Lavonne Byers

Last evening at The Loretto-Hilton Center, the St. Louis theatre community gathered for The St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards Gala. Thirty-Four awards were handed out with three productions winning big: The New Jewish Theatre’s production of INTO THE WOODS and STAGES St. Louis production of CLUE won 5 awards each, and The Black Rep’s production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN won 4 awards. Each of the three were named the best of their category, INTO THE WOODS was named Outstanding Production of a Musical, CLUE was named Outstanding Production of a Comedy, and DEATH OF A SALESMAN was named Outstanding Production of a Drama. 

The 11th annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards ceremony were held at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University on Monday, March 25th, 2024. Check out the complete list of the 2024 Award Honorees.

The St. Louis Theatre Circle announced their 2024 Nominations on Friday. STAGES St. Louis’ production of CLUE and New Jewish Theatre’s production of INTO THE WOODS lead all productions with 11 nominations each. Twenty-four different companies and 55 unique productions were represented among 165 nominations in 33 categories. Awards will be handed out on Monday, March 25th, 2024, at The Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts on the Webster University campus.  

Director Tom Kopp’s sharp and brisk direction keeps things moving on the small stage at the .Zack Theater. He smartly uses Brad Slavik’s static set design to ensure the limited space never seems overcrowded with four or five actors in a scene. His collaboration with his team of actors and technicians creates an effective palate for storytelling.

The Midnight Company announces it 2023 five-show season that includes two world premiere productions. The Season opens on March 1, 2023 with the world premiere production of JUST ONE LOOK based on the life and career of Linda Ronstadt at The Blue Strawberry. Midnight Company continues its season with THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD KELLY at The Kranzberg Black Box  May 4th -20th,  THE YEARS at The Chapel July 13th-29th, and YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU at The Blue Strawberry July 26th – August 9th.  Midnight Company closes its season with a production of THE LION IN WINTER at the .ZACK October 5th-21st.

Now in production by Stray Dog Theatre, Good People ironically offers very little decency in its presentation of working-class Southies looking to catch a break. At its core is Margie Walsh, a tough-as-nails, blue-collar working mother whose desire to do right by her mentally challenged daughter upends her life. Saddled with unreliable caregivers and always looking for more money, she struggles to keep steady work and make ends meet.

Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis produced its 2019 festival in the Grand Center Arts District to much critical acclaim and record-breaking attendance. Running May 9 through May 19, with multiple offerings across various venues, the Festival breathed new life into the work and legacy of St. Louis' own, Tennessee Williams.

If you know Tennessee Williams, and I hope you do/will, you know there's a lot to unpack in his work. His characters are tormented and textured, plotlines layered with the riddles and aches of the human heart. There's no mercy when Tennessee Williams shines a flashlight into the darkest corners of a soul, and you will likely come away from the work exhausted and amazed for both the damage and any bit of renewal you've witnessed. Such is the case in The Night of the Iguana, playing at The Grandel Theatre now, as the main stage production of the 2019 Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis.

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis will present Tennessee Williams' steamy and startling 'The Night of the Iguana' as its main stage production at the Grandel Theatre on May 9-19.

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis - named the "Arts Startup of the Year" for 2019 by the Arts & Education Council - will present Tennessee Williams' steamy and startling "The Night of the Iguana" as its main stage production at the Grandel Theatre on May 9-19.  Jim Butz, Lavonne Byers, Nisi Sturgis, Elizabeth Townsend, and Harry Weber headline as Americans who are hiding-or seeking-or both-at a seedy Mexican hotel during the run-up to World War II. Tim Ocel will once again direct, having guided last year's "A Streetcar Named Desire" to a record 11 award nominations by the St. Louis Theater Circle. 

Jesus Christ Superstar has captivated audiences for more than 40 years. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, this timeless rock opera follows the last week of Jesus' life, exploring his personal relationships and struggles with Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, and the Roman Empire. 'Jesus Christ Superstar.'

