Mission Statement

HotCity Theatre produces contemporary, issue-oriented works of theatre that challenge and inspire St. Louis area audiences. HotCity also develops new theatrical works, encourages diversity, and through educational outreach nurtures a life-long passion for theatre.

HotCity is a professional theatre company under a "Small Professional Theatre" contract with the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers housed in a modern, recently renovated black box theatre of 90 seats in Grand Center, the arts district in St. Louis.

Having formed in 2004 through the merger of Hothouse Theatre and City Players, we produce five stage events each year, and boast the biggest professional play development program in the state of Missouri as part of our critically acclaimed GreenHouse Series.

A theatre experience at HotCity is very casual, fun, unpredictable, and extremely high quality due to the dedication of artists in the company, most who work within one of the many prestigious university theatre departments in the region and are attracted to the types of scripts we produce.

HotCity is a home to the patron and artist who wishes to experience a nurturing, well-structured professional environment where collaboration is easy, staff is demanding but flexible, and the end product is well-respected in the community.

Staff

 

Board of Directors

  • Joseph Potter - President
  • Opal Andrews - Vice President
  • Thomas Schroeder - Treasurer
  • Lucas Wenthe
  • Maria Blase
  • Robert G. Raleigh
  • Victoria Francis
  • Chris Peimann
  • John Erysian
  • Erin Coble
  • Maureen O'Brien
  • Jessica Kennedy

 

MARTY STANBERRY

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Marty moved to St. Louis from Chicago in 1997 where he was Artistic Director of Polaris Productions and taught theatre courses on the university and high school levels.

Marty has been in professional and educational theatre with over 51 credits as an actor or director. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Northern Illinois University's professional actor training program.

For HotHouse, Marty's directing credits include "The Dead Guy," "Cockeyed," "Fat Pig," "Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage," "What the Butler Saw," "Jeffrey," "Bonjour, la, Bonjour," "Omnium Gatherum," and "House of Blue Leaves." His HotHouse acting credits include Greta in "Bent," Gooper in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Jake in "A Lie of the Mind," Bill Reach in "Down the Road," Al in "The Baby Dance," Phil in "Hurlyburly" and Gordon in the American Premiere of In "A Little World of Our Own." (back to top)

JOHN ARMSTRONG

MANAGING DIRECTOR

John Armstrong has been with HotCity in different capacities since 2005, having served as a union stage manager, designer, production manager, and now managing director. His educational background includes a BA in Theatre, with an emphasis in Technical Theatre from the University of Missouri, Columbia, as well as a year-long internship at Actors Theatre of Louisville's stage management program. John has worked as a stage manager for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival, Troupe America, Reagle Players, several national children theatre tours, a handful of corporate industrials, and seven years at Stages St. Louis. Out from behind the prompt book, he has written copy and co-produced for three Variety Club live telethons and designed lights and sets for over 25 St. Louis stage productions. John is the Technical Director for Clayton Public Schools and a member of Actors Equity, the professional union of actors and stage managers, having served as the St. Louis Liaison Committee Chairman for that body from 2005-2006. He is currently in Saint Louis University's MBA program and a lucky member of FOCUS St. Louis' 2011 "Leadership St. Louis" class. (back to top)

CHUCK HARPER

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Chuck is a director, actor and Asst. Professor of Performance at Souther Illinois University at Edwardsville. His most recent projects include “At Play in the Valley of the Shadow of Chet” (Circle X Theatre, Los Angeles), “The Scene and Kimberly Akimbo” (HotCity Theatre), and “The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild“ (Mad Scene Theatre, Los Angeles). Last year he wrote, directed and performed in the HotCity Greenhouse/Theatre Belle Bete co-production of “The Probe: An Inquiry into the Meteoric Rise and Spectacular Fall of Orson Welles in Hollywood.“ This production was subsequently remounted as part of the 2007 Fringe Festival Praha in Prague, Czech Republic. Other overseas credits include the European premieres of “Big Love” (Ardeo Theater, France) and “Quills “ (BBIT, Czech Republic and FOIO, Germany). He is currently writing and directing "Whammy - Seven Secrets for the Sane Self" to be presented at HotCity this year. (back to top)

