Lakeetha Blakeney

This weekend, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte will premiere in-house 'Danny, King of the Basement,' a heartwarming and imaginative theatrical journey that captures the essence of childhood resilience and friendship.

Princess Fearless', an empowering new play for young people, will be performed live for school groups and the public at Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts September 23 - October 2, 2022. The original play is based on the book, 'Princess Fearless: Walking to School'.

Akeelah and the Bee is a family-fun production that highlights an 11-year old African-American girl's journey of surviving the inner-city challenges of the Chicago projects to her acrimonious success as a finalist/winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  The stage adaptation remained true to the movie's original theme about overcoming obstacles (poverty, bullying, inner-city woes such as shooting and drugs, racial and societal stereotypes, etc.), while stressing the importance of the strong community ties and love that undergird Akeelah's rise to success. 

The Rep's Imaginary Theatre Company presented a version of PUSS IN BOOTS that more in line with Charles Perrault's original fairy tale, than with the Dreamworks, sword-wielding brand we've become accustomed to. Playwright/composer Brian Hohlfeld's take is decidedly more true to its source, although it does add some cute little catchy songs, and pop-culture references in telling its tale. ITC's production was very well done, as always, and featured a fine cast and clever direction.

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, supported by a $25,000 grant from Brown Shoe Company and a $25,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund, will present Puss in Boots on Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Heagney Theatre on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School, 530 East Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves. Tickets are $6.

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, supported by a $25,000 grant from Brown Shoe Company and a $25,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund, will present Puss in Boots on Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Heagney Theatre on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School, 530 East Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves. Tickets are $6. Check out the production photos below!

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, supported by a $25,000 grant from Brown Shoe Company and a $25,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund, will present Puss in Boots on Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Heagney Theatre on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School, 530 East Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves. Tickets are $6.

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present its own original version of The Elves and the Shoemaker this holiday season.

I lost count with how many "good" messages were being poured into Sarah Brandt (playwright) and Neal Richardson's (music, lyrics, arrangements, and musical direction production of THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER, which is the current holiday offering on the Heagney stage at Nerinx Hall as part of the Imaginary Theatre Company's season in conjunction with the St. Louis Rep. This, like most of their presentations for kids isn't written "down", and operates well at communicating the various morals, or things that should always be remembered like a snippet of dialogue that went something akin to: "Having each other is the best Christmas gift". But, the best morals are a bit more subtle, like the need to help people and be rewarded for your good deed, or cooperate in order to achieve your best work.

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present its own original version of The Elves and the Shoemaker this holiday season.

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present its own original version of The Elves and the Shoemaker this holiday season.

With TRAIL OF TEARS celebrated playwright Kathryn Schultz Miller once again brings history to life in this gripping drama. View 1800s America through the eyes of youthful and determined Chosen One as his people are forced to abandon their homeland in the Smoky Mountains. With his wife, Snow Owl, and his father, Walking Bear, he fights valiantly to save his people, but is overcome time and again by the attractive empty promises of the new settlers. This dramatic tale of one man's heartbreaking struggle to hold on to his Cherokee heritage is a fresh look at a painful chapter in American history.

Imaginary Theatre Company (ITC), the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present Trail of Tears by Kathryn Schultz Miller. This powerful play will be performed in the E. Desmond Lee Auditorium at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard in Forest Park, March 25-April 3, 2011.

The basic story of Chanticleer can supposedly be traced back to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and a particular story titled 'The Nun's Priest's Tale', but you'd be hard pressed to find any resemblance between that work and most adaptations which focus instead on the conflict between a sly fox and an vain rooster. Hollywood even took a stab at the material with the 1991 animated film Rock- A-Doodle, an adaptation of the comedic play Chantecler by Edmond Rostand, which featured Glen Campbell's voice in the lead role. Playwright and composer Brian Hohlfeld has come up with his own spin on the idea with CHANTICLEER!, a country flavored musical version that's perfectly suited for young people. The Imaginary Theatre Company has assembled a cute and funny production of this charming classic, and happily I was able to catch a performance this past weekend (March 19, 2011) with my wife and son in tow.

Imaginary Theatre Company (ITC), the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present Chanticleer! by Brian Hohlfeld.

With TRAIL OF TEARS celebrated playwright Kathryn Schultz Miller once again brings history to life in this gripping drama. View 1800s America through the eyes of youthful and determined Chosen One as his people are forced to abandon their homeland in the Smoky Mountains. With his wife, Snow Owl, and his father, Walking Bear, he fights valiantly to save his people, but is overcome time and again by the attractive empty promises of the new settlers. This dramatic tale of one man's heartbreaking struggle to hold on to his Cherokee heritage is a fresh look at a painful chapter in American history.

Imaginary Theatre Company (ITC), the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present Trail of Tears by Kathryn Schultz Miller. This powerful play will be performed in the E. Desmond Lee Auditorium at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard in Forest Park, March 25-April 3, 2011.

Imaginary Theatre Company (ITC), the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present Chanticleer! by Brian Hohlfeld.

The Imaginary Theatre Company provided a very fitting offering for the holiday season with their delightful and amusing take on THE NUTCRACKER. This version is cleverly scripted by playwright Sarah Brandt, with original music and lyrics by Neal Richardson, and though it differs somewhat from E.T.A. Hoffman's original story, 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', it brings that Christmas classic to life in fine fashion, with Richardson's score utilizing tuneful original compositions as well as arrangements of Tchaikovsky's familiar music from the ballet version of the tale. This blending of traditional and new elements produces a pleasant and engaging show that children and their families can enjoy together.

The Imaginary Theatre Company, the young audiences touring ensemble of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will present its own original version of The Nutcracker this holiday season.