SPT - SPT Theatre returns this weekend with another edition of Tales From the Writer's Room. This one is called Dead Moose On the Table and according to SPT, "It’s creepy! It’s spooky! It’s hilarious!" Hyperbole? Probably not based on past editions of the Writer's Room. The show is Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31, at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Avenue SE. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Audience members are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes, if they wish. The shows, which include live music, sketches and comedy, feature SPT founding members Doug Elliott, Gerard Estella, Janelle Lauer and Jane Pini, along with special guests Leslie Charipar and David Morton. Each show in the series is the collaborative effort of writers Jason Alberty, Akwi Nji-Dawson, David Martino, Mary Sullivan and Adam Witte.
Tickets are $20 per adult and may be purchased in advance or at the door. Go here for more information.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
SPT's Dead Moose on the Table opens. No, seriously. That's the title.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Take a trip back in time with On the Homefront
by Matthew Falduto
ITAC - World War II ended in 1945, over 60 years ago. Those who lived through it won't be around in another twenty years. That is why it's important that shows like From the Homefront by Thomas P. Johnson exist. The Iowa Theatre Artists Company's production takes us back to the homefront of the war, as two couples deal with the worries and difficulties of living during a world war. In the first of two short 
plays, the wives discuss what is like to be the mother of a son overseas. During World War II, mothers that had a son serving overseas would sew a blue star and hang it in their front window, hence the title of this piece, Blue Star Mother. Paula Grady plays Maggie, the mother of three sons who are fighting in the war. Her neighbor, Charlotte, played by Meg Merckens, comes over and they discuss how one deals with not knowing the fate of her sons. Johnson's script includes a lot of humor which both actresses deliver with perfect timing and wit, particularly Merckens who has a real flair for comedic moments. Grady has the more challenging and emotional role and she does an excellent job of allowing the audience to feel the pain that comes with not knowing where one's children are. The details of the show were wonderful, from the very believable set to the period costumes the women wore. While the emotional pay off in this script isn't quite as intense as the second show, it's still a moving piece that offers a glimpse of life for mothers during the second World War.
The second act of From the Homefront, called Victory Garden, gives us the men's perspective as the husbands of the wives in first act delve into deep issues of duty and honor and the importance of childhood. Harvey, played by Tom Swenson, comes to his neighbor Roy's home to ask his opinion of letting his teenage son enter the armed forces early. Roy, played by Robert Gardner, has three sons overseas already and has a less idealized idea of what it means to serve. Harv, so earnest in his belief that allowing his son to go to war early would be the honorable thing to do, has to contend with Roy's more realistic assessment. Both actors handle their roles expertly and the contrast between the two is fun to watch.
Johnson's script offers a very true picture of the men of that time. These days 
fathers in the same situation would be more open about their feelings. In contrast, Roy never once says he is worried about his sons, but we understand his fear from the words he does use and the way he makes sure Harv understand the realities of serving and the importance of a full childhood for their sons. This window into a different time really demonstrates how much men, in particular, have changed in the way they communicate with each other. However, as much as things have changed in the way we talk, the feelings that drive the words are universal. I am sure those parents of men and women serving overseas today wrestle with the same feelings the real life counterparts of Roy, Harv, Maggie and Charlotte did so many years ago. It's important that we remember that time and the men and women who lived through it. This show is an excellent opportunity to do that.
ITAC offers us another chance to get a picture of that time period as after every show, they ask the audience to stick around and share their stories of World War II. Veterans of World War II get in for free if the reserve ahead of time, which ensures that a good group will be in attendance. At the performance I attended, the stories offered were wonderful and I only wished it would have gone longer. The lovely 84-year-old woman sitting next to me asked me what I knew of World War II. My reply was that I only knew what I learned in school as no one in my family had served. She was clearly disappointed in my answer, but hopefully she gave me a few points for coming to the show. I certainly appreciated hearing her stories of that time. And I'm sure you will enjoy a trip back in time as well, if you check out From the Homefront, now playing until November 15. Go here for more information.
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.
Don't Miss Riverside's Anne Frank
by Matthew Falduto
Riverside - Actors need applause. It's what we crave. Sure, we talk about creating art and advancing social issues and all that, but there is no question that every actor loves the applause of an appreciative audience. That moment when the lights go down and the show is over... you're in the dark and awaiting that spontaneous eruption of applause... such a sweet moment. But every once in a great while, there is a sweeter moment: the audience's utter and complete silence. The audience was silent as the lights faded on Riverside's production of The Diary of Anne Frank Saturday night. We were silent as the actors quietly moved to their places offering us a final tableau of the men, women and children who hid in that attic in Amsterdam. We were silent because our collective group knew silence was the correct way to honor Anne and Margot, Otto and Edith, the Van Daam's, and of course, Dr. Dussel. When we did applaud, it was a reserved applause, one that offered appreciation to the actors for their work while still respecting the immense moment in history this play brought to life for us.
