Tag: Tower Grove Abbey

Tickets On Sale and Going FAST

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

Several performances are already sold out, with the remaining shows reaching capacity soon.  Get your tickets ASAP!  This is a wild, raunchy rock n’ roll party you don’t want to miss!

Richard O’Brien’s THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

Richard O’Brien’s THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

Book, Music and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien

Buy Tickets For This Show Now!

October 13 – October 29

8 PM Thursdays-Saturdays
Additional performances 8 PM Wednesday, October 26 and 2 PM Saturday, October 29.

The cult classic is back! After a flat tire has them stuck in a storm, sweethearts Brad and Janet come upon the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Once inside, a houseful of colorful characters take the couple on a bizarre journey they will never forget. This raucous musical is an over-the-top tribute to mid-20th century science fiction and horror B-movies.

This production is intended for MATURE AUDIENCES.

St. Louis Arts Experience

Cast

Dr. Frank ‘N’ Furter – Michael Juncal
Janet Weiss – Heather Matthews
Brad Majors – Kevin O’Brien
Riff Raff – Corey Fraine
Magenta – Maria Bartolotta
Columbia – Sara Rae Womack
Rocky Horror – Luke Steingruby
Eddie/Dr. Everett Scott – Mike Wells
The Narrator – Gerry Love

Phantoms / Transylvanians
Angela Bubash
Ted Drury
Stephen Henley
Tim Kaniecki
Sarah Polizzi
Dawn Schmid

Directed by Justin Been
Music Direction by Chris Petersen

Venue

Tower Grove Abbey
2336 Tennessee Avenue
Saint Louis, MO 63104-1434

Tickets

The best way to purchase tickets and ensure availability is to purchase tickets online by using the link above or on the Tickets page. You may order tickets through the Box Office by calling (314) 865-1995.

All tickets are non-refundable. Individual tickets are not exchangeable.  Any tickets that are not picked up by ten (10) minutes prior to curtain will be released to waiting customers.

Subscribers may exchange tickets up to 48 hours in advance of a performance.
Missed subscriptions that are not addressed within 24 hours will not be able to be exchanged.

Box Office/Will Call opens 1 hour prior to performance. House opens half-hour prior to curtain.  Tower Grove Abbey is a “general seating” theatre.

Becoming Rocky Horror: I Can Make You A Man

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Blog, Theatre

Hercules_Farnese_3637104088_9c95d7fe3c_b

Heracles (Hercules) – Gatekeeper of Olympus
God of strength, heroes, sports, athletes, health, agriculture, fertility, trade, oracles and divine protector of mankind.

This is the image that comes up when searching “masculinity” online.  The legendary divine hero Heracles (more commonly known as Hercules in Roman mythology) – the ultimate symbol of manhood, fortitude, power, dominance – so strong, in fact, that he was believed to have been born of the gods.  It is not so surprising to me that these traits are also some of the key defining points of masculinity in the dictionary.  But what does it mean to be a man?

Men and women in our culture are still taught that to be a MAN is to be physically powerful, direct, decisive, emotionless, to conquer everything, and that anything other than that is somehow less-than or weak or feminine.  Even as children, when we express emotions, we are told to “man up” or “grow a pair.”  I recently watched a documentary on Netflix called “The Mask You Live In” that highlights how destructive these types of phrases can be to young boys, and how over time these repeated lessons become core values that then affect how boys and men interact with everyone else in their lives.  Often these harmful lessons are suppressed, though they end up coming out sideways through acts of aggression and disrespect towards men and women who are seen as inferior in some way.  These misguided EMOTIONS serve to keep the macho men feeling macho, and push down those “weak” qualities that they secretly identify with by being the harshest judge possible.  Consequently that poor guy builds a pretty high wall around himself that not too many people can climb over.

As a child growing up in a family of legendary athletes, I was also held to these standards.  My dad is a gladiator of a man, as are all of the men on his side of the family.  There has always been a huge emphasis on physical activity and competition in our house, and in the schools I attended.  I wrestled all through elementary school, played soccer and baseball, and started lifting weights when I was about twelve years old.  I was actually pretty good at the sports I played, but eventually rebelled and refused to play team sports altogether so that I would no longer have to live up to the ridiculous standards of my coaches, or have to try to fit in with a group of kids I didn’t feel I had much in common with personally.  However, I still sometimes find myself seeking my own approval, and that of my family and others through physical feats of strength and aesthetics – having a healthy body image has been an ongoing struggle.  I am a highly competitive person; as a result, I can be really hard on myself, and have often isolated myself from others when I have felt inferior or unworthy in some way.