Stephen Sondheim's gloriously dark and enormously tuneful take on the tale of the 'Demon Barber of Fleet Street', SWEENEY TODD, is given a highly entertaining presentation in Stray Dog Theatre's latest production. There have been several different stagings of the musical over the years, one of which even featured the actors playing the music score, but this one features a great music ensemble, terrific performances, and a wonderful representation of a grungy and corrupt London, circa 1846. Since Stray Dog first started performing musicals a few years ago they've become more and more adept at it with each successive offering. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET is an exceptional show, and if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you'd better hurry because the run is selling out quickly. It's a must-see!

A macabre musical tells the tale of Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, who returns to London seeking vengeance.

A macabre musical tells the tale of Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, who returns to London seeking vengeance. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, proprietress of a failing pie shop, whose luck improves when the demon barbers thirst for blood inspires a new ingredient for her meat pies. Londoners start queuing up for a taste of her unique delectable treats!

After playwright William Gibson's GOLDA fizzled he reworked the material to form the one woman show GOLDA'S BALCONY. It's been a big success for the actresses who have undertaken the role, and we're lucky to have one of St. Louis' finest portraying this historically important figure. The New Jewish Theatre's current production, which opens their 20th season, gives Lavonne Byers the opportunity to, once again, thoroughly engage and enthrall an audience, while giving us insights into Golda Meir's fascinating life story. This is an incredibly well crafted presentation that definitely deserves your attendance.

My lists for the best plays/musicals in St. Louis is in chronological order. I'm not limiting myself to any specific number of entries either. These are simply the best productions and performances in various categories that I witnessed during a packed year filled with companies closing and new ones opening. It continues to be a great time to be a theater-goer in our town, with many, many choices of quality shows available for your viewing pleasure on any given day or evening. My favorite show among all thesel selections just might be Upstream Theater's THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. My son and I attended, and were simply delighted by the mix of music and drama occurring on stage. It was a magical experience that I was able to share with my then nine year old little boy, and we both highly recommend that you check out the band Sleepy Kitty.

If you've seen director Robert Aldrich's 1968 film version of THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE you're probably going to be greatly surprised when you see the actual play it was based on (written by Frank Marcus). The film was initially rated 'X' due to the era in which it was released, as well as the inclusion of a two minute sequence that's much more titillating than anything present in the original work itself. But, things are different these days. Television shows broadcast during what used to be referred to as the 'family hour' are far more racy with their content and dialog than anything you'll encounter watching Max & Louie Productions' superb staging of this play. Marcus crafted a brilliant, pitch black comedic farce that may have just been a bit too subtle for the motion picture industry, which, at the time, was just beginning to explore alternative lifestyles in a more graphic fashion. The film is good, but the play is much better. See it for yourself. It's required viewing as far as I'm concerned.

If you're looking at the program for THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, see the name Rupert Holmes (book, music, and lyrics) and are instantly reminded of the fact he wrote and sang the number one hit 'Escape (The Pina Colada Song'), you'll probably be a bit surprised at the production that you're about to watch. But, I guarantee you it will be a very pleasant one, because Holmes takes the tradition of circa 1890's English Music Hall and uses it in delightfully imaginative fashion to craft a vehicle for the unfinished last work of classic author Charles Dickens. It's a kind of play within a play, and in the cozy confines of the Tower Grove Abbey, it's an absolutely perfect fit. It brings the performers right into your lap, and it's so much fun that you can't help but get completely caught up in the merriment. This lively production by Stray Dog Theatre is sure to please, so get your tickets while you can!

Nearly 400 people hooped, hollered and packed the auditorium at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) on Monday, March 23, 2015 for the third annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards ceremony. The event honors outstanding achievement in local professional theater by performers and behind-the-scenes artists. Awards were given in 31 different categories covering comedy, drama and musicals, along with two special awards bestowed on Donna Northcott, founder and artistic director of St. Louis Shakespeare, and Agnes Wilcox, founder and artistic director of Prison Performing Arts. Both women have retired this year and turned their companies over to new artistic directors, Suki Peters for St. Louis Shakespeare and Christopher Limber at Prison Performing Arts.

New Line Theatre's production of BONNIE & CLYDE tied with Stages St. Louis' rendition of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING with nine nominations apiece for the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards to lead nominations for all shows produced by local professional theater companies in 2014.