Riverside Theatre's 2010-11 Season

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with its usual mix of original works, new Broadway hits, and timeless classics. The magic begins at Gilbert St. on September 10th with [title of show].

[title of show] (yes, that's the title) is a metatheatrical musical by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell. It tells the tale of Jeff and Hunter, two nobodies who dream of writing a broadway musical about two nobodies who dream of writing a Broadway musical. It had its Broadway premier in 2008, and now Riverside is bringing it to Iowa (opens September 10th).

Boom is an apocalyptic comedy by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. Jo, a journalism student, responds to an ad promising "sex to change the course of the world," only to find that Jules, a biologist studying fish for signs of the apocalypse, meant the phrase quite literally. As Jo doesn't want children and Jules is gay, this is an unlikely pair to propagate the species. We may all be doomed, but we're bound to have a few laughs along the way (opens October 29).

The Tag Sale Project is an original work by Maggie Conroy, inspired by an e-mail conversation between five friends planning a yard sale. Last year's staged reading sold out, and the piece has been revised in the meantime. (opens November 26).

All My Sons, Arthur Miller's examination of social responsibility and wartime profiteering, earned him the Tony Award for best author in 1947. It also, in combination with Death of a Salesman, earned him a stint in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. It is often cited as one of his bravest critiques of the "American Dream." Riverside is producing the play with partial support from the Iowa Arts Council (opens January 28).

Walking the Wire is Riverside's annual festival of original monologues. This year's theme is "OMG: surprise moments" (opens March 4).

Pamela Gien's The Syringa Tree deals with South African apartheid. The story centers on six-year-old Elizabeth Grace, but this one-woman tour de force examines the situation from a variety of perspectives across four generations (opens April 1).

We asked Artistic Director Jody Hovland to go more in-depth about the upcoming season. Here's what she had to say:

Q: How do you go about selecting your shows?

A: We’re always reading plays, seeing plays and taking stock of what theatres around the country are producing. We talk to friends at other theatres, we receive suggestions from patrons who see plays in other cities. In the end, we choose plays that excite us as artists – because if we’re passionate about the work, we believe that translates into audience engagement as well.



Q: Is there a unifying theme/concept for this year's season?

A: I believe it’s Riverside’s commitment to an eclectic season that signifies our approach every year, and this year is no exception, ranging from Broadway musical theatre to a one-woman play, from new work to an American classic. Our season opener, the Broadway musical [title of show], definitely brings back memories of getting Riverside Theatre off the ground 30 years ago. The play, about two “nobodies” who decide to write a completely original musical, speaks to anyone who has ever pursued a creative “longshot” – so it really resonated with us, and seemed like a perfect launch for this anniversary season. Our production of Arthur Miller’s family drama, All My Sons, is the centerpiece of our 30th anniversary season, and a project we’re deeply excited about.



Q: Which productions do you feel are breaking new ground? Which do you feel will be crowd favorites?

A: Ah, if only we could predict the crowd favorites! I love that the opening musical has 4 chairs and a piano, and that the second production is very complex scenically - an underground research lab with a large operational fish tank! In the second half of the season we’ll go from the realism of Arthur Miller’s 1940s backyard to the lone swing in The Syringa Tree. Each of these productions offers up an invitation to enter a very specific world. Your “new ground” may be the way the pianist is integrated into [title of show], or the mysterious time-space continuum of Boom, the ethical quagmire of All My Sons, or the politics of pre-Apartheid South Africa – or one of the startling new OMG! monologues from Walking the Wire (who HASN’T had an OH-MY-GOD moment?).



Q: Riverside works with a lot of artists from a variety of places. Will there be any familiar faces to Riverdogs this year? Looking forward to beginning any new relationships?

A: The musical will feature longtime collaborator Kristen Behrendt and, in his first Gilbert Street show, three-time Shakespeare Festival actor Patrick DuLaney, who is now making his home in Iowa City. Eddie Skaggs and Jessica Flood return for their second Gilbert Street productions. Boom brings back former Riverside actor Scot West, who recently finished his MFA at Ohio University and has relocated to Minneapolis. And Kalen Harriman, a Chicago actor seen in last season’s Mary’s Wedding and this summer’s Shakespeare Festival, also returns for Boom. The company for All My Sons will feature many long-time associates, including Mark Hunter as director, Paul Sannerud as scenic designer, and Tim Budd, Kristy Hartsgrove, Martin Andrews and Kehry Lane as actors. Saffron Henke – who first appeared in Riverside’s Young People’s Company when she was a high school student, and since for RTSF as Beatrice in Much Ado – brings the Gilbert Street season to a close by playing all 24 characters in The Syringa Tree.

And although their faces may be familiar to RT audiences, they’ll be seeing Jennifer Fawcett, Sean Lewis and Martin Andrews at the helm of Working Group Theatre, a new company in residence at Riverside this season. Their decision, as young theatre artists, to claim Iowa City as their artistic home base is very exciting to us. Here you have a professional theatre of 30 years hand in hand with a brand new professional company with a bold original vision – now that’s exciting!



Q: Talk a bit about the Tag Sale Project and Walking the Wire. What role do you think the production of original work plays in the artistic community at large?

A: Riverside Theatre actively supports the creation of new work through readings, script-in-hand productions, and fully mounted premieres. Living where we do, in an area which is the artistic home for so many visual, performing and literary artists – this is really a no-brainer. And while new work certainly carries risk – no reassuring track record to lean on - we’ve found that audiences are very excited by original fare – and expect us to produce it! It’s a great privilege to be in on a creative process from the ground up, to help shape that first look and sound of a new play.

In 2008-09 Riverside theatre launched new plays by Ron Clark, Megan Gogerty and Barbara Lau –and for a dozen years we’ve been producing original monologues in Walking the Wire. For many patrons the annual monologue festival is one of their favorite events – with its focus on one story, one performer, one spot on a bare stage. And there you have it – theatre! This season we’re also pleased to bring back a newly edited version of The Tag Sale Project. This collaboration, led by Maggie Conroy, about the adventures of five friends and their yard sale, is a warm and familiar ride - like being right in the neighborhood with them. And that’s what I think the theatre does best, after all – gathers people shoulder to shoulder in a dark room to experience something together. It both creates and serves community – and I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening – or a lifetime.