Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A summer break
The Iowa Theatre Blog will be on hiatus for the month of July. We'll be back in August.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Job opportunity
Riverside - Riverside Theatre is looking for a part time Marketing Director. More information, including salary and job duties, are here.
A second review of The Drag
by Meghan D'Souza
With a set comprised of family portraits dating back to the early 1900s, vintage floral cloths draped over wooden tables, and a cozy brick fireplace, the audience of The Drag was taken back to the 1920s. Adding to the ambiance was a cast appropriately dressed for the time: ladies in drop-waisted, streamlined dresses paired with the popular costume jewelry of the '20s, and gentlemen in suits. Most exciting was seeing the men later dressed in the flapper dresses, drop waist dresses, and one tall glass of water (Jeff Emrich as The Duchess) in a stunning black number that even the most confident woman would have to take a moment to consider wearing on stage. The 1920s hair accessories placed in both the women's hair and drags' appropriately chosen wigs truly suited the era and, simple as this detail is, brought a nice flair to the experience.
The set, the clothes, the accessories, the music. We in the audience had been teleported to the 1920s.
However, it was not clear if actor Brian Tanner, who played widower Dr. James Richmond, was quite there with us. He looked the part of the doctor that he was. His presence was pleasant. But there was something missing from the lines that he delivered, and I think it was the true emotion behind what he said. Words were delivered, but he did not appear to believe what he said, especially in key scenes. Part of acting is reacting, and that lacked in his performance, as well. The man gets props, though, because this was, indeed, a tough play to put together and his role was most certainly the most challenging.
As Barbara Richmond, Kathy McDonald was a great connection between father Dr. Richmond and his grown daughter Clair Kingsbury. Not only did Ms. McDonald have a beautiful singing voice that carried the audience like it was a magic carpet ride taking us on a quick journey through the lyrics that she sang, she also did a wonderful job of remaining in character through each scene. She kept busy with her character's tasks, she reacted to what other characters said, and she had a believable, auntly chemistry with Richmond's niece, Clair.
Becca Robinson did a beautiful job as Clair. Her pain for her relationship was believable, she never broke character, and she truly inhabited her role as Clair. She reacted to everything going on around her, even if it was a simple statement that someone clear across the stage made. One downside is that, though she has the voice of an angel and one would wish to hear her sing to them endlessly, she had many sorrowful songs to sing, but the sad emotions did not come through with her beautiful voice. It was easy to get caught up in the sound of her voice and forget that the moment was rather devastating.
TJ Besler had a complicated role as Rolly Kingsbury, but he took it on and won. To try to even explain his character would be like explaining the last 70 years of Guiding Light. In short, he was believable from the moment he entered the stage. He was part of major twists in the show and he let loose, so the audience felt every intense emotion. Right when it was getting cheesy to see characters sing unnecessarily to the open space in front of them when they could have sung their stories to the character right behind them so emotions were better felt, Mr. Besler made a change and sang his numbers to the characters around him, using the props on stage for added
entertainment. You could also feel and hear the emotion behind the words that he sang. The audience's reaction to this change was positive.
It is no secret that an audience favorite was seeing Gary Tyrrell, who played the flamboyant Clem Hathaway, Jeff Emrich as looks-obsessed Hal Swanson, and Jesse Harthan as flirty Winnie Lewis. These men were loud and proud of their sexuality and added comic relief with their bawdy jokes. The men bounced jokes off each other like they had been friends for years, the conversation flowed like it was their own, and watching them on stage felt as comfortable as if we were viewing them on our television sets and they had filmed their scenes earlier in the day. They each also dressed in women's attire, in the most traditional and trendy 1920s dresses, hairdos, and make up. Tyrrell even resembled 1920s icon Louise Brooks.
Butler Parsons played by Allen Dietrich was one of those "There's no such thing as a small role, just small actors" stories. Sure, Parsons was not seen as often as the aforementioned characters,
but he left the audience smiling with his rendition of "Making Whoopie," his zip-lipped way of handing Rolly's lifestyle, the details he did in the background during the Drag Ball, and giving an intense vibe during the most emotional scene of the play.
Lighting appeared limited in this play, but mixed with how the actors behaved, the way the lighting was acceptable. At one point, Clair was singing her thoughts about her husband Rolly in front of him, but with the use of faded lights and Rolly's acting, it was obvious to us viewers that he was not supposed to hear what she was saying. Otherwise, lighting was not a main factor in the play, but that was not a bad thing.
The best thing is that fellow audience members got big laughs and witnessed a bit of a tragedy that left them thinking.
As the cliche goes... we laughed, we cried... this was a play worth spending a Friday night seeing.
Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.
With a set comprised of family portraits dating back to the early 1900s, vintage floral cloths draped over wooden tables, and a cozy brick fireplace, the audience of The Drag was taken back to the 1920s. Adding to the ambiance was a cast appropriately dressed for the time: ladies in drop-waisted, streamlined dresses paired with the popular costume jewelry of the '20s, and gentlemen in suits. Most exciting was seeing the men later dressed in the flapper dresses, drop waist dresses, and one tall glass of water (Jeff Emrich as The Duchess) in a stunning black number that even the most confident woman would have to take a moment to consider wearing on stage. The 1920s hair accessories placed in both the women's hair and drags' appropriately chosen wigs truly suited the era and, simple as this detail is, brought a nice flair to the experience.
The set, the clothes, the accessories, the music. We in the audience had been teleported to the 1920s.
However, it was not clear if actor Brian Tanner, who played widower Dr. James Richmond, was quite there with us. He looked the part of the doctor that he was. His presence was pleasant. But there was something missing from the lines that he delivered, and I think it was the true emotion behind what he said. Words were delivered, but he did not appear to believe what he said, especially in key scenes. Part of acting is reacting, and that lacked in his performance, as well. The man gets props, though, because this was, indeed, a tough play to put together and his role was most certainly the most challenging.
As Barbara Richmond, Kathy McDonald was a great connection between father Dr. Richmond and his grown daughter Clair Kingsbury. Not only did Ms. McDonald have a beautiful singing voice that carried the audience like it was a magic carpet ride taking us on a quick journey through the lyrics that she sang, she also did a wonderful job of remaining in character through each scene. She kept busy with her character's tasks, she reacted to what other characters said, and she had a believable, auntly chemistry with Richmond's niece, Clair.
Becca Robinson did a beautiful job as Clair. Her pain for her relationship was believable, she never broke character, and she truly inhabited her role as Clair. She reacted to everything going on around her, even if it was a simple statement that someone clear across the stage made. One downside is that, though she has the voice of an angel and one would wish to hear her sing to them endlessly, she had many sorrowful songs to sing, but the sad emotions did not come through with her beautiful voice. It was easy to get caught up in the sound of her voice and forget that the moment was rather devastating.
TJ Besler had a complicated role as Rolly Kingsbury, but he took it on and won. To try to even explain his character would be like explaining the last 70 years of Guiding Light. In short, he was believable from the moment he entered the stage. He was part of major twists in the show and he let loose, so the audience felt every intense emotion. Right when it was getting cheesy to see characters sing unnecessarily to the open space in front of them when they could have sung their stories to the character right behind them so emotions were better felt, Mr. Besler made a change and sang his numbers to the characters around him, using the props on stage for added
entertainment. You could also feel and hear the emotion behind the words that he sang. The audience's reaction to this change was positive.It is no secret that an audience favorite was seeing Gary Tyrrell, who played the flamboyant Clem Hathaway, Jeff Emrich as looks-obsessed Hal Swanson, and Jesse Harthan as flirty Winnie Lewis. These men were loud and proud of their sexuality and added comic relief with their bawdy jokes. The men bounced jokes off each other like they had been friends for years, the conversation flowed like it was their own, and watching them on stage felt as comfortable as if we were viewing them on our television sets and they had filmed their scenes earlier in the day. They each also dressed in women's attire, in the most traditional and trendy 1920s dresses, hairdos, and make up. Tyrrell even resembled 1920s icon Louise Brooks.
Butler Parsons played by Allen Dietrich was one of those "There's no such thing as a small role, just small actors" stories. Sure, Parsons was not seen as often as the aforementioned characters,
but he left the audience smiling with his rendition of "Making Whoopie," his zip-lipped way of handing Rolly's lifestyle, the details he did in the background during the Drag Ball, and giving an intense vibe during the most emotional scene of the play.Lighting appeared limited in this play, but mixed with how the actors behaved, the way the lighting was acceptable. At one point, Clair was singing her thoughts about her husband Rolly in front of him, but with the use of faded lights and Rolly's acting, it was obvious to us viewers that he was not supposed to hear what she was saying. Otherwise, lighting was not a main factor in the play, but that was not a bad thing.
The best thing is that fellow audience members got big laughs and witnessed a bit of a tragedy that left them thinking.
As the cliche goes... we laughed, we cried... this was a play worth spending a Friday night seeing.
Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.
Monday, June 22, 2009
A review of Richard III
by Angie Toomsen
Riverside - It was the afternoon of an outdoor venue’s discontent (thunderstorm warnings and torrential downpour) made glorious summer theatre with clear, starry skies and rain-cooled evening air.
Riverside Theater’s 10th Annual Shakespeare Festival launched its second summer
offering — Richard III — on Friday, June 19th. Severe weather earlier in the day likely contributed to a slightly smaller crowd than expected, but audience size did not affect the accomplished work of a cast of actors with performances ranging from “quite capable” to “outstanding.”
The play’s events occur during the War of the Roses—England’s civil war between the York and Lancaster dynasties—just after the defeat of Henry VI, the last Lancaster. Edward IV (“this son of York”) has assumed the throne, but ill health numbers his days. Next in queue to the throne is his brother, Clarence, but his other brother—Richard, the Duke of Gloucester—plans his own ascension to the seat. Anyone who stands between Richard and the throne—including his own brother—will be summarily, cunningly and heartlessly removed from the path.
