement and perspective in a time of uncertainty. Through a blend of three songs and six monologues, this heartfelt and compassionate new work, led by The Rep’s playwright-in-residence Regina Taylor, reflects on the search for light in the darkness. Featuring nationally renowned writers Octavio Solis, Connie Congdon, Dustin Chinn and Isaac Gomez, as well as local favorites Tonina, Carter Lewis, Mariah Richardson and Tre’von Griffith." For more information: www.repstl.org

Deal Orlandersmith in
After the Flood

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and All Arts present Until the Flood, written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, via on-demand streaming. "On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an African American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting ignited weeks of social unrest, propelled the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted a controversial investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith traveled to St. Louis and conducted interviews with dozens of people who were grievously shaken by Brown’s shooting and the turbulent aftermath. From these intimate conversations, Orlandersmith created eight unforgettable characters who embody a community struggling to come to terms with the personal damage caused by these events." For more information: allarts.org

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Metro Theater Company present  #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence available on for on-demand streaming through December 20. "This selection of staged readings is the culmination of a yearlong theatre initiative that encourages teens to confront gun violence by creating new works of theatre. A panel of nationally recognized dramatists including Lauren Gunderson, Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan, Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang, and Karen Zacarías selected the plays out of 184 submissions from 23 states and three countries." For more information: repstl.org.

R-S Theatrics presents While the Ghostlight Burns, a virtual discussion series featuring R-S Artistic Director Sarah Lynne Holt in conversation with St. Louis theatre artists, Mondays at 7 pm.  Conversations will be archived at the R-S Theatrics YouTube channel. For more information: r-stheatrics.com/while-the-ghostlight-burns.html

Come Together

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents streaming videos from the SHAKE20 festival, including re-imagined, condensed versions of classic Shakespeare plays and new takes on old favorites like Joe Hanrahan's Come Together, at the Shakespeare Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pg/STLShakesFest/videos

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents A Walking Christmas Carol through December 23 in the Central West End. "Inspired by the tradition of taking in the grand holiday windows at Stix and Famous-Barr, A Walking Xmas Carol is a 20-stop, audio-musical and window-display reimagining of the classic tale by Charles Dickens. Local artists from PaintedBlack STL (“Stroll”) will create large-scale window installations interpreting Scrooge’s journey from a never before seen perspective while the musical adaptation Q Brothers Christmas Carol from the Q Brothers (Dress the Part) will guide guests throughout the walk along Euclid Avenue and Maryland Plaza." For more information: stlshakes.org/production/carol/

The St. Louis Writers Group streams live recordings of previous play reading sessions at their Facebook page. For more information: facebook.com.

SATE, in collaboration with COCA and Prison Performing Arts, presents Project Verse: Creativity in the Time of Quarantine. Project Verse presents two new plays: Quatrains in Quarantine by e.k. doolin and Dream On, Black Girl: Reflections in Quarantine by Maxine du Maine. The performances are streamed free of charge on SATE’s website and Facebook page. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

Union Avenue Opera offers Sneak Peeks of its 2021 season operas Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) and The Cradle Will Rock on its YouTube channel.

The Washington University Performing Arts Department presents the world premiere of Remember...That Time Before the Last Time  through December 27 via on-demand streaming. "Remember is an exploration of the effects of race, social injustice and the traumatic impact of slavery on the creative impulses of a people/artists through spoken word, music and dance from the diaspora. Our lens focuses on survival from 1619 to 2020." The play is conceived and directed by Ron Himes. For more information: pad.wustl.edu.

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.