Entertainment

Repertory Theatre Names Kate Bergstrom as New Artistic Director

Published

2 weeks ago

April 23, 2024

After an extensive six-month search that identified three well-qualified finalists, Kate Bergstrom was selected to join the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis as the eighth Augustin Family Artistic Director in the company’s 58-year run. Officially starting in the role on May 13, Bergstrom is already busy moving to the city and becoming familiar with the staff and region.St. Louis theatergoers may already be familiar with Bergstrom, who directed well-received productions of The 39 Steps in 2021 and 2023’s crowd-pleasing holiday production It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Those experiences, particularly working with entirely St. Louis-based talent on the holiday show, made a huge impact on Bergstrom and influenced their decision to apply. “The cast and company were just transcendent delights, and I can’t wait to work with all of them again,” Bergstrom notes with enthusiasm. “And I felt what was so beautiful in that room was everyone’s desire to help and be there for everyone else. There’s a generosity of spirit that I feel St. Louis and the community of artists here embody and that I want to be a part of.” While Bergstrom is incredibly excited to join the Rep, they also acknowledge the many challenges and opportunities facing the company and live theater in general. “I think the opportunity to celebrate what’s here is huge and in this moment,” Bergstrom explains. “But St. Louis has also faced challenges and divides in recent years. So, there’s an opportunity to uplift the undergirding humanity that unites us all. That’s what I want to do while also celebrating the unique components that keep us special and different, and who we are.” Still, Bergstrom readily acknowledges that theater and theater audiences have changed in recent years, and building audience reach is part of their goal. They are energized by the prospect of respecting, even revering, the long history of the Rep and its traditional audiences while finding new ways to excite and welcome the generations to come. Making the Rep “a place where people can gather together, nondenominationally, in a live setting and converse and listen to stories together,” Bergstrom says. “There’s a couple of ways that will happen. One is programming work that has components that will bring multiple generations together. I love that a grandparent might remember seeing Dial M for Murder and the grandchild may say I don’t know that, but I’ve been hearing about Agatha Christie and I love White Lotus,” they continue. “What does it mean to bring mystery stories together here today, live? With a new, fresh perspective from director and cast.” Bergstrom’s love of the theater was sparked at an early age. They were profoundly moved by seeing Phantom of the Opera in the third grade and speak fondly of a devised version of Hamlet that they will never forget. Then in middle school they auditioned for Wendy in Peter Pan but were challenged by a teacher and read for and played Captain Hook. From that moment on, Bergstrom was officially a theater person. Most importantly, the experience helped Bergstrom understand how exposure to theater can open up imagination and possibility in transformative ways. “My hope, at the very baseline, is to prioritize excellence and relevance and engagement in everything we do, and that is all scalable,” Bergstrom says. “So that scalability of those tenants is what I think we focus on. And we prioritize that in workshops, in new plays, in second and third productions of plays and in classics.” Bergstrom plans to continue the Imaginary Theater Company, playwriting workshops, the Steven Woolf Studio Series and to add new initiatives aimed at welcoming everyone into the theater. “We’re in a moment now where plays that are by all sorts of different identities can touch on that deep human experience in a way that reverberates really widely – I think that’s something that St. Louis can really benefit from,” Bergstrom says. “I want people of different backgrounds coming to this theater and feeling a sense of welcome and invitation and like they want to talk to each other. Even have challenging conversations.” Although Bergstrom was born and raised in Goleta, California, near Santa Barbara, their family is from Midland, Michigan, and they traveled back and forth between the West Coast and Midwest until joining the southern California theater scene in college. This gives Bergstrom a real appreciation for living in areas that are politically and socially mixed. Although they’re a long-time Tigers fan, Bergstrom is eager to catch a Cardinals game as well as to check out St. Louis City SC, the City Museum and all the parks and hiking areas in the region. You might even catch Bergstrom in line at Ted Drewes enjoying their new favorite food group, frozen custard. If you do, be sure to say hello and offer a warm St. Louis welcome.

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Entertainment

The Inheritance Part 2 Completes a Beautifully Crafted Epic

Published

17 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Natural Bridge

Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance Part 1 & Part 2 is a brilliant exploration of the legacy of AIDS on the lives and communal history of gay men. Last week, Tesseract Theatre Company stunned audiences with the beautifully connected and performed Part 1. This week, Director Stephen Peirick and an exceptional cast complete the story with a truly unforgettable and affecting Part 2, the St. Louis premiere of the heartfelt and moving conclusion.

The play opens with the supporting characters lovingly describing an old farmhouse in upstate New York. The house is owned by Walter, a recently deceased gay man, and was a gift of sorts from his longtime partner Henry. Since Walter’s death, Henry has been spending a lot of time with Eric Glass, and he asks Eric to marry him. Eric, still reeling from the loss of his apartment and a breakup with his fiancé Toby Darling, hesitates at first but later says yes. Unfortunately, a happy ending is not guaranteed as the self-destructive Toby crashes the wedding with Leo, a youthful sex worker who counts Henry among his clients. From this point, Part 2 thoughtfully unravels the relationships and lies, revealing each character’s truth and leading to a conclusion that is deeply affecting, painful and, somehow, resonant with love and hope.

