Alan Knoll News

What do Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner and Selma Diamond have in common? Most are Jewish, and all were denizens of the famed 'Writer's Room' where they labored to create the comedy sketches for the live 90 minute weekly variety series, 'Your Show of Shows' starring the legendary Sid Caesar. Composites of these writers make up the characters in Neil Simon's raucous comedy,LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, set in 1953 during television's golden age.

What do Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner and Selma Diamond have in common? Most are Jewish, and all were denizens of the famed 'Writer's Room' where they labored to create the comedy sketches for the live 90 minute weekly variety series, 'Your Show of Shows' starring the legendary Sid Caesar. Composites of these writers make up the characters in Neil Simon's raucous comedy,LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR, set in 1953 during television's golden age.

The Fifth Annual Kevin Kline Awards will take place on Monday, March 22, at 7pm, at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. 125 productions presented by 40 constituent theatres were judged in 2009, and awards will be given out in 22 categories.

The Fifth Annual Kevin Kline Awards will take place on Monday, March 22, at 7pm, at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. 125 productions presented by 40 constituent theatres were judged in 2009, and awards will be given out in 22 categories.

The nominees for the 5th Annual Kevin Kline Awards have been announced. The annual ceremony will be held on Monday, March 22 at 7pm at the Loretto-Hilton Theater.

2009 provided me with the opportunity to review 126 of the more than 200 shows that were available in the St. Louis region, and it began in terrific fashion with New Line Theatre's NIGHT OF THE LIVING SHOW TUNES. This was a wonderful sampling of contemporary show tunes performed by a cast of talented locals, and featuring artistic director Scott Miller's fine accompaniment on piano. In the acoustically perfect confines of the Sheldon Concert Hall, these unique melodies made a glorious noise. And, as I continued on my quest to expose my young son to the world of musical theatre, I ended the year with the Imaginary Theatre Company's splendid presentation of BAH! HUMBUG!. I was lucky enough to catch quite a few gems in between, and I've decided to compile a list of the ten most intriguing and engaging productions I saw in 2009.

A wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

HotCity Theatre offers up a decidedly different take on the usual yuletide fare with their delightfully twisted production of Jeff Goode's icon-shattering play, THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES. While taking its stylistic inspiration from THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, Goode's wacky script focuses our attention on accusations of sexual impropriety that have been leveled against Santa Claus by one of his reindeer. Obviously, this is not your typical holiday show, but that works in its favor, delivering scores of irreverent laughs while skewering and satirizing the image of 'good St. Nick'.

THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES is a wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

A wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

On the heels of the well-received ensemble piece, 'Three Tall Women,' and the daring and quirky 'The Lady from Dubuque,' Muddy Waters Theatre Company wraps its 2009 Edward Albee season, Mothers and Other Strangers, with what is probably his best known and most respected play, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' The play will run Nov. 6-22 at the Kranzberg Art Center in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Building at Grand and Olive.

THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES is a wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

If you've only ever seen the 1966 film adaptation of Edward Albee's masterwork, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, then you really haven't seen it at all. The Hollywood stunt casting of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton derails the movie, and in the process, dilutes Albee's potent social commentary. So, it's a revelation to witness this play with a cast that understands their roles so thoroughly and completely, finding all the humor and sadness that dwell within the text.

On the heels of the well-received ensemble piece, 'Three Tall Women,' and the daring and quirky 'The Lady from Dubuque,' Muddy Waters Theatre Company wraps its 2009 Edward Albee season, Mothers and Other Strangers, with what is probably his best known and most respected play, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' The play will run Nov. 6-22 at the Kranzberg Art Center in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Building at Grand and Olive.

A wickedly funny alternative to traditional candy-cane cheer. Scandal erupts at the North Pole when one of Santa's eight tiny reindeer accuses him of sexual harassment. As the mass media descends upon the event, the other members of the sleigh team demand to share their perspectives, and a horrific tale of corruption and perversion emerges -which seems to implicate everyone from the teeniest elf to the tainted Saint himself.

On the heels of the well-received ensemble piece, Three Tall Women, and the daring and quirky The Lady from Dubuque, Muddy Waters Theatre Company wraps its 2009 Edward Albee season, Mothers and Other Strangers, with what is probably his best known and most respected play, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?. The play will run Nov. 6-22 at the Kranzberg Art Center in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Building at Grand and Olive.

On the heels of the well-received ensemble piece, 'Three Tall Women,' and the daring and quirky 'The Lady from Dubuque,' Muddy Waters Theatre Company wraps its 2009 Edward Albee season, Mothers and Other Strangers, with what is probably his best known and most respected play, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' The play will run Nov. 6-22 at the Kranzberg Art Center in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Building at Grand and Olive.

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FATHER is kind of a misnomer. The character of Eddie Ross (nee Goldberg) doesn't converse as much as harangue the people around him. But, don't take this as a knock on Herb Gardner's play; it's more of a clarification than anything. This isn't just the ramblings of a bitter old man, but an exploration of his particular experience immigrating to America, and trying to fit in by rejecting his Jewish heritage.

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.

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.