This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 10, 2009 - Ever had the urge to find out what goes on backstage at the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre? You can satisfy your desire to rifle through costumes and play among the props at a Black Rep open house Monday, Nov. 16 at its offices on the fourth floor of its administrative building at 1717 Olive Street.
Besides perusing the production room, you can mingle with Black Rep actors including Linda Kennedy, Ron Himes and J. Samuel Davis, who will pop in during the noon to 5 p.m. high tea and 5 to 8 p.m. happy hour. While you're there, get a jump on your holiday shopping: For every Season 33 subscription purchased, you get a gift subscription at half-price.
If you've already ordered your season tickets, they will be available at the open house or at each Grandel Theatre production. Tickets will not be mailed this year.
This 2009-10 Black Rep season begins Dec. 2 with Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity," a holiday celebration of gospel music, dance and poetry. "Romeo and Juliet" debuts on Jan. 13, and on Feb. 24, "Yesterdays: An Evening with Billie Holiday" hits the stage with Vanessa Rubin singing Billie's blues. The season closes with "The Me Nobody Knows," a musical portraying the squalor and the hope of inner-city schoolchildren.
Nancy Larson is a freelance writer who, among other things, writes regularly on theater.