I’ve known I was gay since I was three.  Of course I didn’t know what “gay” meant then, but two memories stand out to me as moments that I felt different.  I remember putting on my moms “ruby slippers” (obvious friend of Dorothy reference) and white faux fur coat and pretending to be Cruella DeVille, while applying red lipstick in her vanity mirror and cackling like the infamous Disney hag.  The other memory I have is being in the car with my family and asking my dad if he thought Brad Pitt was handsome.  I remember his response feeling like that was an odd question for me to ask, whether or not that was his intention.  I continued to play and imagine, as kids do, but kept my feelings a secret until I finally made the decision to embrace my more artistic side, take a few steps back from athletics, and sashay out of the closet dressed to the nines at age thirteen.

Fortunately both of my parents are also gifted musicians and artists.  They taught me how to sing, and how to draw.  Through these connection points with my family, my definition of manhood has expanded to include creativity, passion, compassion, expression, vulnerability, and love.  I used these artistic gifts as a means of expressing myself when I couldn’t find the right words.  This is largely what I attribute to being SO proficient now in expressing myself through artistic media.  Music and art were and still are the two things through which I feel I can make the deepest and most meaningful connections with others, including my family, and with myself.  They have offered me a very therapeutic resource to look at and make sense of some pretty intense emotions.  This is part of why I love theatre so much.  Theatre allows the actor and the audience to really empathize with another humans condition.  I feel more empathetic for having performed such a variety of characters.

For a long time I was really attracted to romantic roles, because they allowed me a pretty easy outlet to be sensitive and caring with other people without the worry of being judged for it.  I still love those roles so much, but lately my acting career has taken a turn to the more macho roles.  It started when New Line Theatre asked me to play Angel – the vivacious drag queen – in Rent, followed by Chris – a marine with PTSD – in Hands On A Hardbody.  I think this was the first time I ever felt like someone else believed that I could do anything (though I’m sure many others have), and I saw an opportunity to really start to get in touch with and make peace with some of the pressures I’ve felt to “be a man” throughout my life.  Those shows opened a huge door for me and within me.  A shift was made in my self-worth to believing that I am good enough and believing that I really can do anything, rather than limiting myself and staying in a box.  I don’t like boxes (gay joke).  Since then I have gone to the extremes of playing several more soldiers, a pre-operative transsexual, a homicidal marker sniffing hick, a slimy gang member, and several other odd characters in-between.  Somehow I’ve turned into a character actor, when I used to think that I’d only ever get to play Marius, or Tony, or Anthony.

I was pretty shocked at first when I got the call from Jay Hall offering me the role of ROCKY HORROR in The Rocky Horror Show.  A moment of dread occurred, and then a smile grew across my face as I recognized that this was yet another happy nudge from the universe saying, “You ARE good enough Luke.  Believe in yourself!  This is the direct result of all of the times you have believed in yourself and worked towards your goals.  You’ve got this!!”  My inner cheerleader was right there to remind me of my worth and that so many other people already believe in me too, and that all I have to do is trust myself and share my gifts.  That being said, I have been working out as though I’m training for the Olympics for the last several months.  Making sure my confidence and my body stay where they are is paramount, as I will be running around Tower Grove Abbey in nothing but a little gold bikini.  It feels good to know that I have so many people in my corner cheering me on.

For me The Rocky Horror Show is largely about playfully engaging in self-discovery, getting in touch with all aspects of our personalities without judging, and actively practicing self-love.  All of these things enhance how we interact with the rest of the world.  It is no coincidence that these are all emotional benefits I experience in my own floating practice too, which I will discuss in a future blog post.  I am grateful for all of the men and women in my life who help to shape me into the man I have become by showing me that the social constructs of manhood don’t have to define my human experience.  My parents specifically have both mastered the demonstration of what it means to provide, to be strong, caring, compassionate, ambitious, creative, vulnerable, loving, honest, free, and so much more.

There is more to Rocky than looking good almost naked.  Don’t get me wrong, Rocky is a big dumb sexy horny man-ape, and I am fully committed to that ideal.  I strongly identify with several of those traits myself…I mean, we’ve all seen my Instagram account (I’ll address that eventually too).  My hope is that I can bring a sliver of humanity to him, and have the audience really care about Rocky, all while objectifying the hell out of him.  It’s a delicate balance.  I have my work cut out for me, and I’m really looking forward to starting rehearsals next week.  I feel great, my #GodBod is on point, I am READY!

This one’s for all my macho men out there.  Gold speedo here I come!!!

P.S.  Hercules also fucked a BUNCH of dudes, so…

For tickets to The Rocky Horror Show visit Stray Dog Theatre

Casting Announcement: “The Rocky Horror Show” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

Luke Steingruby is proud to announce that he will play “Rocky Horror” in Richard O’Brien’s THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Stray Dog Theatre.

