The Gaslight Theater will once again be the setting for the annual LaBute New Theater Festival, produced by St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
Running July 5 to 28, the festival was started in 2013 to honor writer, filmmaker and Tony Award-nominated playwright Neil LaBute, author of plays like “The Shape of Things,” “In the Company of Men” and “Fat Pig.” LaBute now co-produces the festival with William Roth, founder and producing director of St. Louis Actors’ Studio.
More than 300 submissions from around the world were sent for consideration for this year’s festival.
Professional and high school submissions were accepted October through December 2018. Entries had to have no more than four characters, and be crafted specifically for the intimate performance space (an 18- by 18-foot stage). Changes in scenery or setting needed to be achievable in a few seconds and with few major set moves. The focus is on fundamental dramaturgy: plot, character and theme.
LaBute’s Midwest premiere of “Great Negro Works of Art”’ will be performed for the run of the festival, directed by John Pierson.
“Set One” will run July 5 to 14, and in addition to LaBute’s play, will feature “Color Timer” by Michael Long (of Alexandria, Virginia), directed by Jenny Smith; “Privilege” by Joe Sutton (of West Orange, New Jersey), also directed by Jenny Smith; and “Kim Jong Rosemary” by Carter W. Lewis (of St. Louis), directed by John Pierson.
“Set Two” runs July 19 to 28, and includes “Predilections” by Richard Curtis (of New York City), directed by Wendy Greenwood; “Henrietta” by Joseph Krawczyk (of NYC), directed by Wendy Greenwood; and “Sisyphus and Icarus a Love Story” by William Ivor Fowkes (NYC), directed by Wendy Greenwood. Set Two also includes LaBute’s “Great Negro Works of Art.”
Four plays by high school students will be presented in readings at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, at the Gaslight Theater. High school finalist plays are “Razor Burn” by Theodore James Sanders of Houston, Texas, “P.B. and Gay” by Dylan Hasted of Glendale, California, “Stressful Snacks” by Posey Bischoff of St. Louis, and “We’ll Go Down (in History)” by Ann Zhang, also of St. Louis. Admission to the reading is free.
LaBute received his Master of Fine Arts degree in dramatic writing from New York University and was the recipient of a literary fellowship to study at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He also attended the Sundance Institute’s Playwrights Lab.
His films include: “In the Company of Men (New York Critics’ Circle Award for Best First Feature and the Filmmaker Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival),” “Your Friends and Neighbors,” “Nurse Betty, Possession,” “The Shape of Things (a film adaptation of his play by the same title),” “Death at a Funeral,” “Some Velvet Morning” and “Dirty Weekend.”
LaBute’s plays include: Bash: latter-day plays , The Shape of Things , The Mercy Seat , The Distance From Here, Autobahn, Fat Pig (Olivier Award Nominated for Best Comedy), Some Girl(s), This Is How It Goes, Wrecks, Filthy Talk For Troubled Times , In a Dark Dark House, Reasons To Be Pretty (Tony Award Nominated for Best Play), The Break of Noon, In a Forest Dark and Deep, Reasons To Be Happy, The Money Shot and The Way We Get By. He has also adapted Woyzeck, Dracula, Miss Julie and Antigone for the stage.
For television he has written the series “Full Circle,” “Ten X Ten” and “Billy & Billie” for Directv.
LaBute is also the author of “Seconds of Pleasure,” a collection of short fiction published by Grove Atlantic.
The LaBute New Theater Festival is July 5 through 28 at The Gaslight Theater, 358 N. Boyle, St. Louis, MO 63108. Tickets are $35 for adults; $30 for students (with valid ID), seniors (65+) and military. Tickets for all productions are available at ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster ticket center, or at the St. Louis Actors’ Studio box office one hour before each performance, or from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call (314) 531-1515. For more information, visit stlas.org/services-view/labute/
FOR 2020:
Submissions will be accepted Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2019 (high school through April 19, 2020). Submissions should be sent to LaBute New Theater Festival, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, 360 N. Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or send an email to help@stlas.org.
