by Brad Quinn
Red Door - Community theater is always a rather hit or miss proposition. To paraphrase Forest Gump, it is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you are going to get. I am here to tell you, however, that you can’t judge what’s inside by the box.
So let’s get the aesthetic details out of the way first. Red Door Ensemble’s production of How to Heal the Hurt by Hating certainly won’t look impressive as you walk in to the space. Public Space One is a dingy little unfinished basement of a room, with hardly enough space for a stage let alone an audience. A load bearing column is placed right in the middle of the seating, and the front row seats are so close to the foot of the stage it’s likely you could reach out and touch the performers if you so desired (not recommended). And speaking of the seats, they are those really uncomfortable metal folding chairs probably surplus from 1978.
The lighting for the show consists of whatever lighting sources were available with the room itself. The curtain is basically a couple of black sheets hung on a string, and the set consists of a couch, end table, coffee table, and bookshelf which seem likely to have been rescued from various curbsides on moving day. In other words, every thing about this production screams “cheap”.
None of that matters at all.
If you ever needed any assurance that the only thing that really matters in theater is the performances, then this show is the one to do just that. I’ll admit I was skeptical when taking my seat. It certainly looked like guerrilla theater, and my experience with that sort of thing has usually been not so good. Within a few minutes, however, of the three actresses taking the stage, I had forgotten all about my surroundings.
Kelli Michel, Jana Stedman, and Ashley Yates put in phenomenal performances, each portraying a different aspect of the same person, an unnamed female narrator. They are collectively the play’s only character. This seems a little curious at first, but it doesn’t take long to catch on to the fact that the show is essentially one long internal monologue done by three people. Ashley Yates does a fantastic job of playing a more cynical, angry part of the character. Her stage presence is magnetic. Kelli Michel plays a more romantic, emotional part of the character, with just the right amount of force. It would be easy to go overboard or remain too passive, but she navigates it perfectly. And Jana Stedman is the anchor. She plays the hurt and confused part of the character, but the part that must maintain and deal with the day to day. She is steady and assured in her performance.
The only complaint I could possibly have about this arrangement is that it is incredibly difficult to focus your attention at all three of them at once. Only one actress spoke at a time, but you miss a lot of subtle performances if you only concentrate on that particular actress at that time. I happened to look over at Ms. Yates during the opening scene when all three were onstage at the same time, and was rewarded by seeing a range of expressions and reactions to Ms. Michel while she was delivering her monologue. It was quite interesting to think about it in terms of our own internal dialogues, where different parts of our psyche past, present, or future might have entirely different reactions than whatever aspect of our selves is active at the time.
The play itself is adapted from a book by Anita Liberty, who presumably wrote it in a semi-autobiographical fashion. I actually found the title misleading, though, as there really was very little hating in this show. It’s about heartache and healing, and though there is some occasional bile thrown the way of the story’s unseen ex-boyfriend Mitch, it is really more introspective and understanding of the nature of emotional pain. Men do not have to be afraid that they will find themselves bashed or belittled in this script; it is above that.
And it’s funny. It’s the humor that is born of our shared experiences and through the use of clever word play. Which is, in my opinion, one of the toughest kinds of humor to pull off because it requires expert timing and delivery. Again, these ladies did not disappoint. All three of them were spot on in all aspects. I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions…and take my word for it, that is not something I do easily.
All in all I would call this show a triumph, and top to bottom the best show I have seen so far this year despite its inherent limitations. Ignore the uncomfortable surroundings, the cheap lighting, the fact that the costumes are basically right out of the closet of the actresses in the show, and the set that looks like a poor college guy’s basement apartment. These things truly do not matter when you have a good script and great actresses to bring it to life.
Monday, June 28, 2010
How to Heal the Hurt is a Triumph
Friday, June 25, 2010
Rent Opens July 9th
TCR closes its 2009-10 season with the smash Broadway hit Rent, opening July 9th.
Jonathan Larson worked for years on his hip adaptation of Puccini's La bohème only to die on the weekend of its premiere. His ultimate goal was to "bring musical theatre to the MTV generation." The show was an overnight sensation, and it ran from 1996 to 2008.