Richard—portrayed by New York City actor, Dennis Fox—dispels with any mysteries about what he plans to do, and why, in the famous “winter of our discontent” extended confessional/statement of purpose. Crippled with a useless arm and a leg requiring a rigid brace, Richard believes he is too deformed to find love and, therefore, resolves himself to the ruthless pursuit of power to fill the void.
Lest the audience feel pity for Richard, however, Fox’s straightforward, engaged but unimpassioned manner in his opening speech belies vulnerability. He speaks coolly of his disfigurement and its effect on his soul and hides his woundedness behind tactic, just as he conceals his twisted arm hidden behind his back at almost all times.
And when kneeling is required—an oft-administered maneuver of persuasion—he removes a pin from his leg brace, allowing his knee to bend. The action is unapologetic and yet, on some level, Richard seems aware that the extra effort does inspire a modicum of sympathy.
Counter to what is said of Richard or what he seems to think of himself, Fox is not made to seem ugly, sickly, old or in ill health, aside from obvious physical limitations. He is healthy, strong and, for what it’s worth, handsome. He woos the recently-widowed Anne with flattery and skewed emotional logic, even with her husband’s bloodied corpse in sight, and Anne succumbs to Richard.
After a successful seduction, albeit one that redefines bad timing and poor taste, Fox launches into the speech "Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?/ Was ever woman in this humour won?" Rife with wit and conversationally engaging, Fox’s Richard has won the audience and become the rather likable anti-hero.
Conspiring next to Buckingham and the others in his camp of supporters, Richard joyously pursues his aims, leading to several very humorous situations that maintain the audience’s support for the first half of the play.
With the exception of three minor and well-handled opening night line stumbles, Fox’s entire performance is completely in command of itself, not a moment of the text’s logic missed, overrun or taken for granted. As Richard nears his goal and fears for security of its attainment, Fox steps into the anxiety and frustration, as well as sheer terror and remorse at the bombastic momentary return of an exiled conscience during a dream sequence.
In a play of this length (Shakespeare’s second-longest after Hamlet) it is very important that Richard is really good or little else matters. Riverside’s production succeeds in its casting of Dennis Fox. But Fox is not the only one doing great work. The entire cast—even the acting interns—are very competent with a number of standouts.
Tim Budd, as Lord Buckingham, has magnetic stage presence and, as collaborator and fellow conspirer, creates an exciting, charged chemistry with Richard. Later, when Buckingham is betrayed by Richard, Budd makes Buckingham’s remorse for having supported Richard palatable and believable.
Ron Clark, as the dying King Edward IV, provides some of the play’s much-needed penitence and believable sorrow necessary to depict the true destruction Richard has produced. Edward’s attempts to bring peace to his warring house and his lamentations over the death of his brother Clarence inspire compassion and sympathy. Clark also plays the mayor, duped by Richard and Buckingham in one of the play’s comical moments, and leads the audience to complicity in crying out “Long live our sovereign, Richard King of England.”
Other solid performances include Jody Hovland, as Richard’s mother, the Duchess of York, Steve Cardamone as Clarence, Patrick DuLaney as Hastings, Michael Perez as Catesby, Jordan Laroya as both a murderer and as the assassin Tyrell, and several others.
Saren Nofs-Snyder, who plays Queen Margaret, possesses a professional-grade, seasoned instrument and is regal and intimidating. Though borderline melodramatic at times, she assumes a mystical quality as prophetess of Richard’s destruction and is effectively added to several scenes where Margaret’s predictions return to haunt those who failed to heed them.
The other primary female roles, Anne and Elizabeth, are played by two quite capable actresses. In their collective performances, however, lies one shared problem. It is one of the few criticisms I have with the show, but it’s an important one. Each actress, in her own way, glosses over the devastating loss and maddening pain that her character has endured.
As Anne, Mallory Portnoy has a fairly clear understanding of what Anne is supposed to be going through, but her performance is more of a “shape of experience” than a real, rooted, nuanced experience of loss and grief. Moments of “put-upon” emotion and a forced vocal shakiness give the performance an air of falsehood. Granted, Anne has one of the most difficult scenes of all Shakespearean female roles. Transitioning from very fresh, very deep loss and shock to reluctant seduction by the man who caused her such pain is a little hard to make emotional sense of. Portnoy is a fine actress—and does succeed in telling the story—but she could take the performance to a new level by deepening her experience as an actress.
As Elizabeth, Dawn Michelle Mancarella is quite sturdy and commanding, but, when she discovers her babes are murdered, the actress barely approaches the depth of shock and loss a mother would feel. In fact, when Richard turns up right away to woo Elizabeth to relinquish her daughter in marriage, Mancarella is quick to jump into a tennis match of dialogue with Richard, completely stepping over the profound emotional realization of what’s just been taken from her forever.
Again, these are good actresses playing emotionally difficult roles. The challenges are no small feats. If their portrayals afforded more vulnerability and risk, it would be of tremendous service to the play as a whole.
Seemingly set in the World War I era, the play opens with energetic, period music and the presentation of the cast in costumes and mild mannerisms of the day. The signifiers of the time period are subtle and work well, including a telephone and other modern set pieces, frequent cigarette smoking, modern weaponry, and sound cues of aircraft, bombs and machine gun fire.
The set’s simplicity serves the play well. In fact, there isn’t much “set” to speak of. The beautiful flood-survivor-of-a-venue provides a foundation of stairs, balconies, levels, and uses the seating aisles to create depth of staging. The music, judiciously used, is dreamy with an undercurrent pulse that helps drive transitions and weightier moments. The lighting effectively directs mood, tone and focus and, coupled with accompanying visual effects, gives a mystical quality to a surprisingly frightening dream sequence.
Richard III runs through July 12, along with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is an impressive night of professional theatre in a beautiful and unique setting.
Angie Toomsen has an MA in journalism from the University of Iowa and a BA in theatre from UNI. She spent nearly a decade in New York City, seeing, participating in and studying theatre. She still enjoys writing, acting and directing as time permits.
Riverside - It was the afternoon of an outdoor venue’s discontent (thunderstorm warnings and torrential downpour) made glorious summer theatre with clear, starry skies and rain-cooled evening air.
Riverside Theater’s 10th Annual Shakespeare Festival launched its second summer
offering — Richard III — on Friday, June 19th. Severe weather earlier in the day likely contributed to a slightly smaller crowd than expected, but audience size did not affect the accomplished work of a cast of actors with performances ranging from “quite capable” to “outstanding.”The play’s events occur during the War of the Roses—England’s civil war between the York and Lancaster dynasties—just after the defeat of Henry VI, the last Lancaster. Edward IV (“this son of York”) has assumed the throne, but ill health numbers his days. Next in queue to the throne is his brother, Clarence, but his other brother—Richard, the Duke of Gloucester—plans his own ascension to the seat. Anyone who stands between Richard and the throne—including his own brother—will be summarily, cunningly and heartlessly removed from the path.
Richard—portrayed by New York City actor, Dennis Fox—dispels with any mysteries about what he plans to do, and why, in the famous “winter of our discontent” extended confessional/statement of purpose. Crippled with a useless arm and a leg requiring a rigid brace, Richard believes he is too deformed to find love and, therefore, resolves himself to the ruthless pursuit of power to fill the void.
Lest the audience feel pity for Richard, however, Fox’s straightforward, engaged but unimpassioned manner in his opening speech belies vulnerability. He speaks coolly of his disfigurement and its effect on his soul and hides his woundedness behind tactic, just as he conceals his twisted arm hidden behind his back at almost all times.
And when kneeling is required—an oft-administered maneuver of persuasion—he removes a pin from his leg brace, allowing his knee to bend. The action is unapologetic and yet, on some level, Richard seems aware that the extra effort does inspire a modicum of sympathy.
Counter to what is said of Richard or what he seems to think of himself, Fox is not made to seem ugly, sickly, old or in ill health, aside from obvious physical limitations. He is healthy, strong and, for what it’s worth, handsome. He woos the recently-widowed Anne with flattery and skewed emotional logic, even with her husband’s bloodied corpse in sight, and Anne succumbs to Richard.
After a successful seduction, albeit one that redefines bad timing and poor taste, Fox launches into the speech "Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?/ Was ever woman in this humour won?" Rife with wit and conversationally engaging, Fox’s Richard has won the audience and become the rather likable anti-hero.
Conspiring next to Buckingham and the others in his camp of supporters, Richard joyously pursues his aims, leading to several very humorous situations that maintain the audience’s support for the first half of the play.
With the exception of three minor and well-handled opening night line stumbles, Fox’s entire performance is completely in command of itself, not a moment of the text’s logic missed, overrun or taken for granted. As Richard nears his goal and fears for security of its attainment, Fox steps into the anxiety and frustration, as well as sheer terror and remorse at the bombastic momentary return of an exiled conscience during a dream sequence.
In a play of this length (Shakespeare’s second-longest after Hamlet) it is very important that Richard is really good or little else matters. Riverside’s production succeeds in its casting of Dennis Fox. But Fox is not the only one doing great work. The entire cast—even the acting interns—are very competent with a number of standouts.
Tim Budd, as Lord Buckingham, has magnetic stage presence and, as collaborator and fellow conspirer, creates an exciting, charged chemistry with Richard. Later, when Buckingham is betrayed by Richard, Budd makes Buckingham’s remorse for having supported Richard palatable and believable.
