About
Gilded Age Stage
WE TELL IT LIKE IT IS.
Gilded Age Stage is based in Hannibal, MO. Mark Twain coined the term "The Gilded Age" to describe the United States in the late 1800's. The glittering wealth of some thinly gilded the reality of most - poor working conditions, poverty, and racial injustice. It is Gilded Age Stage's mission to bring real people from both ends of this spectrum to life on stage.
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Our current show is "MARGARET: The Incredible Molly Brown" which features Hannibal's own Margaret Tobin (Molly) Brown, the extraordinary woman beyond the Titanic's most famous survivor. MARGARET launched with a successful run at Hannibal's historic Planters Barn Theater in 2021 and was immediately booked by American Cruise Lines, in addition to event and group bookings in Hannibal and beyond.
Interested in booking MARGARET? Please contact us to learn more.
ABOUT ERIN KELLEY
Erin Kelley is the founder and artistic director of Gilded Age Stage. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, she is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and Shawnee (direct descendant of Tecumseh), and has been a professional theatre artist for over 37 years. An actor, playwright, director, and producer, she has been based in St. Louis, Chicago, and New York City and co-founded St. Louis's Avalon Theatre Company and served as its managing artistic director for seven years. She has been nominated for multiple awards for her acting work, but is proudest of the Actors' Fund Encore Award which Avalon received for its philanthropic work. Her first solo show, "Portrait of My People," received a Kevin Kline Award nomination and has been performed at leading cultural institutions. Erin's career began aboard the Goldenrod Showboat in St. Louis, so it is only fitting she would make her way back to the Mississippi to become a Hannibalian in 2019.
To learn more about Erin's acting work, please click here.
Land Acknowledgement
Gilded Age Stage in Hannibal, MO, stands on the original homelands of Indigenous people – Sac and Fox, Illinois, Ojibwe (Chippewa), and Osage. The Mississippi River, which flows only short blocks from downtown Hannibal, was called the Misiziibi (Great River) by the Ojibwe. We recognize and honor all Indigenous people for their skill, resilience, and love and stewardship of all land and water, and encourage you to learn about and connect with the Indigenous people in your area.
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Native people are still here!