Sunday, July 20, 2008

'Hair,' 'Antigone' are part of Political Festival  

In this election year, the St. Louis Political Festival makes its return with a 
lineup of 15 shows presented by 12 different companies.

Scott Miller, the artistic director of New Line Theatre, organized the first 
festival in 2006. It's a loose affiliation, spread out in time and place rather 
than centered at a particular venue or condensed into a period of days or 
weeks. Miller said that the festival helps to explore important issues from 
emotional as well as intellectual perspectives, to encourage theatergoers to 
involve themselves in political life, and to consider different perspectives. 
"Throughout history," Miller contends, "the times of greatest tumult are also 
the times of the greatest theater."

New Line will join in the festival with a six-week run of "Hair." Another 
participating company, the St. Louis Actors' Studio, is devoting its entire 
season to plays about politics and power, including festival productions of 
"Antigone" and "9 Parts of Desire."

Other festival productions are "Johnny A Cannon II: Johnny Descending" at the 
Immediacy Theatre Project, "King Lear" at St. Louis Shakespeare, "Frost/Nixon" 
at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, "Coming Out Stories 2008: Yours, Mine 
and Ours" from That Uppity Theatre Company, "Pippin" and "Regrets Only" at 
Stray Dog Theatre, "Blood Knot" at Upstream Theatre, "The Patriotic Freedom 
Bingo Machine" and "Laura's Bush" from the NonProphet Theatre Company, 
"Scorched" from the Orange Girls, "Copenhagen" from the West End Players Guild 
and Bill Chott's "Comedy on Parade."

For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com, or check with the participating 
companies. (Judith Newmark)