At The Rep, we are committed to giving you the very best theatre experience possible, and that includes helping you make informed decisions about which productions to see with your children.
Below you will find content descriptions for each of the shows in our season.
Keep in mind that the language and themes outlined below, taken out of context, may seem more offensive than they would be within the context of the actual play.
If you would like more specific information, view our play guides, study guides and photo galleries for each production, or contact our Education Department at (314) 968-7340 or mcoplon@repstl.org.
Enjoy the show!
2012-13 Season
MAINSTAGE
Brighton Beach Memoirs
Recommended for ages 13 and up
Taking place in 1937 New York, this is the story of the Jerome family, narrated by 14-year-old Eugene. The family includes Eugene’s parents, his older brother Stan, his two cousins Laurie and Nora, and his fragile, widowed aunt, Blanche. With a war on the horizon, health problems for several family members and far too many bills to pay, problems abound for the Jeromes, but Eugene tells their story with humor and heart. Over the course of a typical family week, he shares his dreams and his family problems, not to mention a large dose of his own concerns with growing up. Brighton Beach Memoirs includes conversations about issues surrounding puberty, descriptions of nudity and brief moments of adult language.
Daddy Long Legs
Recommended for ages 13 and up
Set in the early 1900s, this charming musical tells its story through a series of letters between the young, witty orphan, Jerusha, and the mysterious, anonymous benefactor whom she nicknames Daddy Long Legs. Attending college with her benefactor’s funding, Jerusha is given the small task of sending him a letter once a month so that he may chart her progress. What start out as letters about school turn to Jerusha’s personal life and before long, the two develop a very strong bond. But can Daddy Long Legs bring himself to put his heart on the line and reveal his identity? Daddy Long Legs is a two-person musical romance that tells of a young girl’s coming of age and does not contain any adult language or content.
The Foreigner
Recommended for ages 14 and up
In this crazy comedy, Charlie’s wife is in the hospital with only months to live, so his buddy Froggy decides to help his friend de-stress with a little vacation to a hunting lodge in Georgia. The lodge’s owner, Betty, is hosting a few other guests as well, including the rich southern belle Catherine, her fiancé Reverend David, and her brother Ellard, who is mentally challenged. To get Charlie a little peace, Froggy convinces the others that his friend is from a foreign land and doesn’t speak English, which encourages the others to start spilling secrets in his presence. Before long Charlie is privy to much more information than anyone dreamed, including a plot by the Ku Klux Klan to take over Betty’s lodge. Can the foreigner and his new friends save the day? The Foreigner contains conversations about adultery, discrimination and racism, and mild adult language.
Good People
Recommended for ages 18 and up
Margie hasn’t had it easy. After getting pregnant right out of high school, this single mom in Boston had to make ends meet on her own, and that’s not easy when you have very few skills and a child with disabilities. But Margie’s making her way, that is, until she gets fired yet again, this time from her job at the Dollar Store. With nowhere to turn, Margie decides to look up an old flame, Mikey, who has a successful medical practice. She first asks Mikey for a job, but when that doesn’t pan out, she decides that perhaps more drastic measures are in order. When Margie shows up at Mikey’s home, his new life gets caught in the crossfire as Margie tries to save her own. Good People contains strong adult language and conversations about adultery, racism, disability and violence.
Sense and Sensibility
Recommended for ages 14 and up
In this new adaptation of Jane Austen’s first novel, we are taken to 1800s Regency England where the Dashwood women have just lost their father and are in need of a new home. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters Elinor, Marianne and Catherine, are forced to turn the family estate over to the girls’ half-brother and his new wife, who are heirs to the family fortune. The ladies, meanwhile, must find a new place to live on a very small inheritance. Bright and practical Elinor leads the family while impulsive, emotional Marianne follows her heart, and before long both girls are facing hope, love, scandal and heartbreak as they try to make new lives for themselves. Sense and Sensibility is a period romance that follows Austen’s classic novel and does not contain any adult language or content.
Double Indemnity
Recommended for ages 14 and up
Based on a noir novel, this dark thriller is an account of the events transpiring between insurance agent Walter Huff and his client’s wife, Phyllis Nirlinger. When Walter meets Phyllis, the two fall in love and immediately begin plotting ways to remove her husband from the situation. They settle on killing her husband and making it look as if he had died in accidental fall from a moving train. When the deed is done, however, Phyllis has more treachery up her sleeve. Her schemes, combined with the suspicions of Walter’s co-workers, just may result in Walter’s undoing. Double Indemnity includes adultery, adult relationships, murder, conversations about suicide, and adult language.
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IMAGINARY THEATRE COMPANY
Hansel and Gretel: The Next Generation
Recommended for ages 5 and up
In this modern retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Gretel grows up and finds that she is afraid of ovens, even though it’s been years since the horrible witch tried to cook her. Plus, Gretel’s children are facing their own challenges and need their mom to help them. When Gretel devises a plan to teach her children a lesson about safety and bravery, she just might learn a lesson or two of her own. Hansel and Gretel: The Next Generation is a musical comedy. Characters include a differently- abled child, a witch and a human-sized bird, and the plot contains an updated version of the traditional Hansel and Gretel story in which the children are briefly lost and captured by a witch. The show includes multiple songs and one brief, silly fight scene.
A Gnome for Christmas
Recommended for all ages and family audiences
Lulu and her father Leonard are moving again. Leonard is an inventor who hasn’t had much luck with his wacky inventions, and his bank account is paying the price. The two move to a small, run-down farmhouse that looks like a dump and is run by a cranky landlady. But there just might be some good fortune found where they least expect it. The forest surrounding this farm happens to be the home of Timmy, an ancient, magical gnome who takes care of the animals and other life around the farm. When Timmy and Lulu meet, the two strike up an unlikely friendship that benefits everyone. A Gnome for Christmas is a brand-new musical inspired by the Scandinavian legend of The Tomten. The story includes human and animal characters, holiday themes and multiple roles played by four actors.
Annie Oakley
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Growing up on a farm in Ohio, Annie and her family knew she was destined for greatness, so when she left home to try for a spot in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, no one was surprised at her success. Annie delights fans all over the world with her work as a sharp shooter, and along the way, she learns a lot about life and love. Annie also develops a relationship with the great Native American legend, Chief Sitting Bull, who teaches her about the value of each person and the importance of respect. Annie Oakley includes multiple roles played by four actors, simulated gunplay and conversations about honesty and stereotypes.
