Video Description: The Municipal Theatre of St. Louis, affectionately known as The Muny, has been a part of St. Louis life for generations. The summer of 2018 marks the 100th season that The Muny has presented top-notch musical theatre outdoors in St. Louis’ Forest Park. “The Best of Us: 100 Seasons of Muny Magic” is a tribute to this world-renowned institution. Featuring dozens of interviews with actors, performers, craftspeople and audience members, and rare glimpses backstage, the film demonstrates that The Muny is a place like no other. It’s the largest outdoor theatre in the country, staging original productions of Broadway musicals in record time. Generations of families have long called The Muny home. It’s a theatre where everyone is welcome, with thousands of free seats available at every performance. At a time when so much of the world seems at odds, “The Best of Us: 100 Seasons of Muny Magic” shows us how great art—in this case, great musical theatre under the stars—brings a community together as one.

In addition to viewing by an adult audience, here’s a quick suggestion for use of this documentary in the classroom:

• Teaching a media production class?  Have students view the documentary to evaluate techniques used to tell the story.  Are there certain techniques or stories highlighted they believe are especially effective?  What are they?  What made them effective?  How might those examples inspire their own filmmaking?