Join STLPR for the St. Louis Public Radio Theatre Showcase on the Public Media Commons on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63108.
Over the course of two nights, they will feature short performances by some talented local theatre companies. Bring your favorite lawn chair and a picnic, cold drinks will be available to purchase from STL Barkeep!
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
ST. LOUIS THEATER CIRCLE AWARDS RETURN FOR IN-PERSON GALA APRIL 3, 2023
TO HONOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN LOCAL PROFESSIONAL THEATER IN 2022
The Muny leads with 21 nominations, Stages St Louis has 19, The Black Rep 17 and Stray Dog Theatre 15
First In-Person Gala Since 2019 Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
ST. LOUIS, February 6, 2023 – After a four-year hiatus of not holding an in-person ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 through 2022, the St. Louis Theater Circle Awards will return April 3, 2023 in a ‘live’ ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. The previous two events were streamed online by HEC Media.
Tickets at $23 apiece will soon be available at the box office of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis at www.repstl.org or 314-968-4925, and also at the box office one hour before the ceremony.
Nominees in more than 30 categories will vie for honors covering comedies, dramas, musicals and operas produced by local professional theater and opera companies in the calendar years 2022. Approximately 90 productions have been considered for nominations for this year’s event. This compares to roughly 120 productions normally considered in one year alone prior to the pandemic.
Three productions – “Chicago” at The Muny, “A Christmas Carol” at The Rep, and “Head Over Heels” at New Line Theatre – were ineligible because the same production was presented within the last three years at the respective venues.
Nationally recognized playwright, theater producer, and long-time advocate for the arts Joan Lipkin will be honored with a special award for lifetime achievement.
The eighth annual award ceremony, which was to have been held at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University, was cancelled in February 2020 due to the escalating number of cases of COVID-19. Instead, that event, honoring outstanding local theater productions for the year 2019, was held virtually in a highly polished presentation produced by HEC Media and streamed on HEC’s YouTube channel and web site. A ninth annual ceremony similarly was streamed on HEC Media for the combined years of 2020 and 2021.
The nominees for the 10th annual St. Louis Theater Circle Awards are:
Bronte Sister House Party, SATE. Photo by Joey Rumpell
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Comedy, Female or Non-Binary Role
Cassidy Flynn, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE Hannah Geisz, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild Jilanne Klaus, “Barefoot in the Park,” Moonstone Theatre Company Bess Moynihan, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE Valentina Silva, “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Comedy, Male or Non-Binary Role
Ted Drury, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild Joel Moses, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE Bradley Tejeda, “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Chauncy Thomas, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Eric Dean White, “Hand to God,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Molly Burris, Dear Jack Dear Louise
Outstanding Performer in a Comedy, Female or Non-Binary Role
Colleen Backer, “Hand to God,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio Molly Burris, “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” New Jewish Theatre Rayme Cornell, “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Claire Karpen, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Rachel Tibbetts, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE
Jeff Kargus, Jason Meyers, “The Lonesome West” Photo by John Lamb
Outstanding Performer in a Comedy, Male or Non-Binary Role
Mitchell Henry-Eagles, “Hand to God,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio Jeff Kargus, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild Ryan Lawson-Maeske, “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” New Jewish Theatre Jason Meyers, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild Stanton Nash, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Joe Clapper, Behind the Sheet, Photo by Philip Hamer
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play
Amina Alexander, “Stick Fly,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Jesse Alford, “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Joe Clapper, “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep Jasmine Williams, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” The Black Rep John Wylie, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Sound Design
Lamar Harris, “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep Pornchanok (Nok) Kanchanabanca, “House of Joy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Jackie Sharp, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea,” The Black Rep Rusty Wandall, Kareem Deanes, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Amanda Werre, “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” New Jewish Theatre
Joel Moses in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” New Jewish Theatre, Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Outstanding Costume Design in a Play
Dorothy Marshall Englis, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Liz Henning, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE Liz Henning, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company Oona Natesan, “House of Joy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Michele Friedman Siler, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” New Jewish Theatre
Outstanding Set Design in a Play
Dahlia Al-Habieli, “House of Joy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Dunsi Dai, “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” New Jewish Theatre Bess Moynihan, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company Kyu Shin, “Stick Fly,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Josh Smith, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Riley Carter Adams, right, The Bee Play, New Jewish Theatre. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Female or Non-Binary Role
Riley Carter Adams, “The Bee Play,” New Jewish Theatre Sarajane Alverson, “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre Rachel Hanks, “The Christians,” West End Players Guild Rachel Tibbetts, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company Sumi Yu, “House of Joy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Male or Non-Binary Role
Cameron Jamarr Davis, “The African Company Presents Richard III,” The Black Rep Joseph Garner, “The Christians,” West End Players Guild Michael James Reed, “Proof,” Moonstone Theatre Company Joey Saunders, “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre Jeffrey Wright, “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre
Summer Baer, Michael James Reed “Proof,” Moonstone Theatre Company.
