St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of September 13, 2021

Now including both on-line and live events during the pandemic. Your event information should be in text format (i.e. not part of a graphic), but feel free to include publicity stills. To get your event listed here, send an email to calendar [at] stageleft.org.

Alton Little Theater presents Gloria’s Guy Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through September 19. Performances take place at The Showplace, 2450 N. Henry St. in Alton, IL. For more information: https://altonlittletheater.org

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Class Reunions Can Be Murder through October 31st at the Bissel Mansion, 4426 Randall Place. For more information: www.bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Blue Strawberry presents Open Mic Night with Sean Skrbec and Patrick White Sundays at 7 pm. "Come on down and sing, come on down to play, or come on down to listen and enjoy." The Blue Strawberry at 356 North Boyle requires proof of vaccination and masking as part of its COVID careful environment. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Emily Skinner

The Blue Strawberry presents  Emily Skinner: A Broad with a Broad, Broad Mind Friday at 8 pm and Saturday at 4 and 8 pm, September 17th and 18th.  “In this, her all-new and captivatingly all-in cabaret show, Tony-nominated Broadway star Emily Skinner (Side Show, Billy Elliot, The Full Monty, The Cher Show, Jekyll & Hyde, Dinner at Eight, James Joyce’s The Dead) takes us on a tour of her neighborhood. You don’t get to be a Broadway leading lady without being strong willed. In this show, she lets us see the fight she has (and lets us feel the fight we have) for what she wants and what she believes. A favorite at The Rep in Follies and The MUNY in The Little Mermaid.” John Fischer is the pianist and music director. The Blue Strawberry on North Boyle requires proof of vaccination and masking as part of its COVID careful environment. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

A Call to Conscience Inc. presents Celebration of Survival Friday and Saturday, September 17 and 18, at 7 pm. “Artistic Director Fannie Belle Lebby, describes the show as a ‘choreopoem,’ a phrase coined in 1975 by African American playwright, Ntozake Shange. It is a form of dramatic expression that combines poetry, dance, music, and song. Basically, it’s an opportunity for audiences to hear, share and engage in conversations to help cope with stress and anxiety brought on by more than 17 months of unprecedented living during a global pandemic.” Performances take place at the Centene Center at Grand and Olive in Grand Center. For more information: acalltoconscience.org.

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.  "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." This and many other Circus Harmony videos are available at the Circus Harmony YouTube channel.

ERA Theatre presents the radio play SHE by Nancy Bell with music by Joe Taylor and Lyrics by Nancy Bell via on-demand streaming  "SHE controls the radio station of the fascist regime in power. SHE's also the star of the broadcast. Her recording studio abounds with music and oysters. But in the nearby government camps full of misfits and would-be revolutionaries, only torture and starvation is thick on the ground. Tonight, however, SHE's realm feels different. The bombs sound closer. Time moves faster. But SHE will finish her radio show, and it will be her finest. If executing every number in the broadcast means some people need to die, so be it; it is a small sacrifice. The citizens need her and she will not let them down." SHE is available for digital purchase via bandcamp at eratheatre.bandcamp.com. For more information: www.eratheatre.org

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present The Haunted Hunter through through October 30. "The rumors are true... this place is haunted!  And the word on the street is The Lemp Mansion’s most famous ghost is going to make an appearance tonight!  Lots of famous sleuths, detectives and ghost hunters from around the world will be here to catch a glimpse of our resident apparition.  But some seem to have more than just a passing interest in this paranormal investigation, could it be that they have something more sinister on their mind? Gee!  If someone gets whacked, we’ll have plenty of detectives to solve this Halloween whodunnit, won’t we? " The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Monroe Actors Stage Company presents Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine through September 19. “Watch on the Rhine tells the story of an idealistic German who, with his American wife and two children, flees Hitler’s Germany and finds sanctuary with his wife’s family in the United States. He hopes for a respite from the dangerous work in which he has been involved, but his desire for personal safety soon comes into conflict with the deeply-held beliefs which have made him an active anti-Nazi. Told in compelling, human terms, the play is an eloquent and stirring tribute to the brave men and women who, despite all odds, struggled early on to stem the tide of fascism which was soon to spread throughout Europe and the world.” Performances take place at the Capitol Theatre in Waterloo, IL. For more information: www.masctheatre.org.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents all six productions of its 2021 festival season, including I Dream a World, the special Juneteenth concert at the Missouri History Museum. streaming on demand through September 30th. Video streams are available on an individual or full season basis. For more information: https://opera-stl.org/streaming.

