Benton Dramatical Club
Catholic dramatic society bringing classic stage productions to St. Louis.
Founded on March 7, 1877 by Fr. John Peter Lotz, the Benton Dramatical Club entertained generations with operettas, popular melodramas, German-language classics, morality plays, and original works penned by parishioners and Monsignor Holweck.
Dormant since the 1960s, the club rekindled its mission in December 2023 with its first Shakespeare production, A Midsummer Night's Dream, followed by Love's Labour's Lost and now The Winter's Tale—a masterful blend of tragedy, comedy, and romance.
While not exclusively Shakespearean, the troupe delights in pairing spectacle with poetic excellence, drawing families into the riches of classic English drama.
Our mission is threefold:
- Uplift and entertain the St. Louis community with local, Catholic stage productions.
- Build the social life of St. Francis de Sales Oratory through shared cultural experiences.
- Bring theater and poetry into the ordinary leisure time of Catholic families.