The piece updates Puccini's opera, moving the action from Paris to the East Village and replacing tuberculosis with AIDS. The characters struggle with life, death, identity and the search for love, and the songs are filled with passion and humor.
Rent's producers would famously give out cheap front-row tickets to "rentheads" who camped out in front of the theatre. In a nod to this tradition, TCR will be holding drawings for $5 "Super Rush" tickets to its production.
Rent runs July 9 - 25, 7:30 (2:30 on Sundays), at the Iowa Theatre Building. Normal ticket prices are $20-$25, $15 for youth, $12 for Rush. More information here.
Staged Reading of Body & Sold Tomorrow Night
Susan Scharnau and Soroptomists International will present a staged reading of Tempest Productions' Body & Sold on Saturday, June 26 at 7:30 PM. The performance will take place in the 16th floor of the Crown Plaza, 350 1st Ave SE in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $10.
The piece examines the problems of child trafficking, teen prostitution, and child abuse. A panel discussion will follow.
More information about the Body & Sold project here.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Riverside announces auditions for 2010-11 season
Riverside - Riverside Theatre, Iowa City’s resident professional theatre company, announces general auditions on Monday, July 5 beginning at 4 pm for roles in its 2010-11 season.
Selected roles for both Equity and non-Equity actors are available for productions of Boom(comedy), All My Sons (classic American drama) and Walking the Wire (monologues.) For details on available roles and production schedules, please contact artistic@riversidetheatre.org.
Audition requirements: head shot/resume, one contemporary monologue.
To schedule an audition, please call the box office at 338-7672, noon-4 pm, Tuesday-Saturday. For more information about the auditions, please contact Jody Hovland at the email address listed above.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
9 Parts of Desire cast chosen
Dreamwell/ICCT - Rachel Howell, director of the Dreamwell Theatre-Iowa City Community Theatre co-production of 9 Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo, has announced the cast.
Amal—Jen Gerbyshak
The American—Angie Toomsen
The Doctor—Ashley Yates
Huda—Meg Dobbs
Iraqi Girl—Ottavia De Luca
Layal—Sarah Jarmon
Mullaya—Robyn McCright
Nanna—Mary Haaf Wedemeyer
Umm Ghada—Kathy Maxey
The show opens August 19th at the Riverside Festival Stage in Lower City Park.
Twelfth Night auditions this weekend
ACE - ACE 12th Night is auditioning actors for an Alternative Casting Experiment performing in December 2010 and throughout 2011. ACE seeks up to 36 actors to play roles in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or What You Will. There will be stipends this fall, payments in winter, and pending funding, salaries in 2011.
Auditions are Friday June 25th, 6 pm to 8 pm and Sunday June 27th, 2 pm to 4 pm at Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library. Actors ages 18 to 180 and of any Race, Color, Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Religion, National Origin, Dis/Ability, Familial Status, Body Type, Aesthetics and more are desired.
Actors are not required to bring anything, but can present a short monologue if desired. There will be some movement at the audition so dress appropriately.
ACE 12th Night has performances scheduled for December 10, 11, and 12th in the evening. You can be cast whether or not you are available for all performances. This will be described at the auditions. Rehearsals will be scheduled with actors, one on one, two by two, etc., from July 12th through September 12th, one to three hours per week. From September 12th until October 10th there will be larger cast rehearsals, three or four hours per week.
ACE (Art Culture Experiments) is a non-profit arts & culture organization that celebrates the body in two, three, and four dimensional works.
For more information, contact Maggie O'Gorman or Mark McCusker at 319-853-8223 or by email: ACE12thNight@gmail.com.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Cristina Panfilio Shines as Juliet
by James E. Trainor III
It seems Shakespeare himself has fallen in love with the character of Juliet. She serves as the early model of many of his heroines - she has the optimistic courage of Rosalind, the sharp wit of Beatrice, and the quiet wisdom of Cordelia. Buried in an outwardly modest young girl is a passion and intelligence that shames her elders.
