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| Blackbird Photo: Patrick Huber |
St. Louis Actors' Studio presents Blackbird through February 25. "This intense work was commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival, where it received its world premiere. After years in prison and subsequent hardships, Ray, fifty-six, has a new identity and has made a new life for himself, thinking that he cannot be found. Una, twenty-seven, has thought of nothing else; upon seeing a photo of Ray in a magazine, she has arrived unannounced at his office. Guilt, rage, and raw emotions run high as they recollect the passionate relationship they had fifteen years ago, when she was twelve and he was forty. Without any moral judgments, the play never shies away from the brutal truth of this abandoned and unconventional love. Una is looking for answers, not vengeance. Nevertheless, the consequences are shattering." Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.
The Sheldon Concert Hall presents singer Brian Owens Tuesday and Wednesday, February 13 and 14, at 10 am. "Celebrate Valentine's Day with acclaimed soul singer Brian Owens as he performs timeless love songs. Owens is quickly making a name for himself locally and nationally with a recently released album featuring fellow St. Louis native Michael McDonald and concerts throughout the region." The Sheldon Concert Hall is on Washington in Grand Center. For more information: thesheldon.org.
Lindenwood University presents the drama The Cripple of Inishman Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 pm and Saturday at 2 pm, February 13 - 17. "Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland in 1934, The Cripple of Inishmaan is a strange comic tale in the great tradition of Irish storytelling. As word arrives on Inishmaan that the Hollywood director Robert Flaherty is coming to the neighboring island of Inishmore to film Man of Aran, the one person who wants to be in the film more than anybody is young Cripple Billy, if only to break away from the bitter tedium of his daily life." The performances take place at The Lindenwood Theatre at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the Lindenwood campus in St. Charles, MO. For more information, call 636-949-4433 or visit www.lindenwood.edu/center.
Metro Theatre Company presents Bud, Not Buddy Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and Sundays at 2 pm through February 25. "Based on the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel, this play combines actors with a 13-piece jazz band performing an original score composed by five-time, Grammy-winning jazz artist Terence Blanchard to tell the story of a boy who finds a home and a passion for music." Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square in Grand Center. For more information: metroplays.org.
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| Cold |
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.
The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents The Comic Book Killer through April 14. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com.
Mariposa Artists presents Steve Brammeier in Dancing at Keukenhof on Friday, February 16, at 8 pm. "After successfully debuting his show at Don't Tell Mama in New York City this past October, Steve is bringing this popular show to St. Louis! From 1950 to 2018…From St. Louis to Amsterdam. Join Steve as he shares an autobiographical evening of songs and stories through his unique cabaret journey. Rick Jensen in pianist and music director for the show, which is directed by Lina Koutrakos.The show takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. For more information: metrotix.com.
The Monroe Actors Stage presents the drama Dark of the Moon Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through February 18, in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618-939-7469.
Act Two Theatre presents the comedy Dearly Departed Fridays ad Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays a 2 p.m. through February 18. "In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious. Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father's funeral, the Turpin's other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the funeral." Performances take place in the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre at 1 St Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO 63376. For more information: act2theater.com.
New Line Theatre presents Down With Love, Part 2 on Saturday, February 17, at 8 p.m. as part of the company's Off Line at the Monocle series. "They're back with even more awkward insanity and all new songs. Goofy, green-haired goddess, Marcy Ann Wiegert, and the sinfully charming, introverted exhibitionist, Luke Steingruby, open up about their strange collective experiences with strange dates, heartbreaks, and the single life. Through a program of pop and musical tunes, they explore the huge ups and downs of being in love...or something like that. VERY adult content." The performance takes place at The Monocle, 4510 Manchester in the Grove. For more information: themonoclestl.com.
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| The Humans Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr. |
Upstream Theater presents the St. Louis premiere of Infected Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm (except for February 25, which is at 2 pm) through February 25. "A day trader in quarantine delivers a relentless, near-manic monologue that reveals his derailment from the fast track, and the resultant downward, deadly spiral… as though he may have contracted some horrible virus from the stock market monitors themselves. This gripping piece by one of Germany's leading poet/playwrights is a relentless collage of ideas and images, where past and present collide and where one man's innermost thoughts ricochet inside his head with all the volatility of a stock market in crisis. A very timely psychological study of a man and a society infected by greed." Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, including show times: upstreamtheater.org.
Mariposa Artists presents Beverly Brennan in Love and Marriage on Saturday, February 17, at 8 pm. The show takes place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand in Grand Center. "With her new show Love and Marriage, Bev offers an inside take on long term relationships - the good, the bad and the outrageously funny. With stories, jokes and songs her show will take you on the roller coaster ride of falling in love and the consequences. Songs include hits by Patsy Cline, Billy Joel, John Lennon and James Brown as well as selections from musical theater and the great American Song Book. It's time to get real and tell it like it is about being married to the same (wonderful) guy for 46 years! Rick Jensen serves as musical director and accompanist for this show on Beverly's birthday!! Co-directed by Lina Koutrakos and Ken Haller." For more information: metrotix.com.
The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Mayhem in Mayberry through April. "Welcome to the 10th annual Mayberry-fest. Everyone is looking forward to the highlight of this event - the Miss Mayberry contest. YOU and Sheriff Andy Trailer will judge the contestants (chosen from the audience) on beauty, poise, cookin' skills and a new category this year - Hog callin'. Will the next Miss Mayberry be the vivacious Dazey Doof from Hazzard County? Or the beautiful hillbilly, Elly May Klumpett? Or will it be the lovely Lois Lame from Smallville? Don't county out the charming Paris Hoosier from Hoosierville. She's the main reason the train stops at Petticoat Junction! Sheriff Andy, Deputy Blarney and Aint Bee invite you to join the fun and the mayhem in Mayberry cause it won't be the same without y'all." The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com.
Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts presents the comedy Men on Boats Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., February 14 - 25. "In 1869, one-armed explorer John Wesley Powell and his crew of 9 men in 4 boats went down the Colorado River into the Grand Canyon, not knowing what lay ahead. This great adventure is reenacted by ten women -- the rapids, the rations, and the ride of their lives. An ingenious, hilarious, and brilliant new play, Men On Boats brings to life the true(ish) history of a 1869 expedition like you have never seen it before." Performances take place in the Studio Theatre of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, www.webster.edu/conservatory/season or call 314-968-7128.
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| Menopause the Musical |
St. Louis Community College at Meramec presents The Piddlings Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 p.m., October February 14 - 18. "STLCC-Meramec presents The Piddlings, a new work written by Pam Garvey, Professor of English and local playwright. The Piddlings focuses on a St. Louis household and features a hodgepodge of hilarious family members as they discuss and fall prey to the pitfalls of “coming home.” When you fear your family is wacky and weird, perhaps you need to recognize the wacky and weird in yourself in order to truly come home. The process of creating this work began with table work and scene development during the summer of 2017 and continued with workshops and staged readings in the fall of 2017. Be the first to experience The Piddlings, a world premiere of a play which is sure to delight. Mature audiences only." Performances take place in the theatre on the campus at 11333 Big Bend Road. For more information, stlcc.edu/MC or call 314-984-7500.
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| Red Scare on Sunset Photo: John Lamb |
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| Silent Sky Photo John Lamb |
COCA presents The Story Pirates Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m., February 17 and 18. "The Story Pirates celebrate the words and ideas of young people, turning their original stories into wild sketch comedy musicals. Some of the best improvisers and musicians in the country, recruited from the Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City, the Groundlings, and more, bring to life the unfiltered world of kids' imaginations. When the curtain rises, cats can fly, hot dogs save the world, and characters are named things like Captain Waffles and Snufflepants." Performances take place at Washington University's 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City.. For more information: cocastl.org.
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville presents Moliere's comedy Tartuffe Wednesday through Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, February 14 - 18. " The story takes place in the home of the wealthy Orgon, where Tartuffe-a fraud and a pious imposter-has insinuated himself. He succeeds magnificently in winning the respect and devotion of the head of the house, and then tries to marry Orgon's daughter and seduce his wife, and scrounge the deed to the property. He nearly gets away with it, but an emissary from King Louis XIV arrives in time to recover the property, free Monsieur Orgon, and haul Tartuffe off to jail. His duplicity is finally exposed and punished, but not before the author has mercilessly examined the evil that men can commit in the guise of religious fervor and the dangers that imperil those who would believe, only what they choose to believe despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary." Performances take place in the Dunham Hall Theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774 or visit siue.edu.
Clinton County Showcase presents Things My Mother Taught Me Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m and Sundays at 2 p.m through February 18. "Olivia and Gabe are moving into their first apartment together. They've just packed up all of their belongings and driven halfway across the country, to start a new life together in Chicago. Their moving day doesn't go exactly as planned, though, and things become slightly more complicated when all of their parents show up to help! Unbeknownst to Olivia, Gabe has invited both sets of parents to surprise her. One of the moms spills the beans that Gabe is going to propose and if that's not bad enough, the U-Haul, containing ALL OF THEIR POSSESSIONS - - -INCLUDING THE ENGAGEMENT RING is stolen from the street after only one load has been brought into the apartment! Can a two bedroom apartment contain all of the love, laughs, worry and wisdom that's about to happen? This brand new comedy takes a generational look at relationships, and how sometimes parents are passing their best lessons on to their children without even meaning to. Funny and touching, this one will make you laugh out loud and fall in love all over again." Performances take place at the Avon Theater, 525 North 2nd Street Breese IL. For more information, visit ccshowcase.com.
KTK Productions presents the comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., February 15 - 25. "Stuck in their family home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Vanya and his adopted sister Sonia live a quiet existence until their lives are thrown into comic upheaval with the arrival of their B-list celebrity sister, Masha, and her 20-something boy toy, Spike. Add to that a soothsaying housekeeper, a star struck young neighbor and a rather odd costume party, and the stage is set for mayhem and hilarity in this present-day homage to Chekhov. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play.” Performances take place at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Macklind. For more information: kurtainkall.org or call 314-351-8984.
St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley presents Clifford Odets's drama Waiting for Lefty Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, February 16 - 24. "Clifford Odets' ground breaking 1935 WAITING FOR LEFTY is the story of a meeting of a New York cab drivers' union on the verge of a strike. The union's corrupt leader Harry Fatt does everything he can to discourage it, and the mysterious absence of the left-leaning advocate Lefty Costello doesn't bode well for the would-be strikers. After hearing the heart-wrenching tales of four hard-working cab drivers - each story dramatized before the eyes of the audience before transitioning seamlessly back into the union meeting-Agate Keller takes the stage and demands immediate action." 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.
Alton Little Theater presents the comedy mystery Who's in Bed With the Butler? Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through February 18. "Mad-Capped hilarity with mile-a-minute dialogue and a very twisted plot ensues when a California Billionaire bequeaths all his assets to his only daughter.....but what about the Mistress? The loyal Housekeeper? or even the bumbling Detective - is he for REAL? Audiences will love sorting it all out!" Performances take place at 2450 North Henry in Alton, IL. For more information, call 618.462.6562 or visit altonlittletheater.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.
