Cookin' With Gus Opens May 30

Deborah Kennedy as Gussie;
Marquetta Senters as Carmen.
Photo by Jackie McCall

Amana – "With the chance for her own television show being dangled in front of her like a perfectly glazed carrot, Gussie Richardson decides to face her fear of the cameras to tape a cooking segment. With a few post-hypnotic suggestions and 'help' from the tipsy gypsy next door, Gussie cooks up a recipe for laughter that will have you bubbling like a cheese soufflé. Don’t miss Cookin’ With Gus, opening Thursday, May 30 at 3 p.m. on The Old Creamery Theatre’s Main Stage in Amana.

Written by Jim Brochu, Cookin’ With Gus is directed by Sean McCall, Artistic Director at The Old Creamery Theatre. The cast consists of Deborah Kennedy of West Amana, Marquetta Senters of South Amana, Eddie Skaggs of Cedar Rapids and Dion Stover of Chicago.

Tickets are $27.50 for adults and $18 for students. Show times are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Student rush tickets are available half an hour before performances. A student ID is required to get this special rate of $12 per ticket. Group rates for 15 people or more are available. Cookin’ With Gus is rated Theatre PG and runs through June 30.

The media sponsor for Cookin’ With Gus is WMT-AM.

Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for tickets or more information. Walk-ins are always welcome if seats are available. Reservations are highly recommended."

(Source: Old Creamery Press Release)

RVAP and Planned Parenthood Receive Donations from Dreamwell and UUS

Iowa City - On Thursday, May 9, 2013, Dreamwell Theatre and the Unitarian Universalist Society presented a donation of $714 to Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. The funds were raised through a production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues as part of the V-Day Movement, which seeks to end violence against women and girls. Executive Director Stephen Polchert and event Production Coordinator Brian Tanner along with Reverand Steven Protzman presented a check to Heidi Sloan, Regional Development Director of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.

The Vagina Monologues were co-presented by Dreamwell Theatre and the Unitarian Universalist Society on March 15 and 16. Rather than charge royalties for the play, the V-Day organization asks for a donation to their organization to help with their advocacy initiative. All other proceeds from the production are donated to local organizations that support women. In addition to Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Dreamwell and the Unitarian Universalist Society also chose to donate $714 to the Rape Victim Advocacy Program. Representatives from the RVAP were not available for the presentation. The Monologues were directed by Adeara-Jean Maurice who worked with Tanner to bring the production to Dreamwell and the Society.

(Source: Dreamwell website)

Correction and a comment regarding the Children's Hour review

First, the correction: we deleted the line "It’s only been in the last 20 to 30 years that women have stopped wearing hosiery. In 1961 it seems unlikely that women of the class depicted in this play would all be bare legged." It has been brought to our attention that the women were wearing nylons, which is appropriate for the period. We apologize for the error.

It has also come to our attention that Brad Quinn, our reviewer for The Children's Hour, auditioned for the play and was not cast. We did not inform the reviewer ahead of time that it is the policy of this blog to not allow people who have auditioned for a play to then review the play. We are not stating that Mr. Quinn's review is anything other than his objective opinion. However, we strive to remove even the appearance of bias in these reviews and therefore wanted to be forthcoming about this situation. Going forward, we will not allow reviewers who have auditioned for a particular play to review that play.

Thursday Theatre Talk at Riverside

Iowa City – "Riverside Theatre presents two free events, a Thursday Theatre Talk and an open reading, to introduce their summer season Riverside Theatre in the Park plays, Shakespeare’s great drama HAMLET and Sheridan’s hilarious 18th century comedy, THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL.

On May 16 at 5:30PM participate in a Thursday Theatre Talk. Learn about the plays and share questions with the host, Shakespearean scholar Miriam Gilbert, and the directors. Discuss Shakespeare's Hamlet and Sheridan's The School for Scandal—two classic and famous plays. One is perhaps the best-known of Shakespeare's tragedies, while Sheridan's generously witty satire is a brilliant comedy of manners. What makes these plays speak to us today? What problems do they raise for contemporary audiences? What draws directors and actors to these classics? Kristin Horton joins us from New York to direct HAMLET. Theodore Swetz, head of acting at the University of Missouri-KC, MFA program, directs THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL.

Friday, May 17 at 7:00PM enjoy an open reading of THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL script. The cast of the show will read through the script and afterwards audience members can share their reactions with the actors and director, helping to shape the production. The play is a hilarious 18th century English satire that pokes fun at an eccentric aristocratic social circle and their snooty culture of gossip and extravagance.

Both events take place at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street and are free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary. For more information call 319-338-7672 or visit riversidetheatre.org

Riverside Theatre in the Park runs from June 14 – July 7 at Lower City Park in Iowa City. Tickets and event information available by phone, 319-338-7672, or online at riversidetheatre.org."

(Source: Riverside Press Release)

Forum Is Physical Comedy Gold

By James E. Trainor III
Photos by Bob Goodfellow

The cast of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Coralville - A beloved (if naughty) modern classic, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum does indeed have "something for everyone:" bawdy comedy, shameless buffoonery, conniving slaves, cowardly pimps, beautiful dancers, clever songs, and a nonstop stream of jokes. City Circle's production uses a lovely set with colorful costumes, excellent lighting, and some truly wonderful acting from a great cast directed by Patrick Du Laney. As the opening number tells us, there's nothing serious or somber to be had from Forum, but that doesn't mean it's done without care and precision. Du Laney's cast takes comedy seriously, and a number of rather complicated sequences are done with a great deal of skill and energy, to hilarious results.

The musical, by Steven Sondheim, Burt Shevelove, and Larry Gelbart, takes the Roman farces of Plautus for its source material. At the beginning we are introduced to the householders of the three houses onstage: the squabbling middle-aged couple, Senex and Domina (Steve Rosse and Robyn Calhoun); the confused old man, Erronius (Kevin Burford), who is searching for his lost children, and Marcus Lycus (Luis A. Sierra), who is master of whorehouse. The set, by Shelly Ford, is simple and very effective; there are lots of entrances and exits, to allow for the classic farce trope of running in and out of doors, and there is plenty of room downstage for the bulk of the action. The lights, by Drew Bielinski, work well with the set, allowing for some great visual gags, as well as an appropriate tone for every moment. The way the colors play with that of the set and costumes (by Jean Grewe) shows particular care and forethought.

The Children’s Hour Hits and Misses

Meg Dobbs as Amelia Tilford,
Serena Collins as Mary Tilford

By Brad Quinn
Photos By Elisabeth Ross

Iowa City - The Children's Hour is a simple enough premise: in 1961 America, two women, teachers and headmistresses of a small private school for girls, are accused by one of their students of committing lesbian acts with each other. The resulting scandal threatens to destroy their lives and the lives of those who love them. Whether the accusation is true or not is irrelevant; it is the perception which matters.

It took me awhile after I sat down for me to put my finger on what seemed so out of place in this theater in which I have many times similarly sat down. The doors to the stage were closed. They are never closed before a show. As soon as I realized this, I was intrigued…what surprises were they hiding behind the doors, on the stage? When they finally opened the doors, it turned out to be relatively mundane, and yet quite surprising nonetheless: it was just a regular set, but a really well done set!

Auditions for Brucemore Outdoor Children’s Theater: The Amazing Story Machine

Cedar Rapids - "Auditions for Brucemore Outdoor Children’s Theater production of The Amazing Story Machine will be held on Sunday, May 12 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and Monday, May 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Bookbindery/Squash Court located near the Brucemore Visitor Center, 2160 Linden Dr. SE. Various roles are available for males and females at least 18 years of age and prepared to interact with young audiences. This is a cold-reading audition; no advance preparation required.

The Amazing Story Machine will pull audiences out of their seats and into the action as Arthur and his pet mouse, Rusty, bring well-known fairytales and favorite stories to life with the amazing story machine. With just the right turn of a knob or pull of a lever, the machine will transform individuals into Cinderella, Hansel, Gretel, or original characters right on the spot.

Directed by Nathan Nelson, the performances will be Wednesday, July 24, through Saturday, July 27, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Rehearsals will begin mid-June. For further information on auditions, contact Brucemore at (319) 362-7375 or Artistic Director Nathan Nelson at (415) 226-9319."

(Source: Outdoor Children's Theater Press Release)

Director's Cup (CFCT fundraiser)

Cedar Falls - Oster Regent Theatre's Annual Golf Tournament takes place on May 15. Info below.

Cymbeline Opens May 24

Iowa City — "Fourth Room Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s supernatural fairy tale, Cymbeline, at a beautiful outdoor estate (901 Melrose Ave.) on May 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 and June 1 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are FREE.

The event takes place on a spacious tree-enclosed lawn near Kinnick Stadium and audiences are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnics/small coolers to enjoy the experience. To help us handle parking and to adequately prepare and keep you informed of changes/rain cancellations, please make a reservation by calling 319-541-0038 or by email at info@fourthroomtheatre.com stating your preferred date, number in your group and number of vehicles in your party.

Dreamwell Announces 2013-14 Season

Iowa City - "The Dreamwell Board has approved Dreamwell's Play Selection Committee selections for next season.