'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' headlines SCC's new American Theatre Festival

Published: 04/11/2013

SCC’s Center Stage Theatre performance of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” by Edward Albee, directed by SCC’s Hal Berry, will be in the theater of Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building April 24-28.

When Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” opened on Broadway in 1962, critics raved at what became a transformational play for the American theater. Targeting the modern American marriage, it broke new ground with its controversial profanity and sexual situations. Set in New England during the Cold War ‘60s, the marriage of George and Martha is laid open for all to see. Winner of both the Tony and New York Drama Critics awards for Best Play, it went on to become a successful film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. This show is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Cast members include Tracy Bono of Cottleville as Martha, Paul Luft of Woodson Terrace as George, Wesley Meinhold of St. Peters as Nick and Bailey Rough of O’Fallon as Honey.

“Gertrude Stein and a Companion” by Win Wells and directed by SCC’s Rebecca David will be in the auditorium of the Social Sciences Building May 1-5.

“Gertrude Stein and a Companion” illuminates the relationship between Gertrude Stein, noted author and patron of the arts, and Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude’s friend, lover, editor, critic and muse. In 1920s Paris, Stein’s salon was the epicenter of the artistic movements of the day. To the outside world, Toklas was simply Stein’s companion, but this play reveals the significant influence she had on Stein and on the arts culture of the 1920s. This show is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Cast members include Claudia Staude of St. Charles as Gertrude Stein and Kim Avants of St. Charles as Alice B. Toklas.

“RFK” by Jack Holmes and directed by SCC’s Alex Saccavino, will be in auditorium of the Social Sciences Building May 1-5.

“RFK” is a moving portrayal of the words and events in the life of Robert F. Kennedy, from the death of his brother, President Kennedy, through the Civil Rights crisis and conflicts over the Vietnam War, to his decision that the only way to stop that war was to run for the presidency himself. The New Yorker called “RFK” a “labor of love and conscience.” Using the music of the ‘60s, “RFK” brings back a time when the nation was inspired to believe that the American Dream was possible for all. This show is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Michael McPartland of St. Peters has been cast as RFK.

A series of free events will lead into the performances:

“Lunchtime in Paris,” a 45-minute musical salute to the great French city of art and culture, will be performed at noon Tuesday, April 16, in the SCC Café/Bookstore. Guests will enjoy croissants and chocolate éclairs, and hear the fabled music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Oscar Hammerstein. 

A modern art lecture and brown bag lunch, “The Art World in Paris – Post World War II,” will be held at noon Wednesday, April 17, in Room 1102 of the Social Sciences Building. Brian Alich, SCC art technician, will present on the art world in Paris, France, when Gertrude Stein became famous among artists from around the world. 

Woody Allen's Academy Award-winning film, “Midnight in Paris,” will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in Room 1102 of the Social Sciences Building. The 2011 film starring Owen Wilson is set in current day and the1920s when Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald captivated Paris. The film is rated PG-13 and will be introduced by Heather Rodgers, SCC associate professor of English.

A seminar, “Perilous Times: Robert F. Kennedy and the Civil Rights Era,” will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, April 29, in Room 205-206 of the Student Center. SCC faculty members Vickie Herbel, Ron Pettus, Michael Kuelker and Hal Berry will discuss what became one of the most violent periods in American social and political history. 

For show times or to purchase tickets for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” “RFK” and “Gertrude Stein and a Companion,” visit www.stchastickets.com or call the SCC Box Office at 636-922-8050. For more information on SCC’s American Theatre Festival, visit www.stchas.edu/americantheatrefest. For accommodations information, e-mail accessibilityservice@stchas.edu.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.