Outstanding Performer in a Drama, Female or Non-Binary Role
Summer Baer, “Proof,” Moonstone Theatre Company Lavonne Byers, “Good People,” Stray Dog Theatre Kelly Howe, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company Chinna Palmer, “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Iphigenia in Splott,” Upstream Theater
Outstanding Performer in a Drama, Male or Non-Binary Role
Kevin Brown, “Jitney,” The Black Rep Jeff Cummings, “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep Olajuwon Davis, “Jitney,” The Black Rep Joel Moses, “The Christians,” West End Players Guild Stephen Peirick, “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre
“Jitney,” The Black Rep, Phillip Hamer photo
Outstanding New Play
“Bandera, Texas,” by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend, Prism Theatre Company “Brontë Sister House Party,” by Courtney Bailey, SATE “The Good Ship St. Louis,” by Philip Boehm, Upstream Theater “Roll With It!” by Katie Rodriguez Banister and Michelle Zielinski, The Black Mirror Theatre Company “Winds of Change,” by Deanna Jent, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Daniela Candillari, “Carmen,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Thomas Glass, “Harvey Milk,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Karen Kanakis, “La Rondine,” Winter Opera Saint Louis Robert Mellon, “Falstaff,” Union Avenue Opera Sarah Mesko, “Carmen,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Union Avenue Opera’s production of A Little Night Music on August 17, 2022.
Outstanding Production of an Opera
“Awakenings,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis “Falstaff,” Union Avenue Opera “The Gondoliers,” Winter Opera Saint Louis “Harvey Milk,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis “A Little Night Music,” Union Avenue Opera
Outstanding Musical Director
Cullen Curth, “Jerry’s Girls,” New Jewish Theatre Jermaine Hill, “The Color Purple,” The Muny Walter “Bobby” McCoy, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis James Moore, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny Andrew Resnick, “The Karate Kid – The Musical,” Stages St. Louis
The Karate Kid – The Musical, Phillip Hamer photo.
Outstanding Choreographer
Dena DiGiacinto, “A Chorus Line,” Stages St. Louis Keone and Mari Madrid, “The Karate Kid – The Musical,” Stages St. Louis Patrick O’Neill, “Mary Poppins,” The Muny Josh Rhodes, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” The Muny Luis Salgado, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical, Female or Non-Binary Role
Tami Dahbura, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis Melissa Felps, “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre Nicole Michelle Haskins, “The Color Purple,” The Muny Grace Langford, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Stray Dog Theatre Dawn Schmid, “Ride the Cyclone,” Stray Dog Theatre
Marshall Jennings, Melissa Felps “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre
Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical, Male or Non-Binary Role
Luis-Pablo Garcia, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis Clayton Humburg, “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre Jeffrey Izquierdo-Malon, “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre Marshall Jennings, “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre Jordan Wolk, “Assassins,” Fly North Theatricals
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical
Tyler Duenow, “Ride the Cyclone,” Stray Dog Theatre Bradley King, “The Karate Kid – The Musical,” Stages St. Louis John Lasiter, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny Sean M. Savoie, “A Chorus Line,” Stages St. Louis Sean M. Savoie, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
“In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis, Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Outstanding Set Design in a Musical
Edward E. Hayes, Jr. and Greg Emetaz, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” The Muny Anna Louizos, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis Derek McLane, “The Karate Kid – The Musical,” Stages St. Louis Michael Schweikardt, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny Josh Smith, “Ride the Cyclone,” Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical
Eileen Engel, “A Little Night Music,” Stray Dog Theatre Eileen Engel, “Assassins,” Fly North Theatricals Samantha C. Jones, “The Color Purple,” The Muny Brad Musgrove, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis Alejo Vietti, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny
Anastacia McCleskey, “The Color Purple,” Phillip Hamer photo.