Chris Kernan, as Eric Glass, and Tyson Cole, as Leo, are the center of this complex story, and their bond of friendship, though initially unlikely, is authentically derived and compelling. Both performers fully inhabit their character’s essential humanity and worth. Though they care deeply about each other, Henry and Eric’s relationship remains tenuous and ultimately untenable, particularly as Eric finally finds meaning and purpose in his life at Walter’s house. John Hey deftly moves through Henry’s guarded layers and the wall he’s built around his emotions. Henry eventually finds peace in a lovely coda at the end of the story that’s tender and emotionally cathartic.

Though featured less in Part 2, Gabriel Paul is mesmerizing as he reveals Toby’s confusion and inescapable suffering. Toby’s final scene is a moment of understated trauma that’s tremendously effective and well connected. Jacob Schmidt and Sean Seifert once again remind us of young Walter and Henry’s lasting love, filled with joy and affection, while Margery Handy and Nic Tayborn are heartbreaking as Margaret and the memory of her son Michael. Stephen Henley, Donald Kidd, Alex C. Moore, Kevin O’Brien, and Kelvin Urday complete the talented cast, and each has strong, memorable moments.

In addition to the evocative performances, superb direction from Peirick and excellent stage craft from lighting designer Tony Anselmo and sound designer Jacob Baxley ensure the audience remains fully engrossed in the compelling and realistically intertwined story.

While seeing Part 1 is not required to understand and enjoy Part 2, it is recommended. The two parts seamlessly flow into one another, and seeing the first provides greater understanding and appreciation for the second. The Inheritance is a theatrical triumph that reconciles and expertly integrates an era many would rather ignore or forget with the present state of gay men in America. More than that, it is an important reminder of the legacy and determined resilience of queer people and of their right to live openly and unashamed, to love who they love and to rightfully claim their space in the world.

The Inheritance Part 2 is written by Matthew Lopez and directed by Stephen Peirick. It is presented by Tesseract Theatre Company at the Marcelle (3310 Samuel Shepard Drive) through Sunday, May 5. Showtimes vary. Tickets are $25 or $40 for both parts at tesseracttheatre.com.

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Entertainment

Saint Louis Zoo’s Brand New Baby Zebra Is Ready for Visits

Published

21 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Natural Bridge

Last month, on April 16, the Saint Louis Zoo (1 Government Drive, stlzoo.org) welcomed a female Grevy zebra foal — Roxie.

The adorable foal, who weighed 95.8 pounds at birth, was the first ever animal born at the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park, a safari park under development in north county.

“This is both a joyful and historic moment for WildCare Park,” said Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park Director Sabarras George in a statement. “We are thrilled to reach this milestone on the path to building a world-class safari park and conservation center here in St. Louis County.”

Gemma, Roxie’s mom, and Presley, her dad, were paired together at the Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for endangered Grevy’s zebras, according to a press release. Seven-year-old Gemma was pregnant with Roxie when she moved from the Zoo to WildCare Park in September 2023. The two currently live in the Kent Family Conservation and Animal Science Center. Presley lives in the Red Rocks area of the zoo with the rest of the zebra herd.

“Gemma is a first-time mom and is doing everything right in caring for her newborn,” said General Curator at WildCare Park Martha Fischer in a statement. “Roxie follows her mom closely, is nursing well and has a lot of energy.”

To visit the sweet new baby, head over to the zoo this weekend. Its hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

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Entertainment

The World’s Largest Bounce House Will Be in Sauget Next Weekend

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Natural Bridge

If you associate Sauget solely with strip clubs and heavy industry, prepare to be shook: Next weekend, the East Side town originally christened Monsanto, Illinois, is going to be crawling with kids.The Big Bounce America is setting up at the home of the Gateway Grizzlies, Grizzlies Ballpark Field (2301 Grizzlie Bear Boulevard, Sauget, Illinois), beginning Friday, May 10. Unlike last year’s lengthy residency in the Saint Louis Galleria parking lot, this stay lasts just one weekend, so plan accordingly.Big Bounce America includes seven inflatable attractions, including the self-proclaimed (but presumably verified?) World’s Largest Bounce House, which alone clocks in at 24,000 square feet. There’s also a “deep sea foam party inflatable” called OctoBlast, a 900-foot-long obstacle course, a “sports arena” and what promotional materials call a “space-themed wonderland.” Suffice it to say, that’s a lot of bouncing.Tickets start at $22 for toddlers, $35 for kids and $45 for adults. Full details at thebigbounceamerica.com.Note that hours don’t begin until noon, so by then all the party people should be long gone from Sauget’s usual attractions. Unless they decide to stick around a nice hungover bounce session.
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