Performing Arts

Jen Kerner plays a Bird Girl in Christ Memorial's 2016 production of Seussical.

Arts

Cut & Paste: Actor helps make theater friendlier for those with sensory issues — including herself

Nancy Fowler

St. Louis actor Jen Kerner has played dozens of characters, but in recent years she’s taken on a new role: making the theater experience enjoyable for…

Brandon Bieber played a number of different roles in the recent touring production of "Something Rotten."

Arts

After following sisters onto the stage, actor Brandon Bieber comes home for Fringe play

Nancy Fowler

When Brandon Bieber was a toddler, his parents took him to his older sisters’ dance recitals.Soon, he was riveted to the sight of their sequins and…

RhonniRose Mantilla, wearing a red dress, rehearses Thursday night for an upcoming community production of West Side Story in July.

Arts

Production of ‘West Side Story’ furthers conversation about culturally appropriate casting

Nancy Fowler

A few weeks ago, St. Louis provided a flashpoint in a national conversation about theater casting and cultural heritage.A group of visiting theater…

Incoming Rep artistic director Hana Sharif will spend a year shadowing retiring director Steve Woolf and connecting with various communities.

Arts

New director of The Rep to grow audiences through experiences, relationships

Nancy Fowler

The incoming artistic director of Repertory Theatre of St. Louis believes that growing audiences involves much more than simply issuing one-time…

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' most recent Shakespeare in the Streets production, Blow, Winds, will be on stage this weekend at the Central branch of the St. Louis Public Library.

Arts

Cut & Paste: Shakespeare Festival St. Louis engages the community in public spaces

Nancy Fowler

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis is one of the most prominent theater companies in town, yet it doesn’t own a stage.The organization shares its various…

Ngone Seck hugs a friend after receiving her diploma at Riverview Gardens High School's graduation ceremony. May 2018

Arts

Senegal to St. Louis: Family’s search for the American dream sets graduate up for success

Nancy Fowler

Just a few years ago, Ngone Seck arrived in Florissant from Italy and began the seventh grade.From the start, she was behind her peers. She struggled to…

Will DeWitt says his goal with this competition is to help "the next big sound" emerge from St. Louis. 5/18/18

Arts

Music competition at The Sheldon will give local bands a chance at the spotlight

Does St. Louis have talent?OK, it’s clear the answer to that is “yes.” But an upcoming competition offers a chance for local musicians who are trying to…

Some of the young men and women at Marygrove Children's Home participate in a tutoring session. "Unheard Voices" features the stories of just the men who are aging out of the institution.

Arts

‘Unheard Voices’ stages stories of young men who’ve written their way through trauma

Nancy Fowler

Actors will tell the real-life stories of young men aging out of a children’s home in a staged reading on Saturday in Ferguson.The free event at the…

This image combines two portraits by different artists in the Metro Trans Umbrella Group's "Transcending the Spectrum" art exhibition.

Arts

Cut & Paste: Transgender group art show aims for visibility as safety issues linger

Nancy Fowler

Over the past five years, the Metro Trans Umbrella Group art show has more than doubled in size. This year’s event at Koken Art Factory in south St. Louis…

File photo: Esther, played by Jacqueline Thompson, and Mr. Marks, played by Jim Butz, examine a bolt of fine fabric in a scene that simmers with largely unspoken feelings.

Arts

New Jewish Theatre director wants to focus on families, broader themes and collaborations

Nancy Fowler

The emphasis is on the “new” for incoming New Jewish Theatre artistic director Edward Coffield. In July, Coffield will take the reins from founder…