In Riverside's 2010 Shakespeare Festival, Cristina Panfilio simply shines in the part. She is introduced to us as a carefree child, beautiful and merry. Her scenes with the doting Nurse (Jody Hovland) are a delight to watch. Panfilio and Hovland create a believable and heart-warming on-stage relationship, and the simple joy of it makes up for the tears we know are to follow.
With Romeo (Andy Truschinski), she is suddenly out of her element. Her confidence is shaken by the overwhelming passion of her spirit, and Panfilio plays these scenes with vibrant energy and humor. During the famous balcony scene, one feels she is doomed to explode with giddiness as the she rushes back and forth between her room and her hidden lover. It is an absolutely charming scene, and even though we know where it's ultimately going, we can't help but smile.
As the action becomes more grave, Panfilio's exuberance is tempered, though not completely subdued. As she fights for her honor against her hot-tempered father (Tim Budd), we see her inner strength shine through. When she matches wits with Paris (David Tull), we see her skill with words is every bit as sharp as Romeo and Mercutio's. It is saddening to see the budding woman's family suddenly turn into a cadre of enemies, but it is quite intriguing to watch Panfilio work, and her energy and charm keep driving the piece forward.
Truschinski's melancholy, at times, threatens to consume Panfilio's merriment. The pair strike a nice balance on stage, however, and the early love scenes are fun and endearing. These two can't get enough of each other and we can't get enough of them. Truschinski is also quite strong in the scenes with the shrewd and earthy Friar Lawrence (Patrick Dulaney), and is sharp and clever throughout his verbal spats with Benvolio (Michael Perez) and Mercutio (played with irreverent wit and tireless energy by Michael Daniel Anderson).
Left to his own devices, however, he seems to stumble a bit. Cut loose and exiled, Truschinski's character becomes a little homogeneous, and the production seems to miss some of the subtlety of the later scenes. He picks up at the end, when confronted with Paris, but the play seems to suffer from a drastic dip in energy without Benvolio, Mercutio or Juliet to bring Romeo out of himself.
There seems to be a general inconsistency in the pacing here. The first half is an absolute delight - dynamic, funny and frightening, moving along with the exuberance of a young lover. It's here and gone, however, like the lightning Juliet evokes in the balcony scene. The latter half, as complications suffocate our young couple, seems to lack a certain spark that the first half takes for granted.
Part of this is the awkward structure of the script itself. Shakespeare is experimenting with form here, and makes heavy use of foreshadowing. Romeo and Juliet are rhetorically killed dozens of times in the dialogue, and Juliet in particular has three scenes in which she prepares for suicide. Panfilio and Truschinski do their best to keep the dramatic tension going, but these later scenes lack a bit of urgency.
Ron Clark's direction focuses on the fault of the parents in continuing the feud. In a central scene, Capulet threatenes to disown Juliet if she doesn't marry Paris. Tim Budd is excellent as the proud and angry Capulet, and Clark takes great care to show us how each of these elders is personally responsible for Juliet's fate. It's a very serious message, and the production brings the theme home in a spectacular tableau of mourning at the end as "all are punished."
It does miss a bit of the text's subtlety, though, as Romeo is equally responsible for the tragedy. It may be a dramatic device that Friar Lawrence's letter doesn't reach Romeo, but it's no accident that Romeo ignores the Friar's advice on his wedding day. Even as Romeo is challenging "love-devouring death" to "do what he dare," the cleric counsels patience, self-awareness, and long-lasting love. He has a final chance to turn it all around at the end, when he is surprised by the fact that Juliet's cheeks are not pale (it's no surprise to us; we know she's not dead). There is no shortage of these moments, which add up to a play which, while ostensibly about Fate, highlights pathways to free will by having the central characters blatantly ignore them. This seems to be a very important message in the text, and most of it is glossed over in this production.
It's a small fault; for spectacle, romance and truly skillful performances - especially Panfilio, Hovland, Anderson, and Zachary Andrews (who plays the ferocious Tybalt) - this production delivers everything expected of it. It's always a pleasure to watch a professional company tackle timeless tragedy, especially under the stars.
Romeo and Juliet runs until July 11th at the Riverside Festival Stage in Lower City Park. Tickets are $15-37 and can be purchased by calling 319.338.7672 or from Riverside's website.
