brings you the second installment of its Immersive Theatre Project Series.
Uncle Vanya: Valiantly Accepting Next Year’s Agony
August 23-27 & August 31-September 3
Pre-show at 7pm | Show starts at 8pm | 110 Dielman Road
Directed by Kelly Hummert
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The Play
Why we need you here:
We can change. We can grow. We can pursue our heart's deeper desire. And we will. Will you? Will you fight to realize your deepest longing. Come fight. Come fight with us, for us. Please. We're fighting the fight of our lives. Not fighting for our lives, oh no, but for the thing that makes the fight worth fighting, any life worth living. Here. In this house. In the country. In this too too quiet country house in which one might very well go mad with boredom! If not for...her. That nightmare. Yelena. You'll hate her. You'll want her. You'll want to be her. Maybe you are her. Maybe we all are. She's a mermaid. Mermaid blood runs in Yelena's veins. What sort of blood courses through yours?
You won't know if you don't show.
Though to be totally upfront, Yelena may not care either way. She sometimes--occasionally--tires of all the men starring at her, needing things from her, projecting all their fantasies onto her. She might benefit from your support, honestly. Men, consciously or not, always want so much of her.
Question is...what might you have to offer? Can you save us from ourselves? Might we save you?
Purchase Tickets
Tickets: Adult: $45 | Students: $30 (with college ID)
Aug 23 - Industry Night
Adult
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Student
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Aug 24
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Aug 25
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Aug 26
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Aug 27
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Aug 31
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Sept 1
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Sept 2
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Sept 3
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Student
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After training in Catholic University's graduate acting program, Peter Mayer toured for two years with the National Players with whom he was seen as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Hotspur in Henry IV, Part 1. He has performed in regional theaters throughout the country, and while living in New York was villain Duke Rafferty on the soap Guiding Light and one of the "Mitchum Men." He has worked with virtually every theater company in St. Louis and is delighted to be reunited with his chum Kelly Hummert and to be included in this wonderful cast. He’s married to the beautiful and brilliant actress Kari Ely.
Andrew is an actor, playwright/adapter, poet, teacher, script doctor, storyteller and songwriter. He thrives on unlocking and fully realizing creative potential, be it project or person. As an actor, Andrew has performed from sea to shining sea. (NYC to Los Angeles.) From Shreveport, Louisiana to Ottowa, Canada. Favorite rolls/projects include: Michael Corleone in CORLEONE: THE SHAKESPEAREAN GODFATHER. (Non-Prophets); John Merrick in THE ELEPHANT MAN. (Stray Dog Theatre); Puck in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (American Shakespeare Center, formerly Shenandoah Shakespeare Express); Ned Poins in HENRY IV (Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.); Basque in THE MISANTHROPE, Leon Czologsz in ASSASSINS & Hermann Hesse/Siddhartha in SIDDHARTHA (Berkshire Theater Festival); Hermes in PERSEPHONE (Messenger Theater, NYCFringe); LeBeau/Touchstone in AS YOU LIKE IT (Chicago Shakespeare Theater.)
Jim is thrilled to embark on this adventure with Rebel and Misfits Productions! Jim’s most recent credits include Dancing at Lughnasa (Michael) at the Mustard Seed Theatre, Intimate Apparel (Mr. Marks) at the New Jewish Theatre, and Beauty and the Beast (director) at COCA. Other favorite credits include Henry IV and Henry V (Prince Hal & Henry V), Hamlet (Hamlet), Julius Caesar (Mark Antony) at the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis; Lobby Hero (Jeff), A Number (Michael), Freud’s Last Session (C.S. Lewis) at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; Measure for Measure (Angelo) at The Mustard Seed Theatre Company; Biloxi Blues (James Hennesey), A Christmas Carol (Young Ebenezer Scrooge/Topper) at The Geva Theatre Center; Amadeus (Mozart) at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival; Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) at Shakespeare Santa Fe; The Odyssey (Telemachus) at The Willow Cabin Theatre Company. Much love to Amy and my two treasures!
FRANKIE FERRARI is thrilled to return to the Rebel and Misfits Company. She has worked with a number of companies in the St. Louis area including ERA (Twelfth Period or Not Another Twelfth Night), STL Shakespeare (Comedy of Errors), Rebel and Misfits Co. (Hamlet: See What I See), YoungLiars (Phifty Shades of Phaedra), and Stray Dog Theater (Five Women Wearing the Same Dress).
Sophia Brown is thrilled to be working with Rebels and Misfits Productions! She is a graduate of Webster Conservatory and has loved diving in to the St. Louis theater scene this past year. Most recently Sophia took part in the Tennessee Williams Festival and the Neil LaBute festival at St. Louis Actors Studio. She thanks all the incredible artists in the production and her partner, Jon, for simply being the best.
