SPT and ITAC Partner for Holiday Show

SPT & ITAC - SPT Theatre and Iowa Theatre Artists Company announce a weekend of performances in Amana on the ITAC stage. Makin’ Merry... Songs and Stories of the Season will have three performances, December 10 – 12 in Amana. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm and the Sunday matinee will begin at 1:30 pm.

The founding members of SPT Theatre Company are Doug Elliott, Gerard Estella, Janelle Lauer, and Jane Pini. The four performers frequently seek out opportunities to collaborate with other Iowa artists and within other art forms. “We’ve kind of become known for our penchant for intertwining live music and spoken word,” says Estella. “That may mean combining a song and a monologue into once piece or weaving together an entire evening of live music and theatre.”

The founding members of Iowa Theatre Artists Company, Thomas P. Johnson and Meg Merckens, created the company to highlight the talents of Iowa’s performing artists. “Bringing these two companies together is a terrific match of goals and creative performance,” adds Merckens. “We really look forward to having this talented group perform on our stage in Amana.”

Iowa-based actors David Combs and Mary Sullivan will join the SPT Theatre company members in the new production Makin’ Merry... Songs and Stories of the Season, which is being created for this one weekend of shows at ITAC. Combs and Sullivan will provide the narrative, through monologue and short scenes, and SPT will provide the musical underscore. “You can think of it as storytelling with a lot of acoustic music, or a concert with a few good stories,” explained Elliott. “Either way, you’re sure to be entertained.”

The theatre pieces will be originals written by Sullivan and other Iowa authors. The music will include a mix of songs appropriate to the winter season and traditional holiday tunes, as well as a few original tunes by Estella. SPT plans to put its own musical spin on things, so musical selections will include a little blues, a little pop, a little classic country, and a little classic-though unplugged-rock and roll.

Tickets are $25.00 and can be reserved through the ITAC Box Office: 319-622-3222. Or by emailing itac@southslope.net.