Ron Clark, as the dying King Edward IV, provides some of the play’s much-needed penitence and believable sorrow necessary to depict the true destruction Richard has produced. Edward’s attempts to bring peace to his warring house and his lamentations over the death of his brother Clarence inspire compassion and sympathy. Clark also plays the mayor, duped by Richard and Buckingham in one of the play’s comical moments, and leads the audience to complicity in crying out “Long live our sovereign, Richard King of England.”
Other solid performances include Jody Hovland, as Richard’s mother, the Duchess of York, Steve Cardamone as Clarence, Patrick DuLaney as Hastings, Michael Perez as Catesby, Jordan Laroya as both a murderer and as the assassin Tyrell, and several others.
Saren Nofs-Snyder, who plays Queen Margaret, possesses a professional-grade, seasoned instrument and is regal and intimidating. Though borderline melodramatic at times, she assumes a mystical quality as prophetess of Richard’s destruction and is effectively added to several scenes where Margaret’s predictions return to haunt those who failed to heed them.
The other primary female roles, Anne and Elizabeth, are played by two quite capable actresses. In their collective performances, however, lies one shared problem. It is one of the few criticisms I have with the show, but it’s an important one. Each actress, in her own way, glosses over the devastating loss and maddening pain that her character has endured.
As Anne, Mallory Portnoy has a fairly clear understanding of what Anne is supposed to be going through, but her performance is more of a “shape of experience” than a real, rooted, nuanced experience of loss and grief. Moments of “put-upon” emotion and a forced vocal shakiness give the performance an air of falsehood. Granted, Anne has one of the most difficult scenes of all Shakespearean female roles. Transitioning from very fresh, very deep loss and shock to reluctant seduction by the man who caused her such pain is a little hard to make emotional sense of. Portnoy is a fine actress—and does succeed in telling the story—but she could take the performance to a new level by deepening her experience as an actress.
As Elizabeth, Dawn Michelle Mancarella is quite sturdy and commanding, but, when she discovers her babes are murdered, the actress barely approaches the depth of shock and loss a mother would feel. In fact, when Richard turns up right away to woo Elizabeth to relinquish her daughter in marriage, Mancarella is quick to jump into a tennis match of dialogue with Richard, completely stepping over the profound emotional realization of what’s just been taken from her forever.
Again, these are good actresses playing emotionally difficult roles. The challenges are no small feats. If their portrayals afforded more vulnerability and risk, it would be of tremendous service to the play as a whole.
Seemingly set in the World War I era, the play opens with energetic, period music and the presentation of the cast in costumes and mild mannerisms of the day. The signifiers of the time period are subtle and work well, including a telephone and other modern set pieces, frequent cigarette smoking, modern weaponry, and sound cues of aircraft, bombs and machine gun fire.
The set’s simplicity serves the play well. In fact, there isn’t much “set” to speak of. The beautiful flood-survivor-of-a-venue provides a foundation of stairs, balconies, levels, and uses the seating aisles to create depth of staging. The music, judiciously used, is dreamy with an undercurrent pulse that helps drive transitions and weightier moments. The lighting effectively directs mood, tone and focus and, coupled with accompanying visual effects, gives a mystical quality to a surprisingly frightening dream sequence.
Richard III runs through July 12, along with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is an impressive night of professional theatre in a beautiful and unique setting.
Angie Toomsen has an MA in journalism from the University of Iowa and a BA in theatre from UNI. She spent nearly a decade in New York City, seeing, participating in and studying theatre. She still enjoys writing, acting and directing as time permits.
A Review of The Drag
by Brad Quinn
Dreamwell - In the interest of full disclosure, let me start this review by revealing that I am neither a fan of the musical genre of theatre, nor do I find men dressed as women to be particularly amusing. So those reading this review can keep that in mind and perhaps give less weight to my criticisms, and more weight to my praise, of Dreamwell’s presentation of The Drag.
The Drag was written by Mae West, the infamous sex symbol of the early 20th century who was known for both her rapier wit and her ample bosom. She was also quite open minded and progressive in many ways, and The Drag is an example of that. Though it might seem tame and even a bit archaic now in its attitudes towards and representations of homosexuality, its main theme of acceptance and understanding towards homosexuals was no doubt quite shocking for its time, especially since we still live in a society where subjects such as gay marriage still stir up heated debate.
Community theatre is a labor of love, and nowhere is that more clear than in this production. The cast and crew had to put their hearts into this show in order to overcome some major obstacles. I have often bemoaned the lack of a decent theatrical venue in the Iowa City area, and as I watched this show I could not help but think that this show needed a bigger, better theater to spread its wings. Even before I got there, I found myself wondering how they were going to pull of a musical production in that space. I was fairly familiar with its dimensions, and couldn’t imagine where they might put even a small orchestra, or even a piano.
As I suspected, the only accompaniment for the music was a small electric piano. One generally thinks of a musical as being a big event with lots of sound and sight, but by necessity this one is small and intimate. Although that does work to a degree with this particular play, I could not help but wonder what it would be like if they had more to work with. The downside of this was that much of the music was two dimensional and similar sounding. However, there was an upside too, which was that the singers' voices were never overwhelmed by the music. As there were some very good singers among the cast, this made that particular aspect of the production quite enjoyable for anyone who loves a good display of vocal talent.
Another example of an obstacle this production had to overcome is the lighting, and this may be my biggest complaint about the show. The stage, though not particularly wide, is fairly deep. Dreamwell only used eight stage lights, and two of those were not working, which left the stage much too dim in general. There were significant dark patches which the actors could not help but wander into, and the only place one could be assured of getting decent lighting was actually just in front of the stage. There were lighting changes of a sort during the various musical numbers, but with such small lighting choices to begin with it was hard to tell. Dylan Wheeler, who designed the lights, unfortunately had his talents wasted with such limited resources. He did, however, get to showcase his onstage talent to better effect as one of the lead roles in the show, which I will say more on in a moment.
The set was very utilitarian; in fact I am relatively certain that I have seen the same basic set design used before in other Dreamwell productions. This is not a bad thing in and of itself; I only wish that it had been painted in brighter colors. The walls were a dark olive green which unfortunately exacerbated the dim lighting problem. I found the set for the first act to be a little too spare. It was meant to be a doctor’s office, but a few diplomas on the wall did not do enough to evoke that impression. However, for the next two acts the furnishings and set up (which takes advantage of the fact that this stage comes with its own built in fireplace) were quite adequate and only wanted for a little more space to play in.
This brings me to the final technical aspect of the show before I get into the actual performance itself: the costumes. This is a period piece set in late 1920’s New York City, and one of the best ways you can evoke a particular historical era on a small budget is through the use of proper costuming. This production succeeds in this aspect, to a certain extent. The first several characters to appear onstage are dressed wonderfully, and fairly period appropriate. I particularly liked a dapper eggplant colored suit worn by one of the characters. Unfortunately, some of the other male characters later in the show wore simple suit jackets and ties, which works but I would have liked to have seen more of the true 20’s style in their outfits.
The character of Clair Kingsbury at one point is dressed in a beautiful and alluring white party dress which will definitely have all eyes on her. However, at other times she is wearing the sort of bare bones of a flapper-esque dress. The dress itself is fine, but in order to make it work she needs to be wearing more accessories, such as gloves, jewelry, and by all means stockings. It is only in the last twenty years or so that women began to walk around bare legged, and I have to admit it bothered me a little bit that the women in this show were not wearing garters and stockings or such. It also distracted me somewhat that, other than a few exceptions, the characters all wore the same outfits over multiple days; however this again probably boils down to the question of resources.
Now, as to the show itself: in short the story is about a man, Rolly Kingsbury (TJ Besler), who is a closet homosexual married to his father’s best friend’s daughter. Besler portrays this character believably, as a sort of dissolute young man who feels trapped by the secret life he must lead, but also intolerably unmindful of the pain his lack of affection is causing his wife Clair. Though he does care for her, his true love is a man named Allen Grayson (Dylan Wheeler) who in turn has fallen for Clair, who is played with a wonderful sense of naïve fragility by the lovely Becca Robinson. The innocence and confusion she brings to the character might almost convince someone that her character really can’t quite figure out what’s missing from her marriage (hint: it’s sex).
It is a large cast, and I have to say that most of them did an excellent job with the material they had. The plot is rather thin, being mostly a morality play in a melodramatic wrapper, and some of the dialogue can be a bit heavy handed. In particular, Brian Tanner as Dr Richmond had to continually deliver the lessons and morals of the story, which he was able to do without becoming too pedantic and recondite. Rex Van Dorpe’s portrayal of a self loathing, love crazed, drug addicted ex-lover of Rolly’s definitely brought the melodrama, but he managed to pull it off without straying into the ridiculous, no mean feat. He kept it simple and sweet, which gave the audience sympathy for his plight.
I wish I could comment on the entire cast, but in the interests of brevity I will just limit myself to what I considered to be the highlights of the performances, notwithstanding those already mentioned. Dylan Wheeler gave a low key performance as Allen Grayson, but I thought his soft spoken and somewhat hesitant manner went a long way towards making his character believable as an upstanding man who is admired by both sexes; he also has a fine singing voice which went well with Ms. Robinson’s.
Of course, this show is called The Drag, so as you can imagine to some extent the cross-dressing characters are a major part of the show. One notable instance is actually a woman playing a male character. I don’t want to give away the surprise, but I did think Ellen Stevenson pulled it off quite well. As for the actual drag queens, one in particular stood out to me, Gary Tyrrell’s performance as Clem Hathaway. Gary has a great deal of stage presence, and he immediately brightened up a rather pedestrian first act the moment he stepped on stage. Every time he took the stage thereafter his grand gestures and ability to project his emotions to the room made him a scene stealer whether dressed as a man or a woman.
