St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of April 8, 2019

New shows this week include True West at St. Louis Actors' Studio, Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound at Fontbonne, and a farewell fundraiser for Steve Woolf at the Rep.

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The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents Bullets in the Bathtub through April 13. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.

CSZ St. Louis presents The ComedySportz Show on Saturday nights at 7:30 pm. The show is "action-packed, interactive and hilarious comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out for points and your laughs! You choose the winners the teams provide the funny!" Performances take place on the second floor of the Sugar Cubed, 917 S Main St. in St Charles, Mo. For more information: www.cszstlouis.com.

Daddy Long Legs
Photo by John Lamb

Insight Theatre Company presents the musical Daddy Long Legs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm through April 14. "Based on the classic novel, which inspired the 1955 movie starring Fred Astaire, Daddy Long Legs is a beloved tale in the spirit of Jane Austen, The Brontë Sisters and "Downton Abbey." Daddy Long Legs features music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominated composer/lyricist, Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre), and Tony-winning librettist/director, John Caird (Les Misérables), and is a "rags-to-riches" tale of newfound love." Performances take place at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

Dreamgirls
Photo by John Lamb

Stray Dog Theatre presents the musical Dreamgirls Thursdays through Saturdays through April 20. "Journey back to a time in musical history when rhythm and blues weren't everything, they were the only thing. In the swinging 60s, the Dreamettes, led by the powerful Effie White, embark on an R and B music career that leads them across the country. Romantic entanglements, Effies weight, racism, and the arrival of a fresh new sound in the 70s make this show biz musical a thrilling hit." Performances take place at The Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information, visit straydogtheatre.org or call 314-865-1995.

The Performing Arts Department at Washington University presents Florida Thursdays through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, April 11-14. "Rudolph, a married man, is a regional project manager for Tupperware and he's having an affair. Seth gets kidnapped on date night by a couple of hoodlums looking for his roommate. Meanwhile in an RV heading for Florida, Pete, Barbara, Matthew and Bridget are stuck in traffic. These three worlds collide in Lucas Marschke's smart and mysterious road trip comedy! " The performances take place in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie Thursday through Sunday, April 11-14. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, www.stlcc.edu/fv/ or call 314-644-5522.

The Monroe Actors Stage presents the comedy Is He Dead? by Mark Twain as adapted by David Ives Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 pm through April 14. Performances take place in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.

The Hawthorne Players present the musical A New Brain through April 14. "By the Tony Award-winning authors of Falsettos, A NEW BRAIN is an energetic, sardonic, often comical musical about a composer during a medical emergency. Gordon collapses into his lunch and awakes in the hospital, surrounded by his maritime-enthusiast lover, his mother, a co-worker, the doctor, and the nurses. Reluctantly, he had been composing a song for a children's television show that features a frog - Mr. Bungee - and the specter of this large green character and the unfinished work haunts him throughout his medical ordeal. What was thought to be a tumor turns out to be something more operable, and Gordon recovers, grateful for a chance to compose the songs he yearns to produce." The performances take place at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre at Parker and Waterford in Florissant, MO. For more information, call 921-5678 or visit hawthorneplayers.info.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Nursery Crimes through May 9. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.

St. Louis Shakespeare presents Shakespeare's Othello through April 13. "Shakespeare's tragedy is a classic tale of identity, bigotry and deceit." Performances take place at Tower Grove Baptist Church, 4257 Magnolia. For more information: stlshakespeare.org.

Photograph 51 at WEPG
Photo by John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues its 108th season with the St. Louis premiere of the Photograph 51Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, April 12-14. "Anna Ziegler's Photograph 51 is a moving portrait of Rosalind Franklin, one of the great female scientists of the twentieth century, and her fervid drive to map the contours of the DNA molecule. A chorus of physicists relives the chase, revealing the largely-unsung achievements of this trail-blazing, fiercely independent woman - largely-unsung because the men usually credited with cracking the DNA code, James Watson and Francis Crick, did so by "borrowing" Franklin's most important discovery." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

Popcorn Falls

The Midnight Company presents the comedy Popcorn Falls Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm through April 13. "The small town of Popcorn Falls is bankrupt. Its only tourist attraction, the Falls, has dried up, and it's about to be taken over by an unfeeling corporation who will turn the whole place into a sewage plant. There's only one chance to save the town - a dusty old grant that will give Popcorn Falls the money it needs if it will produce a play. (Which the town's future landlords demand be produced in one week.) The problem? There's no theatre in Popcorn Falls, there's never been a play seen there, and just a couple of its very eccentric citizens have ever been involved with anything resembling a play. It's up to Popcorn Falls' intrepid mayor and its Head Custodian ("Executive Custodian") to rally the town and lead its people in a heroic effort to prove that art can save the world. (Or at least a town.)" Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: midnightcompany.com