Book, Music and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien. Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s through to the early 1970s. The musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling his new creation, a sort of Frankenstein-style monster in the form of an artificially made, fully grown, physically perfect muscle man named Rocky Horror.

Performances: Opens October 13, 2016 and closes October 29, 2016.
Eleven performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm with additional performances on Wednesday, October 26 at 8pm and Saturday, October 29 at 2pm.

Visit www.straydogtheatre.org for tickets

St. Louis Theater Circle Nominations

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

With 30 nominations across many categories, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis brings a substantial presence into the 2016 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards.

Now in their fourth year, the awards honor outstanding work in St. Louis professional theater. The awards are voted on by members of the Circle, an organization of critics who cover theater here. (I am one of the founders.)

The Rep received the most nominations, followed by the Muny with 15 and Stray Dog Theatre with 14. In all, 21 theater companies received nominations for 50 different shows that played here in 2015.

In many categories, the nominations go to individual artists. This year, two of them received three nominations each.

Rob Lippert is nominated for outstanding set design in a musical for “Dogfight” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” at Stray Dog Theatre and for “Heathers” at New Line Theatre. Rusty Wandall is nominated for outstanding sound design in a play for “Angel Street” and “I and You” at the Rep and for “Antony and Cleopatra” at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.

In a curious twist, married actors Kari Ely and Peter Mayer are nominated for parallel awards in a pair of dark comedies that played at the St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Ely, who played Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” is nominated for outstanding actress in a comedy, and Mayer, who played a grouchy resident of an assisted-living center in “The Gin Game,” is nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy.

To make things more complicated, the couple’s onstage partners, William Roth and Linda Kennedy, are nominated in the same categories.

The nominees are:

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy

Betsy Bowman, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Shinnerrie Jackson, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Erin Kelley, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions

Shannon Nara, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions

Jeanitta Perkins, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler,” St. Louis Shakespeare

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy

John Bratkowski, “The World Begun,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Michael Brightman, “Mr. Marmalade,” West End Players Guild

Jeffrey C. Hawkins, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Pete Winfrey, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre

John Wolbers, “Wild Oats,” St. Louis Shakespeare

Outstanding actress in a comedy

Lavonne Byers, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions

Kari Ely, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Suzanne Grodner, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Linda Kennedy, “The Gin Game,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Em Piro, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre

Outstanding actor in a comedy

John Feltch, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Peter Mayer, “The Gin Game,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Antonio Rodriguez, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre

William Roth, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Jeremy Webb, “Buyer and Cellar,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama

Em Piro, “Sight Unseen,” New Jewish Theatre

Kelly Taffe, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Afflicted: Daughters of Salem,” Metro Theater Company

Cassia Thompson, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Elizabeth Van Pelt, “Rapture, Blister, Burn,” West End Players Guild

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama

Will Cobbs, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

John Flack, “Sublime Intimacy,” Max & Louie Productions

Andrew Kuhlman, “One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

Michael James Reed, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Chris Tipp, “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,” Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding actress in a drama

Shirine Babb, “Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Emily Baker, “Sight Unseen,” New Jewish Theatre

Danielle Carlacci, “I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Amy Loui, “The Amish Project,” Mustard Seed Theatre

Lisa Tejero, “The Kiss,” Upstream Theater

Outstanding actor in a drama

J. Samuel Davis, “Bashir Lazhar,” Upstream Theater

Brian Dykstra, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Daniel Morgan Shelley, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Jerry Vogel, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater

Eric Dean White, “The Kiss,” Upstream Theater

Outstanding new play

Nancy Bell, “The World Begun,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Shualee Cook, “An Invitation Out,” Mustard Seed Theatre

Neil LaBute, “Kandahar,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Ken Page, “Sublime Intimacy,” Max & Louie Productions

Alec Wild, “Off the Record,” OnSite Theatre

Outstanding lighting design in a play

Joseph Clapper, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater

Patrick Huber, “Sublime Intimacy,” Max & Louie Productions

Bess Moynihan, “One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

Peter E. Sargent, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Nathan Schroeder, “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” R-S Theatrics

Outstanding sound design in a play

Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater

Fitz Patton, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Rusty Wandall, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Rusty Wandall, “Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Rusty Wandall, “I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding costume design in a play

Beth Ashby, “An Invitation Out,” Mustard Seed Theatre

Dorothy Marshall Englis, “The Winslow Boy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

JC Krajicek, “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler,” St. Louis Shakespeare