As I just mentioned, I did find the first act of the show to be somewhat trying. In addition to containing the majority of the moralizing, it also contains the least interesting musical numbers. The major issue I had was that the same stage device was used throughout the entire act; essentially every song was sung by one of the characters while Dr. Richmond sits and watches them silently and unmoving. Unfortunately, the singers don’t move around much during their numbers either.
However, the show definitely picks up in the second act. The humor starts to shine, and the musical numbers get more exciting. My favorite routine of the show, a great rendition of “Paddlin’ Madelin Home”, is performed in this act by the talented and unabashed chorus of drag queens (although they are not currently in drag) who use the limited stage space to great effect for the choreography. I found myself wishing that song would last longer, which I can tell you does not usually happen for me.
The third act as well is sure to delight many theatre goers, and John Crosheck does an outstanding rendition of “Hard-Hearted Hannah” as this act’s notable musical number. He, and indeed all of the drag queens, vamp it up and use the entire theater, not just the stage, to draw the audience in and engage them. There is plenty of verbal and physical comedy to go around, so I imagine it would be hard not to have a smile on your face during this act. Still, this is a melodrama and unlike most musicals, it can’t have a happy ending.
All that being said, the cast and crew of this show clearly put their best foot forward in this production. Credit has to be given to first time director Chuck Dufano, who took his limited resources and limited source material and made the best out of it. I suspect that if he chooses to continue to direct shows in the future that he will make a large impression in the local theatre community. As I said before, this show was a labor of love for all those involved, and if you want to see a group of people giving it their all and loving what they are doing, I think you’d find this show to be a good evening’s entertainment.
Brad Quinn is a veteran of the local theater scene, and has worked with all of the local community theaters both onstage and backstage in various capacities.
Dreamwell - In the interest of full disclosure, let me start this review by revealing that I am neither a fan of the musical genre of theatre, nor do I find men dressed as women to be particularly amusing. So those reading this review can keep that in mind and perhaps give less weight to my criticisms, and more weight to my praise, of Dreamwell’s presentation of The Drag.
The Drag was written by Mae West, the infamous sex symbol of the early 20th century who was known for both her rapier wit and her ample bosom. She was also quite open minded and progressive in many ways, and The Drag is an example of that. Though it might seem tame and even a bit archaic now in its attitudes towards and representations of homosexuality, its main theme of acceptance and understanding towards homosexuals was no doubt quite shocking for its time, especially since we still live in a society where subjects such as gay marriage still stir up heated debate.
Community theatre is a labor of love, and nowhere is that more clear than in this production. The cast and crew had to put their hearts into this show in order to overcome some major obstacles. I have often bemoaned the lack of a decent theatrical venue in the Iowa City area, and as I watched this show I could not help but think that this show needed a bigger, better theater to spread its wings. Even before I got there, I found myself wondering how they were going to pull of a musical production in that space. I was fairly familiar with its dimensions, and couldn’t imagine where they might put even a small orchestra, or even a piano.
As I suspected, the only accompaniment for the music was a small electric piano. One generally thinks of a musical as being a big event with lots of sound and sight, but by necessity this one is small and intimate. Although that does work to a degree with this particular play, I could not help but wonder what it would be like if they had more to work with. The downside of this was that much of the music was two dimensional and similar sounding. However, there was an upside too, which was that the singers' voices were never overwhelmed by the music. As there were some very good singers among the cast, this made that particular aspect of the production quite enjoyable for anyone who loves a good display of vocal talent.
Another example of an obstacle this production had to overcome is the lighting, and this may be my biggest complaint about the show. The stage, though not particularly wide, is fairly deep. Dreamwell only used eight stage lights, and two of those were not working, which left the stage much too dim in general. There were significant dark patches which the actors could not help but wander into, and the only place one could be assured of getting decent lighting was actually just in front of the stage. There were lighting changes of a sort during the various musical numbers, but with such small lighting choices to begin with it was hard to tell. Dylan Wheeler, who designed the lights, unfortunately had his talents wasted with such limited resources. He did, however, get to showcase his onstage talent to better effect as one of the lead roles in the show, which I will say more on in a moment.
The set was very utilitarian; in fact I am relatively certain that I have seen the same basic set design used before in other Dreamwell productions. This is not a bad thing in and of itself; I only wish that it had been painted in brighter colors. The walls were a dark olive green which unfortunately exacerbated the dim lighting problem. I found the set for the first act to be a little too spare. It was meant to be a doctor’s office, but a few diplomas on the wall did not do enough to evoke that impression. However, for the next two acts the furnishings and set up (which takes advantage of the fact that this stage comes with its own built in fireplace) were quite adequate and only wanted for a little more space to play in.
This brings me to the final technical aspect of the show before I get into the actual performance itself: the costumes. This is a period piece set in late 1920’s New York City, and one of the best ways you can evoke a particular historical era on a small budget is through the use of proper costuming. This production succeeds in this aspect, to a certain extent. The first several characters to appear onstage are dressed wonderfully, and fairly period appropriate. I particularly liked a dapper eggplant colored suit worn by one of the characters. Unfortunately, some of the other male characters later in the show wore simple suit jackets and ties, which works but I would have liked to have seen more of the true 20’s style in their outfits.
The character of Clair Kingsbury at one point is dressed in a beautiful and alluring white party dress which will definitely have all eyes on her. However, at other times she is wearing the sort of bare bones of a flapper-esque dress. The dress itself is fine, but in order to make it work she needs to be wearing more accessories, such as gloves, jewelry, and by all means stockings. It is only in the last twenty years or so that women began to walk around bare legged, and I have to admit it bothered me a little bit that the women in this show were not wearing garters and stockings or such. It also distracted me somewhat that, other than a few exceptions, the characters all wore the same outfits over multiple days; however this again probably boils down to the question of resources.
Now, as to the show itself: in short the story is about a man, Rolly Kingsbury (TJ Besler), who is a closet homosexual married to his father’s best friend’s daughter. Besler portrays this character believably, as a sort of dissolute young man who feels trapped by the secret life he must lead, but also intolerably unmindful of the pain his lack of affection is causing his wife Clair. Though he does care for her, his true love is a man named Allen Grayson (Dylan Wheeler) who in turn has fallen for Clair, who is played with a wonderful sense of naïve fragility by the lovely Becca Robinson. The innocence and confusion she brings to the character might almost convince someone that her character really can’t quite figure out what’s missing from her marriage (hint: it’s sex).
It is a large cast, and I have to say that most of them did an excellent job with the material they had. The plot is rather thin, being mostly a morality play in a melodramatic wrapper, and some of the dialogue can be a bit heavy handed. In particular, Brian Tanner as Dr Richmond had to continually deliver the lessons and morals of the story, which he was able to do without becoming too pedantic and recondite. Rex Van Dorpe’s portrayal of a self loathing, love crazed, drug addicted ex-lover of Rolly’s definitely brought the melodrama, but he managed to pull it off without straying into the ridiculous, no mean feat. He kept it simple and sweet, which gave the audience sympathy for his plight.
I wish I could comment on the entire cast, but in the interests of brevity I will just limit myself to what I considered to be the highlights of the performances, notwithstanding those already mentioned. Dylan Wheeler gave a low key performance as Allen Grayson, but I thought his soft spoken and somewhat hesitant manner went a long way towards making his character believable as an upstanding man who is admired by both sexes; he also has a fine singing voice which went well with Ms. Robinson’s.
Of course, this show is called The Drag, so as you can imagine to some extent the cross-dressing characters are a major part of the show. One notable instance is actually a woman playing a male character. I don’t want to give away the surprise, but I did think Ellen Stevenson pulled it off quite well. As for the actual drag queens, one in particular stood out to me, Gary Tyrrell’s performance as Clem Hathaway. Gary has a great deal of stage presence, and he immediately brightened up a rather pedestrian first act the moment he stepped on stage. Every time he took the stage thereafter his grand gestures and ability to project his emotions to the room made him a scene stealer whether dressed as a man or a woman.
As I just mentioned, I did find the first act of the show to be somewhat trying. In addition to containing the majority of the moralizing, it also contains the least interesting musical numbers. The major issue I had was that the same stage device was used throughout the entire act; essentially every song was sung by one of the characters while Dr. Richmond sits and watches them silently and unmoving. Unfortunately, the singers don’t move around much during their numbers either.
However, the show definitely picks up in the second act. The humor starts to shine, and the musical numbers get more exciting. My favorite routine of the show, a great rendition of “Paddlin’ Madelin Home”, is performed in this act by the talented and unabashed chorus of drag queens (although they are not currently in drag) who use the limited stage space to great effect for the choreography. I found myself wishing that song would last longer, which I can tell you does not usually happen for me.
The third act as well is sure to delight many theatre goers, and John Crosheck does an outstanding rendition of “Hard-Hearted Hannah” as this act’s notable musical number. He, and indeed all of the drag queens, vamp it up and use the entire theater, not just the stage, to draw the audience in and engage them. There is plenty of verbal and physical comedy to go around, so I imagine it would be hard not to have a smile on your face during this act. Still, this is a melodrama and unlike most musicals, it can’t have a happy ending.
All that being said, the cast and crew of this show clearly put their best foot forward in this production. Credit has to be given to first time director Chuck Dufano, who took his limited resources and limited source material and made the best out of it. I suspect that if he chooses to continue to direct shows in the future that he will make a large impression in the local theatre community. As I said before, this show was a labor of love for all those involved, and if you want to see a group of people giving it their all and loving what they are doing, I think you’d find this show to be a good evening’s entertainment.