Friday, June 18, 2010
SPT Closes the Season With No Regrets
by James E. Trainor III
The tagline for SPT's latest "Tales from the Writer's Room" offering is "Penniless at the End of My Life...What Great Timing!" As themes go, it's difficult to penetrate, somewhere in the realm of April's "I'd Rather Eat Dirt." For these shows, however, it's enough to point the writers in a general direction and they walk out a coherent path time and time again. This one struggles a bit, with a couple of spoofs of "The View" that don't really seem to fit, but the larger themes resonate, and the music, as always, keeps the show going smoothly and seamlessly.
This one seems to be about fate and choice, life, death and afterlife. There are many images of death, with the obligatory comic twist, from Archangel Gabrielle ("you can be whatever you want up here") to a wry bureaucratic "post-Mortem facilitator." There are seekers of great secrets, from a fortune-cookie writer who takes his job a little too seriously ("In Bed") to a woman who climbs a mountain to find a rather incompetent guru ("Great Guru"). The songs, from "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" to "Losing My Religion" and "Pocketful of Stars" recount a contemplative yearning, a melancholic crisis of identity. We're on a journey in search of meaning; in short, the drama of all life. Lest we forget the journey is in the steps, though, the show is peppered with tiny moments that shine.
Akwi J. Nji-Dawson's monologues are spread out here, barely speeches at all but brief, dramatic images. "A100" reminds us to rejoice in the little things, while "Graduated" shows us a darker journey. In "Pennies," finally, we're reminded how close the things we're looking for often are. A young child plucks a penny from a couch, and holds it up like the world's greatest treasure. "Look, mom! I told you we were rich!"
SPT's final installment of the season started two actors in the red - Jason Alberty and Adam Witte have prior engagements - but the remaining cast more than makes up for it with the help of some enthusiastic guests.
It's always refreshing to see Marty Norton perform. She commits wholeheartedly to a part with gut-wrenching honesty, no matter how silly or scary a scene. In "A Slice of Heaven" her nervous energy takes over the stage. In "Sara Dippity" she is hilarious as the bitter fortune teller Frau Den Schreude. In "Great Guru" the frustration of her breakdown is captivating and contagious.
Tim Boyle is a lot of fun, too. His turn as Bill Clinton on plugging his book "At Least I didn't..." is somehow as charming as it is sleazy. As the befuddled Guru in "Great Guru" he plays off Norton's energy quite well. He's particularly sharp as the afterlife's outreach agent in "The Kinder Gentler Death," mastering a linguistically dense patter than would make John Cleese reach for a thesaurus.
Lynne Rothrock is a versatile performer, and she fits in well on stage and with the band. Particularly memorable is her solo, "Louisiana 1927." The song, telling the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of '27, is made even more solemn in the aftermath of Katrina '05 (not to mention Cedar River '08).
Ron Dewitte joins the band again. He is a great guitarist and it's always fun to listen to him play. He jams well with the regulars and they go through a great variety of musical styles without once breaking stride.
Meanwhile, the regular cast is short two. Fortunately, Mary Sullivan and Akwi J. Nji-Dawson more than make up for it, performing the work, especially "You Can't Take it with You" with style, grace, and impeccable comic timing. After some hilarious physical comedy between Sullivan and Doug Elliot, the band brings it home with a rendition of "Life is a Highway." Here, as in "Get It While You Can," Jane Pini lays down some serious vocal power.
It's a strong ending to the show, and the season as a whole. The only drawback, however, is that the whole thing seems to have gotten two big for its britches. The Writer's Room shows have grown quite popular lately, and the Museum of Art space doesn't make for very good sightlines when the room is full. Hopefully, if the audience continues to grow, SPT will find a larger space. In the meantime, I suggest showing up early if you want a good seat.
Tales from the Writer's Room: Penniless at the End of My Life...What Great Timing! will be performed again on Saturday, June 19th at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Doors open at 7:30; tickets are $20. Check SPT's website for more info.