ANNAMARIA PILEGGI

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Annamaria Pileggi is an actor and director whose career has included collaborations with writers Theresa Rebeck and Barbara Damashek, directors Barney Simon of the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, and David Wheeler of the American and Trinity Repertory Theatres. She is also a member of the HotCity staff as an Associate Director and Co-Producer of the Greenhouse New Play Series. Pileggi is a Senior Lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis and has been on the faculty of the Performing Arts Department since 1991. A three time recipient of the University’s College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, Pileggi directs and teaches courses in Acting, Movement for the Actor, and Musical Theatre. She also serves as an administrator and acting instructor for the department’s Shakespeare Globe Program in London. Pileggi has an MFA in acting from Brandeis University. (back to top)

SARAH ARMSTRONG

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Sarah L. Armstrong has taught communication skills and theatre for the past eleven years and is currently the Director of Drama at Chaminade College Preparatory School. Outside of school, Sarah directs and performs for local theatre companies including directing "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues" for HotCity in 2009. She has won first place for “Proof” at the Missouri District Speech Tournament, first place for “Porch” at Missouri Community Theatre competition and best ensemble at the Regional competition. She is also in her third year as a judge for the Kevin Kline Awards. Sarah graduated with a B.S. in speech and Theatre from Culver-Stockton College and continued her education at the university of Missouri-Columbia graduating with a Masters of Education. She is a life time member of the International Thespian Society and a member of Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri. (back to top)

ALLYSON DITCHEY

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Allyson Ditchey received a B.A. in music from Humboldt State University in 2003 and a M.M. in Vocal Performance from Washington University in St. Louis in 2007. Since graduating she has continued to perform as well as work as a freelance stage director, assistant stage director, and stage manager for local St. Louis opera companies. She is the founder of St. Louis City Opera who recently produced "Gallantry, A Soap Opera." She has also directed "Amahl and the Night Visitors" for Union Avenue Opera. She also worked as production manager and asst. director for the Southern Illinois Music Festival Ballet and Opera, and will be returning in 2011 to direct Cavalleria Rusticana, which is being co-produced with Winter Opera St. Louis. Ms. Ditchey has also been a guest instructor for the Washington University Opera program, the Opera Theatre St. Louis Edward Jones’ Opera Camp for Kids, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis Spring training program, Mozingo Music, and Humboldt Light Opera KidCo. Last year, she attended the Wesley Balk Institute in Minnesota for performing and directing where she directed scenes from The Fantastics, Into the Woods, Black River, and The Composer-Librettist Studio of Nautilus Music-Theatre. Recently, Ms. Ditchey co-wrote (with William Lenihan of the Washington University music department), directed, and produced a one-act music-theatre piece "Family Dynamics: the funeral," which premiered in St. Louis October 2009 and was produced by Humboldt Light Opera Company in Northern California in May 2010. (back to top)

MICHAEL B. PERKINS

MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE/WEBMASTER

Michael is a director, teacher, actor, and designer with a BFA in Theatre Directing from Lindenwood University. Michael's last appearance with HotCity was as the horse Trooper in EQUUS. He has also worked with just about every theatre company in the St. Louis area in many different capacities, including Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The New Jewish Theatre, OnSite Theatre, and many more. He has extensive sound design, video design, and even conceptual set design credits under his belt, and offers his design services in a freelance capacity to mostly non-profit clients. Michael served as marketing director for Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble from 2007-2010, and is webmaster for Mustard Seed Theatre, Three-Legged Productions, and Christopher Limber, in addition to HotCity. And since 2007, Michael has been with the company of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' Education Tour, performing for over 20,000 students annually in the bi-state area; he is also active in the Festival's other education programs including summer camps, after-school programs, and teen master classes (aka, "Shakespeare Squadron"). Visit his site at www.michaelbperkins.com (back to top)