Somi Kakoma

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Dreaming Zenzile through October 3rd. “At her final concert, South African musical legend and activist Miriam Makeba delivers the performance of her life, raising the conscience and the consciousness of a people. But the ancestors are calling—transporting her through the music and fractured memories of her past on a spiritual journey of reconciliation. Written and performed by Grammy-nominated international music sensation Somi Kakoma, this world-premiere musical is an electrifying portrait of a revolutionary artist’s singular voice and vision.” Performances take place on the Emerson Main Stage at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.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

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company opens its 45th Anniversary Season with Sweat by Lynn Nottage through September 26th. “As timely as ever, this Pulitzer Prize winner addresses the complexities of race, class and friendship at a pivotal moment in America. This deeply heartfelt drama is crafted with generous humor and tells the story of a group of co-workers who find friendship working together on a factory floor. When layoffs and picket lines enter the picture, these friends must decide if they should look out for each other — or prioritize themselves.” Performances take place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: www.theblackrep.org

The St. Louis Actors’ Studio presents the one-act plays Zoo Story by Edward Albee and The Dumbwaiter by Harold Pinter Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, September 17 through October 3. Performances take place at The Gaslight Theater on North Boyle in the Central West End. For more information: stlas.org.

The St. Louis Writers' Group presents a Festival of One-Act Plays on Tuesday, September 14, at 6:30 pm. The plays are Hole in the Ceiling by Andrew Black,  It’s Not Your Fault by Cherie Sampson, Cabin Fever by Aahron Young, The Park Bench by Taylor Kelly, and A Deadly Sin’s Last Supper by Michael Stuart. The readings take place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard and will also be available via Zoom. For more information, visit the St. Louis Writers' Group Facebook page.

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.

SATE also offers streaming performances of the shows originally scheduled for live 2020 productions: The Mary Shelley Monster Show, As You Like It (produced for SHAKE20, Project Verse, and Classic Mystery Game. The shows are available on their YouTube channel.

Stray Dog Theatre’s Silver Stage Program presents an on-demand streaming audio version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The production features a cast of actors exclusively over the age of 55. For more information: straydogtheatre.org.

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents the comedy Six Rms Riv Vu by Bob Randall through September 19th. “A vacant apartment with six rooms and a river view is open for inspection by prospective tenants, and among them are a man (Paul) and a woman (Anne), strangers when they meet. As the last to leave, they find themselves locked in and though both are happily married, discover a mutual attraction as they wait out the long night ahead.” Performances take place at 517 Theatre Lane at the corner of Newport and Summit in Webster Groves. For more information, visit the Gild's Facebook page.

Bloomsday

West End Players Guild presents Steven Dietz's Bloomsday September 17 through 26. “Set in James Joyce’s Dublin, the play takes place 35 years ago, and also on one day last June.  Robert, a 55-year-old American college professor, has spent an academic career studying and teaching Joyce’s masterwork, Ulysses.  His interest in the novel dates from one magical day when he was twenty and he met Caithleen, a 20-year-old tour guide for the James Joyce’s Dublin walking tour.  Caithleen won young Robbie’s heart that day and he very nearly took her away to America, but in the end it was not to be. Robert has returned to Dublin for a reunion with Caithleen, now known as Cait.  But when he arrives for his planned rendezvous with Cait, it is Caithleen he finds instead, having somehow traveled back through the years to that day of their first and only meeting.  Caithleen, Cait, Robert and Robbie do a slow dance back and forth through time, reliving younger days, imagining what might have been and wondering if it still might be.” West End Players Guild this season will employ touchless ticketing, socially-distanced seating and indoor masking of all patrons and front-of-house staff and volunteers. Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union in the Central West End. For more information: westendplayers.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.