WHAT: Farragut North
WHERE: Gaslight Theater
WHEN: Various times, Feb. 8 to 24
Presented by St. Louis Actors’ Studio, and written by House of Cards showrunner (and St. Louis’ own) Beau Willimon, Farragut North is a timely tale about the lust for power and the costs one will endure to achieve it. Willimon, who worked for Howard Dean during the former Vermont governor’s 2004 presidential campaign, as well as for the office of Sen. Charles Schumer, among others, centers his story around a wunderkind press secretary named Stephen Bellamy, who has built a career that men twice his age would envy. During a tight presidential primary race, Stephen’s meteoric rise falls prey to the backroom politics of more seasoned operatives. The play was adapted into the 2011 film, The Ides of March, starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling, and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
$35 ($30 for seniors 65 and older, and students and military with valid ID); stlas.org
WHAT: The Flambeaux of New Orleans Mardi Gras
WHERE: The Dark Room @ The Grandel Gallery
WHEN: Feb. 7 to March 8
A new exhibit by photographer Stan Strembicki showcases photos from recent Mardi Gras parades that reflect the mystery and tradition of the flambeaux culture. Flambeaux (plural for flambeau, or a flaming torch) comes from the French word, flambe, meaning “flame.” The first official Mardi Gras flambeaux debuted with the Mistick Krewe of Comus on Fat Tuesday in 1857. Initially used to see the parades at night, the flambeaux have transformed into its own art form. The exhibit, shown on the steel gallery walls of The Dark Room’s bar/restaurant space, is free and open to the public.
Free; thedarkroom.stl
WHAT: Evan and Stacey Smith: Liminal Spaces
WHERE: Sheldon Art Galleries
WHEN: Feb. 15 to April 13
St. Louis-based artists Evan and Stacey Smith present an architecture exhibition featuring eight miniaturized room sculptures, four of which were created specifically for The Sheldon’s Bernoudy Gallery of Architecture space. Working as a team, Evan designs and builds the sculptures, while Stacey utilizes her lighting expertise to make them come alive. Each room is illuminated by programmable LED lighting to create changing patterns of light and color, playing against the space and the people who interact with it. The public is invited to an opening reception on Friday, Feb. 15, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Free; thesheldon.org
WHAT: Autobiography by Company Wayne McGregor
WHERE: The Touhill
WHEN: 7:30 p.m, Feb. 27
For one night only, Dance St. Louis is presenting the Midwest premiere of Company Wayne McGregor, the globally acclaimed British dance company founded by award-winning choreographer/director Wayne McGregor, whose work has been featured by the Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet. He has also lent his talent to films such as Mary Queen of Scots, Sing, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. His Company Wayne McGregor is an ensemble of world-class dancers, and remains his laboratory for ambitious and experimental new choreography. Company Wayne McGregor celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018.
$35 to $69; dancestlouis.org