Fontbonne University Theatre presents Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, April 10, 11, 13, and 14. "It's a typical night at the theatre for critics Moon and Birdboot until they're pulled into an onstage murder mystery. Filled with plot twists, this comedy will keep you guessing until the final moment." Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. For more information, metrotix.com.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents A Standing Ovation for Steve, a fund-raising event honoring outgoing Artistic Director Steve Woolf, on Wednesday, April 10, at 6:30 pm. "Celebrate Steve Woolf's 32 years of leadership at The Rep as he retires at the end of our 2018-2019 season. The Rep's legacy of artistic excellence and financial stability is due in large part to Steve's leadership over the course of the past three decades. We hope you will join us to honor one of St. Louis' most iconic directors and personalities!" The event takes place at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information: repstl.org.

Time Stands Still
Photo by Philip Hammer

New Jewish Theater presents Time Stands Still Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through April 14. "Time Stands Still revolves around Sarah, a photojournalist who has returned from covering the Iraq war after being injured by a roadside bomb, and her reporter boyfriend James who is swamped by guilt after having left Sarah alone in Iraq. The two are trying to find happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy. Theirs is a partnership based on telling the toughest stories, and together, making a difference. But when their own story takes a sudden turn, the adventurous couple confronts the prospect of a more conventional life. Can they stay together amidst unspoken betrayals and conflicting ideals? Playwright Margulies answers these questions, while leaving unanswered qualms regarding the way America deals with war and tragedy coverage." Performances take place in the Marvin and Harlene Wool Studio Theater at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive in Creve Coeur. For more information: www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3283.

St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Sam Shepard's True West Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm, April 12-28. " This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape. Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Voices from the Front - Three One-Act Plays by Cassandra Medley, opening on Tuesday, April 9 at 7:30 pm and running through April 14. "SIUE welcomes award-winning playwright Cassandra Medley to campus for the presentation of her connected one-act plays: Daughter and Son. In Daughter, a mother tries to reckon with injuries suffered by her daughter while serving in the U.S. military in Iraq. In Son, on the occasion of his sister's wedding, a man struggles with haunting flashbacks to the war and the bomb he dropped on a wedding party. In addition, Ms. Medley has been commissioned to create a third, original play that will premiere at this SIUE production." Performances take place in the Metcalf Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit siue.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.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of November 17, 2017

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

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Of Mice and Men
Photo: Joey Rumpell

Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Of Mice and Men Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. through November 18. "George, an affable migrant farm worker and Lennie, a towering, simple-minded, pleasantly humble young man, have just arrived to work at a ranch. They are bound together by George's devotion and Lennie's seeming-helplessness, but George's guardianship soon leads to an ominous slippery slope. With an approaching lynch mob and blood on Lennie's hands, George is faced with a moral question: spare his friend or allow the ranchers to take matter into their own hands." Performances take place at The Chapel Venue, 6238 Alexander Drive. For more information: slightlyoff.org.

My take: The relevance of this story to a present-day American that seems intent on returning to the bad old economic days seems obvious, but SATE has taken the subtext and put it front and center. "John Steinbeck's short novel", writes Tina Farmer at KDHX, "...springs vibrantly to life in Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble's (SATE) riveting production. Director Jacqueline Thompson and the company intentionally cast the emotionally powerful show to authentically reflect our country's migrant workforce, adding poignant relevance to a story originally set in 1935." Does the unusual casting, which includes some cross-gender roles, work? Ms. Farmer thinks so, and Ann Lemmons Pollack, in her St. Louis Eats and Drinks blog, says this is "[f]ine work in an intimate space." YMMV but it looks like SATE has once again produced an innovative and provocative show.

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Held Over:

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Stones in His Pockets
Photo: John Lamb

The West End Players Guild continues its 107th season with the comedy Stones in His Pockets Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, November 16 - 19. "The play offers a sharply satiric look at what happens when an American movie company sets up shop in a down-on-its-luck village in County Kerry, Ireland, to film a major motion picture. Enticed by the prospect of making more money as film extras every day than most can make in a week, everyone in the village wants in on the action. Most do get involved but some are left behind, and the village soon learns that there can be a steep price to pay for a few weeks of easy money and Hollywood excitement." Performances take place at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 North Union at Enright in the Central West End. For more information, call 314-367-0025 or visit www.westendplayers.org.

