The St. Louis Black Repertory Company theater group closed its 37 season with the “The Trials of Brother Jero” at Harris Stowe State University’s Emerson Performance Center on April 27 in St. Louis.
Riddled with religion and political satire, “The Trials of Brother Jero” starred the Black Rep’s founder/director, Ron Himes in the lead role.
The play tells the story of a day in the life of Jero, a beachfront con-man preacher who doles out advice to his outdoor congregation, preaches the good word and dodges his creditors.
“The Trials of Brother Jero” was written in the 1960s by Nigerian Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka. The play has African humor, Black church rituals and African dance.
According to longtime associate member, Marsha Khan, Ron Himes started the theater company over thirty years ago at Washington University in St. Louis where they were both students and she was the only theater major. Khan said, “It was a theater birthed out of necessity.”
Khan said, “The Black Rep is the oldest, longest running oldest long running, continuous African American theater group in the country. And it gives back by presenting over 150 shows annually at churches, organizations and community centers”
The Black Rep’s Season 38 opens this Fall at Emerson Performance Center.