St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of February 21, 2022

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 Alpha Players present the comedy The Irish Wake of Patty O’Toole Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, February 25 through March 6. Performances take place in the James J. Eagen Center in Florissant. For more information: alphaplayers.org.

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 on most major platforms including Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube, and BandCamp. For more information: www.eratheatre.org

Mean Girls
Photo: Joan Marcus

The Fabulous Fox presents the musical Mean Girls, running through February 27.  “Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.” The Fabulous Fox is on North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: https://www.fabulousfox.com

The Lemp Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre and Jest Mysteries present Bullets in the Bathtub J through May 7. "Mob bosses, flappers, bootleggers and crooked cops will abound as event attendees are transported back in time to Trixie's speakeasy right in the heart of the roaring 20's. There will be plenty of rowdy characters at this fun, interactive event but none so dangerous as Harry "Bullets" Hyde. He’s the boss of the bosses and he is not too keen on "The Familys" taking over his territory. Parts will be passed out at the door and guests can participate as much or as little as they would like too. Some might be famous gangsters of the past, others may dodge the cops as they bootleg over state lines and a few might even be fun, flirty flappers. When a group like this gets together, it’s almost inevitable that somebody ends up "sleeping with the fishes." The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place in south city. For more information: www.lempmansion.com

Last Stop of Market Street
Photo: Jennifer A. Lin

Metro Theater Company presents Last Stop on Market Street through February 27. “Get ready for a heart-thumpin’, toe-tappin’ joy ride in this Motown/hip-hop musical adaptation of New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning picture book Last Stop on Market Street! CJ is reluctantly staying with his Nana, in a world considerably different from the one he’s used to, always plugged in to his phone and tablet. Guided by his veritable force-of-nature Nana, CJ travels a little closer to his roots and sees that things are not always what they seem. With a spectacular, spirited score by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son Paris Ray Dozier, you might find yourself dancing in your seat as you enjoy this vibrant story about connecting to your community. “ Performances take place at the Grandel Theater in Grand Center and also via video stream beginning February 11. For more information: www.metroplays.org/marketstreet

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

Stick Fly
Photo by Phillip Hamer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents St. Louis premiere of Stick Fly by Lydia Diamond through March 6. “The LeVay family’s annual summer vacation to Martha’s Vineyard is thrown into a state of disarray by long-standing tensions, sibling rivalries and a drunken game of Scrabble. This Outer Critics Circle Nominee for Outstanding New Broadway Play explores class, race and generational dynamics through the eyes of a modern African-American family.” Performances take place on the Berges Mainstage Theatre at COCA in University City. For more information: www.repstl.org.

Fireflies

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company continues its 45th Anniversary Season with Fireflies, by Donja R. Love. The production runs through March 6. “Directed by Atlanta-based actor and director Andrea Frye, and featuring Zahria Moore and Eric Conners, the courageous work takes an intimate approach to exploring personal aspects of the Civil Rights Movement. Set in the Jim Crow South, Fireflies tells the story of Olivia, the inspiring speechwriter and force behind her charismatic husband Charles and his freedom movement. When four little girls are bombed in a church, the couple’s relationship is thrown into jeopardy as Olivia begins to believe ‘this world ain’t no place to raise a colored child’." This intimate performance allows viewers to experience the powerful drama from Olivia’s female-led perspective.” Performances take place at the Hotchner Studio Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information: www.theblackrep.org

Good People

Stray Dog Theatre presents David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through February 26. “Margie Walsh just lost her job, is now facing eviction, and can’t seem to catch a break.  When a successful ex-boyfriend from her past moves back to town, Margie hopes he may have the ticket she needs to turn her life around. Will Margie risk what little she has left to find out?” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. Tickets are only offered in physically distanced groups of two or four. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org

The Washington University Performing Arts Department presents the musical Rent Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm, February 25 – March 6. Performances take place in the Edison Theatre on the Washington University Campus. For more information: pad.wustl.edu.

Webster Conservatory presents The Learned Ladies by Molière, translated by Richard Wilbur, February 26 – March 6. “Molière’s timeless comedy satirizes pseudo-intellectualism and social climbing while celebrating the power of true love to expose and conquer hypocrisy. Wilbur’s “lighter-than-air verse upholds the idiom and letter of Molière,” describes a New York Times critic. The translator’s “rhymed couplets are always crisp and playable.” Guest artist Rebekah Scallet, Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre from 2011 to 2020, directs. Performances take place in the Emerson Studio Theatre in the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus in Webster Groves. For more information: www.webster.edu/conservatory

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.