Chris Gibson - Page 65

The New Jewish Theatre opens its 'Bat Mitzvah Season' on Wednesday, September 30 with Herb Gardner's 1994 quasi-autobiographical classic about three generations of a Jewish family living on the lower East Side, CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER. Gardner's play, a beautiful paean to the Jewish immigrant experience and father-son relationships explores the story of Eddie Ross (nee Itzhak Goldberg), a Russian immigrant who with his family, runs a Canal Street saloon.

As a swansong for their theatre company, WONDER OF THE WORLD acts as a whimsical sendoff; a farcical piece filled with quirky characters and hilarious dialogue. I'll miss the Orange Girls because their choices were consistently engaging and entertaining, and they always featured talented casts in their productions. WONDER OF THE WORLD is no exception, with solid performances given all around.

THE SECRETARIES is a bizarre play, mixing strange elements and eccentric characters together like something out of a John Waters or David Lynch film. The climax alone features a bevy of women in lingerie covered in blood; an image that evokes the exploitation era of the 1970's. To make it work it requires a very talented and brave cast, and a director who's not afraid to take a risk or two.

Mustard Seed Theatre presents FIDDLER ON THE ROOF October 30 - November 22, 2009 at the Fontbonne University Black Box Theatre in the Fine Arts Building at 6800 Wydown Boulevard in Clayton. Celebrate the lives of Tevye and his family as they navigate tradition, progress, love and hate. You'll see this well-loved musical in a new light: staged in an intimate setting, focused on the characters and the melodies of their relationships.

If you look up the term 'soul survivor' online, you might just stumble across a biography and picture of Bettye Lavette waiting for you to peruse since her career trajectory could lead to her being aptly labeled as such. Lavette started recording in the early 1960's at age sixteen, but she flew beneath the pop culture radar for a number of years before a revival at the turn of the century sparked a resurgence of interest in her work.

Set predominantly in New York, RAGTIME follows three families - one Jewish immigrant, one upper-class Protestant and one African-American - as their lives intertwine amidst the era's social upheavals. At the center of the story is Coalhouse Walker Jr., a successful and easygoing ragtime piano player who turns to violence after a white mob destroys his custom Model T.

On the heels of a successful production of their all-female MACBETH, Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents TOP GIRLS, written by revolutionary author Caryl Churchill (A NUMBER, CLOUD NINE).

HotCity Theatre presents a provocative thriller, NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM, written by Jennifer Haley and directed by Chuck Harper, opening September 11, 2009.

Through personal stories and family photographs, Erin Kelley, a direct descendant of noted Shawnee chief, Tecumseh, shares her experiences of being of blended-culture ancestry. Illustrating how our assumptions about ethnic and cultural groups shape society, Kelley encourages young people to take pride in what makes them unique. Most appreciated by audiences ages 10 and older.

The Orange Girls Theatre company wraps up its 2009 season with the journey of a seemingly stereotypical housewife as she attempts to rewrite the story of her life in David Lindsay-Abaire's screwball comedy WONDER OF THE WORLD, presented September 25 through October 11 at COCA's Anheuser-Busch Black Box Theater.

Echo Theatre Company presents the regional premiere of THE SECRETARIES by The Five Lesbian Brothers from September 25-October 11. Directed by Echo's Artistic Director Eric Little, the comedy will feature the talents of two-time Kevin Kline Award winners Colleen Backer and Lavonne Byers and Julie Layton, Sara Renschen and Amanda Williford*.

UNBEATABLE! is a ground-breaking new musical that seamlessly weaves moments of poignant drama and well-timed comedy. UNBEATABLE! reminds us and audiences that at any given moment, an unforeseen event can drastically change the course of our lives, and force us to re-evaluate our priorities.

The Sheldon and KETC / Channel 9 present violinist David Garrett, Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 8 p.m. in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall. Often called the 'David Beckham of Violin,' Garrett's amazing skill and thrilling live performances have made him a world-wide star, leading to international ad campaigns for Banana Republic, Montblanc and more.

St. Louis Actors' Studios third season, examining the theme of 'Love and Honor,' will open on October 2 with Neil Simon's PROPOSALS. This Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright takes you back to the summer of 1953 in a play The New York Post calls 'Extremely entertaining! A play of great warmth and charm.

The New Jewish Theatre opens its 'Bat Mitzvah Season' on Wednesday, September 30 with Herb Gardner's 1994 quasi-autobiographical classic about three generations of a Jewish family living on the lower East Side, CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER. Gardner's play, a beautiful paean to the Jewish immigrant experience and father-son relationships explores the story of Eddie Ross (nee Itzhak Goldberg), a Russian immigrant who with his family, runs a Canal Street saloon.

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's whimsical musical, INTO THE WOODS, is an amusing combination of fractured fairy tales from the like of the Brothers Grimm and others. It's an intriguing idea that brings these disparate characters together to interact in ways that are decidedly different from their original source material. Stray Dog Theatre is mounting a successful production at the Tower Grove Abbey that features a plethora of local talent.

Upstream Theater will open its fifth season with the US premiere of Ingmar Villqist's internationally acclaimed HELVER'S NIGHT, translated from the Polish and directed by Philip Boehm, starring Linda Kennedy and Christopher Harris, with set design by Scott C. Neale, costumes by Michele Siler, and lighting by Joe W. Clapper.

SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES, which unfolds entirely through song, reunites GrooveLily with Tony Award-winning librettist Rachel Sheinkin, perhaps best known for her book to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. They previously collaborated on the inventive holiday tale STRIKING 12(inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl), which came to Edison Theatre in 2007.

On the heels of a successful production of their all-female MACBETH, Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents TOP GIRLS, written by revolutionary author Caryl Churchill (A NUMBER, CLOUD NINE).

Seeing NEIGHBORHOOD 3: REQUISITION OF DOOM could serve as a wake-up call, or even a cautionary tale, for some parents, since it examines the addictive qualities and violent nature of certain video games. Of course, it takes that idea to a Twilight-Zone extreme, but that's what makes it so engaging. Hot City Theatre is presenting a superbly mounted production of this intriguing work, and I think it's required viewing.