Saint Louis University Visual and Performing Arts Department

08/31/2026

Mark your calendars! Join the Studio Art program of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts for the opening reception of the Invitational Art Exhibit. Explore featured artwork, meet and celebrate the participating artists, and enjoy light refreshments.

This celebration takes place on Friday, September 11 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the McNamee Gallery on the campus of Saint Louis University.

Featured artists include Neeka Allsup, Dan Barnett, Brandon Barr, Mary Burwinkel, Anna Katz, Aida Lizalde, Mauz, Ann Miller Titus, Ken Wood.

This exhibit runs through Oct. 9, 2026. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Friday, 12 to 4 p.m. and Thursday, 12 to 2:30 p.m. The gallery is free and open to the public. Historic Cupples House is located at 3673 West Pine Mall.

Pictured:
Neeka Allsup
Still Life with Flowers
Oil on reclaimed fabric

08/26/2026

CAST & CREW ANNOUNCEMENT ‼️

We are pleased to share the company for Amy Herzog's Mary Jane presented by SLU Theatre & Dance. This production runs October 1-4, 2026 in the Xavier Hall Main Stage Theatre. Directed by Nancy Bell.

MARY JANE Madelyn Purcell
RUTHIE/TENKEI Ava Kasten
BRIANNE/CHAYA Sydney Andrews
SHERRY/DR. TOROS Maiah Lyndsey
AMELIA/KAT Ryan Shinkle
SWING Sanvi Pasala

STAGE MANAGER Lucas Hulsey
ASM Nichole Goebel
DRAMATURG Amber Dantzler*
ASSISTANT LIGHT DESIGNER/LIGHT BOARD OP Nathan Koons
SOUND BOARD/MIXER Zach Diebold
WARDROBE Brendan Gilchrist
DECK CREW Charlie Saunders, Zainab Albuhssin, Brandon Ortiz-Avila
COSTUME SHOP STAFF David Joseph, Luci Villanueva, Lux Zhang
SCENE SHOP STAFF / ELECTRICIAN Justin Jackson, Sena Mawuenyega, Ava Kasten, Raynne Banzhaf, Ashley Brooks, Brianna Vierra
PROPS ASSISTANT Lillie Hromadka
USHER Skylar Launius, Aly Chamberss
PR/MARKETING Levi Galligher
HOUSE MANAGER Riniyah Carwell
BOX OFFICE Lottie Wheeler

MARY JANE is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Tickets available now! 🎟
https://www.metrotix.com/events/detail/slu-mary-jane

MARY JANE at Xavier Hall

08/20/2026

Check out this upcoming production by ERA, led by Associate Professor of Theatre Lucy Cashion.

THE LAST SHOW ON EARTH is a theatrical collage of comic, catastrophic, and absurd encounters at the edge of human extinction. Moving through advertisements, confessions, political dread, digital ghosts, and cosmic questions, the play stages the moral vertigo of contemporary life: the strange sensation of trying to remain human.

08/19/2026

And just like that, another academic year is underway at Saint Louis University! 💙

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the annual Xavier Hall Ice Cream Social, hosted by the Departments of Visual and Performing Arts and Communication. 🍦 Students, faculty, and staff came together to enjoy some Ted Drewes frozen custard, catch up on summer adventures, and look ahead to the semester to come.

We’re excited for all that this year has in store! Here’s to a great year, Billikens.

📸 Sara Rae Womack

08/18/2026

🎭 AUDITIONS START TOMORROW! 🎭

The main stage season is getting started, and everyone in the SLU community is invited to be part of it!

This fall, we’re presenting Mary Jane by Amy Herzog and The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow. Whether you want to take the stage or work behind the scenes, opportunities are open to all SLU students, faculty, and staff.

✨ August 19 & 20
🕕 6–9 p.m.
📍 Xavier Hall, Ground Floor
🎭 Auditions: Main Stage Theatre
🔧 Tech Interviews: Green Room

Don't have a monologue prepared? Don't worry, we'll have options on hand that you can choose from.

Sign-up forms and additional information are available at the link below:
https://sites.google.com/slu.edu/slu-theatre-auditions/home

Pictured, Sanvi Pasala and Joseph Hansen in The Mousetrap. Photo by ProPhotoSTL.

08/14/2026

We’re thrilled to celebrate our very own Nancy Bell, who has been named a LIVING LEGEND by St. Louis Magazine as part of its 2026 A-List Editors’ Choice Awards!

From the article, "Writer, educator, and theater artist Nancy Bell’s CV is a laundry list of incredible roles and contributions to the local and regional theater scene. When she’s not teaching the next generation of young artists at Saint Louis University, she can be found on the stage (this past season saw her as Miss Bates in The Rep’s Emma and leading the fearless crew of The Tempest in Shakespeare Glen as the sorcerer Prospero) or at the helm of buzzy productions like The Orange Girls’ The Half-Life of Marie Curie or the upcoming What the Constitution Means to Me at The Rep. Whether she’s tackling the familiar or bringing to life something completely new, wherever Bell goes, quality storytelling follows."

Congratulations, Professor Bell! We are proud to have Nancy leading our Theatre & Dance program as Production Coordinator—and even prouder to see her extraordinary contributions to the St. Louis arts community recognized in this way.

See all of the remarkable individuals and organizations honored in the 2026 A-List Editors’ Choice Awards at https://www.stlmag.com/alist/

📸 Kevin A. Roberts

08/13/2026

Attention student musicians! 🎻🎺🎶

Looking for a way to get involved this semester? Wondering how you'll meet new people? Join one of our musical ensembles!

Whether you're a singer or instrumentalist, there's a place for you in the Music department at SLU. We offer students the opportunity to be a part of University Singers, Jazz Ensemble, String Orchestra, String Chamber Ensemble, and Concert Band.

ALL SLU students are invited to take part. You do not have to be a major or minor to get involved!

FUN FACT: A growing body of research demonstrates that sustained engagement in music supports mental and emotional health by reducing stress, improving mood, strengthening memory and concentration, and providing healthy avenues for emotional expression.

Sign up today at courses.slu.edu!

Photos by ProPhotoSTL

08/12/2026

Beat the summer heat with a sweet treat! 🍦

The Departments of Visual and Performing Arts and Communication at Saint Louis University invite all majors, minors, faculty, staff, and friends to join us for an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and free Ted Drewes frozen custard (a St. Louis staple!). Stop by, grab a treat, and connect with members of the SLU community.

We’ll be gathering Tuesday, August 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. in front of Xavier Hall.

Everyone is welcome! Come enjoy some frozen custard and kick off the new academic year with us.

08/06/2026

A new year brings a new crop of Billikens! 💙 We can't wait to meet our incoming students, but we're already starting to miss the incredible Class of 2026. Join us in celebrating the recent graduates from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts! 🎓

Hear about favorite memories, impactful professors, and future plans from the graduating students in the Department of Visual And Performing Arts at SLU.