Brad Quinn is a veteran of the local theater scene, and has worked with all of the local community theaters both onstage and backstage in various capacities.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Not a review of Little Dog Laughed
No seriously, this is not a review. I went to a show tonight and decided ahead of time that I wasn't reviewing it. I figured, hey, it's only running for one weekend and the show benefits ICARE and the new Coralville Performing Arts Center. So I'll just go, pay my twelve bucks and enjoy the show. That's what I did. I wasn't planning on writing about it. So let's just pretend we've met at a party and you asked me, because I'm one of those theatre people, "Have you seen any good shows lately?" And I say, enthusiastically, "Yes! I saw a great show just last night." You ask me about it and I say...
It's called The Little Dog Laughed, and that's really the only bad thing about the show, the title, which is just an obscure reference near the end of the play. I hate it when shows do that. Make the title mean something. But anyway, City Circle is doing it. And crazy thing is they're doing at Riverside's space. I had never heard of the show, but John Harper is directing. You know him? Oh, great director. Smart guy, funny. You should really meet him. Anyway, I figured if he's directing, it must be a good show cause John has taste, you know? And I'd never heard of the playwright, Douglas Carter Beane, but a quick Google search told me he's the one who wrote the screenplay for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Anyway, so that was promising information, too. But I have to tell you this play just amazing. The actors are all top notch. Matthew James is in it - he's done a lot lately in Cedar Rapids and around here. I remember him from Frozen. Incredible performance. And then there's Rachel Howell. Totally takes over the role of the Hollywood agent. She's scarily good in the part. Loren Ditzler is great too - did you see that bunch of original plays City Circle did a while ago? She was in that and really stood out. I mean some of the shows weren't all that great as you'd expect with original stuff, but I remember Loren really stood out. And then Bryant something or other... Duffy, that's it. He's the character who really changes the most in the show and he's just spot on. I'd never seen him onstage before but hopefully, he'll do more stuff. Great, great actor. The play is just funny and thought provoking.
What's that? Oh, yeah, just one more night, tonight so if you're not bothered by male nudity and sexual situations, you should really see the show tonight. In fact, if you are bothered male nudity and sexual situations, you should definitely go. Because you really need to get out more.
--Matt Falduto
It's called The Little Dog Laughed, and that's really the only bad thing about the show, the title, which is just an obscure reference near the end of the play. I hate it when shows do that. Make the title mean something. But anyway, City Circle is doing it. And crazy thing is they're doing at Riverside's space. I had never heard of the show, but John Harper is directing. You know him? Oh, great director. Smart guy, funny. You should really meet him. Anyway, I figured if he's directing, it must be a good show cause John has taste, you know? And I'd never heard of the playwright, Douglas Carter Beane, but a quick Google search told me he's the one who wrote the screenplay for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Anyway, so that was promising information, too. But I have to tell you this play just amazing. The actors are all top notch. Matthew James is in it - he's done a lot lately in Cedar Rapids and around here. I remember him from Frozen. Incredible performance. And then there's Rachel Howell. Totally takes over the role of the Hollywood agent. She's scarily good in the part. Loren Ditzler is great too - did you see that bunch of original plays City Circle did a while ago? She was in that and really stood out. I mean some of the shows weren't all that great as you'd expect with original stuff, but I remember Loren really stood out. And then Bryant something or other... Duffy, that's it. He's the character who really changes the most in the show and he's just spot on. I'd never seen him onstage before but hopefully, he'll do more stuff. Great, great actor. The play is just funny and thought provoking.
What's that? Oh, yeah, just one more night, tonight so if you're not bothered by male nudity and sexual situations, you should really see the show tonight. In fact, if you are bothered male nudity and sexual situations, you should definitely go. Because you really need to get out more.
--Matt Falduto
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A Musical Weekend
There's a lot of great theatre available this weekend. Two very different musicals are opening. Beginning tonight, fans of the Disney movie High School Musical can see the stage version at TCR's Lindale space. For a look behind the scenes, check out this video.Dreamwell's The Drag opens tomorrow. Written by Mae West, this play from the 20s the story of Rolly Kingsbury — a judge’s son and heir to the family ironworks business — whose marriage is crumbling around the secret of a past affair with a man, a budding interest in someone new, and an affiliation with a very “out” drag community. The play presents a fascinating, albeit “dated” by today’s perspectives, debate about homosexuality as the judge, a doctor and host of other characters weigh in on the situation. The Daily Iowan has an in depth article complete with video interviews of cast and crew members.
That's Eastern Iowa - from High School Musical to The Drag - we have it all.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
TCR brings High School Musical back
TCR - Theatre Cedar Rapids has a high school reunion coming up. The theater will bring back its production of Disney’s High School Musical On Stage June 18-21, 2009, with much of the original cast from last summer’s production still intact. The show will be performed six times on Theatre Cedar Rapids’ new stage at TCR Lindale, 4444 1st Ave. NE.
In its original run last July, Disney’s High School Musical On Stage ran for three sold-out weekends, prompting immediate audience demand for more. The show was also TCR’s first production after the June flood that wiped out its home in the Iowa Theatre Building.
“We thought spending the first flood anniversary with a smile on our face, remembering how good it felt to know that ‘We’re All In This Together,’ just sounded nice,” says TCR Managing Director Casey Prince, who directed last summer’s production and will be at the helm for this one as well.
Originally created as a movie musical for the Disney Channel, High School Musical has become a phenomenon with audiences. The third installment in the movie series is still in theatres, and the professional stage version continues to tour across the country. Theatre Cedar Rapids’ stage production had the largest box office total of the 2007-08 Season, with multiple sold-out performances at Linn-Mar High School.
The show tells the story of Troy and Gabriella, two students from different social cliques who disrupt the “status quo” when they both try out for their school’s musical. Famous songs from the show include “Getcha Head In The Game,” “Stick to the Status Quo” and “We’re All In This Together.”
Tickets are $20 and $25 for adults and $15 for students and are available online at www.theatrecr.org. They can also be purchased in person from the TCR box office at the Grant Wood House, 800 2nd Ave. SE, or by phone at 366-8591. $10 rush tickets are available at the door of TCR Lindale one half hour before each performance.
Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. June 18-21, as well as matinees at 2:30 p.m. June 20 and 21. For more information, visit their website.
In its original run last July, Disney’s High School Musical On Stage ran for three sold-out weekends, prompting immediate audience demand for more. The show was also TCR’s first production after the June flood that wiped out its home in the Iowa Theatre Building.
“We thought spending the first flood anniversary with a smile on our face, remembering how good it felt to know that ‘We’re All In This Together,’ just sounded nice,” says TCR Managing Director Casey Prince, who directed last summer’s production and will be at the helm for this one as well.
Originally created as a movie musical for the Disney Channel, High School Musical has become a phenomenon with audiences. The third installment in the movie series is still in theatres, and the professional stage version continues to tour across the country. Theatre Cedar Rapids’ stage production had the largest box office total of the 2007-08 Season, with multiple sold-out performances at Linn-Mar High School.
The show tells the story of Troy and Gabriella, two students from different social cliques who disrupt the “status quo” when they both try out for their school’s musical. Famous songs from the show include “Getcha Head In The Game,” “Stick to the Status Quo” and “We’re All In This Together.”
Tickets are $20 and $25 for adults and $15 for students and are available online at www.theatrecr.org. They can also be purchased in person from the TCR box office at the Grant Wood House, 800 2nd Ave. SE, or by phone at 366-8591. $10 rush tickets are available at the door of TCR Lindale one half hour before each performance.
Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. June 18-21, as well as matinees at 2:30 p.m. June 20 and 21. For more information, visit their website.
Riverside's Richard III opens this weekend
Riverside - Richard III, the second show of the Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival opens this weekend. It is directed by Kristin Horton. Midsummer Night's Dream, which opened last weekend, continues next week.
Richard wages his own private war as he murders, manipulates, and marries his way to the throne. This story of a self-proclaimed villain battling to obtain and retain the crown is one of Shakespeare’s most diabolical history plays.
The Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival premiered in June of 2000 with Twelfth Night. The stage is located in Lower City Park and is Iowa City’s only permanent outdoor theatre. Special Family Nights and group discounts are also offered. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (319) 338-7672 or visit their website.
We will have a review of Richard III next week. We will also have a review of Midsummer as soon as we can reschedule. Our reviewer last weekend was rained out - let's hope for clear skies this time!
Performance Dates:
Friday, June 19 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 20 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 21 at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 pm
Friday June 26 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, July 1 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, July 5 at 7:00 pm
Thursday, July 9 at 8:00 pm
Friday, July 10 at 8:00 pm
Richard wages his own private war as he murders, manipulates, and marries his way to the throne. This story of a self-proclaimed villain battling to obtain and retain the crown is one of Shakespeare’s most diabolical history plays.
The Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival premiered in June of 2000 with Twelfth Night. The stage is located in Lower City Park and is Iowa City’s only permanent outdoor theatre. Special Family Nights and group discounts are also offered. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (319) 338-7672 or visit their website.
We will have a review of Richard III next week. We will also have a review of Midsummer as soon as we can reschedule. Our reviewer last weekend was rained out - let's hope for clear skies this time!
Performance Dates:
Friday, June 19 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 20 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 21 at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 pm
Friday June 26 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, July 1 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, July 5 at 7:00 pm
Thursday, July 9 at 8:00 pm
Friday, July 10 at 8:00 pm
Dreamwell brings Mae West's The Drag to stage
Dreamwell - Dreamwell Theatre will present The Drag, a play written in the 1920's by screen legend and sex symbol Mae West. The Drag tells the story of Rolly Kingsbury—a judge’s son and heir to the family ironworks business—whose marriage is crumbling around the secret of a past affair with a man, a budding interest in someone new, and an affiliation with a very “out” drag community. The play presents a fascinating debate about homosexuality as the judge, a doctor and host of other characters weigh in on the situation.The show culminates in a vivacious drag ball with live drag performances where almost anything can happen — and just might!