Cyndi Lohrmann, “The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions

David Toser, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding set design in a play

Wilson Chin, “Angel Street,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Scott C. Neale, “Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Paul Shortt, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Peter and Margery Spack, “Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Mark Wilson, “An Invitation Out,” Mustard Seed Theatre

Outstanding supporting actress in a musical

Eileen Engel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

Heather Headley, “Into the Woods,” the Muny

Sydney Mancasola, “La Rondine,” Opera Theatre of Louis

Sarah Porter, “The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre

Zoe Vonder Haar, “The Full Monty,” Stages St. Louis

Outstanding supporting actor in a musical

Dan Fenaughty, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

Joneal Joplin, “The Fantasticks,” Insight Theatre Company

Rob McClure, “Beauty and the Beast,” the Muny

Milton Craig Nealy, “The Full Monty,” Stages St. Louis

Sam Weber, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” the Muny

Outstanding actress in a musical

Julie Cardia, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

Shannon Cothran, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre

Erin Dilly, “Into the Woods,” the Muny

Joyce El-Khoury, “Emmeline,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Anna Skidis, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre

Outstanding actor in a musical

Andy Christopher, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” the Muny

Ben Davis, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny

Evan Fornachon, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre

Gerry Love, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

Jordan Shanahan, “Rigoletto,” Union Avenue Opera

Outstanding musical director

Jeffrey Richard Carter, “The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre

Charles Creath, “Once on This Island,” the Black Rep

Michael Horsley, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” the Muny

George Manahan, “Emmeline,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Chris Petersen, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding choreographer

Stephen Bourneuf, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

Denis Jones, “Holiday Inn,” the Muny

Dan Knechtges and Jessica Hartman, “Hairspray,” the Muny

Susan Stroman and Ginger Thatcher, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny

Keith Tyrone Williams, “Once on This Island,” the Black Rep

Outstanding lighting design in a musical

Christopher Akerlind, “Emmeline,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Tyler Duenow, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre

John Lasiter, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny

Sean M. Savoie, “Once on This Island,” the Black Rep

Sean M. Savoie, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

Outstanding set design in a musical

Shoko Kambara, “The Barber of Seville,” Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Rob Lippert, “Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre

Rob Lippert, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre

Rob Lippert, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

James Wolk, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

Outstanding costume design in a musical

Eileen Engel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

Andrea Lauer, “Into the Woods,” the Muny

Brad Musgrove, “Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

Sarah Porter, “The Threepenny Opera, New Line Theatre

Alejo Vietti, “Holiday Inn,” the Muny

Outstanding ensemble in a comedy

“Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre

“Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” R-S Theatrics

“The 39 Steps,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

“Wild Oats,” St. Louis Shakespeare

Outstanding ensemble in a drama

“All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

“Antony and Cleopatra,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

“One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

“Safe House,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

“The Winslow Boy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding ensemble in a musical

“Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

“Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre

“Into the Woods,” the Muny

“Heathers,” New Line Theatre

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

Outstanding director of a comedy

John Contini,” Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

Michael Evan Haney, “Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Sydnie Grosberg Ronga, “Bad Jews,” New Jewish Theatre

Jacqueline Thompson, “The World Begun,” Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Kirsten Wylder, “The 39 Steps,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

Outstanding director of a drama

Deanna Jent, “The Amish Project,” Mustard Seed Theatre

Jane Page, “I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Ellie Schwetye, “One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

Patrick Siler, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater

Steven Woolf, “All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding director of a musical

Justin Been, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

Michael Hamilton, “Anything Goes,“ Stages St. Louis

Scott Miller, “The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre

Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy, “Heathers,” New Line Theatre

Rob Ruggiero, “Oklahoma!,” the Muny

Outstanding production of a comedy

“The Gin Game,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

“The Killing of Sister George,” Max & Louie Productions

“The 39 Steps,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio

“Wild Oats,” St. Louis Shakespeare

Outstanding production of a drama

“All the Way,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

“I and You,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

“One Flea Spare,” Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Upstream Theater

“The Winslow Boy,” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Outstanding production of a musical

“Anything Goes,” Stages St. Louis

“Dogfight,” Stray Dog Theatre

“Heathers,” New Line Theatre

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Stray Dog Theatre

“The Threepenny Opera,” New Line Theatre

2016 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards

The awards will be presented on March 21 at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Preparatory School, 425 South Lindbergh Boulevard. They also will be carried live on HEC-TV; HEC and stltoday.com will stream the ceremony, too. The Circle Awards are open to the public. Tickets, $15, are available at brownpapertickets.com. For more information, visit the St. Louis Theater Circle on Facebook.

