Toxic Leak of Laughs

Charlene Haparimwi of Bishop DuBourg High School reviewed Parkway Central's performances of "Don't Drink the Water." Performances were Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Silly humor, ridiculous antics and witty one-liners filled the theater in Parkway Central High School’s production of “Don’t Drink the Water.” “Don’t Drink the Water” is a comedy written by Woody Allen. Set in the late 1960’s, an American family, the Hollanders travel to an unknown European country on vacation. Their relaxing time is cut short when while harmlessly taking pictures, they are accused of being spies. The Hollanders are taken behind the Iron Curtain to the American Embassy, to be left in the care of the absent Ambassador’s incompetent son. This play had a myriad of powerful performances by central characters. The best was Kilroy (Alex Tash), the Ambassador’s assistant, left to deal with his unqualified son while he is gone. …

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Marquette Student Wears Cap as Theater Critic with 'Arsenic and Old Lace'

Production includes "remarkable acting" and "realistic chemistry" according to reviewer Cassidy Wrap. Wrap is part of a special high school program, Cappies, that trains theater critics.

Thirteen people, thirteen sips of homemade Elderberry wine, thirteen lives taken. At the Brewster home, things just aren’t right… for more reasons than one. On Saturday evening, Pattonville High School closed their captivating production of Arsenic & Old Lace. Arsenic & Old Lace, written by Joseph Kesselring, first opened on stage in 1941 and closed in 1944 after 1,444 performances. The story follows two elderly sisters, Abby and Martha Brewster and their nephews, Mortimer, Jonathan and Teddy.  Mortimer Brewster’s life changes forever when lifting the family window seat, and discovering a dead body. His dainty aunts decide to come clean with their nephew about their kills and explain the 11 other dead bodies buried in the cellar of the …

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Notable Neighbors

Stacey Morse Paints The Town With Art

The executive director of Chesterfield Arts is leading Chesterfield through an arts revolution.

This week, Chesterfield Patch introduces you to Stacey Morse, executive director of Chesterfield Arts. She guides the dynamic organization in their quest to develop Chesterfield into a city of art. Residents of Chesterfield may be used to seeing the name Chesterfield Arts attached to events around the city. They may have gone to an art show at their gallery and offices at 444 Chesterfield Center, attended a talk in a literary speaker series or taken part in a workshop. But they may have enjoyed the fruits of Chesterfield Arts' labor without being aware that the organization and Stacey Morse made it possible. Although Morse began her college years studying business, she eventually switched to her first love: photograpy and the arts. She …

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Mall Masterpieces: MindWorks Gallery Hopes Chesterfield Mall Becomes Art Destination

With twenty resident artists, MindWorks Gallery in Artropolis plans to expand to short-term gallery shows.

Owner Robert Cornman calls the twenty local artists who call MindWorks Gallery home one big happy family. The gallery is a focused on fine art, and features local artists who work with paint, fabric, glass, metal, blowtorches and everything in between. They range in experience, too—from the 19-year-old Rachel Brown who is studying art at Missouri State University, to Loren Corell, who had his own gallery in Omaha for 30 years. The gallery is part of Artropolis, a group of six shops owned by and featuring local artists and craftsmen at Chesterfield Mall.  Each of the artists uses the space somewhat differently. For some, such as Cornman, who regularly take their work to shows, MindWorks serves as a sort of home base—somewhere to point …

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Mall Masterpieces: A Fusion of Art and Craft

The artisans of Fusion specialize in recycled glass, wine corks, paint and soap—anything is fair game here, as long as it is made by hand.

Although some are business analysts or firefighters by day, and others focus on their art full time, the local artists and artisans of Fusion share a passion for the handmade. Together, their efforts have created a co-op in Chesterfield Mall that is filled with truly unique creations. The original seven members of Fusion met through Etsy, an online marketplace and community for anything handmade. In March 2009, they banded together to open a shop in Crestwood Court's ArtSpace, called Show-Me Handmade. They did all right in their ten-month stint there, but the mall was slowly dying around them. When Dan Tierney of the Regional Arts Commission asked if they'd like to join Artopolis, a group of six shops owned by and featuring local artists …

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Dana Diaz de Leon

8:39 am on Friday, February 18, 2011

Thanks Sarah. You're a Sweetheart!   more ›

Notable Neighbors

Stages St. Louis Founder Now Turns Energy To Helping Senior Citizens

Betty Von Hoffman is shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

This week, Patch introduces you to Betty Von Hoffman, founder of Stages St. Louis. She was recently honored at St. Andrew's Ageless Remarkable St. Louisans Gala, honoring individuals who are redefining retirement. One thing about Betty Von Hoffman shines through above all else: she is full of love. Love for people, love for life and love for Stages St. Louis. A trip to New York to visit her son, Michael Hamilton—an aspiring actor and dancer—planted the seed of an idea that would grow to be Stages St. Louis. Von Hoffman wanted opportunities for performers in St. Louis just like the opportunities they had in New York. So when her son decided to come home for the summer of 1987, they decided to start a theater—with the help of Hamilton's …

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