Riverside's production of this newest version of the story of Anne Frank's story was nearly perfect. The only issue I had was with the too loud voiceovers of parts of the diary. They shook us out of the moment of the play and I wished director Mark Hunter had allowed Natalie Kropf to speak the words of Anne's diary every time. That, however, was a small issue and one that did not overly distract from this fine performance.
Kropf was mesmerizing as Anne. She charted a very definite journey for the audience taking us from a joyful if immature Anne to a more mature girl who was beginning to really spread her wings and fly. This version of the play, which includes passages Anne Frank's father Otto removed from earlier versions, offers the audience a more fully realized Anne. Her perfectly normal frustration with her mother provides an added tragedy to the play as we know Anne and Edith will never have the chance to move past that angry time that so often happens between mothers and daughters in the teenage years. (I wonder if anyone else was remembering Riverside's Raising Medusa production from last season?) The play also shows us Anne coming to terms with her own emerging sexuality, which again reinforces that Anne's humanity. And while the play emphasizes her humanity instead of making her out to be a heroic figure, it also makes it quite clear that this girl was a simply amazing writer, whose life was cut unforgivably short. Kropf managed Anne's journey perfectly, from the joy to the anger to the sorrow. She became Anne and we were entranced.
The rest of the ensemble was also excellent. Kristy Hartsgrove as Mrs. Van Daan offered us some wonderful humor in the show, but she also handled every intense moment with ease. A particularly wonderful scene between Hartsgrove and Tim Budd, who played Mr. Van Daan, was her comforting him after he had been found stealing food. This somewhat frivolous character showed another side in this scene, and Hartsgrove knew exactly how to use the moment to the greatest effect.
Andrew Dawson portrayed Otto Frank with a quiet strength that was moving. Ron Clark's Mr. Dussel the dentist offered some comedy as well as providing added tension to the story. Otto Frank's explosion at Dussel as Dussel is rationing the food was perfectly directed by Hunter and acted by Dawson, for maximum impact. Alec Hynes as Peter and Lindsay Tornquist as Margot round out the main cast. Tornquist's Margot providing a wonderful contrast to the Anne. Peter is another character who had to grow over the course of the play, and Hynes provided us with a more mature and confident Peter at the end of the show.
There were no false steps in this show. Perfectly paced, excellently acted, with a realistic and cleverly built multi-level set, this is one show you do not want to miss.
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.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Shady Business' actors deliver the goods
by Andrew Juhl
Old Creamery - Mistaken identity. It’s a very old trick to use when writing comedy, as it creates a plot where essentially there is none. We’ve all seen it, from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to nearly every television sitcom that makes it to its second season (and basically every episode of Three’s Company). So in order to for an audience to care at all when they see yet another iteration of this tired device, that iteration needs to contain something special. It needs to bring the laughs, stay tight, and—on some level—be a little unpredictable.
The Old Creamery Theatre Company’s production of Robin Hawdon’s Shady Business acceptably delivers in all of those areas. The play itself has enough novelties, twists, and revelations that it avoids looking like a carbon copy of a story we’ve all seen a million times before. The story centers around on Mandy and her none-too-happy-about-being-an-accomplice accomplice, Tania. Mandy and Tania dance at a club owned by Mandy's boyfriend, Big Mack, a mid-level crime boss. Unbeknownst to Big Mack, however, Mandy has fallen in love with another man, Gerry. When Terry, a newbie lowbie in Big Mack’s syndicate, siphons a grand from an extortion payment that Mandy is charged with overseeing, Mandy (and Tania) have to hide Gerry (and Terry) from Big Mack (and his heavies, Dozer and Harry the Hammer) for a variety of interwoven reasons—not the least of which being that Big Mack mistakes Terry for Gerry. The fun of unraveling this Gordion knot of multiple deceptions takes up the entire second act.
The first thing that struck me about this OCTC production was the set. Even before the play starts, the set is on display for the audience to admire. It serves as the only scenery in both acts, and it serviceably breaks the stage into multiple “rooms” without distraction. Of course, even the best set in the world would be useless without a competent director to utilize it for his actors—and in this regard director Tom Milligan does a splendid job (perhaps aided by the fact that he was also the set designer).
The second thing that struck me—and, again, before the play even started—was the no cell-phone warning and general OCTC introduction. It was prerecorded, immensely enjoyable, and a unique way to set the tone for the evening.
As you would expect from a cast of professional actors, the performances were roundly entertaining. I noticed only two stepped-on lines during the entire production (a pet peeve of mine), and those were glossed-over by the obvious professionalism of the cast. The trio of L.R. Hults (Big Mack), Jason Grubbe (Dozer), and Sean McCall (Harry the Hammer) were enjoyable, but they were also—with the notable exception of Hurls—overly cartoonish at times (yes, even for a madcap comedy). Leah Raulerson (Mandy) gave a competent performance, but failed to break free from the boring underpinnings of the provided material for her character. Except for a speeded monologue later in Act II, she’s really only there to service the plot… or, rather, to have the plot service her.
The clear standout of the evening was Lisa Margolin (Tania), whose delivery, timing, and accent eclipsed every other actor’s in the production. With the (again) notable exception of L.R. Hults, Margolin was the only character who came off properly as “Joisey.”
Shared secondary props go to Joe Lehman (Terry) and Andy Brown (Gerry). Lehman, who I must confess I couldn’t stand for a majority of the play, redeemed his abilities admirably by the show’s conclusion, and Brown, whose successful performance hinged on an entrance in Act II, slides unerringly and quite believably from one ridiculous situation to the next.
The only real downfall of this play is not the production, but the material itself. While the plot is a passably novel take on a tried-and-true idea, the dialogue is chuck-full of crass sexual innuendo that adds nothing to the story and makes the characters (even more) unlikable. Frankly, at no point in this play did I want any of these characters to succeed in any way. They were lying, cheating degenerates, and I couldn’t have cared less as to their outcomes. Furthermore, while anyone with access to Google can easily verify that I am an obvious fan of sexual innuendo, I felt that far too many moments in the show were punctuated with tactless double entrendes. More than any other thing during the evening, those jokes took me out of the experience.
Finally, let me extend my kudos to the OCTC’s staff and services. I went to review this play on very little sleep after an immensely bad day at work. Even the slightest annoyance might have had me barking obscenities like a Chihuahua with Tourette syndrome. That being said, the evening could not have gone smoother. Instead of piling more obnoxiousness onto an already insufferable day, OCTC chilled me out and gave me a great evening. For that, I am truly thankful.
Overall, I would recommend OCTC’s production of Shady Business if you’re a fan of stage comedy. Anything that the play itself may lack, the performers and the theatre more than compensate.
Andrew R. Juhl is an area author and director. He has previously worked with the City Circle Acting Company of Coralville and Rage Theatrics.
Help Captain Spoon Find His Treasure!
Join Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Theatre for Joe Link's children's play The Incredible Adventures of Captain Spoon the Forgetful Pirate. It's a fun, interactive adventure for the whole family. It will be performed at 2pm on October 25 at the 1st St Building in Mt. Vernon (221 1st NE) Tickets are only $3 for children and $5 for adults.
More information here.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
ITAC features work of local playwright
ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company in Amana will present two one act plays written by Thomas P. Johnson. The show opens October 22 and runs through November 15th. Blue Star Mother and Victory Garden are companion one-act plays that make up “From The Homefront.” Combined, they tell the story of two couples, living next door to each other in a small midwestern town, and the challenges they face on the home front during World War II. Blue Star Mother, the story of Maggie and Charlotte, reveals how a mother copes with not seeing or hearing from her sons, away at war, for nearly three years. Victory Garden is the story of their two husbands, Roy and Harv, and the dramatically different way in which they survive the same set of circumstances. This funny, poignant, and some times sad story shows the world of 1944 while saying a lot about America at war today.
Anne Frank opens at Riverside
The Diary of Anne Frank is the story of a Jewish family hiding from the Holocaust in an attic, told in the voice of a young girl. Anne Frank's diary is one of the more remarkable historical artifacts from World War II; not only does it give us a personal perspective on the horrors of fascism, but Frank's optimism and gift with words show us the more hopeful side of humanity. Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945; Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett adapted her story for the stage in 1955. In 1997, Wendy Kessleman adapted the play for a Broadway revival.
Riverside Theatre is staging Kessleman's version beginning October 22nd. Directed by Mark Hunter, it stars Natalie Kropf as Anne Frank. The play is a co-production with Cornell College; this biannual project gives college students an opportunity to work on a play with professional actors. More information here.
Zombie Prom fun, misses some details
by Meghan D'Souza
ICCT - I attended Zombie Prom with an open mind and no expectations, because I was absolutely unsure of what to expect. The 
summaries I found of the play did not make sense to me, so I closed the door to logic (the play does involve a zombie, after all) and opened up my imagination. I knew only that the play took place at a school in the 1950s and involved keeping the good girl, Toffee (Amanda Murray) from dating the school's bad boy, Jonny (Ben Lafayette). You'll notice he's so bad, he took the "h" out of his name, a running joke in the musical.
The musical starts in a whirlwind, quickly explaining how Toffee and Jonny fall madly in love. However, Toffee's parents do not approve and force her to break up with Jonny. Because Jonny has never had any sort of love in his life, he is so devastated that he commits suicide by jumping in a nearby nuclear waste dump. He is laid to rest at sea. Naturally, Toffee mourns his death while her school friends carry on with life. They try to get her to move on. "It's already been three weeks!" they sigh impatiently. They also want her to get excited with them about the upcoming prom. Even her super strict principal, Delilah Strict (Ellen Stevenson), encourages her to move on. "Black isn't a good color on you," she says of Toffee's outfit, a black cardigan and poodle skirt that dons a tombstone marked with RIP instead of a poodle. Mrs. Strict is, as her name implies, very keen on "Rules, Regulations and Respect," a name of one the musical's songs.
Toffee can't fight the feeling that Jonny may be dead, but he is not gone. Her feeling is justified when Jonny returns to school, only... he is a zombie. Her strong love for him brought him back to life. Mrs. Strict can't handle this for reasons that would ruin the musical if revealed here. While Jonny says he just wants to return to school, go to prom with Toffee and graduate, Mrs. Strict insists there is a paragraph in the school handbook that does not allow zombies. She threatens to cancel prom, the day all of the senior girls have lived for, if he shows up at the prom. And that is where I will end the summary. No spoilers for possible attendees.
I have to admit, I did not know how anyone was going to get a musical with a zombie together. I didn't know if it was going to be scary and funny? Were they going to need to use weird lights? How were they going to make this believable? One part that helped make it believable was when we in the audience discussed before the play that we had to put our Zombie Prom Hats on and just accept the musical for what it was. And when we watched, the characters just accepted that there was a zombie. There were jokes about loving what was left of his face. Toffee was grossed out to touch him at first and Murray did a great job of showing that Toffee loved him and got lost in the memories of who he was, then when she snapped out of it, her facial expressions did a good job of showing that she had been lost in what once was and that she wasn't quite ready to touch who he now is. She didn't overact it.
Murray carried the show well. She has a singing voice that she carries very well. It is simply angelic. She made even the most outrageous comedic lines sound logical and stayed completely in character. I found this a difficult play to grasp, but she figured her character out, dressed appropriately, from a blond wig that was styled in a 1950s way to her cardigans and poodle skirts, though all girls had atomic symbols instead of poodles on their skirts. Her dress for prom night was an appropriate 1950s tea-length dress.
Lafayette as Jonny without the "h" probably had the most difficult part. He had to play a troubled orphan who commits suicide in a nuclear waste and comes to life a new person, insisting on graduating from school, dating his one love, and fighting for his right to do so. This is all very complicated, because so many questions come to my mind that aren't answered in the musical and he is left to just create the character. We just have to accept that he is an orphan. I want to know how he made it to high school in the 1950s as an orphan. Did orphanages in the 1950s send teens to normal schools? Because they make it clear that he isn't living with family. How did he survive living in a coffin in the sea? I suppose it was Toffee's love. This is where the door to my logical mind needs to remain closed and accept imagination. Lafayette was dressed like John Travolta in Grease. He had his hair slicked on the sides, wore a leather jacket with "Jonny" written on the back, and paired that with jeans that were rolled up.
Stevenson as Mrs. Strict was dressed for the 1950s while she was in the school setting, but when prom night came, she had a very inappropriate dress on, not only for the time period, but for such a strict principal. Her back and chest were revealed in a satin dress, with a brooch sitting right in the middle of her cleavage. The girls wore much more appropriate 1950s attire for the dance, including gloves, pearls, tea-length dresses with A-line skirts, all with high necklines that defined the fashion of the 1950s. For someone who was defined by "Rules, Regulations and Respect" and for a scene where she is demanding students to follow strict guidelines, Mrs. Strict really ought to have worn a more typical 1950s dress for an adult woman. I was imagining something more like a boatneck with sleeves, gloves, and the A-frame skirt.
Christopher Carpenter played an excellent supporting role as Eddie Flagrante, an 
editor and reporter for Expose magazine and former fling of Mrs. Strict. From his attire to his acting, he was believable. He brought out a believable side of Stevenson in a shared scene that was truly funny. During this scene, he appeared to flub his lines, but, like the best of the best actors, he went with it, without breaking character. Not even a laugh. I figured out the flub from hidden smiles and the nonsensical babble that he said before he, as his character, said, 'I don't even know what I'm saying!' (This paraphrased line flowed just right with what he was saying at the moment). He didn't miss a beat. Throughout the show, he was believable as the reporter who wanted to get the dirt about this zombie and spread the word around. He showed a passion that still burned for Mrs. Strict and delivered his lines very well. He was great comic relief.
A favorite character for many was Toffee's friend Candy (Elizabeth Breed). She was bubbly and all about being a senior in high school. Her hair and outfit, again, a poodle skirt with an atomic symbol taking the place of the poodle, was on par. She stayed in character the whole way through. She played two other small roles and embraced those, as well. As Candy, she was obsessed to a fault with biting her nails and prom. Her voice, her facial expressions, her comedic timing and her enthusiasm made her shine.
A great show relies on details. There was just an imbalance of details in this show. On the one hand, the actors would be great at staying in character while they were in the background. A great detail. On the other hand, one of the gentleman, Joey played by Andrew Fortman, didn't have '50s hair while each girl wore wigs that were styled just right. He wore the black shirt, the rolled up jeans, and his hair was very 2009. Just a little gel and a part on the side would fix that. The set consisted of yellow stairs, pink walls with green lockers painted on them and a purple desk sitting on the platform. It was a sight I could have done without, but managed to ignore when the actors sang and danced in front of it for most of the show. Because the characters were dressed so brightly, a neutral school design would have been fine. Plus, with all of that work done for this show, they used lots of imaginery props that could have added a little to the show. Mirrors to check themselves for make up. Plastic cups to drink from during prom. Small details like that really add up in the end.
I just mentioned dancing. There was a lot of "shout outs" in the form of dancing to Michael Jackson in the form of Thriller moves. Unfortunately, this was another spot where it often looked like half of the cast wasn't quite prepared.
The good news is, the cast was having fun and the audience felt it. I went in not knowing what I was going to see and if I was going to understand it. I did. I laughed at the right spots. My only thought was that details count. A costume doesn't make the character. Voice infliction, facial expression, confidence when you dance, time-appropriate hair and clothing. If everyone is on the same page with the details for the whole two hours, the show is raised up a notch.
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.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Footliters are Footloose
Footliters - The Act 2 wing of the Young Footliters present the stage musical version of Footloose this weekend at the Englert. Over 30 kids in grades 7 to 12 take to the stage in a production directed by Marc Hammes. Show times are Friday, October 16 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, October 17 at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM; and Sunday, October 18, 2009 @ 2:00 PM. Tickets available at the door or go here.
The cast:
REN MCCORMACK – Cody Michel
ETHEL MCCORMACK – Elizabeth Dagle
REVEREND SHAW MOORE – Justin Gorgone
VI MOORE – Megan Henry
ARIEL MOORE – Addi O’Conner
LULU WARNICKER – Katie Schnoebelen
WES WARNICKER – Josh Patterson
COACH ROGER DUNBAR – Christian Lehman
ELEANOR DUNBAR – Marita Loops
RUSTY – Olivia Wengerd
WENDY JO – Kaylee Richmond
URLEEN – Maria Teets
CHUCK CRANSTON – Jason Arnold
LYLE – Michael Henkhaus
TRAVIS – Kaleb Michel
WILLARD HEWITT – Tyler Jensen
PRINCIPAL HARRY CLARK – Derrick Davis
BETTY – Hannah Rublaitus
JETER – Conor Henry
GARVIN – AJ Blythe
CHORUS: Amiela Canin, Anna Mondanan, Greta Doucette, Gwyeth Forsythe, Dacey Messinger, Ariel Hayes, Jennifer Teets, Anna Schnoebelen, Megan Teets, Ashley Orr
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Rocky Horror in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids
CSPS and Riff Raff Theatre - Black leather corset: Check. Fishnet stockings: Check. Transvestites from another planet: Check.
Halloween 2009 offers you two different opportunities to experience Rocky Horror. From October 29 through the 31st, CSPS in Cedar Rapids hosts the return of the all-local stage version of the famous midnight cult flick. And on Halloween night at midnight, Riff Raff Theater is proud to bring that famous midnight cult flick back to life once again at the Englert in Iowa City. Both shows promise lots of audience interaction. For information about the CSPS show, go here. For information about the Riff Raff show, go here.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
McCall named Old Creamery AD
Old Creamery - The Old Creamery Theatre Company is pleased to announce that Sean McCall has recently been named Artistic Director. McCall has been with The Old Creamery for the last 17 years and has been Interim Artistic Director since June of 2009. Prior to that, he was Associate Artistic Director. McCall, originally from Kansas City, now lives in Marengo.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Shady Business preview
Old Creamery – There is definitely some Shady Business going on at The Old Creamery Theatre Company this fall and showgirls Mandy and Tania find themselves in the middle of it all.
Chaotic comedy follows as the girls do some fast-talking to try and stay one step ahead of Big Mack and his buddies Dozer and Harry the Hammer.
Tom Milligan, interim producing director at The Old Creamery Theatre Company is directing Shady Business. Milligan says if you liked the Creamery’s recent hit Don’t Hug Me, then Shady Business is a must see. “While Shady Business isn’t a musical comedy like Don’t Hug Me, all the elements are there for laughter, because after all, that is what we love to do – entertain our audiences and keep them laughing as much as humanly possible,” he said.
Shady Business opens Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage in Amana. Show times are 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursdays and Sundays; and 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The cast includes Sean McCall of Marengo; Leah Raulerson of Washington D.C.; Lisa Margolin of New York; LR Hults of Columbia, Mo.; Jason Grubbe of Iowa City; Joe Lehman of Chicago; and Andy Brown of Tennessee.
The show runs through Nov. 15 and is rated Theatre PG-13.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, or visit the website.
Rock and Roll at TCR
TCR - Romance, rock music and Czech history will all be on display when Theatre Cedar Rapids presents Rock ‘N’ Roll, the award-winning play by Tom Stoppard, beginning Friday and continuing through Oct. 25.
Presented as the first half of Theatre Cedar Rapids’ Linge Series, Rock ‘N’ Roll will be performed at the theater’s temporary location of TCR Lindale, 4444 1st Ave. NE (across from Lindale Mall).
Rock ‘N’ Roll covers two decades between the Prague Spring of 1968 – when Soviet tanks are rolling into Czechloslovakia – and the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
“Living in a community that is so steeped in Czech history and culture, the Czech history was the first part of our attraction to doing this play,” said director Leslie Charipar of Cedar Rapids. “But I was also intrigued by a community theatre attempting to perform Tom Stoppard, who is notoriously complicated. I was really excited by the challenge of covering more than 20 years worth of history on stage.”
Rock ‘N’ Roll features two key characters: Jan (played by Kehry Lane of Iowa City), a young Czech student who is opposed to his country’s regime; and Max (played by Steve Arnold of Vinton), a professor at Cambridge University.
“Oddly, it’s not the massive history and debate that I think is the best part of this show,” said Charipar. “Those things are terrifically interesting, but it’s Jan’s discovery that Communism doesn’t work, that it threatens the very thing he cherishes the most – rock and roll and the freedom it represents.
“And even more poignant is Max’s story,” Charipar added. “Max is a man who’s dedicated his entire life to the ideals of communism, only to discover at the end of his life that he might have been wrong. I think that’s amazing and devastating.”
Stoppard frames the action with music of the time from artists including The Beatles, U2 and The Rolling Stones.
“span style="font-style:italic;">Rock ‘N’ Roll won the London Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, and was on Broadway less than two years ago. Its author has won both Tony and Academy Awards, with titles to his credit including Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia, Shakespeare In Love and The Coast of Utopia.
“There’s no doubt about it, Stoppard is a tricky playwright to tackle,” Charipar said. “But that’s the fun of it: The challenge."
To aid with that challenge, actors in Rock ‘N’ Roll have been working with Dr. Libor Prager, a visiting professor from the Czech Republic currently teaching at Mount Mercy, on everything from dialect to history to culture and behavior.
Tickets to “Rock ‘N’ Roll” are $20 and $25 for adults and $15 for students, with $12 rush tickets at the door available one half hour before each performance. Tickets are available online, by calling (319) 366-8591, or by visiting the box office in the Grant Wood House, 800 2nd Ave. SE.
For more information, visit www.theatrecr.org. And check out a behind the scenes video here.
(Photo by Steve Eckert.)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Go Nuclear
ICCT - It's life as usual at Enrico Fermi High School. The students are preparing for the annual Nuclear Fair in honor of their namesake (the father of the atomic bomb), and the opening number is interrupted by an air raid siren, but this is nothing new. "It's just another day," as the song goes. A new student, however, is being adopted into this nuclear familiar, and he's bound to cause trouble. His name is Jonny. No, that's not a typo - he's such a rebel, he spells it without the "H." This sort of nonconformity usually isn't tolerated, but Miss Strict, the totalitarian principal, is unable to prevent Toffee from falling in love with Jonny. She joins Toffee's parents in putting pressure on the girl, and when Jonny overhears, he overreacts. Toffee warns him "not to do anything rash," but it's too late. He commits suicide by throwing himself into the Francis Gary Powers nuclear power plant.
Of course, as we all know, death cannot stop true love. Jonny comes back to life. He wants to take Toffee to the prom, and he wants to graduate, but the student handbook is clear: no zombies. The students, then, have to come up with a plan to overcome these prejudices.
Zombie Prom is a silly, over-the-top musical by Dana P. Rowe and John Dempsey. It's fast-paced, melodramatic, and a lot of fun. ICCT's upcoming production stars Nina Fominyen & Ellen Stevenson as Delilah Strict, Amanda Murray as Toffee, and Ben Lafeyette as Jonny. It is directed by Jeff Shields with musical direction by Maggie Mowery. It runs October 16-18, 23-25, and 30-31 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. General admission is $15 ($13 for students, $10 for children).
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dreamwell's Writer Joust accepting plays
Dreamwell - Dreamwell Theatre of Iowa City is accepting submissions for their first ever playwriting competition. The Dreamwell Writers Joust: A Fear Festival will feature a full production of the winning play in December 2010 as well as staged readings of two or three runners-up. The winner will also receive a $100 cash prize. In order to fit in with the theme of the 2010 season, "Taboo Bijou," the submitted plays should reflect the following theme: subjects we fear to talk about. "There are lots of subjects people are sometimes afraid to talk about," said Dreamwell founder Matt Falduto. "Death, racism, sex... but don't think we just want serious plays. Comedies that tackle taboo subjects are more than welcome, too!"
Dreamwell has produced original plays in the past, but this is the first time they have ever had a competition. "We wanted to try something new to encourage Iowa playwrights," said co-Artistic Director Chuck Dufano. "We've always been committed to producing original work. Hopefully, this festival will be a good vehicle to make that happen." Plays should be emailed to joust@dreamwell.com by March 1, 2010. The specifics are listed below.
- Playwright must either currently live in Iowa, or have significant ties to the state
- Must be a full length play - 2 hour running time at most
- Please keep the set simple
- Please provide a cover sheet with the following information: Name, Email, Phone number, Title of play, How the play fits the theme, Character list
- Must have never been performed before, not including staged readings
- Send as Word document or .pdf
Email questions to joust AT dreamwell.com
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Always... perfect to the last detail
By Meghan D'Souza
City Circle - Although I realize this is the internet and once a secret is out, it's out for good... I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine. I used to daydream about somehow running into Jodie Sweetin, that is Stephanie from the TV show Full House, in the podunk little river town that I grew up in and becoming one of her closest friends. I look back at the ways my childish mind figured we could meet and laugh now, but when I attended Always... Patsy Cline, based on a true story, I realized that such far fetched childish dreams can come true.
Always... Patsy Cline, which is put on by the City Circle Acting Company of Coralville and currently showing at the Children's Museum at Coral Ridge Mall, is a story of the chance friendship between Patsy (Marcia Hughes) and one of her greatest admirers and close friends, as told by this friend, Louise Seger (Patti McTaggart). Louise tells of the first time she heard Patsy sing on the Arthur Godfrey Show in 1957 and never forgetting that voice. As Patsy's stardom grew and she went on tours, Louise began requesting her music on the radio. After getting to know the DJ from hassling him so much, he told her that Patsy was going to be performing in their city of Houston. Louise went to the performance, met Patsy, and they became friends instantly. A fan's dream come true.
That's the quick summary of the musical. The biggest fans are most definitely going to be Patsy Cline fans. Hughes had gigantic shoes to fill when presented with the task of being Patsy Cline. She rose to the challenge and did a gorgeous job with such songs as Walkin' After Midnight, Crazy, and Stupid Cupid. She spent most of the two hours singing Cline's greatest hits and it was incredible. Heads were bobbing, hands were clapping, toes were tapping. I overheard those in the audience who were around during Cline's days say they were moved by Hughes voice and taken straight back to the late 50s-early 60s.