Production Photos from “Dogfight” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre
“This your first trip to Frisco?”
“Gonna be havin some kinda time!”
“Don’t you miss out on some kinda time!”
“It’s your last night, so have at em boys!”
“Here’s to JFK and the USA.”
“If you ain’t a lesbian, my name’s Eddie Birdlace.”
“Let me take you out tonight.”
Hey Good Lookin…
Come to a party with me.
Come to a party with me.
Come to a party with me.
Come to a party with me.
Nothing short of wonderful.
“What do you say, you comin’ or what?”
“You keep your trap shut!”
“How do I look?”
“Let me try!”
“You’re supposed to put it on the lips. It’s all over the place!”
Blast Off
It’s just a party!
“We all want to cum!”
“When I see that face…”
“That almost breakable face.”
“I’m hard to dance with?”
It’s just a party!
“Da-ding-ding-ding!”
“You let them win, and a dog’s what you become in the Dogfight!”
It’s just a party!
“Cotton candy and lemonade.”
Ticker Tape Parade
“He asked you nice!”
Ticker Tape Parade
Ticker Tape Parade
Ticker Tape Parade
Ticker Tape Parade
“A rose for a Rose.”
“I thought you’d like it!”
“The three of us…”
“…and oh, a beer…”
“If they forgot something, we’ll learn it!”
“Wake up San Fransisco!”
Before It’s Over
Before It’s Over
Before It’s Over
Before It’s Over
Before It’s Over
“See a world beautiful and strange, spinning off somewhere, saying meet me there.”
“It’s so close, don’t let it get away. There’s so much to do before it’s over.”
“I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow…today.”
“I wanna spend my last night with you. I like you!”
“I don’t know why you’re so afraid to play this for people.”
Give Way
Give Way
“That’s a real pretty night dress thingy…”
Give Way
“I wanna see you.”
“Some kinda drum like there’s something beginning…”
“Some kinda drum like there’s something beginning…”
Say Goodbye
Say Goodbye
“32!? What are you some kinda grandma fucker?”
“Check it out! You owe us a bee!”
“You think this is gonna keep you safe and warm on the other side of the world?”
“That stuff don’t matter where we’re goin. This…this is about the only thing that does!”
“Can’t you hear it boys?”
Vietnam
Vietnam
“We three bees have a mighty sting, and we come prepared for anything!”
“We three bees living semper-fi, thick like blood and we’re do or die!”
“We three bees are forever young, so watch your back or you might get stung!”
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
“What about your B’s?”
Come Back
Come Back
“Eddie?”
“I don’t know why them…why not me?”
Take Me Back
Take Me Back
“Welcome home!”
The Stray Dog Band

Photography by John Lamb

RFT Review: “Dogfight” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

arts1-1Eddie Birdlace (Brendan Ochs) is an eighteen-year-old Marine who has one last night in San Francisco before shipping off to Vietnam. It’s November 21, 1963 — the night before President Kennedy will be killed — and Eddie is eager to win the dogfight planned with his friends Boland (Luke Steingruby) and Bernstein (Kevin O’Brien) before they settle that little conflict in southeast Asia. The boys anticipate a quick victory and a hero’s welcome when they return — but first they have to humiliate some women.

It is a lesson we never remember. Young men are trained to kill, women are there for the taking and the world races ever onward to some uncertain destiny. And yet two people can find one another in that chaos, and come to understand each other, if only they care enough to look deeply into themselves.

Full Article

St. Louis Theatre Snob Review: “Dogfight” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

They are bolstered by a strong supporting cast, including a very versatile Steingruby and O’Brien as Eddie’s Marine pals

Full Article

Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts Review: “Dogfight” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

The show also does a good job of portraying well-rounded characters, managing to make the Marines interesting and sympathetic characters despite some of their more unsavory attitudes. The actors deserve a lot of credit for this sympathy, as well, with Steingruby’s shady Boland and O’Brien’s eager Bernstein being brought to life convincingly.

Full Article

Critical Blast Review: “Dogfight” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

Luke Steingruby seemed to relish the opportunity to play an asshole, while Kevin O’Brien was perfect as the bombastic yet naive man-child.

Full Article

KDHX Review: “Dogfight” at Stray Dog Theatre

by Luke Steingruby, posted in Theatre

0af72df0039077242ac41354288684d7_XLLuke Steingruby and Kevin O’Brien are filled with an uneasy, almost desperate energy as they search for girls, drinks, and every adventure they can conquer during their few hours of leave.

The show feels like it could take a dark or violent turn at several points, keeping audiences intrigued, and the cast embraces the uncertainty and confusion of their age, social status, and the era well.