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COURTESY OF THE REPERTORY THEATRE OF ST. LOUIS
Artistic director Hana S. Sharif
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Barrett Foa (Prior Walter)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Gina Daniels (The Angel)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Ben Cherry (Louis)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Valeri Mudek (Harper Pitt)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
David Ryan Smith (Belize)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Jayson Speters (Joe Pitt)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Meredith Baxter (Hannah)
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Photography courtesy of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Peter Frechette (Roy Cohn)
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opens its 2019-2020 season on September 6 with Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. The two-part play presents a complex examination of the 1980s AIDS crisis in the U.S.
Millenium Approaches, the first of the two plays, premiered in San Francisco in 1991, while the second part, Perestroika, was still being developed. The entire two-part play debuted on Broadway in 1993 and won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993 and 1994.
For Hana S. Sharif, the Rep’s new artistic director, starting off her inaugural season with such an iconic work of art is “a bit of a dream come true.”
“Angels in America is the kind of work that helped change my life in what I aspire to be as a writer and a director," she says. "It felt like the right entry point to introduce our audiences to my aesthetic as an artistic director."
In creating the program for this season, it was important to Sharif, who recently moved her family to St. Louis from Baltimore, that the season introduce her as an artist to the city, showcase the most important voices in American Theater, and highlight the “incredible artisan work” here in St. Louis.
“When I started to think about iconic pieces–art that helped change the world, that redefined my field–Angels in America is one of those plays," she says. "It pushes us to understand ourselves and our lives–the frailty, the power, and the beauty.”
Playwright Tony Kushner was living in St. Louis and working at The Rep on a directing fellowship in the mid-'80s when he had the inspiration for the play. “It’s a full-circle moment to bring back this important work that really did begin here.”
What makes productions at The Rep such a unique experience is that everything is generated here. The costumes, props, and set pieces are all created by local artisans. Sharif carefully selects and matches the director with a creative team for each show. One of the show’s composers recently scored the music as we watched the show in the same way that a film would be scored. “Every element of the experience is created here on site with some of the most renowned artists in their field,” says Sharif.
The cast of eight actors includes such heavy-weights as Meredith Baxter, known for her role as the mom in Family Ties, and Barrett Foa, who has had a long-standing role in NCIS: LA.
Sharif’s excitement for this show is undeniable, but she says she won’t fully understand what it means to begin her work here in St. Louis with this play until showtime. “I’ll learn a lot about what this show means when I get to experience it with audiences," she says. "But there is so much magic in this show, including a flying angel.”
More information on the upcoming season and tickets are available on The Rep's site. Attend both shows, and receive 15 percent off tickets. The show runs September 4–October 6, alternating performances between the two parts.
