Seedfolks
October 9 - November 6, 2022
Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63103
Adapted from the book by Newbery Medal-winning author Paul Fleischman
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.
A vacant lot in a broken neighborhood in the middle of the city can become a lot of things. How could it ever be a source of hope? A dozen different characters and their stories come to life, beginning with Kim, a nine-year-old Vietnamese immigrant who plants six precious lima beans. One by one, the people of his community, many also immigrants, sow seeds of hope amid the dirt and grit, tending dreams to full bloom. As the garden grows, so does the community, blooming into something bigger, better, and beyond all expectations. As told by award-winning novelist Paul Fleischman, the garden draws neighbors out of their lonely isolation to rediscover and celebrate the community around them.
Best enjoyed by ages 9 and up. Approximate run time is 60 minutes with no intermission.
All 2022-23 Season productions will be performed live for in-person audiences. To ensure continued digital accessibility across the St. Louis region and beyond, as part of PNC Arts Alive’s funded MTC Remote initiative, MTC continues online streaming of its mainstage productions. MTC is also continuing its Pay-What-You-Wish viewing period for each mainstage production (live or streaming) so that economic barriers do not prevent families from experiencing the season’s productions. Sensory friendly, audio described, and sign language interpreted performances will also be available for mainstage productions.
Content Advisory for Caregivers
Seedfolks is presented in part thanks to
Tickets
Seedfolks
Live at the Grandel Theatre: October 9 - November 6, 2022
Virtual Streaming: October 19 - November 6, 2022
Fridays at 7 pm
Saturdays at 4 pm
Sundays at 2 pm
$20 to $36 in person, includes all ticket fees
$20 virtual streaming
Pay-What-You-Wish in-person performances: October 14 at 7 pm, Oct 15 at 1 and 4 pm
Pay-What-You-Wish Streaming: October 19-21
Socially distant performance: Every Saturday at 4 pm
Audio Description performance by MindsEye: October 22 at 4 pm
ASL-interpreted performance by DEAF, Inc.: October 23 at 2 pm
Field Trip Tickets
for Educators
October 9 through November 6, 2022
Weekday morning matinees (Tuesday through Thursday at 10 am) available for schools.
$10/student school field trips
For more information about in-person or virtual field trips, please contact School Bookings and Audience Services Manager, Eleanor Marsh.
Call 314.325.9505
Email eleanor@metroplays.org (As our staff continues to work remotely, email is preferred.)
About
DIRECTED BY JESS SHOEMAKER
The Cast
Joshua Mayfield
Michael Thanh Tran
Tyler White
Design & Production Team
STAGE MANAGER: Jimmy Bernatowicz
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER: Journee Carter
SCENIC DESIGNERS: Peter and Margery Spack
SCENIC ARTIST: Cristie Johnston
PROPS MASTER: Katie Orr
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Jayson M. Lawshee
SOUND DESIGNER: Ahsa-Ti Nu Tyehimba-Ford
COSTUME DESIGNER: Delena Bradley
COSTUME ASSISTANT: Jazmin Moore
DIALECT COACH: Leah Gabriel
Metro Theater Company Production Staff
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jimmy Bernatowicz
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Erik Kuhn
ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR: Julia Hogan Laurenson
House Management
Cameron Tyler
Teresa West
Photography by Jennifer A. Lin
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Jess Shoemaker
Director
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Michael Thanh Tran
Ensemble
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Tyler White
Ensemble
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Josh Mayfield
Ensemble
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Jimmy Bernatowicz
Stage Manager
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Peter & Margery Spack
Scenic Designers
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Jayson M. Lawshee
Lighting Designer
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Ahsa-Ti Nu Tyehimba-Ford
Sound Designer
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Delena Bradley
Costume Designer
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Katie Orr
Prop Master
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Leah Gabriel
Dialect Coach
Partnerships
Operation Food Search
We are honored to partner with Operation Food Search! Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a hunger relief organization that provides free food, nutrition education, and innovative programs proven to reduce food insecurity. With a strategic focus aimed at ending childhood hunger, OFS empowers families and increases access to healthy and affordable food. The agency provides food and services to 200,000 individuals on a monthly basis – one-third of whom are children – through a network of 330 community partners in 27 Missouri and Illinois counties and the city of St. Louis. Metro Theater Company is hosting an OFS food drive during the run of Seedfolks. Bring non-perishable food items to any of our in-person performances at the Grandel Theatre and place them in the marked blue barrels. Thank you for helping heal the hurt of hunger. Learn more about the pillars of Operation Food Search.
Fresh Starts Community Garden
Author Paul Fleischman Virtual Q&A
Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 7 pm Central Time
Free Zoom webinar
Register through the St. Louis Public Library web site to receive the event link
In conjunction with Metro Theater Company’s production of Seedfolks, MTC, The Noble Neighbor, and the St. Louis Public Library present a virtual Q&A session with Seedfolks author Paul Fleischman.
Send questions for the author to jennifer@metroplays.org.
Paul Fleischman's fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and plays are known for innovation and multiple points of view. He received the Newbery Medal for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, has been a National Book Award finalist, and was the 2012 U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for the body of his work. He lives in Monterey, CA.
The Novel Neighbor
Purchase copies of the book Seedfolks and more titles by author Paul Fleischman from independent bookstore and community space, The Novel Neighbor. In celebration of Metro Theater Company's production of Seedfolks, a portion of the sales of the above items will be donated to MTC.