Donna Weinsting is so delighted to be working with Kelly Hummert and Rebels and Misfits and this stellar cast and crew. Immersive theatre is exciting and challenging. Donna has worked for most of the professional theaters here and regionally in Missouri. She was Off-Broadway earlier this year in The LaBute Festival at 58E59 Theatre in New York. Look for Donna next in "Unsuspecting Susan", a one woman play opening September 15th at The Chapel under the direction of Robert Neblett.
Suzanne Greenwald (Mrs. Voitnitsky) has been active in St. Louis theater for over twenty years. Favorite roles include Grace in Grace and Glorie, Carrie Watts in Trip to Bountiful, and Frume in Women's Minion which won a Kevin Kline award for best ensemble. Offstage, Suzanne is a psychotherapist in private practice.
Kent Coffel is pleased to be making his first appearance with Rebel and Misfits Productions' Uncle Vanya. Kent has performed with numerous theater companies around St. Louis including New Line Theatre, Insight Theatre Company and Mustard Seed Theatre. Favorite recent roles include “Potemkin” in Celebration, “Zorba” in Zorba and the small ensemble of All is Calm. When not on stage, he works as a systems architect at Maritz Travel Company, plays a bit of guitar and enjoys time at home time with Stephanie and the four-legged family members Leo and Max.
Rules of Engagement
Housekeeping
Having reserved your spot in advance, you arrive between 7 and 7:30pm. We presume you will be arriving by car, as it is near-impossible to hail a reliable horse-drawn carriage these days.
(The estate is located at 110 Dielman Road, ever-so-slightly north of Ladue Road. We are not accepting rubles at the door. So please: insure there's a space for you by claiming your seat now!)
You hand your keys to the valet, who parks your car with love and care.
Now you are free to join us for tea. Hot chamomile or Iced Raspberry. (We love both equally. Both are known to calm the nerves.)
Marina, our beloved Nanny and housekeeper extraordinaire is in the business of insuring that all guests are comfortable. Except for intruders. (You're not an intruder, are you? You're not here to try--again!--to purchase that bit of land over yonder? We didn't think so.)
Please! Be our guest! Sit! Sip! Enjoy!
Act 1--Decline in the Temperature of the Teapot
Things have gone a bit haywire since the Professor and Yelena have come to settle among us. Though tea is traditionally served promptly at 2pm CST (Chekhovian Standard Time) it is unsurprising that only Marina and Astrov, the Doctor, are here as you settle in for liquid refreshment. Vanya is napping. Vanya's mother is off reading. Everyone else is out for a walk. We can't be exactly sure when they'll arrive, so enjoy your tea while it's still hot/cold. Don't wait for them. (Some days Marina prepares a few victuals as well: sweets, tiny sandwiches, perhaps some delicate pastries, but you are not terribly hungry here upon arrival, having dined beforehand.)
Act 2--It's late. Have another Drink?
Now it is night. Late night. The middle of the night. It is raining. (Or it has been raining. Or it is going to rain.) We drink Vodka. We drink wine. We drink brandy. We need it. So will you.
Between Acts 1 & 2 we offer you Vodka: Moscow Mules, Chocolate (or Classic) Martinis, Vodka Tonics, you name it. Should you detest Vodka and prefer a different sort of libation, Marina ought to be able to muster up an alternative beverage, but only if you ask politely. (To reiterate: though she lives to serve our guests, Marina is known to be very protective of the family, especially Sonya: she regards intruders as little more than pesky geese just asking to be shooed away.)
Act 3--Quarter to One: In Anticipation of an Announcement
Do you dislike like surprises? Do you respond negatively to loud, sudden noises? If so, Act 3 may well pose a problem for you. Consult your Doctor before attending. (Yelena will absolutely be consulting the Doctor. On a number of important matters.)
Fates shall very soon be sealed. And so here you are: In our home. In our hearts. It's on you now. You know the stakes. You know the players. Will we get what we want? What we deserve? This is it. (Y)our last chance. (Y)our final opportunity to affect the outcome of our ridiculous misadventures.
You may yet learn from our mistakes. For us it is probably too late. A second or two too late. Save yourselves. It's too late for us.
Act 4--The long good-bye...
Autumn will be here soon. We say our good-byes. You say yours. Three of us leave. The rest remain. We say our good-byes...again. To love. To life. To you. And you say yours. Again. (Americans may leave without saying good-bye. But Russians say good-bye without leaving. There are no curtain calls for us.)
You exit the house, unsure just how long it will take for the valet to show up with your horse-drawn carriage.