Outstanding Performer in a Musical, Female or Non-Binary Role
Carmen Cusack, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny Jeanna De Waal, “Mary Poppins,” The Muny Eileen Engel, “Ride the Cyclone,” Stray Dog Theatre Melissa Felps, “Urinetown,” New Line Theatre Anastacia McCleskey, “The Color Purple,” The Muny
Outstanding Performer in a Musical, Male or Non-Binary Role
Ryan Alvarado, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis Corbin Bleu, “Mary Poppins,” The Muny Ben Davis, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny Stephen Henley, “Assassins,” Fly North Theatricals Jovanni Sy, “The Karate Kid – The Musical,” Stages St. Louis
Stephen Henley, The Balladeer, Fly North Theatricals.
Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy
“Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE “Heroes,” Albion Theatre “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” New Jewish Theatre “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama
“The African Company Presents Richard III,” The Black Rep “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep “The Christians,” West End Players Guild “Jitney,” The Black Rep “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre
The Christians, West End Players Guild, Photo by John Lamb
Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Stray Dog Theatre “A Chorus Line,” Stages St. Louis “The Color Purple,” The Muny “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny
Outstanding Director of a Comedy
Robert Ashton, “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild Eddie Coffield, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” New Jewish Theatre David Kaplan, “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis Keating, “Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE Bruce Longworth, “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
“Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company, Photo by Joey Rumpell
Outstanding Director of a Drama
Gary F. Bell, “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre Joe Hanrahan, “Rodney’s Wife,” The Midnight Company Ron Himes, “The African Company Presents Richard III,” The Black Rep Ron Himes, “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep Ellie Schwetye, “The Christians,” West End Players Guild
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Lili-Anne Brown, “The Color Purple,” The Muny Scott Miller, “Something Rotten!” New Line Theatre Bradley Rohlf, “Assassins,” Fly North Theatricals Rob Ruggiero, “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny Luis Salgado, “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis
“Much Ado About Nothing,” St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Outstanding Production of a Comedy
“Brontë Sister House Party,” SATE “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” New Jewish Theatre “The Lonesome West,” West End Players Guild “Much Ado About Nothing,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
“The African Company Presents Richard III,” The Black Rep, Photo by Phillip Hamer
Outstanding Production of a Drama
“The African Company Presents Richard III,” The Black Rep “Behind the Sheet,” The Black Rep “Good People,” Stray Dog Theatre “Jitney,” The Black Rep “The Normal Heart,” Stray Dog Theatre
Outstanding Production of a Musical
“Assassins,” Fly North Theatricals “The Color Purple,” The Muny “In the Heights,” Stages St. Louis “Ride the Cyclone,” Stray Dog Theatre “Sweeney Todd,” The Muny
“Ride the Cyclone,” Stray Dog Theatre, Photo by John Lamb
Special Award
Joan Lipkin, for lifetime achievement
Joan Lipkin
The mission of the St. Louis Theater Circle is simple: To honor outstanding achievement in St. Louis professional theater. Other cities around the country, such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., pay tribute to their own local theatrical productions with similar awards programs.
Members of the St. Louis Theater Circle include Steve Allen (stagedoorstl.com); Mark Bretz (LadueNews); Bob Cohn (St. Louis Jewish Light); Tina Farmer (The Riverfront Times); Michelle Kenyon (snoopstheatrethoughts.com and KDHX); Gerry Kowarsky (Two on the Aisle, HEC Media); Chuck Lavazzi (KDHX); Rob Levy (Broadwayworld.com); Judith Newmark (judyacttwo.com); Lynn Venhaus (PopLifeSTL.com); Bob Wilcox (Two on theAisle, HEC Media); and Calvin Wilson (St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Eleanor Mullin, local performer and arts supporter, is group administrator.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
The Tennessee Williams Festival returns for its sixth year. The headliner is a production of one of the playwright’s most important works, The Glass Menagerie, in the Central West End building where Williams lived and where the play was imagined.
“A year ago, we brought Tennessee Williams into your home ….this year we bring you into his!” said Carrie Houk, the festival’s Executive Artistic Director. “In 2020 we were lucky enough to flourish on the radio during a year that was so challenging for live theatre. In 2021, we return with a vengeance with a site-specific production of The Glass Menagerie at the very building in the Central West End where the Williams family settled when they moved to St Louis.”
“If theatre is ritual, our production of The Glass Menagerie is the equivalent of going to Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome,” explains Brian Hohlfeld, who is directing this production. “There’s no other city in the world where you can see this play in this venue, amid the same red bricks, alleys, and fire-escapes that inspired Williams to write it almost 80 years ago. We’ve brought back most of our amazing cast from last fall’s radio version, and our entire team is thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to bring this site-specific production to life.”
