St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of October 11, 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.

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

Ken Haller

The Blue Strawberry presents a singers open mic hosted by Ken Haller with Ron McGowan at the piano Tuesday, October  12, from 7 to 9:30 pm. "Musicals, Standards new and established, Cabaret and Pop. First Tuesday of every month (unless we change a date here and there!). Bring music in your key." The Blue Strawberry at 356 North Boyle requires proof of vaccination and masking as part of its COVID careful environment.  or more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Blue Strawberry presents singer/songwriter Susan Werner Thursday, October  14, at 7:30 pm. "Susan Werner is in the rung of contemporary songwriters closest to heaven. As a performer, she is vastly entertaining - funny, fun, dryly witty, very hard working and endlessly charming. Her songs have been recorded by Tom Jones and Michael Feinstein, Betty Buckley and Christine Ebersole. Emily Skinner ended her recent Blue Strawberry show with a Susan Werner song, 'May I Suggest To You?'" The Blue Strawberry at 356 North Boyle requires proof of vaccination and masking as part of its COVID careful environment.  or more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

The Trial of the Century

Circus Flora presents The Trial of the Century through October 31. “Lawyers! Clerks! Procedural rules! Sounds like the perfect family entertainment? Maybe not. But, with Circus Flora assigned to the case, the Big Top becomes the courtroom, acrobats the evidence, and you yourself the jury.” Performances take place at The Big Top in Grand Center, next to Powell Hall. For more information, including show times: circusflora.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

KTK Productions presents Grumpy Old Men the Musical Fridays through Sundays, October 15-24. “It’s the story of aging men, Max and John, neighbors who have been feuding for most of their lives. Invigorated by their shared affection for their new neighbor across the street, the beautiful, eccentric, and charming Ariel, they face-off as romantic rivals until their hilarious shenanigans finally bring about a resolution to their long-standing differences. Based on the 1993 film, which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret, this stage adaptation captures the lovably crotchety characters through twinkling humor, great songs, and the affectionate depiction of a small town that feels like home to everyone.” Performances take place at the Saint John The Baptist Gymnasium, 4200 Delor Street in south St. Louis. For more information: kurtainkall.org

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present The Haunted Hunter through through October 30th. "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.co

Metro Theater Company presents Digging Up Dessa October 17-November 7. “Dessa is a modern-day, 12-year-old with no shortage of mysteries to solve and fossils to find. Her days are filled with buried treasures just waiting to be uncovered. But when her family of three unexpectedly becomes a family of two, this smart, funny young scientist struggles to overcome her grief and anger at all the changes in her world. Dessa's unlikely comfort comes from a remarkable new friend, one only she can see and hear—Mary Anning, the 19th-century paleontologist who discovered a breakthrough dinosaur fossil at the age of 12 and became a pioneer in her field. But why is her portrait not on the museum wall alongside those of her male counterparts? Dessa decides that she’s going to fight to earn Mary the respect she deserves. With help from her new classmate and once-rival, Nilo, Dessa unearths secrets of the past and present—for Mary’s legacy and her own way forward.” Performances take place at the Grandel Theater in Grand Center and also via video stream. For more information: https://www.metroplays.org/dessa

Moonstone Theatre Company presents Moonstone Connections, a series of in-depth interviews with arts leaders by company founder Sharon Hunter. The latest episode features John O’Brien, who currently serves as Director of Programming for The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, where he is responsible for programming the U.S. Bank Broadway Series.  New episodes air the third Tuesday of each month; see linktr.ee/moonstoneconnections for more information.

Ari Axelrod

New Jewish Theatre presents Ari Axelrod’s Jewish Broadway, featuring former St. Louisan and Broadway star Ari Axelrod Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, October 16 and 17. “The New Jewish Theatre presents New York Cabaret Star Ari Axelrod in Ari Axelrod’s Jewish Broadway, honoring the songs and stories of Jewish composers and their contributions to the American musical. Beloved melodies and lyrics by the likes of Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Schwartz, and Carole King will transport the audience back to the streets of the theatre district, your bubbie’s Shabbos table or the places of your dreams.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information www.showpass.com or see my interview with Ari on YouTube.