Dreamwell Announces Writers Joust winners
Dreamwell - Dreamwell Theatre has selected the winners of its first ever Writers Joust: A Fear Festival. Innocence by Tom Deiker of Clive, Iowa was chosen as the winner. The two runners up are The Night I Kissed Osama Bin Laden: A 9/11 Comedy by Joe Jennison of Mount Vernon, Iowa and Divergence by Janet Schlapkohl of Iowa City, Iowa. Innocence will open November 19th. The runners up will receive staged readings the weekend of November 12th.
In order to fit in with the theme of the 2010 season, “Taboo Bijou,” the submitted plays had to reflect the following theme: subjects we fear to talk about. Jennison's play addresses our national tragedy with humor while Schlapkohl's tackles the subject of family secrets. Jennison is a nine-time produced playwright whose plays have been staged at theaters in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. His play A Beautiful Man won “Best of Fringe” and “Best Comedy” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2003. Janet Schlapkohl founded the “Combined Efforts Community Drama,” a group that offers opportunities for actors with and without special needs. Her monologues have been included in Riverside Theatre's Walking the Wire productions.
The winning play, Innocence, tells the story of Pedro Lopez, "Monster of the Andes," who raped and murdered over 300 young girls. Deiker's play explores the choices made by individuals who encountered Lopez, and how those choices may have lead to more murders. Deiker is a published writer who has had his work placed in several dozen publications, including Cimarron Review, Fugue, Galaxy, Newsweek, and Plain Dealer Magazine. He also recently formed a Des Moines community theatre company, Lucubrations.
Dreamwell received many entries to the Writers Joust from writers all over Iowa. "We had so many great plays to choose from," said Matt Falduto, Dreamwell founder. "We felt these three plays best expressed our theme."
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're thrilled with the number of choices we had and excited beyond belief at the shows we're going to present to the community.”
Dreamwell Theatre is an award-winning non-profit volunteer theatre company dedicated to creating professional-quality productions. In their 13 years of existence, they have produced over 50 plays in various locations around Iowa City. Their mission is to create challenging, innovative and inclusive theatrical experiences as a theatre of exploration.
How to Heal the Hurt By Hating Opens June 25
Red Door ensemble will premier their adaptation of Anita Liberty's How to Heal the Hurt By Hating. The production will presented at Public Space One and will run for three weekends.
"Anita Liberty" is the brainchild of comedienne Suzanne Weber and graphic artist Michael Calleia. The two penned the 1998 book "How to Heal the Hurt By Hating," in which Anita uses poetry to vent her frustration with her ex-boyfriend Mitchell. The book became a hit, spawning a short film, live readings, and two more books. Now Red Door is adapting the work as a play.
“I have been inspired by the writing of Anita Liberty for over ten years now," says director Kerry Kieler. "Red Door Ensemble is happy to have this opportunity to produce our very first adaptation.” The show will feature three actresses portraying "different aspects of one character" and will also incorporate some original poems created by Red Door's ensemble.
How to Heal the Hurt By Hating runs June 25 – July 10th, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Interested in Stage Combat?
Jason Tipsword, of Rakish Grin Stage Combat, has been asked to put together a mass battle/ stage combat demo at a historical site on August 7th, 2010. He needs 10-20 people to participate in a choreographed battle scene using a variety of stage weapons. Jason anticipates there will be four three-hour rehearsals. Rehearsals will begin Saturday July 10th and run Saturdays through the 31st in the mid-late afternoon in the Iowa City area. Jason notes that if your availability is limited, he probably needs some people to die early, or come in late, and could use your help as well. He can use combatants of all experience levels, but all rehearsals and performances will take place outside so he needs people who can be outside for several hours at a time. Participants should be 16+ years of age, or have a parent present at all events. If you'd like to participate, or have questions, please email Jason at jason.tipsword@gmail.com.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Penniless for one weekend only
SPT - Penniless at the End of My Life -- What Great Timing! runs for two performances only, June 18 and 19, at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.
This latest completely original show from SPT is an exploration of a life without regret, matter over money, and why timing is everything. Guest artists are singer Lynne Rothrock, actress Marty Norton and comedian Tim Boyle. The special musical guest is blues guitarist Ron DeWitte. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; show begins at 7:30 p.m.
We've written extensively about their past shows. Check it out here.
