The St. Louis arts community, including several Kranzberg Arts Foundation resident organizations, will come together for a free virtual benefit to support local artists on Sunday, May 31.
In partnership with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) and the Regional Arts Commission (RAC), more than a dozen local arts organizations will be featured during the Arts United STL live stream to support the RAC Artist Relief Fund.
While OTSL continues to encourage the St. Louis arts community to get involved, the current roster of performers includes the following Kranzberg Arts Foundation residents: The Big Muddy Dance Company, Circus Flora, Metro Theater Company, Saint Louis Ballet, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, and Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis.
In the age of coronavirus, where artists are compelled to create in front of screens for an audience on the other side of the virtual platform, human connection is much sought after. For St. Louis arts companies like Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, this theme resonates with their work.
“Tennessee Williams’ beautifully poetic work expresses his longing for kindness and for human connection. That is what we all need now, more than ever,” said Carrie Houk, Executive Artistic Director of Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis.
Previewing what the audience should expect from their performance, Houk explained, “In our segment, Anita Jackson plays the Williams character Bertha, singing of her desire to be reunited with her love and to take him to Paradise.”
Presenting work based on similar motifs, Metro Theater Company will share an excerpt from a script in development, inspired by submissions from the company’s COVID-19 Memory Project.
“The four interlocking monologues will be accompanied by an original score by Syrhea Conaway,” said Joe Gfaller, managing director for Metro Theater Company. “Through this performance – and by holding a mirror to the lived experiences of young people in our region as they and their families face COVID-19, MTC continues to serve its purpose to bridge communities, to build empathy, and to create a world in which the emotional wisdom of young people can help us all ensure a stronger future for St. Louis.”
Watch live Sunday, May 31, at 7 pm at ExperienceOpera.org/ArtsUnited or on Facebook via Higher Education Channel TV (HEC-TV).
