ST. LOUIS: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has announced the lineup for its 2019-20 mainstage and studio seasons. This marks the Rep’s first season programmed by new artistic director Hana S. Sharif.
“I view this season as the beginning of a long conversation with the St. Louis community—one that poses new questions while also reaffirming what has made the Rep so essential for more than 50 years,” Sharif said in a statement.
The mainstage season will open with Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Parts One and Two (Sept. 4–Oct. 6). The Rep will present both halves of Angels in America, about gay men living with HIV/AIDS in the ’80s, in a rotating repertory schedule.
Following this will be The Lifespan of a Fact (Oct. 16–Nov. 10) by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell. Lifespan of a Fact is about a celebrated author whose essay is about to be published in a magazine, and a meticulous fact checker working to determine if the essay is true.
Next up will be Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Dec. 4–29), adapted for the stage by Christopher Baker. The production will mark Sharif’s directing debut at the Rep.
Luis Alfaro’s Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles (Jan. 8–Feb. 2, 2020) will follow. Inspired by the Greek tragedy, Mojada re-imagines Medea through the lens of an immigrant family living in modern day Los Angeles.
The mainstage season will continue with The Mystery of Irma Vep (Feb. 12–March 8, 2020), a two-hander written by Charles Ludlam. The Mystery of Irma Vep combines wild farce with elements of classic horror and B-movie mysteries.
Closing the mainstage season is the world premiere of Dreaming Zenzile (March 18–April 12, 2020). Written and performed by African-American recording artist Somi, Dreaming Zenzile is a musical based on the life of South African singer Miriam Makeba.
Kirsten Greenidge’s Feeding Beatrice (Oct. 30–Nov. 17) will open the Rep’s studio season. Also a world premiere, Feeding Beatrice follows a couple forced to deal with Beatrice, their haunting new house guest.
Next up in the studio season will be The Thanksgiving Play (Jan. 22–Feb. 9, 2020) by Larissa FastHorse, a satire about earnestly progressive theatre makers attempting (and failing) to create the ultimate politically correct Thanksgiving play.
The final production in the studio season is Bekah Brunstetter’s The Cake (March 11–29, 2020), in which a small-town baker faces a test of her religious beliefs when she is asked to bake a cake for a lesbian wedding.
The Rep, founded in 1966, is a professional theatre that strives to produce an eclectic range of productions.
