Show & Tell

SHOW AND TELL Theater on the Move

By Mark Bretz

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis added the new Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA (Center of Creative Arts) to its list of venues last year and will perform at a third locale in the upcoming season, when it resumes its Studio Theatre series – now renamed the Steve Woolf Studio Series in honor of The Rep’s late artistic director. Woolf, who died last year, helmed the troupe for 35 years before retiring in 2019.

The Rep states in a press release that it is “thrilled to welcome audiences back this fall with a season filled with world-class productions, a joyful mix of classics featuring tributes to theatrical icons and new works from powerhouse voices of the 21st century.”

It begins Aug. 26 with “House of Joy,” an adventure fantasy by Madhuri Shekar “set in some time like 1666, in some place like Delhi, India,” about a guard who joins the emperor’s army in a dazzling utopia, which she discovers is more prison than paradise. “House of Joy” will play Sept. 18 at The Rep’s long-time home, the LorettoHilton Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Webster University.

After that comes a classic comedy of manners, Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” from Sept. 30 through Oct. 23 at the Berges Theatre. The story follows Amanda and Elyot as they enjoy a romantic honeymoon, until the divorced couple discover they share adjoining hotel balconies with their respective new spouses. Old passions, which led to their marriage and subsequent divorce, are reignited with amusing results.

Back at the Loretto-Hilton, The Rep will bring its second annual presentation of Michael Wilson’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” to the mainstage from Nov. 18 through Dec. 30.

The Rep will return in the new year with “Putting It Together: A Musical Review” at the Berges Theatre from Jan. 27 through Feb. 19. The revue features nearly 30 of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s best-known Broadway tunes.

Next, back at the Loretto-Hilton, will be Dominique Morisseau’s time-bending new drama, “Confederates.” It tells the intertwined stories of an enslaved woman turned Union spy during the Civil War and a modern-day tenured professor at a private university, each battling institutional racism, albeit a century and a half apart. “Confederates” will be produced in association with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, with performances from Feb. 10 through March 5.

Closing the mainstage season will be Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” with the relentless Hercule Poirot seeking the killer of an American tycoon aboard the fabled train. “Murder on the Orient Express” will shuttle audiences on its thrill ride from March 17 through April 16.

In April, The Rep will add the Strauss Black Box Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center to its list of venues, when it debuts its new Steve Woolf Studio Theatre season with Rajiv Joseph’s “Gruesome Playground Injuries.” The story recounts the accidental adventures, both physical and psychological, of Doug and Kayleen from their initial meeting as 8-year-olds in the school infirmary to 30-something adults years later. “Gruesome Playground Injuries” will run from April 14 through May 7.

A $1 million campaign in 2019 to endow Studio Theatre programming ensured that The Rep “can continue to provide cutting-edge work in an intimate, black box-style space,” according to the press release. “With a flexible stage and seating, the intimate setting of the studio allows for a more impactful exploration of experimental modes of performance or the staging of new writing.” ln The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 530 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, 314-968-4925 (box office), repstl.org