We’re so glad that you can join us for Digging Up Dessa!
Thank you for booking a school matinee performance of Digging Up Dessa! We are so glad you can join us for this inspiring play. Eleanor Marsh, School Bookings & Audience Services Manager, has emailed you a Letter of Agreement confirming the number of students and adults in your group and the school matinee performance that you are attending. Please review, sign, and return the Letter of Agreement. An invoice will be sent in a separate email.
PLEASE NOTE: Your seat reservation is not confirmed until we receive your signed Letter of Agreement and payment. If we do not receive your signed letter and payment at least 10 days before your performance date, your seats may be released for sale to other schools.
The play will be performed at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO, 63103. We ask that you arrive no later than 9:30 am so everyone can be seated before the play begins. Questions? Contact School Bookings & Audience Services Manager Eleanor Marsh at 314.325.9505 or email her at eleanor@metroplays.org.
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A special promotion just for you!
Want to re-experience the magic of Digging Up Dessa at home?
As a special thank you for bringing a group to see a school matinee of Digging Up Dessa, we’d like to offer you a discount on our virtual production, which can be viewed in the comfort of your living room.
With promo code EDUCATE, you’ll enjoy half off your purchase of tickets to the digital stream of Digging Up Dessa. You can purchase tickets online through our TicketSpice page. Please feel free to share this offer with colleagues and friends.
About
A co-commission between Metro Theater Company and Nashville Children’s Theatre, the rolling world premiere is based on the award-winning novel by New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, author of Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Long Way Down,” and All American Boys
Ghost
By Idris Goodwin
Based on the award-winning bestseller by Jason Reynolds
Running is all that Castle Cranshaw, a.k.a. “Ghost,” has ever known, but he runs for all the wrong reasons until he meets Coach, who sees something in him: raw talent. The story follows Castle as he tries to stay on track, literally and figuratively, harnessing his aptitude for speed on an elite local track team while battling the difficult realities of his past and present. Ghost also highlights the importance of allyship. As his teammates become friends and Coach stands in as a father figure, Castle finds a place where he belongs.
A National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature.
70-minutes (no intermission) followed by a 10-minute Q&A with the cast and audience. The play is recommended for ages 10 and up. This adaptation of Jason Reynolds’s Ghost is true to the original novel. The sound of gunshots from a starter pistol is heard several times during the play, however no guns appear on stage.
Director: Jacqueline Thompson
Cast: Rae Davis, Joe Hanrahan, Alicia Revé Like, Carl Overly, Jr., Ernest Emmanuel Peeples, Jaz Tucker, and Jarris L. Williams
Design Team: Sarah Rugo, Erik Kuhn, John Wolbers, David Blake, Felia Davenport, Jayson Lawshee, Jackie Sharp, Jenny Smith, Heather Beal, and Cristie Johnston
Read about playwright Idris Goodwin
Read about author Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds on wanting writer role models (Salon)
Jason Reynolds is on a mission (The New York Times)
Jason Reynolds named Library of Congress' national ambassador for young people's literature
Post-Show Events at Ghost Public Performances: Feb 2 and 9!
On February 2, Matthew Carter, the real-life inspiration for the title character in Ghost, participates in a panel discussion with Paralympian and Washington University in St. Louis professor Kerri Morgan and the play’s creative team immediately after the matinee performance. On February 9, Metro Theater Company partners with WeStories; St. Louis, Missouri Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.; and Books n Bros for a post-show conversation with community leaders about the resonance in this story and the lived experiences of young people in the St. Louis region today.
