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The Circle Unbroken
Twelve STL theater critics band together to present The Louie Awards, recognizing excellence in local theater. by Christopher Reilly When the Professional Theatre Council of St.
Louis announced the decision to suspend its annual Kevin Kline Awards, the St. Louis thespian community lamented the loss of the only real recognition of achievement in local theater. It wasn’t long before the St. Louis Theater Circle stepped forward to fill the void. Consisting of 12 of St. Louis’ top theater critics, the newly formed circle will present annual Louie Awards, based on categories similar to the Tonys—like best director, best actor and other recognitions of the people whose skills and talent are essential to a successful production.
The idea of forming such a group was first raised by Ladue News critic Mark Bretz several years ago, but the cancellation of the Kline Awards added a sense of urgency. Bretz says it’s important to recognize the artistic achievements of actors and technicians. Andrea Torrence, who reviews shows on her popular blog, St. Louis Theatre Snob, adds that “people need to know there is a lot of great theater in this town,” and awards create awareness of the 30+ smaller theaters in St. Louis besides “the big guns.” The nominees for the inaugural 2012 Louie Awards will be announced mid-January, with the awards presented at a party in the spring.
new face
Culture Shift The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts has tapped Gretchen Wagner to head its curatorial program. Wagner, who holds a masters in art history from Williams College, comes to the organization after eight years at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where she was assistant curator in the department of prints and illustrated books. Her work there involved organizing exhibits and writing the text for several of the museum’s exhibition catalogs. Taking the curator position at the Pulitzer involves more than just changing jobs for Wagner. The cultural shift between the frenetic pace of New York City and the relatively laid-back atmosphere of St. Louis
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Alivemag.com
November 2012
is dramatic. “I’m preparing myself for culture shock,” Wagner says, but she adds that she always knew she’d be returning to a slower-paced lifestyle like Wisconsin, where she grew up and received her BS from the University of WisconsinMadison. As curator, Wagner’s primary responsibility will be conceiving and organizing exhibits; she’ll also develop the museum’s programming and form mutually beneficial partnerships with other institutions. But, Wagner also has goals that stretch beyond the usual duties of a curator. Her intention to develop the museum’s social media and online presence, she says, is the first step in her initiative to expand the Pulitzer’s reach beyond St. Louis. – CR
There was a time when becoming a published author could mean years of rejection letters before getting your first book deal. Two St. Louis writers have taken matters into their own hands and teamed up to take self-publishing to the next level by forming their own publishing company, dubbed St. Louis Book Publishers. The two founding members are Michelle PG Richardson, editor-inchief of the online literary magazine Eye On Life, and Christopher Reilly, a regular ALIVE contributor. They met online through writing groups and the self-publishing site HubPages.com, and are well accustomed to workshopping each other’s pieces—which came in handy when putting together their first anthology, “A Slice of Tequila, a Shot of Bread.” Due to be released in late November, it is a collection of short stories and poems by Reilly and Richardson, available for purchase through Amazon and the company website, stlbookpub.org. – gwen ragno
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