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"During its five-year history, BRIEFS has attracted many talented leading actors and directors from the St. Louis area. This year, we are happy to add two female African-American directors,  Jacqueline Thompson  and Fannie Lebby, to our roster of outstanding directors..." ​ Read the full article by clicking here.

"Director Jacqueline Thompson blends professional actors with local residents to pepper this whimsical tale. John Bratkowski, a fourth-generation resident of the Old North St. Louis neighborhood and the first president of the Old North Saint Louis Restoration Group, amusingly portrays the thick-witted Malvolio, who in this version frequently bad-mouths the people and area of Old North St. Louis..." ​ Read the complete article/review by clicking here.

Click here to read the complete review of THE WORLD BEGUN.

"The  Civic Arts Company’s  mission is to use arts and education to encourage conversations about race and social injustice, as well as opportunities to remedy those injustices..." ​ Click here to read the full article.

Telling St. Louis is theatre designed to deepen our understanding of the military and veterans’ experience. Veterans share their personal stories with a scriptwriter, who in turn creates a stage play, which gives these same veterans an opportunity to share their stories with the community. ​ State of the Arts introduces you to the finest artists, performers and writers in the Midwest region. Our cameras go inside the artists' studios for an in-depth look at the creative proce

"On Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh discussed a collaboration between UMSL and local veterans and their family members called “The Telling Project.” The project brings those veterans and families on stage to share their stories with the community..." ​ For the full story click here.

"Combining the talents of University of Missouri–St. Louis student veterans, faculty and staff, and the broader community, the premiere of “Telling: St. Louis” in Grand Center this summer was met with laughter, tears and standing ovations.   At six free performances in June , UMSL’s own Jacqueline Thompson directed a volunteer cast composed of local military veterans – half of them UMSL students and staff – who shared their personal experiences on stage. ​ It all began with a

"...Which is why Goodwin’s play set in a Midwest suburb about a group of teens trying their hand at hip-hop in 1988 should resonate especially well when the UMSL Theatre Department presents the show this weekend at The Touhill. “They idolize all the big rappers at that time and they are trying to find their voice in the middle of the suburbs at this time,” director Jacqueline Thompson said about the characters. “The playwright is very elusive about where it takes place. There

John Steinbeck's short novel Of Mice and Men, from his Dust Bowl trilogy also known as the California Series, springs vibrantly to life in Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble's (SATE) riveting production. Director Jacqueline Thompson and the company intentionally cast the emotionally powerful show to authentically reflect our country's migrant workforce, adding poignant relevance to a story originally set in 1935.  ​ Read the full article by clicking here.

John Steinbeck's short novel Of Mice and Men, from his Dust Bowl trilogy also known as the California Series, springs vibrantly to life in Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble's (SATE) riveting production. Director Jacqueline Thompson and the company intentionally cast the emotionally powerful show to authentically reflect our country's migrant workforce, adding poignant relevance to a story originally set in 1935.  ​ Read the full articl e by clicking here.

“District Merchants,” Aaron Posner’s brilliant comedy-drama about money and mercy, puts an American spin on “The Merchant of Venice” while judiciously referencing its Shakespearean source. Directed by Jacqueline Thompson, the fantastic New Jewish Theatre production runs through Feb. 10. ​ Read the full article by clicking here. ​ ​ The works of William Shakespeare have endured in part because the themes presented are so genuinely reflective of human nature – our highs and low

The works of William Shakespeare have endured in part because the themes presented are so genuinely reflective of human nature – our highs and lows – that the plays can be easily adapted or reinterpreted for new eras and audiences. The New Jewish Theatre’s production of Aaron Posner’s sparkling “District Merchants,” an adaptation of “The Merchant of Venice,” is a sterling example of Shakespearean reinvention and a spectacularly entertaining show. ​ Read the full article by cl

UofL’s African American Theatre Program’s current offering, Lynn Nottage’s “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine” continues its tradition of presenting important and underrepresented work to the Louisville theatrical community. Nottage is a celebrated playwright and an important part of the theatrical conversation of the moment; her 2017 play “Sweat” won her the second of her (so far) two Pulitzer Prizes. ​ Read the full article by clicking here.

ST. PETERSBURG — The title of Crumbs from the Table of Joy comes from the Langston Hughes’ poem Luck.  And while the play at Freefall Theatre is not about luck per se, it deals with the human experience of finding those nuggets of happiness and strength buried in difficult times...  Read the full article by clicking here. ​ Read additional reviews by clicking on the following links: Broadwayworld.com ,  theweeklychallenger.com ,  TalkingBroadway.com .

“My babies came through,” director Jacqueline Thompson said of her cast following the opening night performance of “Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963.”   She sounded like a proud mama. She helmed the co-presentation between the Black Rep and COCA that featured more than 20 African-American girls under the age of 18 charged with adding insight to a tragic moment in American history. So, in a way, she was... ​ Read the full article by clicking here.

The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 is a historical tragedy that some know all too well. But for others, not so much. Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Carol Denise McNair (11) became angels of the Civil Rights movement when their lives were snuffed out by a bomb that tore the collective hearts of black America into pieces... ​ Read the full article by clicking here.

Two on the Aisle: Reviews of Dress the Part, Flanagan’s Wake, Three Tall Women, Polkadots, Ghost, others: Feb 13, 2020 ​ Watch by clicking here.

Story: Castle “Ghost” Cranshaw hasn’t had the easiest life. He remembers the fateful night when his mother took young Castle and fled the house where her unstable husband was threatening to kill his wife and son. They sought sanctuary at the general store run by kindly Mr. Charles, who hid them in a storage closet... ​ Read full review by clicking here.

Teenagers often have a tough life, as Castle Cranshaw (Jarris L. Williams) — the protagonist of “Ghost,” onstage through March 1 in a heartwarming Metro Theater Company production — would likely agree. No longer a child yet not quite an adult, the average adolescent is subject to any number of insecurities. ​ In Castle’s case, that largely involves the trauma that he suffered from an abusive dad. On the plus side, dodging bullets — literally — has given the teen an appreciati