St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 1, 2024

What's on St. Louis theater and cabaret stages this coming week. Please leave a comment if anything was wrong or got left out

Aquarian Rising Productions presents A Colored Funeral by Gregory S. Carr Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 4 pm, April 5-7. “Death is the ultimate equalizer. One thing seldom discussed is how one group of people may handle the topic of 'death' itself different from another. “ Performances take place at the Jefferson Avenue Mission, 2241 Jefferson Ave. Tickets are available at the door.

Meghan Kirk

The Blue Strawberry presents Songsmiths: A Tribute to Singers and Songwriters with singer Meghan Kirk and pianist Ron McGowan on Wednesday, April 3 at 7 pm. “Join us for an unforgettable celebration of singers and songwriters in "Songsmiths," where Meghan Kirk takes the stage to enchant audiences with classic tunes from the Great American Songbook, hits from the 60s and 70s, and mesmerizing show-tunes. Under the musical direction of Ron McGowan, this performance promises a journey through musical history, with surprise special guests adding their unique flair to the experience. Whether you're a seasoned music lover or simply seeking an evening of pure delight, "Songsmiths" offers an extraordinary celebration of the enduring magic of music.”  The Blue Strawberry is at 364 N. Boyle. For more information: bluestrawberrystl.com.

Karen Mason

The Cabaret Project presents Karen Mason in Kander and Ebb...and All that Jazz on Thursday and Friday, April 4 and 5, at 7:30 pm. “The sensational Karen Mason has played leading roles on Broadway (Sunset Boulevard, Mama Mia, Hairspray, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway & more) and returns to St. Louis to celebrate the music and lyrics of one of Broadway’s greatest songwriting teams, Kander and Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret, New York, New York, Kiss of The Spider Woman). Karen won an Outer Critics Circle award for her performance in the celebrated Kander & Ebb off-Broadway review And The World Goes Round, and since then she has been a great singing ambassador of their work. Karen is the most lauded vocalist by New York’s MAC Awards (13 of them) which honor the best in Manhattan cabaret. There’s nothing more wonderful than the pairing of Karen Mason and Kander & Ebb. A night you won’t forget.” All performances take place in the Ballroom at The Sheldon Concert Hall in Grand Center. For more information: www.thecabaretproject.org.

Clayton Community Theatre presents The Play That Goes Wrong Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, April 4 through 14.  ““Break a leg!” takes on a whole new meaning for a woefully misguided troupe of players at the Cornley University Society’s opening night performance of . An unconscious leading lady, a corpse who can’t play dead, a ruffled detective, and a word-mangling butler (among others) must battle against technical gaffes, forgotten lines, and sabotaging scenery in a quest to arrive all in one piece at the final curtain call. Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, all mayhem, this 1920s whodunit is disastrously delightful.” Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Rd. For more information: www.placeseveryone.org.

All My Sons
Photo: Jon Gitchoff

New Jewish Theatre presents Arthur Miller’s All My Sons Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through April 7. “Set following World War II, All My Sons is the story of two families destroyed by deception and love. Joe Keller and Steve Deever were business partners and neighbors, but the War changed everything and tore their close families apart. As Kate Keller holds out hope for the return of her son Larry (missing and assumed killed in the war), her other son Chris invites Larry’s childhood sweetheart Ann Deever home for a visit, setting in motion the revelation of terrible truths they have fought hard to avoid.  Will the Deever and Keller families survive their own secrets? The answers transform their secretive past into matters of life and death.” Performances take place at the SFC Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. For more information: jccstl.com

August: Osage County
Photo: Jon Gitchoff

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents August: Osage County by Tracy Letts through April 7. “This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winning family drama paints a stark and often unflattering picture of the Midwestern family. In this tableau: the pill-popping and manipulative matriarch, a vanished patriarch and three daughters with secrets of their own. Familial tensions rise when all are called back to the family home in Oklahoma. Equal parts heartfelt and heart-wrenching, this story gives an in-depth look at what it takes to keep a family together.” Performances take on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: www.repstl.org.

SATE presents the Eighth Annual Aphra Benn Festival Friday through Sunday, April 4-6. To kick off the 2024 “Season of Transformations”, SATE will present its eighth annual Aphra Behn Festival. The Aphra Behn Festival is named for the fascinating poet, translator, and spy, Aphra Behn, who is widely considered to be the first English woman to make her living as a playwright. When established in 2017, a goal of the Aphra Behn Festival was to give women interested in directing and writing for theatre an opportunity to get more experience, try out ideas, experiment, and hone their craft. SATE continues to expand the mission to make the Festival a more inclusive space for transgender and non-binary artists, as well. The following plays will be presented each night of the Festival: The The by Anne Valentino, Left to Lose by Stlla Plein, Run Run Run As Fast As You Can by Tessa Van Vlerah and Dylan Staudte, and The Croning by Margeau Steinau. Performances take place at The Chapel 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: satestl.org.

St. Louis Actors' Studio (STLAS) presents The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, April 5-21. “On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a 600-pound recluse hides away in his apartment and slowly eats himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. Big-hearted and fiercely funny, The Whale tells the story of a man's last chance at redemption, and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places.” Performance take place at the Gaslight Theatre on North Boyle. For more information: stlas.org.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Hamlet April 5-13. “Immerse yourself in the world of "Hamlet," a gripping story of vengeance and moral corruption. This Shakespearean classic invites the audience into the troubled mind of Prince Hamlet, who, haunted by his father's ghost, seeks to avenge his untimely death. Set in the gloomy castle of Elsinore, the play weaves a tale of deception, madness, and existential dread.” Performances take place at Lift for Life Academy High School, 1731 S. Broadway. For more information: www.stlshakespeare.org

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Xanadu Thursdays through Saturdays at 8, April 4-27, with an additional performances at 2 pm on April 14 and 21. “Xanadu follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, California. It’s 1980 and she’s on a quest to inspire a struggling artist to achieve the greatest creation of all time – the first ROLLER DISCO! But when she falls into forbidden love with a mortal, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds.” Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East. For more information: www.straydogtheatre.org.

West End Players Guild presents Dark Matters by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa April 5 through 14. “In an isolated house at the edge of a cornfield, in the mountains of Virginia, something almost beyond belief is happening to the Cleary family. When Bridget Cleary goes missing, in the dead of the night, her husband Michael and son, Jeremy, scramble to help Sheriff Richard Egan find her. Then, as suddenly as she vanished, Bridget reappears, talking about strange visitations and otherworldly beings. Is she lying? Or are supernatural forces at work? DARK MATTERS is a suspense thriller about the secrets that hold families together and the terrible truths we sometimes choose to ignore in the people we love.” 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.

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