Because Hughes sang so beautifully and because the musical was preceded with pre-show music sung by Carolyn Matousek, the second biggest fans will simply be fans of music. One really does not need to know a thing about Patsy Cline to enjoy this show. They just need to be in the mood to enjoy true talent.
I did my research to learn about how Cline did her hair, make up, and wardrobe. Apparently, Hughes did, too. She wore ruby red lipstick, which was Cline's favorite. She had short, '60's styled hair, with the sides by her ears curled outwards towards her cheeks. Cline began her career wearing typical Country Western clothing. As she became better known, she chose to dress in more formal attire. Hughes showed where they were in the story by dressing accordingly. When she dressed casually, she wore capris, a button-down shirt with a "P" monogram and a scarf around her neck.
The show was not all about Hughes, though. While she commanded the stage as a celebrity and sang twenty-six songs in two hours without showing any signs of wishing for more than an intermission as a break, the success of the show depended on McTaggart. The wonderful thing about McTaggart was that I did not feel like she was acting like a friend of Patsy Cline. I felt like she really was reliving her experience as Patsy's friend. She had the '60s bouffant hair with a scarf around it, but her brown boots, denim skirt and vest felt like something she could have worn in the '80s, '90s, or today. I wondered if this was because she was looking back on her friendship, telling us about the past, and then would hop into the story she was telling. Unlike Hughes, McTaggart did not have any costume changes.
McTaggart's ability to tell a story in a way that grasps the audience, making them lean in so they don't miss a word is incredible. Her sense of humor and comedic timing gets actual laughs, not just smiles. She was usually a kooky, bubbly woman who you just want to share gossip and funny stories with, you can see why Patsy would be friends with her, but there are sad moments and McTaggart knows exactly how to transition from bubbly to sad without being abrupt. McTaggart basically spent two hours telling a story by herself, sometimes using the band and, of course, having Hughes there to sing or occasionally exchange dialogue, but this could not have been as easy as she made it look. She used her voice, smile, body language, and props all to her advantage. Most fun for the audience was that she did get members of the audience involved, creating more laughs.
Only one time did her comedic relief take something away from the show. Patsy had asked Louise to keep a strict eye on the drummer while she sang Your Cheatin' Heart. Watching Louise and the drummer interact was very funny. However, Your Cheatin' Heart is a heartachingly wonderful song and the comedic interaction going on behind Hughes distracted from her performance.
Though City Circle had to perform at the Children's Museum because their new home on 5th Street is not yet finished, they were not missing anything with their set. The museum just happens to have a barn with a stage right now, so they used that to give the country vibe for a Grand Ol' Opry performance. The band, consisting of drums, a piano, steel guitar, guitar, violin, and bass was set up on the stage with the members wearing cowboy hats to add some country charm. The few set details that I enjoyed the most was the old carbon microphone that was set up for all of Patsy's stage performances. This would be exactly the kind of microphone used in the late '50s/early '60s. I also liked that the front row for the audience was a set of tables draped with red clothes for couples. These tables had glowing candles and "reserved" signs on them. The folks in these seats tended to be more involved with the show, which pleased all of us (well, maybe some were embarrassed). My final favorite detail was a television screen slightly above the set. It had different uses, most often as a sign during different scenes. I most liked when it was used as Louise was recalling that first time she ever heard Patsy, on the Arthur Godfrey Show. As she spoke, a clip from the actual show was shown on the television. When she recalled how Patsy was announced, the television show suddenly changed to real time and showed Hughes stepping on the stage that was right in front of us. The transition on the television was really unexpected and took a moment to realize that what I was now seeing on the television was right there in front of me. Louise reenacted the moment, watching the television while we the audience, of course, were to enjoy the live Hughes right in front of us.
So we have a musical based on a true story that tells a tale that we all wish would happen to us. The music, from the pre-show through each of the twenty-six songs, makes your heart feel like it is being hugged by the ladies' voices. The most minor of details all the way down to the lipstick, microphone and Southern accents, are accurate. There are great laughs and a genuine feeling of friendship through the whole show. I challenge anyone to get through the performance without falling in love with Patti McTaggart and Marcia Hughes.
P.S. And did I mention there is free, authentic Southern barbecue and biscuits during intermission? The details are incredible.
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.