In The Drag — which opened to an “avalanche of condemnation,” as one biographer put it — West argued that homosexuality had no class identification. The Drag was one of the first plays to portray gay men in a sympathetic light. Prior to The Drag, homosexual characters were often objects of “play” and more comedic additions to a cast. Mae West’s intention was to give gay characters a “voice” and drew on the exuberance of the drag queens who had become her friends and “sisters.”
Despite the groundbreaking subject matter for its
time, The Drag presents a slightly contracted view of homosexuality, which today’s audiences should find interesting. Mae West believed some homosexuals were born as “women trapped in men's bodies” and should be tolerated, and that others adopted homosexual behavior later in life. West deemed the latter “unacceptable.” Audiences should enjoy the 1920's bawdy humor and the fabulous drag attire, but leave with something to think about as the two “types” of homosexuals are examined and analyzed.Dreamwell found The Drag to be a fitting selection for its “Season of Inciting Theatre” because it was shut down when initially produced and never even opened on Broadway. Also, the play was written and directed by a woman in a time when women weren’t often encouraged
to write and produce plays.Chuck Dufano, president of Dreamwell, will direct, assisted by Vicki Krajewski. The cast includes several veteran and new faces from the community.
The Drag was chosen to coincide with Gay Pride festivities during the month of June.
“It's a chance for today’s LGBT population to see how far we've come in the way of the social mindset, as how familiar some of the struggles are to our own today,” says Dufano. “And things might get a little bizarre...which is all in keeping with any good gay pride festival.”
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A review of Hello Dolly!
by Monica Reida
City Circle - City Circle Acting Company of Coralville's flawed but thoroughly enjoyable production of Hello, Dolly! is bigger than life, just like the title character.
Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman's musical, based off of Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, tells the story of Mrs. Dolly Levi (Patti McTaggart) who “arranges things like furniture, daffodils and lives.” A widow, she plays matchmaker, dance teacher and any other role she has on a business card. The people of Yonkers and New York City adore her. And once can't blame them with McTaggart's portrayal of a woman who schemes and gossips but is utterly charming.
But she seems lonely. All of the extravagant hats in the world can't bring her company. She wants to marry Horace Vandergelder (Christopher Carpenter), a grumpy widower who owns the feed shop and views everyone as a fool. But Vandergelder wants to marry Irene Molloy (Kate C. Thompson) of New York City. So he, Dolly, his hysterical niece Ermengarde (Collette Forcier) and her love interest, Ambrose Kemper (Brian Martin) decide to head to New York. Also off to New York are Horace's store clerks Cornelius Kackl (Kehry Amson Lane) and Barnaby Tucker (Adam Kopfman) and they're looking for adventure, girls to kiss and a stuffed whale. While in New York, the two clerks meet Malloy, who runs a shop for ladies' hats, and Minnie Fay (Sami Wendell), Malloy's shop assistant.
During the opening night performance, the show had a few stumbling blocks. The opening number, Call On Dolly, felt a bit weak and McTaggart, who has a great stage presence, had a hard time projecting some of her notes in the lower register in the beginning of the show. During various numbers, the ensemble was lost under the orchestra, and during Put On Your Sunday Clothes, the ensemble was out of tune. While many problems were resolved by halfway through the first act, some problems continued throughout the entire show.
The orchestra was continually out of tune, from the overture, which was sloppy and had several indistinguishable melodies, to the curtain call. Frequently, the spotlights would come on and not be right on the actor they were supposed to be following.
Forcier's character is supposed to be prone to crying, but the portrayal was just annoying with obviously fake crying. Martin also had a flat performance and had a rather forced delivery of some lines.
But the cast and the design elements overcame these major problems, making the show, which is a little longer than two hours, whiz by. The cast's performance of Herman's tuneful, catchy score will have many leaving the Englert Theatre humming the numbers. Director Michael Stokes' interpretation of the show seems like a nostalgic dream. Absurd elements emphasize this feeling of a dream, such as a large dance number at the fancy Harmonia Gardens restaurant that is performed by smiling waiters skillfully dancing Jill Beardsley and Doug Beardsley's complex choreography. Immediately following the scene in the restaurant is a scene in a court room. As everyone waits center stage to defend themselves, Dolly sits at the table with a red tablecloth on it from the previous scene, still eating.
The nostalgic aspect of the production comes from the exquisite, brightly colored gowns and hats that, for the most part, fit the time period. The one costume that did not is Minnie Fay's formal gown, which is made of a glittery fabric that would have not been around during the early twentieth century. During the show, there is a detailed backdrop depicting a street corner. Every column, letter, decorative stonework, is on on the faded piece of fabric, giving it that feel of old America.
McTaggart plays the role of Dolly with an intriguing depth. In moments where she is “speaking” to her dead husband, Ephram, she seems as though she still cares about him. Her performance of the act one finale, Before the Parade Passes By, delivers a heartbreaking show stopper as she sings with this tone of determination and confidence. And when she enters the Harmonia Gardens restaurant in a large, red feathered headpiece and a jeweled-looking red gown, she makes a big but elegant entrance.
Horace is a character that, as written, doesn't have a lot of depth. Carpenter plays the character as stubborn and hard, which is really all that he can do. But his performance of the number “It Takes a Woman, a song about how a woman should clean and do chores, is amusing and delightful due to his voice.
Lane and Kopfman could be accused of stealing the show, but that wouldn't be a bad thing. Kopfman shows wide-eyed enthusiasm for going to New York, mainly for seeing the stuffed whale, in his voice and on his face that makes us believe that he is a 17-year-old that has never left Yonkers. The two are a fantastic comic duo, particularly in a scene where they are hiding from Horace under tables and in closets in Malloy's shop, and their performance of Put On Your Sunday Clothes is filled with so much excitement and energy that it is one of the highlights of the production. Every time they are on stage, your attention is turned to them.
Lane is sweet and possesses a magnificent voice. His performance of It Only Takes a Moment is so moving that we, the audience, can understand why Rudolph (Cary Beatty), the head waiter, and the judge (Richard Paulus) are crying afterward. His entire performance is authentic and subtle, as he shows love-at-first-sight with his facial expressions, which made me hopeful for the potential of him winning Irene Malloy's heart.
Both Thompson and Wendell are a joy that balance each other out. Thompson's Irene is cool and calm while Wendell's Minnie Fay is giddy and nervous. Both have great singing voices, particularly Thompson who has a solo number, Ribbons Down My Back, that showcases it very well. Her performance shines during a simple dance with a hat that is enchanting with the wonder she displays.
The joy of Stokes' production is that it provides an escape. Hello, Dolly! is one of those shows where everyone has a happy ending: Dolly, Cornelius, Horace, the audience, Irene, Minnie Fay, Ambrose and Ermengarde. Even Barnaby, who gets his own stuffed whale.
Monica Reida has acted in five plays in Waterloo, worked on numerous productions in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area, directed a staged reading, and has been revising and writing her first play, Life After Death, for the past two years. She will be attending DePaul University in the fall to pursue her B.F.A. in theatre arts and journalism. She blogs at http://fragmentssynapses.wordpress.com/.
City Circle - City Circle Acting Company of Coralville's flawed but thoroughly enjoyable production of Hello, Dolly! is bigger than life, just like the title character.
Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman's musical, based off of Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, tells the story of Mrs. Dolly Levi (Patti McTaggart) who “arranges things like furniture, daffodils and lives.” A widow, she plays matchmaker, dance teacher and any other role she has on a business card. The people of Yonkers and New York City adore her. And once can't blame them with McTaggart's portrayal of a woman who schemes and gossips but is utterly charming.
But she seems lonely. All of the extravagant hats in the world can't bring her company. She wants to marry Horace Vandergelder (Christopher Carpenter), a grumpy widower who owns the feed shop and views everyone as a fool. But Vandergelder wants to marry Irene Molloy (Kate C. Thompson) of New York City. So he, Dolly, his hysterical niece Ermengarde (Collette Forcier) and her love interest, Ambrose Kemper (Brian Martin) decide to head to New York. Also off to New York are Horace's store clerks Cornelius Kackl (Kehry Amson Lane) and Barnaby Tucker (Adam Kopfman) and they're looking for adventure, girls to kiss and a stuffed whale. While in New York, the two clerks meet Malloy, who runs a shop for ladies' hats, and Minnie Fay (Sami Wendell), Malloy's shop assistant.
During the opening night performance, the show had a few stumbling blocks. The opening number, Call On Dolly, felt a bit weak and McTaggart, who has a great stage presence, had a hard time projecting some of her notes in the lower register in the beginning of the show. During various numbers, the ensemble was lost under the orchestra, and during Put On Your Sunday Clothes, the ensemble was out of tune. While many problems were resolved by halfway through the first act, some problems continued throughout the entire show.
The orchestra was continually out of tune, from the overture, which was sloppy and had several indistinguishable melodies, to the curtain call. Frequently, the spotlights would come on and not be right on the actor they were supposed to be following.
Forcier's character is supposed to be prone to crying, but the portrayal was just annoying with obviously fake crying. Martin also had a flat performance and had a rather forced delivery of some lines.
But the cast and the design elements overcame these major problems, making the show, which is a little longer than two hours, whiz by. The cast's performance of Herman's tuneful, catchy score will have many leaving the Englert Theatre humming the numbers. Director Michael Stokes' interpretation of the show seems like a nostalgic dream. Absurd elements emphasize this feeling of a dream, such as a large dance number at the fancy Harmonia Gardens restaurant that is performed by smiling waiters skillfully dancing Jill Beardsley and Doug Beardsley's complex choreography. Immediately following the scene in the restaurant is a scene in a court room. As everyone waits center stage to defend themselves, Dolly sits at the table with a red tablecloth on it from the previous scene, still eating.
