THE REP ANNOUNCES RETURN OF RENAMED STEVE WOLF STUDIO SERIES WITH 'GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES BY RAJIV JOSEPH

ST. LOUIS (June 27, 2022) — The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) proudly announces the return of the STEVE WOOLF STUDIO SERIES – Adventurous Theatre for Adventurous Theatregoers - named for its beloved former Artistic Director of over 30 years. Woolf passed away in July 2021 at age 75. 

Thanks to a successful $1 million campaign in 2019 to endow Studio programming, The Rep received the support to ensure that the theatre can continue to produce cutting-edge work in an intimate, black box-style space. The Rep presented its first-ever Studio Theatre production in 1978 with David Rudkin’s Ashes. With a flexible stage and seating, the intimate setting of the Studio allows for a more impactful exploration of experimental modes of performance or the staging of new writing.

“We are truly grateful to all who contributed to this campaign that allows us to keep producing this kind of high quality, thought-provoking work and sharing it with our patrons,” said The Rep’s Managing Director, Danny Willams. “Steve Woolf left an indelible mark on the St. Louis theatre community and we are so proud to rename this series in his honor.”

The STEVE WOOLF STUDIO SERIES will return in the 2022-23 season with a production of Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph, running April 14 through May 7, 2023 at the Strauss Black Box Theatre in the new state-of-the-art Kirkwood Performing Arts Center (KPAC). Joseph is a critically acclaimed American playwright, of titles such as King James, and winner of numerous awards, including the 2018 Obie Award for Best New American Play for Describe the Night. His play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

In Gruesome Playground Injuries, Doug and Kayleen meet as eight-year-olds in the school infirmary. (He tried to ride his bike off the roof. She has a stomach ache that her mother blames on “bad thoughts.”) Their lives intersect for the next three decades as they return to each other, alternately revealing and concealing their injuries — both physical and psychological — as they struggle with attraction, vulnerability and love. Joseph creates a hilarious and heartbreaking love story that the Washington Post calls, “Mystical, arresting and quirkily amusing.”

"We are thrilled to bring back this special series honoring the adventurous spirit and legacy of Steve Woolf with an exciting new work by such an esteemed playwright as Rajiv Joseph," said The Rep's Augustin Family Artistic Director, Hana S. Sharif. "The complexity, romance and friendship between these characters will give our audiences a provocative and memorable experience in a highly intimate setting.”

Subscription tickets are currently on sale. Single show tickets go on sale July 5. For more information and to purchase, visit repstl.org or call the Box Office at (314) 968-4925. The Rep Box Office at the Loretto-Hilton Center will be available for walk-ins on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM.