City Circle - At the Iowa Children's Museum beginning tonight, you can experience a show about the life of country singer Patsy Cline. We had a chance to talk with the director of Ted Swindley's Always Patsy Cline, Cary Beatty.
Cary, can you give us a quick synopsis of the show?
Cary: In 1959, Louise Segar met her idol, Patsy Cline (Marcia Hughes), at a Houston honky-tonk where Cline was appearing. That meeting spawned a friendship that lasted until Cline's tragic and premature death in a plane crash a few years later. Using that magical evening as a framework, twenty eight of Patsy Cline's most beloved songs are presented with narration of the events by Segar (Patty McTaggart). The show is staged cabaret style with much of the action taking place within a few feet of the audience. A six piece country band provides the music under the direction of Lyle Juracek. The show is a wonderful time trip back to the early 60's and spiced with the irreverent wit Segar's character provides. It's a show that always has the audience clappin' hands and humming the tunes on the way out the door.
When you were casting the title role - what were you looking for in terms of similarity to the real Patsy Cline? Was a physical appearance important or were you looking for other aspects?
Cary: First and foremost, we looked for a singer who could accurately represent Cline's vocal quality and passion. Marcia Hughes truly captures the nuance and style of Cline's recordings and performances. Happily, she also bears a close resemblance to the singer and has studied film and video clips to enhance the resemblance.
Can you talk about the rehearsal process a little bit? Any challenges or fun moments you can share?
We were faced with the loss of City Circle's usual rehearsal space, but Dave Tigges, a local businessman who lives in North Coralville, volunteered to let us use the well appointed "party barn" on the grounds of his residence. Here we have been able to completely assemble our set and turn the party barn into the Texas Honky Tonk which is the main setting of the show. One night, Patsy had just finished a song when we looked toward the open door to find 3 deer standing watching the show. They seemed to enjoy it!
This show has been a staple of the Old Creamery's line up for a number of years. What will make your show stand apart?
Cary: There's a physical and theatrical barrier between the audience and the performers at Old Creamery. Our show treats the audience as customers at the Texas Honky Tonk and puts the performers in a much more intimate and engaging setting.
I understand there were more refreshments than usual with this show. "Almost dinner theatre" was how the email described it. What's the story behind that?
Cary: It's a Texas roadhouse and we will have roadhouse food: barbecue, snacks, beverages which can be enjoyed during the show and at intermission.
Can you talk a little bit about your approach to directing a show with just two cast members who play real people?
Cary: Two singer/actresses, six on-stage band members, and a hundred "customers" make this a big, big show. One of the main concepts is to bring the viewer into the show rather than expect them to sit remotely apart as observers: that's television. We want our guests to feel like this is a great big party in a Texas saloon. It's more fun that riding the bull at Gilley's!
Thanks for telling us about the show!
Always...Patsy Cline runs October 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm; the Sunday performance is at 2 pm. All shows are at the Iowa Children's Museum, Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
More fun than bull riding!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Learning to Dance
by James Trainor
Dreamwell - Onstage at Dreamwell Theatre is Master Harold…and the Boys. Written by Athol Fugard and originally produced in 1982, the play takes place in apartheid
Hally, though, has trouble seeing this. He’s apparently unaware of the irony when he accuses Sam, who refuses to accept Charles Darwin’s theories, of intellectual bigotry. “I’ve educated you,” he tells Sam, and he doesn’t seem to acknowledge that Sam might have something to teach him. He is dismissive, in particular, of the ballroom dance competition that Sam is helping Willy prepare for. “You can’t exactly say it challenges the intellect,” Hally insists. “It does other things,” Sam informs him.
Sam describes the world that a ballroom allows us to imagine: a world of perfect harmony, “a world without collisions.” Political life, a brutish clumsy place, is full of conflict and missteps. “People get hurt in their bumping,” Sam laments. “When are we ever going to learn to get it right?” On the dance floor, we practice getting it right. Dancing is elegant, careful and precise; there is no room for accident. In this it fits Hally’s definition of art: it “gives form to the formless.” Hally, who despite his mental rigidity is growing into a progressive man, lights on this idea as a paper topic. “A World Without Collisions: Ballroom Dancing as a Political Vision,” he announces, and encourages Sam to elaborate. For a brief time, he is happy and safe again, uninhibited and childlike, as he was years ago when Sam taught him to fly a kite.
Hally’s life is not a ballroom, however, and he is destined to collide with his family. His father, a crippled alcoholic, will be returning home soon, and every time the phone rings Hally is reminded how trapped he is and how much pressure is on him to take the path prescribed to him. When Sam tries to console him and encourages him to see his father with compassion, Hally lashes out. He accepts his role as white oppressor and takes his anger out on Sam, his spiritual father. In doing so, he threatens to replace their personal relationship with the political roles they inhabit. Sam is all too ready to start calling the boy “Master Harold,” but he makes it clear that it will be at the cost of their friendship.
Dreamwell’s production of Master Harold does this thought-provoking play justice. The actors are skillful and very committed. Roe Lloyd is charming as Sam; though he takes a while to warm up, his speech at the play’s climax is well worth the wait. Thomas Henrich is energetic and subtle as Hally; he’s able to tell us a lot about his character with a simple look. Patrick Rashid is great as Willy; he is a quiet but powerful presence on stage, and his accent work takes us seamlessly into the setting.
Rachael Lindhart's direction really serves the themes of the play. For much of the play, the action is slow and subtle; the real conflicts—the inevitable collisions—are inert, passed over, acknowledged and yet ignored. Hally, it seems, is loathe to accept his role as master to his childhood friends. Everyone in the room is aware of their political relationship, but they value their personal bond more, so they never play these roles in earnest. Lindhart’s pacing here is excellent—the play moves easily along, and the seeds for conflict are planted clearly and seamlessly. When the catalyst comes from outside and pushes this conflict to a point Hally can no longer bear, the sparks fly suddenly. This careful craft pays off; the climax is engaging and exciting.
Master Harold…and the Boys was first presented in
Friday, September 25, 2009
Camelot's music shines
by Matthew Falduto
ICCT - The first time I saw Camelot, I was disappointed. Growing up, I was hooked on stories of knights and damsels in distress. What better stories were there
than those of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? So many years ago when I had a chance to see Camelot, where my favorite stories could be told on stage with singing (singing!)....well, I figured nothing could be better. But I was so disappointed. Lerner and Loewe's Camelot has wonderful music, but they gutted the story. They added uncomfortable humor, making Lancelot a walking joke and Arthur a nervous nellie. I will be honest, it's been over twenty years years since I read The Once and Future King by T.H. White, which is the basis for this musical. So I cannot say for sure who is to place blame for so changing these beloved characters. The only character that benefits from the new interpretation is Guenevere, who is a fully rounded girl eager to experience all the drama of that comes with evil brigands and heroic knights. Her character is the only one that undergoes significant change by the end of the show, becoming wiser if sadder as all the drama she hoped for left her longing for a simpler life. Alas, Arthur is reduced to a painfully uncertain man who cannot make a decision without someone else, whether it is Merlin or later on Guenevere, validating his ideas. Lancelot, the model of a perfect knight whose one fatal flaw was to fall in love with the wrong woman, has been transformed into an arrogant know-it-all who is all the more annoying because he truly is as good as he thinks he is. These are not the characters from the Arthurian legends.
So it was with trepidation that I went to ICCT's Camelot. I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps knowing ahead of time that the story was not the Arthurian legend that I so loved made it easier to enjoy the show. There are interesting characters in this show. Jeremy Ping's King Arthur is at times terribly shy, yet powerfully earnest in his belief that right should rule might. He desperately wants a civilized world. At the end when he is torn by
his belief in a civilized society and his love for the two most important people in his life, his wife and his best friend, Ping's pained face shows us clearly how torn he is. Ping expertly dug past some of the silliness of the character, allowing us to feel for his plight. It doesn't hurt that he is an extremely likable with a strong singing voice. He uses his voice particularly well in the title song.
Rob Keech's Lancelot is effective. It's clear from his portrayal that Lancelot knows he is arrogant. "I'm irritating," he says. "All fanatics are bores." However, while his self inflating comments certainly come across as bragging, it's also obvious that Lancelot is simply being honest, not attempting to offend. This honesty and self awareness are the characteristics that save the character and Keech does a good job showing this. Unfortunately, the French accent he uses is distracting and adds unintentional (I hope) humor to the story.
The true stand out of the show was Kate C. Thompson, who portrays Guenevere. Thompson plays each note of Guenevere's character perfectly. In the beginning, she is playful with hopelessly immature fantasies. By the end, we see a sad, wise woman who fantasies came painfully true. Thompson's voice shines in every song, most notably the heartbreaking "Before I Gaze at You Again." She is the performer who makes you run to the program bios to see what she might be doing next. (She performs locally as a blues and rock vocalist, the bio informs us, but cruelly doesn't mention where!)
Other favorites included scene stealing Richard Paulus as Pellinore and Brittney 
Swenson as Morgan Le Fey. Swenson has to handle one of the most ridiculous moments in the show when Mordred (Ben Ward) tempts her to imprison Arthur using her love of... candy. While the idea that this incredibly powerful witch could be so completely undone by a sweet tooth took one right out of the show, Swenson's willingness to wade into the muck and lift it up with a passionate and gutsy performance must be commended.
Also fun to watch was Stephen J. Polchert's crusty old Merlin. He disappears quite early in the show, which was a shame as Polchert (who erroneously claims in his bio that he has no talent) brings a wonderful energy to the stage and has an excellent and interesting rapport with Ping's Arthur.
The set was simple and well done with a beautiful backdrop of a rolling hills taking us directly to medieval Britain. The only set pieces that didn't work were the thrones, two wooden chairs with some fabric thrown over the back of them and a pillow to sit on. Please, paint them at least! It was hard to believe the pageantry of Camelot with unfinished wooden thrones for the King and Queen.
The costumes were excellent. Much credit must to go costume designer Nika Niehaus who is a clearly a wizard with needle and thread. Finally, I cannot end this review without mentioning the incredible orchestra. They were simply fabulous. The strength of this show is not the story, but rather the music. The orchestra was more than up to the task. I am always amazed at the amount of talent we have in our community.
Would I recommend this show? Absolutely. The music is wonderful and the performances are engaging. It's always a treat to see our local artists performing in the historic Englert Theatre. So go! Let the orchestra's music wash over you as you are transported back to a time when knights rescued maidens and strong arms were used to make the world a better place.
(Photos courtesy of Carol Grow Johnk.)
Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Rumplestiltskin at Old Creamery
Old Creamery – Come watch as straw gets spun into gold for a greedy king and a magical gnome with an unusual name comes to the rescue in a classic fairy tale with a unique retelling.
The Old Creamery Theatre Company’s Theatre for Young Audiences continues its 2009 season with The Riddle of Rumpelstiltskin, opening Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m on the main stage in Amana.
Written by Ellsworth Schave, The Riddle of Rumpelstiltskin is directed by Sean McCall. The cast includes: Amber Snyder, of Memphis, Tenn.; T.J. Besler of Manchester; Jeff Haffner of Cleveland, Ohio; and Nicholas Hodge of Marion. Cost is only $7 per person.
The Riddle of Rumpelstiltskin will also be performed on Saturday, Oct. 3 and 10, at 1 p.m. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA, or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for tickets or more information.
Other upcoming children’s events produced by The Creamery’s Theatre For Young Audiences include Spooky Tales, Oct. 24 and 31; and A Partridge in a Pear Tree, Dec. 5, 12 and 19.
Dreamwell presents Master Harold
Dreamwell - When Dreamwell Theatre decided on this season’s theme and began casting about for “inciting theatre,” Rachel Lindhart proposed Master Harold…and the Boys. Athol Fugard’s 1982 play examining apartheid certainly is inciting.
It’s inciting enough that the apartheid government of South Africa immediately banned it. Fugard’s play casts a revealing humanist look at the consequences of oppression. It tells the story of Hally, a young white student, and his father’s African servants. Through the course of the play, we see the tensions of the outside world invade Hally’s tea room and threaten the relationships between the characters.
It’s inciting still today, because it reminds us that while apartheid is over, racial tensions in
It’s inciting because it reminds us that the political is often personal. Sam and Willie are dear to Hally, but he is coming of age under a brutal regime that deprives them of their rights and humanity. If he internalizes the institutional attitudes of the day, will it shatter the idealized world of his childhood? Or is a “world without collisions” possible?
Master Harold…and the Boys will be performed on September 25 & 26 and October 2 & 3, with all performances at 7:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society (
Camelot comes to the Englert
ICCT - Iowa City Community Theatre invites audiences to be swept away by the music and pageantry of Lerner and Loewe's classic musical Camelot. It is a retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy The Once and Future King. It begins with the entire community of Camelot awaits the arrival of Guenevere, King Arthur of England's future Queen. According to director Josh Sazon, "It is a singular pleasure to have this opportunity to direct this classic, particularly one that has not been staged in the area in the last thirty-five years or so. The score is wondrous, and the story of ideals continues to resonate, as does the whole Arthurian mythos. The show is literate and has humor and heart."
We had the chance to ask Jeremy Ping, who plays Arthur, a few questions about the show.
Tell us about the rehearsal process - what challenges have you had to overcome?
Jeremy: The rehearsal process has been great! As a principal character, it's helpful to have a wonderful cast working with me, as they are all supportive have a lot of patience with me as I struggle with lines. My biggest challenge personally has been the lines. I've not been given a role like this in 10 years or more, and Arthur has a lot of lines! But I love a challenge, and hopefully the audience will love it too!
What's your favorite song in the show and why?
Jeremy: Oh wow... Of all the songs in the show, I love Guenevere's "Before I Gaze at You Again." Kate Thompson has a gorgeous voice, and this song allows her to pull no punches! It's unbelievable! Of my songs that I sing, I find I enjoy "How To Handle A Woman." The content is a little dated for our way of thinking in 2009, but it is a beautiful piece of music.
The Arthur story has been around forever. Do you find yourself sticking with the story as written in the musical or does what you know from other tellings of this story color your performance?
Jeremy: I always try to interpret each role individually, and I try not to pay attention to outside factors. With this role, however, it is important to keep certain parts of the interpretation true to Loerner and Lowe's production, as the role of Arthur is extremely well known, and I think there is a certain expectation for anyone that takes this role on.
Anything else to add?
Jeremy: I hope that this production is as enjoyable to the audience as the experience has been for me. I greatly look forward to getting a reaction to this show from a crowd. I think it has all the elements that people look for in a musical. It has singing and dancing (of course) but more than that it has comedy, drama, a few tragic moments, and some darkness that even after eight weeks of rehearsing I find I'm still discovering and finding incredibly fascinating!
Thanks, Jeremy.
Camelot runs from September 24 through the 27th at the Englert Theater in downtown Iowa City. Evening performances start at 7:30pm, while Saturday and Sunday matinees start at 2pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and students with ID. Go here for more information.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Inside ICCT's 2009-10 Season
ICCT - The Iowa City Community Theatre's 2009-10 season is an interesting mix of plays. They opened the season with The Dispute by Pierre de Marivaux which was performed at the Festival Stage in Lower City Park. Their next show is the King Arthur musical Camelot. We had a chance to ask the director, Josh Sazon, a few questions about the show.
Josh, tell us about the show and why you wanted to direct it.
Josh: The show is a retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy The Once and Future King. More specifically it focuses on the love story between Arthur, Queen Guenevere and Lancelot. I wanted to direct it because I think the score is one of the loveliest in the musical theater canon. Also, there has been no recent productions in the area (and not in the last thirty-five years), and I knew I had people I could work with - actors, musicians and artists - to do this production justice.
Any challenges you're running into?
Josh: There are the usual challenges in mounting a musical, but for me the big challenge of this production is to present the show with a degree of opulence that folks expect from a production of Camelot, and at the same time preserve a certain intimacy and not let it be overwhelmed by spectacle.
Can you tell us a moment from rehearsals that really made you laugh/cry/pump your fist in the air with a resounding "YES!"
Josh: I pump my fist in the air whenever an actor gets off-book with a scene... Seriously there are a number of wondrous moments in the production process: when the designs for set and costumes are unveiled, when the ensemble sings with such beauty, when the big dance number (for Lusty Month of May) is performed and looks absolutely spectacular. But my favorite moments are when in the course of rehearsals actors manage to connect with the material, and bring it to life in the most wonderful vivid manner. And that, I think, is the most wondrous thing about Camelot -- there is substance to the show, that it is literate and has humor and heart. And I hope that is what audiences take out of this production.
Camelot opens September 24th at the Englert Theatre in downtown Iowa City. After Camelot, ICCT offers a very different kind of musical - Zombie Prom. The show follows the story of Jonny, a rebel who eschews the "h" normally found in his name, and Toffee, a good girl whose parents don't approve of the rebel. They fall in love but are pulled apart leading to someone becoming a zombie. The second act deals with the age old question: Should zombies be allowed in high school? There's plenty of singing dancing in the show, which is sure to appeal to regular ICCT theatergoers.
The first show in 2010 will be Wonderful Town, book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Greene, and music by Leonard Bernstein. Director Ben Bentler has created a website so everyone can follow the show's progress from pre-production to auditions and rehearsals to performance. We had a chance to get the inside scoop on the show from Ben.
Ben, can you give us a little background about yourself?
Ben: My background is strictly in musical theatre and voice. I graduated from the University of Iowa with a Vocal Performance degree and have worked on as Director and Music Director on nearly 40 shows. I teach privately voice and piano and focus very much on Stanislavski technique being integrated into the vocal practices of my students.
Tell us about this website you've created for the show.
Ben: I’m planning on putting information up for the actors and a place to give a sneak peak to the public. You can peruse the articles to give your evenings worth of entertainment a bit more pizazz by understanding where the authors came from and myself.
That sounds great. So Wonderful Town. I admit I had never heard of it. What made you suggest it to ICCT?
Ben: Wonderful Town is a fantastic show. I’ve been proposing it to organizations in the area for about five years since I heard the music by Leonard Bernstein. As my degree is in music, the Bernstein score really shines as one of the most remarkable aspects of the show. It’s sort of a hidden treasure of the musical theatre world as very few have heard about it.
Can you give us a synopsis of the story?
Ben: Ruth and Eileen are two Midwestern women who are thrown into the wild heart of Greenwich Village. In this show, they minimize the struggle of the Depression, and show people living there lives free of the struggle outside in the rest of the country as most of the denizens already were on the brink of poverty (starving artists). Greenwich village at the time was becoming less of a true bohemia, as it was in the teens and the twenties, and more of a regular art community. Tourists were now being brought in (as in the opening number) and shown these “rebels,” however with the growing tourism, the true rebels were long since gone. Nonetheless, it was still a place for artists and creatives to share ideas and work together to create amazing pieces of art.
What one word sums up the show?
Ben: If I were to give this show a one word theme as I often do when preparing is would be TENACITY. Ruth is an unusual women of the day. As per the script, she is written in very awkwardly for the 1930’s: a women who is very intellectual and speaks her mind. As per the score, she is meant to sing an octave lower than written. It’s a baritones range! Even through this she still seeks what so many of us do, companionship and success in what we are passionate for. She is a writer and struggles throughout the show to find someone to publish her. The very man who winds up paying attention to her work also finds interest in her as a woman. However, after some poor choice of words, she tells him to take a hike, even though he would be the only one at the time willing to publish her. She shows strong integrity to herself and to her work, even through a very difficult time for woman’s rights.
What else can you tell us about the show?
Ben: Throughout this entire story, however, there is the delightful and very complex scoring of Bernstein that really accentuates the importance of Jazz in an era where it was really being brought to the forefront of popularity. It’s a very anxious and energetic score that will keep you and your ears on your toes. Also, jokes and the smart humor of the writers Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov are sprinkled throughout the show. All in all, it’s a show that keeps you laughing and listening and should leave you with the feeling that hard work and high integrity will pay off in the end as it does with Ruth.
After Wonderful Town, we are treated to an original piece by local writer and director, Michael Sokoloff. Sokoloff has worked in New York (on Broadway and off), in Chicago store-fronts, in summer stock theatres large and small, and everywhere in between. He was the Fight Director for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Tony-winning production of The Grapes of Wrath starring Gary Sinise. His theatre company Aggravated Assault Ensemble focuses on "a rigorous physical approach to training actors, developing scripts, and mounting productions." His play, Bend in the Road, follows two young adventurers on the Oregon Trail as they stumble upon a wagon of strange characters. In the wagon is a beautiful trunk. They find a suit of clothes which transforms one of the. "It raises the question of whether clothes make the man," says Sokoloff. "It's about judging people superficially." When asked if it's a morality tale, Sokoloff cops to the description despite not wanting to admit it. He adds that it's a "wry play with music. Kind of rascally." It may be rascally, but it also won Northwest Regional Playwrights Conference in 1998 and was one of five playa chosen for the Chicago New Play Festival in 1999.
Sokoloff noted that before he staged the show again, he knew he needed good composer. He found one with Nathan Basinger, who has his finger to the pulse of the piece, says Sokoloff. Audiences will find the show has a music hall feel. After a show from a local writer, ICCT ends the season with a play by one of the most well known American playwrights, Neil Simon. Written in 1977, the show is called Chapter Two. It examines the life of a widower who is discovering the second chapter of his life. We talked with Brian Tanner, director of the show.
What lead you to choose a little known Neil Simon play?
Brian: I was perusing the plays at the ICCT library and came across this title by Neil Simon that I hadn't heard of before. I started reading it and was immediately hooked. It had the classic Simon wit and zing to it but was this really deep and emotional story about people trying to discover love again. It was refreshing not to be as familiar with this play as say, The Odd Couple, because it was like experiencing something like The Odd Couple for the first time.
Can you tell us a little bit about the story?
Brian: This is a more intimate play involving four adults with a lot of emotional baggage that they bring with them to their new relationships. The main character is a widow who is still recovering to some extent who decides it may be time for a new beginning, or Chapter Two in his life. He becomes involved with a woman who is recently divorced and not sure if she is ready for another romance so soon. Eventually they meet because of his brother and her est friend and hit it off and maybe a little too well. I found that because these people have these histories, they became much more complex and interesting than your usual "star-crossed lovers". Underlying the surface of all this is Simon's gift for dialogue and wit.
What do you anticipate to be the challenges with this show?
Brian: One of the challenges may be in the casting because it is such a small cast. I hope that many people in the area will be interested in this production so am hoping for a good turnout. I have no preconceptions about the parts as long as they can generally play characters within the same age range and they need to fit well together. Once I decide on one cast member that will affect the dynamic of who is cast in the other roles. So as long as people are in the ballpark I would encourage them to audition. I think this is going to be a really fun show to really stretch one's acting wings in. I'm really looking forward to working on this project.
Anything you'd like to add?
Brian: I appreciate that ICCT is willing to do this play even though it might not be one of his "standards." I don't think Simon fans or fans of intelligent, grown-up comedies will be disappointed.
There's no question ICCT has put together an eclectic season of shows. For more information about the season, check out their website.
Foxfire opens Friday
ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company in Amana will present Foxfire by Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn beginning this weekend. A tribute to the preservation of Appalachian heritage, Foxfire is the story of Annie Nations, a woman fighting to save her mountain farm from a brash real estate developer who wants to turn her land into a vacation resort. Her son, a country singer, comes to see Annie with the news that his wife has run off and his two children need her. Annie's battle to decide her future takes her through some heartfelt, touchingly funny and magical flashbacks of her life on the farm with her husband Hector. This story is a staunch tribute to the tenacity of mountain dwellers, and a celebration of a woman's will to maintain her home and family. The cast includes Meg Merckens (pictured) as Annie Nations and Rob Gardner as Annie’s husband, Hector.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A new season of Tales from the Writer's Room
SPT - Last year, we reviewed two of SPT Theatre's unique Tales from the Writer's Room shows. They are back this year with five new shows in the series. The first is Organized Spontaneity, which as always features live music, sketches and comedy, and the collaborative efforts of writers Jason Alberty, Akwi Nji-Dawson, David Martino, Mary Sullivan and Adam Witte. It runs September 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.
The rest of the 2009-10 Tales of the Writer's Room: Out of Context season:
Oct. 30 & 31
Dead Moose on the Table
Feb. 12 & 13
Bless Your Heart
April 2 & 3
I’d Rather Eat Dirt
June 18 & 19
Penniless at the End of My Life – What Great Timing
SPT is a small, professional theatre company that’s based in Cedar Rapids. It is comprised of founding members Doug Elliott, Gerard Estella, Janelle Lauer and Jane Pini. For more information, go here or call 319-361-5297.
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Dog's Life pleases
by James Trainor
Riverside - There’s something about being a “dog person” that suggests general likability. Maybe it’s a tolerance for the unpredictable. Perhaps it’s a love of authenticity and simplicity—a dog’s life, after all, isn’t that complicated. Learning to love a dog can help you reduce stress. It develops a capacity for patience and compassion that can help in your relationships with children, romance partners, co-workers and friends. It’s also a great metaphor for inner growth.
A Dog’s Life is a light-hearted musical (by Sean Grennan and Leah Okimoto) that tells the story of Joel (Jim Van Valen), who adopts a dog to make up with his ex-girlfriend. He intends to give the lovable pooch, Jake (David Tull), to her as a gift, but she’s not returning his calls. So Joel, too busy and selfish to care for another creature, but too decent to take it back to the pound, has to learn to find the dog person within. It’s not an easy task.
This story is familiar and somewhat predictable, of course. We’ve seen it before. The engaging interactions of the people onstage, however, are what make this production worth seeing. The real joy of a Riverside production is that no matter what’s on the page, the artists commit themselves with the same honesty and skill. With a little bit of love and care from a talented cast like this one, even a mongrel can become “best in show.”
David Tull is charming and energetic as Jack. His doglike mannerisms read very well, yet he doesn’t turn into a cartoon at all. He’s very empathetic and often moving. Steven Perkins and Mary Bryant are fantastic as Big Dog and Little Dog. Their subplot imbues the story with comic relief, zany energy and endearing statements about friendship. Van Valen’s performance is very steady and subtle. He’s a very patient and specific actor, always in the moment. He makes Joel’s growth seem quite believable. Particularly telling is the fact that we grow to like him. At the beginning, he’s an impatient, easily frustrated person who thrives on predictability and control. By the end, he has a sense of humor. He’s not just sarcastic anymore—he’s genuinely funny. John Kaufmann’s direction is simple and effective. The story is clear and well-paced.
Some of the show’s musical numbers seem to veer away from simplicity and authenticity. “A Dog’s Life” seems to be a sanctuary for all the miscellaneous dog puns that Grennan couldn’t bear to send to the pound; it’s a great song-and-dance number, but has no bearing on the plot. “Swirling World” is a comment on neutering dogs that pushes the boundaries of good taste and, again, doesn’t move the plot. “Walkin’ Man,” the boisterous Act II opener, announces with great fanfare that Joel, in the intervening five years, has become acclimated to dog care.
Here we have some plot development, but something troubles me. Joel is set up as a brave and shameless outsider for walking his dog in inclement weather (apparently he’s the only dog owner in his neighborhood) and, yes, for picking up the poop. All well and good, but is this what heroism in the twenty-first century amounts too? Being man enough to clean up after your dog? Joel is, after all, merely obeying the law.
Perhaps I’m over-thinking it, though. Compassion and consistency are traits our culture seems to lack as of late. Joel’s transformation is a positive one, and a reassuringly optimistic one. It’s good to remember that becoming a happier person, like a surprising number of things in life, is intrinsically simple.
One wonders whether the scene design could have benefitted from this Zen-and-dog walking school of thought. The scenes are punctuated with captions reciting quotes from famous people, little tidbits of wisdom and funny sayings about dogs. Sometimes they’re appropriate to the themes of the play, sometimes they’re pretty far afield. Groucho Marx, for instance, once said: “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” Funny—except he wasn’t making a joke about dogs; he was making a joke about words. So many of the captions are like this that they seem extraneous as a whole.
The projections within the scenes function well as backdrops, but they’re unnecessary. They don’t really add much storytelling that wasn’t already covered quite well by the lighting design, the costumes, and the acting. Scott Olinger’s scenic design seems to work best when it’s simple and versatile; the projector complicates things in a vaguely unsatisfying way. It is nice to see the pictures of cast members and their dogs during curtain call, though.
A Dog’s Life opens Riverside’s 29th Season. It kicks off a variety of plays Artistic Director Jody Hovland calls “another eclectic mix of theatrical fare.” Will it be a mutt or a purebred? Can a playful romp like this co-exist with a moody drama like The Diary of Anne Frank or an in-your-face solo performance like Killadelphia: City of Numbers? It remains to be seen, but I’m sure the consistent level of quality and artistic commitment will keep Riverdogs coming back throughout the versatile 2009-2010 Season.
A Dog’s Life is playing at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City now through October 10th. Contact the box office at 319-338-7672 for more information, or go here.
James recently graduated from Cornell College with a Bachelor of Special Studies in English and Theater. He has also acted and directed for Stage Left Theater in Cedar Rapids.
Altar Boyz leaves you wanting more
By Meghan D'Souza
TCR - The who: A boy band called the Altar Boyz from Ohio.
The what: A Raise to Praise concert.
The when: Presented in real time.
The where: A stage that stretches out to the audience in Theatre Cedar Rapids.
Remember N*SYNC? Backstreet Boys? 98 Degrees? LFO? Maybe not LFO. Surely you remember New Kids on the Block. Remember fog machines? Screaming girls? Live bands behind five amazingly choreographed boys who could actually sing?
The musical comedy Altar Boyz will take you right back to those days and leave you feeling amazed with the talent brought forth by the men on stage. It is not every day you see five men who can act, sing, and dance for 90 minutes with full energy that makes the audience jump out of their seats to a standing ovation at the end.
Sure, not all of us are fans of boy bands, but this musical is more than a concert. During the concert mainly led by Zach Parker who plays the band's leader, Matthew, the characters share stories of pain, friendship and faith, all while keeping the comedy going.
As Parker sang a ballad entitled, "Something About You" about love and abstinence, he passionately purred, "Girl, you make me want to wait" into the microphone. Though it had been suggested before this song, it became clear as a sunny day that Mark, played by Alex Schulte, is a homosexual pining for his bandmate. He gets sucked in by Parker's hypnotic voice, leading to an awkward situation that he acted out perfectly, even staying in character when he returned to the background. Such a role could easily have been overplayed, but Schulte knew the limits and stayed within them making his part believable.
To add a twist to this Catholic boy band, there is a Jewish member named Abraham, played by Ryan Foizey. He wowed the audience by beatboxing during one number. The band's "bad boy" Luke, played by Royce Hufford, brought not only the outstanding choreography that the other four men brought to the stage, but also did splits in the air and on the ground. The special talents brought by these men made this musical feel more like we were witnessing the real deal of a concert.
The final boy band member was the Latino Juan, played by Richie Akers. He was found at a church by Hispanic parents who "taught (him) to have a Spanish accent," and felt the pain of never meeting his biological parents. Akers used his facial expressions in the best way to help bring comedy to the show.
Because the biggest impression left is how well the men sang and danced together for this concert, it should be said that Lovar Davis Kidd was the choreographer.
A musical is about more than actors. This musical had a band playing three keyboards, a guitar and drums, all of whom were sitting at the back and center of the stage so the actors could interact with them throughout the musical.
The set was an extended stage with silver streamers falling from the ceiling along the back of the set. There was also a television used during the musical numbers and as part of the plot that I don't want to give away. Set changes were slight, since this was a concert, and were done by the actors, themselves. It mainly involved the addition and removal of stools and microphone stands. What was most exciting to witness, outside of the actors who were properly dressed in sparkling gear supporting Jesus Christ, was the use of light. Between songs, the men would tell stories and the white lights would be soft on them. When they sang, the colorful lights, most commonly red and blue, would light up the stage and change in intensity, depending on the number. For some numbers, they each even had an individual spotlight shining from straight above.
Men were singing in perfect harmony and dancing amazingly choreographed dances. Girls screamed like I did at New Kids on the Block. The audience had a great laugh at the stories and song lyrics ("Jesus tweeted on my Twitter" from "The Calling" is my personal favorite), it was visually entertaining, and we all left with thoughts of faith in our lives to think about.
I rate this a "May I see it again?"
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.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Don't Hug Me is now showing
Old Creamery – It’s the coldest day of the year in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota when a slick Karaoke saleman slides into town and turns life upside down in The Old Creamery Theatre Company’s production of Don’t Hug Me, which opened September 10th and runs through October 11th.
A “Minnesota love story, with singin’ and stuff,” Don’t Hug Me features Old Creamery favorite, Marquetta Senters of South Amana (recently featured in Always…Patsy Cline and The Queen of Bingo) teamed up with funny man James Fleming of New York (Whose Wives Are They Anyway and Leaving Iowa); TJ Besler of Manchester; Jeff Haffner of Cleveland, Ohio; and Amber Snyder of Memphis, Tennessee. Directed by Sean McCall, Don’t Hug Me will keep the audience laughing till the spring thaw!
During the run of Don’t Hug Me, The Old Creamery Theatre will be collecting coats to donate to Coats for Kids. Patrons who bring a coat will receive a discount coupon for $5 off one adult ticket to an upcoming Old Creamery production.
The show runs through October 11 and is rated PG. Tickets are $26.50 for adults and $17.50 for those under age 30. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the box office at 800-35-AMANA or 319-622-6194. Show times are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Don’t Hug Me is sponsored by The Bob Carver Family and Mix 96.5 WMT-FM. For more information, go here.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Riverside opens 2009-10 season with A Dog's Life
Riverside - Riverside Theatre will open the season this weekend with A Dog’s Life, with book and lyrics by Sean Grennan and music by Leah Okimoto. It runs September 11 – October 4.
Meet a sweet-tempered pooch named Jack, the guy who adopts him, and his four-footed pals. Originally produced by the American Heartland Theatre, this funny yet moving musical chronicles the friendship of Joel, played by Jim Van Valen, and Jack, played by David Tull. The story opens with Jack at the pound alongside two other mutts, the worldly-wise Big Dog, played by Steven Perkins, and excitable Little Dog, played by Mary Bryant. Perkins and Bryant also play an assortment of human roles, from a vet to the voice of an in-car assistance system.
When Jack and Joel meet, something clicks. The music and scenes that follow depict their life together, including all of its ups and downs. With Big Dog and Little Dog along for the ride, the dogs’ perspectives are given generous—and hilarious—attention. Director John Kaufmann said he worked with the actors “to create a world where the human and dog worlds intersect. Though the dogs talk and sing in the play, it’s not so far from reality—while we think we're training them, they're also training us: to relax, to play, to listen.”
A Dog’s Life offers several “breeds” of music including hip-hop, traditional musical theatre, soul, Western, disco—there’s even a canine torch song. “Each piece has an important function in the storytelling and many of the songs feature some fun word play,” said music director and musician Jenifer McVay Phelan. “The concept of singing dogs might seem strange, but anyone who's had a pet will relate to the communication and unconditional love that is celebrated in this story.”
A Dog’s Life also features scenography by Scott Olinger, costumes by Renee M. Bell and sound design by Don Schneider. The play is sponsored in part by New Pioneer Food Co-Op.
Other shows scheduled for the 09-10 season include:
In co-production with Cornell College; The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, adapted by Wendy Kesselman, from October 22 – November 8.
Walking the Wire: Holiday Tales from November 19 – 22. Whether it’s Christmas or Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Ramadan, Mardi Gras or Cinco de Mayo – you’ll hear holiday monologues from playwrights across the country and right here in Iowa.
On December 12 and 13, a staged reading of The Tag Sale Project, a piece about five friends and a yard sale created by Maggie Conroy that also features the reflections of Nancy Hauserman, Casey Mahon, Mary New, and Susan Shullaw.
Don’t miss a rapturously funny play by Deborah Zoe Laufer when Riverside Theatre presents End Days, January 29 – February 21. This story combines a Goth girl, her born-again mom, her post-9/11 depressed dad, Jesus and Stephen Hawking.
Sean Christopher Lewis’s one-man show, Killadelphia: City of Numbers, March 5 – 14. This piece offers an “in the trenches” look at crime, incarceration and the road to redemption. Contains adult language.
Mary’s Wedding, playing April 1 -18, is an exhilarating story of first love by Stephen Massicotte. Don’t miss this love letter to the power of memory, hope, and innocent dreams.
For more information, or to order your tickets to these shows, call the Riverside Theatre box office at (319) 338-7672.