The nostalgic aspect of the production comes from the exquisite, brightly colored gowns and hats that, for the most part, fit the time period. The one costume that did not is Minnie Fay's formal gown, which is made of a glittery fabric that would have not been around during the early twentieth century. During the show, there is a detailed backdrop depicting a street corner. Every column, letter, decorative stonework, is on on the faded piece of fabric, giving it that feel of old America.
McTaggart plays the role of Dolly with an intriguing depth. In moments where she is “speaking” to her dead husband, Ephram, she seems as though she still cares about him. Her performance of the act one finale, Before the Parade Passes By, delivers a heartbreaking show stopper as she sings with this tone of determination and confidence. And when she enters the Harmonia Gardens restaurant in a large, red feathered headpiece and a jeweled-looking red gown, she makes a big but elegant entrance.
Horace is a character that, as written, doesn't have a lot of depth. Carpenter plays the character as stubborn and hard, which is really all that he can do. But his performance of the number “It Takes a Woman, a song about how a woman should clean and do chores, is amusing and delightful due to his voice.
Lane and Kopfman could be accused of stealing the show, but that wouldn't be a bad thing. Kopfman shows wide-eyed enthusiasm for going to New York, mainly for seeing the stuffed whale, in his voice and on his face that makes us believe that he is a 17-year-old that has never left Yonkers. The two are a fantastic comic duo, particularly in a scene where they are hiding from Horace under tables and in closets in Malloy's shop, and their performance of Put On Your Sunday Clothes is filled with so much excitement and energy that it is one of the highlights of the production. Every time they are on stage, your attention is turned to them.
Lane is sweet and possesses a magnificent voice. His performance of It Only Takes a Moment is so moving that we, the audience, can understand why Rudolph (Cary Beatty), the head waiter, and the judge (Richard Paulus) are crying afterward. His entire performance is authentic and subtle, as he shows love-at-first-sight with his facial expressions, which made me hopeful for the potential of him winning Irene Malloy's heart.
Both Thompson and Wendell are a joy that balance each other out. Thompson's Irene is cool and calm while Wendell's Minnie Fay is giddy and nervous. Both have great singing voices, particularly Thompson who has a solo number, Ribbons Down My Back, that showcases it very well. Her performance shines during a simple dance with a hat that is enchanting with the wonder she displays.
The joy of Stokes' production is that it provides an escape. Hello, Dolly! is one of those shows where everyone has a happy ending: Dolly, Cornelius, Horace, the audience, Irene, Minnie Fay, Ambrose and Ermengarde. Even Barnaby, who gets his own stuffed whale.
Monica Reida has acted in five plays in Waterloo, worked on numerous productions in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area, directed a staged reading, and has been revising and writing her first play, Life After Death, for the past two years. She will be attending DePaul University in the fall to pursue her B.F.A. in theatre arts and journalism. She blogs at http://fragmentssynapses.wordpress.com/.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
An Odd Couple Review
by Sharon Falduto
A 2009 staging of The Odd Couple in Iowa is set against a completely different cultural backdrop than an original staging in the 1960s. It’s hard to watch Neil Simon’s play, about manly men doing manly things and
living together in a manly way, without putting it in the context of a gay marriage. Of course that wasn’t Simon’s intent, and the Old Creamery Production plays it straight, but the nods are definitely there — especially in the character of Felix, the persnickety character with a penchant for the traditionally female roles of cooking and cleaning.
The play starts with that most masculine of pursuits, a poker game. We are introduced to most of the cast, a quintet of poker players helmed by Oscar Madison (because it takes place in his apartment). This group of men did an excellent job of making the poker game look real, a contrast to later hubbub and hilarity as they chase a despondent Felix around and through the apartment.
The actors making up the gang are a roundup of local celebrity stunt casting,
including Dennis Green from KCCK, Joe Jennison of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, Ric Swann from Z102.9, and Old Creamery favorite Steve Weiss.
Dennis Green is Ray, Oscar’s accountant—a thankless job, since Oscar has been losing money his entire life. He plays the part straight and narrow, a regular guy in thick glass. He doesn’t, perhaps, stand out as a personality in the show, but he helps to keep the game grounded. In counterpoint to Roy’s affability, Joe Jennison is a bottled up ball of rage ready to explode. He chomps a cigar throughout the play in a manner which leads the audience to suspect he may bit right through at any moment. Steve Weiss as Vinnie and Ric Swann as Murray are the happily (?) married men in the group, but their henpecked stature shows in the slope of Vinnie’s shoulders as he shrugs to the door, and in Officer Murray’s distracted fingerplay as he expresses his envy of bachelors Felix and Oscar.
Deborah Kennedy and Jackie McCall round out the supporting cast as the Pigeon sisters, two fun birds from Britain who bring a literal splash of color with their neon outfits and their outrageous entendres.
The stars of the show, of course, are the dysfunctional couple Felix and Oscar. The premise of the play (as if you didn’t know) is that Felix has been cut loose from his marriage, and he moves in with his slobby friend Oscar... and hilarity ensues.
Tom Milligan is perfectly at ease as Oscar, inhabiting what appear to be Jack Klugman’s exact costumes as he slobs about in his eight room apartment with no one to hold him responsible for his mess. His body language is open and free, every bit the lady’s man with no troubles in the world, in spite of the large amount of money he owes in child support.
Seth McCall’s Felix was, unfortunately, the sour note of the show. His Felix was overacted and so obnoxious that every time he whine “No wonder Frances left me!” the audience was inclined to agree. His delivery verged on Jerry Lewis “nice LA-DY” territory all too often. His physical comedy, on the other hand, was a thing to behold: body twisted in on itself in reaction to slight injury, obnoxious moose noises to clear his adenoids, and all.
The set for this show was absolutely amazing. Every detail evoked a bachelor pad recently vacated by a woman. The door to the offstage bathroom opened to reveal decorative panels in the entryway, and in my favorite stroke of set design genius, the door to the offstage kitchen pushed open to reveal a kitchen with an actual stove, and jello molds hung on the wall.
The pacing for the show was a bit off. My companion and I agreed that at times we found ourselves thinking it should be moving along a bit more quickly. Do pay attention to the shadows during scene changes, though, as you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
If you go to the Old Creamery and are under 30 years old, remember to bring an ID. The theatre offers a hefty discount for the under 30 set. The Old Creamery’s Odd Couple features a wonderful ensemble, but the heart of the matter — the platonic “marriage” of Felix and Oscar — didn’t ever seem to quite gel.
Sharon Falduto has been involved with theatre for many years. Notable roles include Corrie in Barefoot in the Park with Dreamwell and Myra in Hay Fever with ICCT. She has directed God for the now defunct student group, West Side Players, and Of Mice and Men for Dreamwell. She is currently out of the theatre scene, as she is busy directing the lives of Rachel, Samantha, and Piper at her home in Coralville. She still enjoys the stage, however, and hopes to trod the boards again in the future.
A 2009 staging of The Odd Couple in Iowa is set against a completely different cultural backdrop than an original staging in the 1960s. It’s hard to watch Neil Simon’s play, about manly men doing manly things and
living together in a manly way, without putting it in the context of a gay marriage. Of course that wasn’t Simon’s intent, and the Old Creamery Production plays it straight, but the nods are definitely there — especially in the character of Felix, the persnickety character with a penchant for the traditionally female roles of cooking and cleaning.The play starts with that most masculine of pursuits, a poker game. We are introduced to most of the cast, a quintet of poker players helmed by Oscar Madison (because it takes place in his apartment). This group of men did an excellent job of making the poker game look real, a contrast to later hubbub and hilarity as they chase a despondent Felix around and through the apartment.
The actors making up the gang are a roundup of local celebrity stunt casting,
including Dennis Green from KCCK, Joe Jennison of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, Ric Swann from Z102.9, and Old Creamery favorite Steve Weiss.Dennis Green is Ray, Oscar’s accountant—a thankless job, since Oscar has been losing money his entire life. He plays the part straight and narrow, a regular guy in thick glass. He doesn’t, perhaps, stand out as a personality in the show, but he helps to keep the game grounded. In counterpoint to Roy’s affability, Joe Jennison is a bottled up ball of rage ready to explode. He chomps a cigar throughout the play in a manner which leads the audience to suspect he may bit right through at any moment. Steve Weiss as Vinnie and Ric Swann as Murray are the happily (?) married men in the group, but their henpecked stature shows in the slope of Vinnie’s shoulders as he shrugs to the door, and in Officer Murray’s distracted fingerplay as he expresses his envy of bachelors Felix and Oscar.
Deborah Kennedy and Jackie McCall round out the supporting cast as the Pigeon sisters, two fun birds from Britain who bring a literal splash of color with their neon outfits and their outrageous entendres.
The stars of the show, of course, are the dysfunctional couple Felix and Oscar. The premise of the play (as if you didn’t know) is that Felix has been cut loose from his marriage, and he moves in with his slobby friend Oscar... and hilarity ensues.
Tom Milligan is perfectly at ease as Oscar, inhabiting what appear to be Jack Klugman’s exact costumes as he slobs about in his eight room apartment with no one to hold him responsible for his mess. His body language is open and free, every bit the lady’s man with no troubles in the world, in spite of the large amount of money he owes in child support.
Seth McCall’s Felix was, unfortunately, the sour note of the show. His Felix was overacted and so obnoxious that every time he whine “No wonder Frances left me!” the audience was inclined to agree. His delivery verged on Jerry Lewis “nice LA-DY” territory all too often. His physical comedy, on the other hand, was a thing to behold: body twisted in on itself in reaction to slight injury, obnoxious moose noises to clear his adenoids, and all.