The festival’s two main performances will be:
Brenda Currin
The Glass Menagerie… performed where it was first imagined
This cornerstone of American theatre launched Williams’ career as a playwright, enjoying a lengthy Broadway run and winning the 1945 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play. TWStL’s The Glass Menagerie brings the story of Amanda, Tom, and Laura home to the very apartment building that inspired Williams’ quintessential family drama.
The cast includes: Brenda Currin*, Bradley Tejeda*, Elizabeth Teeter* and Chauncy Thomas*. Performances will take place at 8pm at The Tennessee (4633 Westminster Place, 63108) Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22 and Thursday, August 26 through Sunday, August 29.
*denotes member of Actors Equity Association.
“You Lied to Me about Centralia:” by John Guare and based on Tennessee Williams’ short story “Portrait of a Girl in Glass”
Before Williams wrote The Glass Menagerie, he told the story of the dysfunctional St. Louis family in his short story, “Portrait of a Girl in Glass.” Picking up where both the short story and The Glass Menagerie end, John Guare’s adaptation of the story picks up where The Glass Menagerie ends, following the gentleman caller after he leaves the Wingfield home to meet his fiancée at the train station. With Williams’ voice reverberating throughout, “You Lied to Me about Centralia” shines new light on The Glass Menagerie. A conversation with Williams scholar Thomas Mitchell will follow the performance.
The cast includes: Chauncy Thomas* and Julia Crump. Performances will take place at The Tennessee (4633 Westminster, 63108) Saturday, August 21 and Sunday August 22.
Chauncy Thomas
*denotes member of Actors Equity Association.
Other festival programming includes: Scholars’ Panels, Walking Tour of Williams’ St. Louis, Tennessee Williams Tribute: “The Moon and Beyond” hosted by Ken Page, happy hour conversation with Blue Song author Dr. Henry Schvey, Why Did Desdemona Love the Moor reading, and more.
For fans who want to make an evening of it, a special Pre-Theater Garden Picnic will be available at Bowood by Niche (4605 Olive, 63108) from 6-8pm (or until sold out) on performance days. The menu includes a picnic basket for two, filled with a packaged assortment of Niche Food Group snacks and desserts. Three signature cocktails inspired by The Glass Menagerie and featuring local spirits and botanicals will be available for individual purchase. Food and drink can be enjoyed in Bowood’s garden up until performance time.
Free, secure parking is available at Holliday (4600 Olive, 63108) for festival patrons and for pre-theatre dinner patrons at Bowood by Niche.
Lead sponsorship of the festival is provided by Emerson. Additional sponsors and the full festival itinerary can be found at twstl.org. Tickets can be purchased via Metrotix beginning Sunday, July 18.
About the Festival
The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis was established in 2016 by Carrie Houk, the award-winning producer, casting director, actor, and educator. The Festival, which aims to enrich the cultural life of St. Louis by producing an annual theater festival and other artistic events that celebrate the artistry and life of Tennessee Williams, was named the Arts Startup of the Year Award by the Arts and Education Council at the 2019 St. Louis Arts Awards.
In 2014, Houk produced Williams’ Stairs to the Roof with such success that the ongoing annual Festival was established. The inaugural Festival was themed “Tennessee Williams: The St. Louis Years,” followed by “The Magic of the Other” in 2017 and “The French Quarter Years” in 2018. The 2019 festival featured Night of the Iguana and A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur. As the years have passed, the awards have mounted. In the last two years, the St. Louis Theater Circle has given them twelve awards. The Festival has attracted thousands to its readings, panel discussions, concerts, exhibitions, and productions.
About Tennessee Williams
Born Thomas Lanier Williams III in 1911 in Mississippi, Williams moved to St. Louis at age seven, when his father was made an executive with the International Shoe Company (where the City Museum and the Last Hotel are now located). He lived here for more than two decades, attending Washington University, working at the International Shoe Company, and producing his first plays at local theaters. He credited his sometimes difficult experiences in St. Louis for the deeply felt poetic essence that permeates his artistry. When asked later in life when he left St. Louis, he replied, “I never really left.” Most people are familiar with the famous works that have garnered multiple Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Academy Awards, such as The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly Last Summer. He also wrote hundreds of additional plays, stories, essays, and poems, many of which are only now seeing the light of day as his estate permits greater access. He is today considered by many leading authorities to be America’s greatest playwright.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