My take: Full disclosure: I'm on the board and play reading committee at West End, but I have also been a great admirer of the remarkable comedy/drama since my wife and I first saw it in London many years ago. It's a virtuoso exercise for the two-man cast, who have to shift characters rapidly and often to portray around 30 roles in the course of the evening. I have shared the stage with both of the guys in this cast and I can tell you from personal experience that they've got the goods. Mark Bretz's review at Ladue news is typical of the show's notices: "Marie Jones’ whimsical, bittersweet story is given a touching tribute by director Steve Callahan and the talented twosome of Jared Sanz-Agero and Jason Meyers in a sparkling West End Players Guild presentation."

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Titus Androgynous

YoungLiars presents Titus Androgynous running through November 18. "Did you know that Shakespeares most brutal tragedy is actually a comedy? YoungLiars aim to prove the point with a vengeance in this riotous reimagining of Titus Andronicus - where the Italian Commedia smashes into All-American Splatter, and Shakespeare comes along for the ride. Titus Androgynous is YoungLiars deliciously deranged deep-dive into the perverse passions and vaudeville violence of the Bard's bloodiest play." Performances take place in in the hundred-year-old basement of the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive Street in Grand Center. For more information: brownpapertickets.com.

My take: I'm not a fan of grand guignol theatre in general, but if (say) Evil Dead: The Musical is your particular cup of stage blood, you might want to take a look at this unapologetically outrageous revision of Shakespeare's most violent play (which, to be fair, is often cited as an early example of grand guignol). Over at Ladue News, Mark Bretz praises the production's "inspired silliness" and says this Hallowe'en-themed show is "as much treat as trick."

School for Shakespeare

Twelfth Night
Photo by J. David Levy

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By now pretty much everybody knows that Shakespeare Festival St. Louis produces a Shakespeare play every June over in Shakespeare Glen on Art Hill in Forest Park (this year it was Twelfth Night).  Somewhat less well known are the company's many community outreach projects.

This past May, for example, they presented Winning Juliet, and original musical by Elizabeth Birkenmeier and Chris Limber about cyber-bullying at the Clayton High School little theatre, with performances for both the general public and for high school student groups.  Just last month they brought us Old Hearts Fresh, a new adaptation of The Winter's Tale by Nancy Bell, outdoors in The Grove as part of the Shakespeare in the Streets program.  And now they're offering you a chance to "discover your untapped Shakespearean potential" with Shakespeare Weekends.

Starting on November 2nd and running through February of 2014, these professional workshops "are ideal for theatre professionals and university students," looking for an inside track on The Bard of Avon.  Here's what's coming up this fall and winter:

Saturday, November 2: 10 AM - 1 PM and Sunday, November 3: 1-3 PM: Fitzmaurice Voicework.  Fitzmaurice Voicework is described as "a revolutionary process for breaking down physical tension in order to uncover a more resonant voice and deeper theatrical truth."  The teacher is actor/director Joanna Battles, a voice, speech and dialect coach for theatre and film as well as an Assistant Professor of Voice & Speech at The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University.  The course will "explore the musicality inherent in Shakespearean verse, while strengthening and stretching each actor’s vocal and physical instrument."  I'm seriously thinking of doing this one.

Saturday, November 16: 10 AM – 1 PM and Sunday, November 17:  1PM – 3 PM: Commedia Keys.  This one is taught by local actor, director, movement coach, and teacher Jeff Awada who will "present a Commedia workshop that draws connections to Shakespeare’s plays."  The course promises to show you "new ways to create the Bard’s great clowns, fools and servants, as well as a physically dynamic way of understanding the relationships between lovers and between the parents and the lovers in plays like Midsummer and The Tempest."

Saturday, December 14: 10 AM – 1 PM and Sunday, December 15: 1 PM – 3 PM: Shakespeare Our Contemporary.  The teacher is Annamaria Pileggi, an actor and director whose career has included collaborations with writers Theresa Rebeck and Barbara Damashek, directors Barney Simon of the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, and David Wheeler of the American and Trinity Repertory Theatres. Locally, she has directed at That Uppity Theatre, New Jewish, OnSite, Muddy Waters, Dramatic License, and HotCity theatres.  The course will "explore the poetic devices in Shakespeare’s writing and how they are used to create strong objectives, clear actions and nuanced relationships."

The series continues in 2013 with Cultivating Movement Intelligence, a Feldenkrais® Workshop for Shakespearean Actors, January 18 and 19 (teacher is Kelly Feder);  and Self-Hypnosis for the Actor February 15 and 16 (teacher is Shakespeare Festival veteran Chris Limber).

The classes take place at the Rep's Old Orchard Rehearsal Spaces at Webster University, 17 S. Old Orchard Avenue.  For more information, including prices (the more you sign up for, the less it costs per workshop), see the Shakespeare Weekends web site.  And tell 'em Will sent ya!