The set for this show was absolutely amazing. Every detail evoked a bachelor pad recently vacated by a woman. The door to the offstage bathroom opened to reveal decorative panels in the entryway, and in my favorite stroke of set design genius, the door to the offstage kitchen pushed open to reveal a kitchen with an actual stove, and jello molds hung on the wall.
The pacing for the show was a bit off. My companion and I agreed that at times we found ourselves thinking it should be moving along a bit more quickly. Do pay attention to the shadows during scene changes, though, as you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
If you go to the Old Creamery and are under 30 years old, remember to bring an ID. The theatre offers a hefty discount for the under 30 set. The Old Creamery’s Odd Couple features a wonderful ensemble, but the heart of the matter — the platonic “marriage” of Felix and Oscar — didn’t ever seem to quite gel.
Sharon Falduto has been involved with theatre for many years. Notable roles include Corrie in Barefoot in the Park with Dreamwell and Myra in Hay Fever with ICCT. She has directed God for the now defunct student group, West Side Players, and Of Mice and Men for Dreamwell. She is currently out of the theatre scene, as she is busy directing the lives of Rachel, Samantha, and Piper at her home in Coralville. She still enjoys the stage, however, and hopes to trod the boards again in the future.
Ready for a midsummer night's dream?
Riverside - The 10th annual Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival opens this weekend with a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (Richard III opens June 19th.)
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream", directed by Ron Clark, is one of Shakespeare's most
magical comedies. It's a delightful romp through an enchanted forest as a quartet of mismatched lovers and a gang of hapless actors cross paths with the king and queen of the fairies. This is not the first time Riverside has done this show as part of their summer festival. Midsummer is probably the one Shakespearean play directors most often adjust to a different setting. Besides Riverside's 2003 50s-era production, I can recall a New Orleans themed version done by the University of Iowa a number of years ago. It will be interesting to see if Riverside plays it straight or mixes it up for this production. Check back for a review after the opening weekend.
To make an evening of the festival, audience members are invited to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic in City Park. Concession items are available for sale before the show and during intermission. One hour before each main stage performance, gather at the Green Show stage (located next to the pavilion) to brush up on the plot of that night’s play with original story theatre versions of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" and "Richard III" performed by the Festival Intern Company.
Special Family Nights and group discounts are also offered. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (319) 338-7672 or visit their website.
Schedule of performances:
Friday, June 12 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 14 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, June 24 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, June 25 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 28 at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30 at 7:00 pm
Thursday, July 2 at 8:00 pm
Friday, July 3 at 8:00 pm
Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday July 8 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, July 11 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, July 12 at 7:00 pm
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream", directed by Ron Clark, is one of Shakespeare's most
magical comedies. It's a delightful romp through an enchanted forest as a quartet of mismatched lovers and a gang of hapless actors cross paths with the king and queen of the fairies. This is not the first time Riverside has done this show as part of their summer festival. Midsummer is probably the one Shakespearean play directors most often adjust to a different setting. Besides Riverside's 2003 50s-era production, I can recall a New Orleans themed version done by the University of Iowa a number of years ago. It will be interesting to see if Riverside plays it straight or mixes it up for this production. Check back for a review after the opening weekend.To make an evening of the festival, audience members are invited to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic in City Park. Concession items are available for sale before the show and during intermission. One hour before each main stage performance, gather at the Green Show stage (located next to the pavilion) to brush up on the plot of that night’s play with original story theatre versions of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" and "Richard III" performed by the Festival Intern Company.
Special Family Nights and group discounts are also offered. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (319) 338-7672 or visit their website.
Schedule of performances:
Friday, June 12 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 14 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, June 24 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, June 25 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 28 at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30 at 7:00 pm
Thursday, July 2 at 8:00 pm
Friday, July 3 at 8:00 pm
Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday July 8 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, July 11 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, July 12 at 7:00 pm
Citty Circle's busy month
City Circle - That highly motivated theatre in Coralville has two shows debuting in June and both of them are in Iowa City. This weekend Hello Dolly! can be seen at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. On June 19th, you can catch a less well known play, The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane, at the Riverside Theatre Gilbert Street stage.
"And what do you do for a living, Mrs. Levi?" asks Ambrose Kemper in the first scene of this delightful musical comedy.
"Some people paint, some sew...I meddle," replies Dolly. And therein lies is the heart of this American classic.
Hello Dolly! is full of memorable songs including Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Ribbons Down My Back, Before the Parade Passes By, Elegance, Hello, Dolly!, It Only Takes a Moment and So Long, Dearie. The show is directed by Michael Stokes.
The cast:
Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi: Patti McTaggart
Ernestina: TBA
Ambrose Kemper: Brian Martin
Horace Vandergelder: Christopher Carpenter
Ermengarde: Collette Forcier
Cornelius Hackl: Kehry Anson Lane
Barnaby Tucker: Adam Koffman
Minnie Fay: Sami Wendell
Irene Molloy: Kate Thompson
Mrs. Rose: Rachel Howell
Rudolph Reisenweber: Cary Beatty
Large Ensemble of Men and Women: Andy Ingham, Andrew Rouner, Mike Sobaski, Matthew James, Bryant Duffy, Olivia Symmonds, Megan Henry, Lily Pappas, Rachel Hileman, Laurel Tippe, Katie Guckert, Katie Eaton, Michelle Altmaier, Katie Crouch, Tim Keating, Kinderek McElvain
In The Little Dog Laughed, Mitchell is a
rising Hollywood film star, a romantic leading man. Every piece of his career has been planned by his manager, Diane, and they are in many ways a "couple". But one fateful and drunken night, Mitchell hires a hustler to come to his New York hotel room. Alex, the hustler, thinks of himself as straight, just as Mitchell does. But it's evident that a spark his been lit between them. As they fumble through their feelings for each other, both Diane and Alex's roommate/girlfriend Ellen begin to catch on. All four of their lives turn into chaos, and the outcome is a surprising one. This show is a benefit to raise money for I-CARE and the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. This show is directed by John Harper.
The cast:
Matthew James as Mitchell Green (The movie star)
Bryant Duffy as Alex (The "Rent Boy")
Rachel Howell as Diane (The agent from hell)
Lorin Ditzler as Ellen (the "rent boy's" girlfriend?!)
For information and tickets to either show, go to City Circle's website.
"And what do you do for a living, Mrs. Levi?" asks Ambrose Kemper in the first scene of this delightful musical comedy.
"Some people paint, some sew...I meddle," replies Dolly. And therein lies is the heart of this American classic.
Hello Dolly! is full of memorable songs including Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Ribbons Down My Back, Before the Parade Passes By, Elegance, Hello, Dolly!, It Only Takes a Moment and So Long, Dearie. The show is directed by Michael Stokes.
The cast:
Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi: Patti McTaggart
Ernestina: TBA
Ambrose Kemper: Brian Martin
Horace Vandergelder: Christopher Carpenter
Ermengarde: Collette Forcier
Cornelius Hackl: Kehry Anson Lane
Barnaby Tucker: Adam Koffman
Minnie Fay: Sami Wendell
Irene Molloy: Kate Thompson
Mrs. Rose: Rachel Howell
Rudolph Reisenweber: Cary Beatty
Large Ensemble of Men and Women: Andy Ingham, Andrew Rouner, Mike Sobaski, Matthew James, Bryant Duffy, Olivia Symmonds, Megan Henry, Lily Pappas, Rachel Hileman, Laurel Tippe, Katie Guckert, Katie Eaton, Michelle Altmaier, Katie Crouch, Tim Keating, Kinderek McElvain
In The Little Dog Laughed, Mitchell is a
rising Hollywood film star, a romantic leading man. Every piece of his career has been planned by his manager, Diane, and they are in many ways a "couple". But one fateful and drunken night, Mitchell hires a hustler to come to his New York hotel room. Alex, the hustler, thinks of himself as straight, just as Mitchell does. But it's evident that a spark his been lit between them. As they fumble through their feelings for each other, both Diane and Alex's roommate/girlfriend Ellen begin to catch on. All four of their lives turn into chaos, and the outcome is a surprising one. This show is a benefit to raise money for I-CARE and the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. This show is directed by John Harper. The cast:
Matthew James as Mitchell Green (The movie star)
Bryant Duffy as Alex (The "Rent Boy")
Rachel Howell as Diane (The agent from hell)
Lorin Ditzler as Ellen (the "rent boy's" girlfriend?!)
For information and tickets to either show, go to City Circle's website.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Tales of Wonder opens tonight
SPT Theatre - SPT's final Writers' Room series of the season, Tales of Wonder, opens tonight at 7:30 pm at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Avenue SE. Tickets are $20. SPT Theatre Company founding members Doug Elliott, Gerard Estella, Jane Pini and Janelle Lauer will be joined by special guest performer Megan Turner Ginsberg. The original work is the collaborative effort of writers David Martino, Jason Alberty, Mary Sullivan and Adam Witte. It's only one weekend, so be sure to catch it! Check out reviews from two past installments here and here.
For more information, call 319-361-5297.
For more information, call 319-361-5297.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Walking the Wire submissions
Riverside Theatre -Riverside Theatre invites playwrights to submit monologues for performance in Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside. This annual celebration of original work features monologues of ten minutes or less by both established and up-and-coming playwrights. The focus for this season’s monologues is: HOLIDAY TALES. Submissions must be postmarked July 15, 2009 or emailed as a Word document and dated by midnight July 15; final selections will be announced no later than September 1. The monologues will be performed November 19-22 at Riverside Theatre. Go here for more information.
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