This beautiful estate is for sale (just please don’t tell Vanya or Sonya about that - we don’t need any more petty squabbles in this house). If you want to know more about the estate, contact Dielman or Sotheby. They are close friends of the Professor’s and he entrusts them to provide any information about the home. Again, please don’t tell Vanya!
A member of the global Secret Theatre phenomenon, Ms. Hummert has spent a great deal of time conceptualizing ideas and directing devised pieces for a variety of theatres. Known in New York better for her acting, Kelly has always desired to find a home for her own directorial work to produce and develop. A graduate in Acting at Webster Conservatory here in St. Louis, she spent a decade in New York City and enjoyed working as an actor, having been given many opportunities to work in non-traditional environment. She founded REBEL AND MISFITS PRODUCTIONS in 2016, and created the concept for their first piece, Hamlet: See What I See, in which she played Ophelia. She is currently workshopping the play “Kill Your Superstars” in New York, and is also working on a television series called The Twelve. She is thrilled to be reunited with Peter Mayer and Jim Butz, and owes a great deal of her courage to direct this piece to her Vanya, Andrew Michael Neiman. She is over the moon to work with such a talented group of actors, and looks forward to sharing this very special piece with all of you.
Vanessa C. Hart is a resident of St. Louis, originally from Philadelphia, PA. She got her B.A. in Theatre from Franklin and Marshall College. Previously, she stage managed Rebel and Misfits Productions’ of Sex with Strangers (dir. Michelle Bossy) and Hamlet: See What I See (dir. Melanie Armer). Back in PA, she stage managed F&M's A Midsummer Night's Dream (dir. Carol C. Davis), Three Sisters, One Man, Two Guvnors (dir. Rachel Anderson-Rabern), and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (dir. Jason Narvy), as well as The People's Shakespeare Project of Lancaster's The Tempest (dir. Laura Korach), and Wee Keep Company's Three Sisters and A Wolf (dir. Rachel Anderson-Rabern).
Jordan Woods is from St. Louis Missouri. He was last seen directing Silhouettes Productions Peter/Wendy by Jeremy Bloom. In the fall of 2016 he directed his premiere play called ToGetHer with Tabula Rasa Company in Springfield, Missouri. Having been the Vice President of the University Coalition of Young Artists in Springfield, Missouri he has produced everything from cabarets, dance workshops, and social experiments. Proud B.F.A Musical Theatre graduate from Missouri State University. Go Bears!
Christina Sittser is very excited to be working on her 50th stage production. She has recently worked at STAGES St. Louis, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, OnSite Theatre Company, Rockwood School District, and the Tony-award-winning Dallas Theater Center. She has designed hundreds of costumes for local theatres, and she loves her job. Christina graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Theatre Studies with emphasis in Costume Design. She thanks her family and her Lord Jesus for all their love and support. Visit her at www.christinasittser.com.
Emily is the fashion designer behind Wai Ming, which launched in high-end specialty boutiques in 2012 and has continued to define its place in the contemporary design space with its clean and feminine-yet-graphic aesthetic, intricate design details, and thoughtfully versatile designs. The line, which has become known for its dresses, is designed for and inspired by strong, dynamic, global women who appreciate the beauty and ease of Wai Ming’s effortlessly polished aesthetic. Each piece from the collection is carefully crafted in the best factories of New York’s Garment District using luxurious fabrics from Italy and Japan.
Wai Ming meaning “gift of light” in Chinese, is the given middle name of founder and designer, Emily Brady Koplar. Emily – who divides her time between St. Louis and New York – has worked in the fashion industry for more than a decade but started designing and making clothes in her early childhood. She obtained a degree in Economics from Boston University before deciding to follow her true passion of fashion design and earning a degree from Parsons School of Design. She gained experience at Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Tam, May Department Stores and Aeropostale, which helped forge her desire to launch her own eponymous line.
Wai Ming has been featured in national media outlets including InStyle, People StyleWatch, W, TeenVogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Women’s Health, Refinery29, and WhoWhatWear.
Rick has 30 years of action movement to the New York City theatrical community. He has 68 Broadway credits including BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, ECLIPSED, and BRIGHT STAR. He has 65 first-class production credits in hundreds of cities on five continents including BEN HUR LIVE (Rome, European Tour) and four international and national tours currently running. He most recently finished working on THE NEW YORK SPECTACULAR for Radio City Music Hall and three operas for Santa Fe Opera. He has been a stunt coordinator on over 1,000 episodes of television and for numerous feature films. Rick is a board member of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and author of the play BURIED TREASURE. He is also the author of the upcoming film 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea produced by Fox and directed by Bryan Singer. sordeletink.com.
Aarti is a St. Louis native returning from Los Angeles to join Rebel and Misfits Productions. She has worked locally at Synergy Productions, Talent Plus and Lounge Concepts as well as SKAM Artists in Los Angeles.