The Story of My Life
Photo: Jill Ritter

New Line Theatre presents the musical The Story of My Life through October 23. “Just two New Line actors, Chris Kernan and Jeffrey M. Wright, along with artistic director Scott Miller on keyboard, in one of the most intimate evenings of musical theatre in the company’s 30 year history, telling a story all about stories, and the effect we have on other lives, usually without realizing it. Neil Bartram and Brian Hill's THE STORY OF MY LIFE follows the friendship of Alvin and Thomas, two lifelong friends from a small town who are reunited after Alvin's mysterious death. Thomas struggles to write Alvin's eulogy, so Alvin shows up to help the two of them take an amazing journey back through the story of their friendship, as Alvin searches through the manuscripts and stories in Thomas' mind. And though Thomas is trying to write about his best friend, he ends up finding his own story in the process and coming to terms with the past.” Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive. For more information: newlinetheatre.com

O’Fallon TheatreWorks presents Little Women Fridays through Sundays, October 15-24. “Louisa May Alcott’s immortal 19th century novel takes a spirited leap onto the OTW stage, telling the story of a family struggling to make their way in a time when opportunities for women are few and a civil war is raging across the land.” Performances take place at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre (City Hall) in O’Fallon, MO. For more information: www.ofallon.mo.us/ofallontheatreworks

The Gradient

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents St. Louis premiere of The Gradient through October 24. “In this world premiere satire set in the not-so-distant future, a new facility promises to take men accused of sexual misconduct and rehabilitate them into responsible citizens. Steph Del Rosso’s bold new play asks: Can we mass-produce forgiveness?” Performances take place on the Berges Mainstage Theatre at COCA in University City. 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

R-S Theatrics presents Jennifer Haley’s Breadcrumbs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm through October 24. “A reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness, and essential self.” Performances take place at the . ZACK, 3224 Locust in Grand Center. For more information: www.r-stheatrics.com

The St. Louis Writers' Group continues the second round of its annual Playwright Slam on Tuesday, October 12, at 6:30 pm. Submitted scripts will be given a five minute read, and rated by a panel of judges based upon audience reaction. The judges will select several plays to move on to the next round.  The events takes place upstairs at Big Daddy's, 1000 Sidney in Soulard. 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.

Stages St. Louis presents the musical Jersey Boys running through October 24. ‘Take an exhilarating journey into the music of the cultural phenomenon’s Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, with JERSEY BOYS, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical! Featuring 30 show stopping performances of the 60s hits that took the group all the way to the top of the charts, including: “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” Dawn,” and “My Eyes Adored You,” JERSEY BOYS will have you dancing in the aisles and shouting for more!’ Performances take place at The Ross Family Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.

Blue/Orange

Stray Dog Theatre presents Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through October 23, with an additional performance on Sunday, October 17, at 8 pm. “The day before Christopher is due to be discharged from a psychiatric ward, his doctor has reservations and raises his concerns with a senior colleague. Blue/Orange is an incendiary tale of race, madness, and a Darwinian power struggle at the heart of a dying National Health Service.” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tenessee in Tower Grove East. Tickets are only offered in physically distanced groups of two or four. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org

That Uppity Theatre Company presents Climate Change Theatre Action St. Louis 2021 on Saturday, October 16, from 1 to 4 pm. “Reflecting an age span of performers of over 50 years, the event will include performers from the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in ‘How Dare You?’, an adaptation of teenage activist Greta Thunberg’s address to the UN, theatre students from the Webster University Conservatory, well known local theatre artists and performances by two dance companies, Ashleyliane Dance Company and Karlovsky and Company Dance.  The galleries include Duane Reed, Houska, Philip Slein, and Projects +. Viewers will be able to see a short play or two of under ten minutes in a gallery before proceeding to the next gallery to see others. The event will feature approximately 8-10 short pieces that were commissioned internationally and have been published. Most performances will be repeated 4-5 times, in rotation, or approximately every twenty minutes, starting at 1 pm. Some work may also be performed outside.  Indoor performances will be limited to ten audience members at a time and masking will be required.” The event takes place on McPherson between Euclid and Walton in the Central West End. For more information visit the event Facebook page

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.