Sally Eaton News

Michael Butler, famed producer of the musical Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, passed peacefully November 7, 2022 at the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging in Reseda, CA.  He was born November 26, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois.

Today's Theater Stories features the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Learn about this history of the theatre, and productions to have graced its stage including Hair, Choir Boy, My Name is Lucy Barton and many more!

Check out this week's list of releases, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella cast recording, The Color Purple on vinyl, What the Constitution Means to Me, and more!

Need something new to read, watch, or listen to? Check out this week's list of new and upcoming releases! This week's list includes a new album from Marisha Wallace, the original Broadway cast recording of Hair on vinyl, and more!

It's easy to see why playwright Alfred Uhry's DRIVING MISS DAISY was so successfully adapted for the movies. The episodic structure of Uhry's work, along with its brevity (running a scant 75 minutes), make it a perfect candidate for the big screen. But, don't be content sitting at home watching the award-winning film on DVD, check out a stellar live staging by Dramatic License Productions, which features a very talented cast working under the guidance of an excellent director.

Dramatic License Productions (DLP), the Chesterfield non-profit, professional theatre and cabaret company brings Alfred Uhry's heartwarming comedy-drama about unconditional friendship, DRIVING MISS DAISY, March 10-27. All performances occur at the 85-seat Dramatic License Theatre located at ARTropolis arts district at the upper level Sears wing of Chesterfield Mall.

The St. Louis Actors' Studio and That Uppity Theatre Company have combined their efforts to close their season with the premiere of Joan Lipkin's (with collaborator JT Ricroft) original play, THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. The title does double duty here, allowing for commentary on the current state of nuptial bliss (or lack, thereof) in our country, while also referencing the fact that there are relatively few states that are currently allowing same sex marriages to be performed. The show is structured like a surreal wedding reception, with the audience invited to join in the festivities, including the distribution of cake to attendees. But there are also serious messages about tolerance and acceptance that are being conveyed here, making this an intriguing project.

St. Louis Actors' Studio concludes its third season with the world premiere of the performance piece THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. Conceived by Joan Lipkin, this original work is co-produced by That Uppity Theatre Company and St. Louis Actors' Studio in their first collaboration. The piece explores the changing face of marriage and considers the institution's complicated emotional, religious, and social dimensions and history.

St. Louis Actors' Studio concludes its third season with the world premiere of the performance piece THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. Conceived by Joan Lipkin, this original work is co-produced by That Uppity Theatre Company and St. Louis Actors' Studio in their first collaboration. The piece explores the changing face of marriage and considers the institution's complicated emotional, religious, and social dimensions and history.

St. Louis Actors' Studio concludes its third season with the world premiere of the performance piece THE STATE OF MARRIAGE. Conceived by Joan Lipkin, this original work is co-produced by That Uppity Theatre Company and St. Louis Actors' Studio in their first collaboration. The piece explores the changing face of marriage and considers the institution's complicated emotional, religious, and social dimensions and history.

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its third season with Henrik Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE. At the play's center is Nora Helmer, who has a deep secret-one that if revealed would ruin her happy marriage to Torvald. Nora's desperation to keep the truth from her husband forces her to set out on a transforming journey through a suspenseful turn of events, ending in betrayal and self-awakening. Ibsen's 19th century masterpiece is a lesson of the true meaning of love, sacrifice and happiness.

Though elements of its plot has been pilfered by countless writers and filmmakers over the years, Henrik Ibsen's classic, A DOLL'S HOUSE, still manages to pack a punch today. The tale of a woman in a seemingly idyllic marriage who suddenly finds herself being extorted because of a risky decision she made in order to save her husband's life has been reworked into countless thrillers and Lifetime originals. It may well be the prototype of feminists plays, empowering its heroine with a sense of true purpose as she comes to grips with the reality that her 'perfect' marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be. The St. Louis Actors' Studio is presenting a tautly acted production of Ibsen's most famous, and controversial work, and it's must-see viewing.

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its third season with Henrik Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE. At the play's center is Nora Helmer, who has a deep secret-one that if revealed would ruin her happy marriage to Torvald. Nora's desperation to keep the truth from her husband forces her to set out on a transforming journey through a suspenseful turn of events, ending in betrayal and self-awakening. Ibsen's 19th century masterpiece is a lesson of the true meaning of love, sacrifice and happiness.

Playwright Paul Zindel's work THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON THE MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS tells a painful and dark story, and offers only a glimmer of hope to its protagonist. Vaguely reminiscent of the work of Tennessee Williams, Zindel's play is peppered with poetic and lyrical snatches of dialog that seem at odds with their grungy surroundings, and he even includes a demented alcoholic figure that lords over the other characters, making their lives miserable in the process. Stray Dog Theatre's current presentation is a nicely mounted production, featuring a very solid cast.

Stray Dog Theatre presents the strong, funny, and best-known drama by Paul Zindel, THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON THE MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS. Winner of the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and one of Off Broadway's greatest successes, this powerful intimate portrait of a widow and her two young daughters has been hailed as one of the most significant plays of the 20th century.

I'm encouraged by the recent trend of malls offering up empty retail space to the artistic community. If there's one thing that theatre groups often lack it's a decent performance space, and these type of ventures, like the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court, provide them with an opportunity to bring their talents to the masses. Dramatic License Productions makes their debut in the 'Artopolis' at Chesterfield Mall with a pleasant and emotionally affecting staging of Robert Harling's Southern-fried comedy-drama STEEL MAGNOLIAS (February 4 - 20).

Love and Honor take center stage in St. Louis Actor's Studio third season 2009-10 season includes something for everyone.

When HAIR, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, opened on Broadway at the Biltmore theatre on April 29, 1968 the musical, with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, music by Galt MacDermot and directed by Tom O'Horgan, broke new ground in musical theatre and the genre of the 'rock musical' was born.