For more information about the show, tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact SPT at sptcontactus@spttheatre.org.
Red Door accepting submissions for next season
Red Door - The Red Door Ensemble is currently accepting submissions of new plays from playwrights local and national to determine their second season in 2011. Submissions should be scripts that have not been produced or published previously.
RDE is looking to produce three productions and two children’s theatre production next year, as well as several other readings in non-traditional spaces around the Iowa City area. Scripts should therefore be versatile in the sense that they should be cognizant of the ensemble’s production capabilities. Josh Beadle, Artistic Director, says, “It’s of utmost importance that we choose shows that have something pertinent to say about this place right now, that we can perform well, and the community as a whole can learn from and most importantly enjoy.”
For further information please contact the Red Door Ensemble at reddoorensemble@gmail.com or 319.329.6612.
Romeo and Juliet opens June 18
Riverside – Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare and directed by Ron Clark, will open at the Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival on June 18.
The world’s most enduring love story, Romeo and Juliet tells the story of young lovers caught between feuding families. Romeo and Juliet desperately struggle to be together, but their love races toward a final confrontation with fate. Clark, a co-founder of Riverside Theatre and the company’s production manager and resident artist, says that this year’s production is filled with action, passion, swordplay, dance and a new musical score.
Romeo and Juliet features Andrew Truschinski as Romeo and Cristina Panfilio as Juliet. Parents of the star-crossed lovers are portrayed by Dan Stearns as Lord Montague, Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom as Lady Montague, Tim Budd as Lord Capulet, and Kalen Harriman as Lady Capulet. Romeo’s friends Mercutio and Benvolio are played by Michael Daniel Anderson and Michael Perez, respectively. Playing the part of Tybalt, enemy to Romeo and his companions, is Zachary Andrews. The part of Paris, the wishful suitor to Juliet, is played by David Tull. The Nurse and Prince Escalus are portrayed by Riverside co-founders Jody Hovland and Ron Clark, respectively. Friar Lawrence is played by Patrick DuLaney and Friar John is played by Benjamin Koehler. Servingmen Sampson, Gregory, and Peter are played by Nathan George, Chad Bay, and Dennis Florine, respectively. Two other servingmen, Abram and Balthasar, are played by Ayana Atiba Sahar.
The costumes are designed by Renee Garcia, scenic and lighting design by Paul Sannerud, original music and sound design by Timothy Munger.
Audience members are invited to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic in City Park before the show. Concession items are available at the box office before curtain and during intermission. One hour before each main stage performance, patrons may gather at the Green Show stage (located next to the pavilion) to brush up on the plot of that night’s play with original story theatre versions of the evening’s play performed by the Festival Intern Company.
Patrons are also invited to take advantage of Family Night discounts. On Family Nights, up to two adults accompanying a youth (18 or younger) will receive their tickets at the $15 youth price. A Family Night performance for Romeo and Juliet is scheduled for June 29; Family Nights on June 22 and July 6 will feature Love’s Labour’s Lost. Family Night shows begin at 7 p.m.
For more information, call the box office at (319) 338-7672 or visit www.riversidetheatre.org.
Four-Course Musical Comedy opens June 18 at ITAC
ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company in Amana invites you back to high school this summer with a very unique theatrical production, All School Reunion, conceived and written by Thomas P. Johnson and the members of the ITAC performing ensemble. The production takes place in the lower level of the ITAC Performing Arts Center, the former Barn Restaurant, located in the center of Amana. All School Reunion opens Friday, June 18 and continues through Sunday, August 1. Sharing the lower level of ITAC’s Performing Arts Center is “Collectively Iowa,” a winery that moved into its new location in March. “Collectively Iowa” will be offering Iowa wines, beers and soft drinks for the Reunion festivities.
All School Reunion tells the story of Kitsy Judson, (Meg Merckens, South Amana) who was passed over for Homecoming Queen in 1971 and decides to set the record straight during the festivities of the 2010 All School Reunion of Highland Valley High School. Fellow classmate and reigning 1971 Homecoming Queen, Norma Nolan, (Paula Grady, Cedar Rapids) just happens to be in attendance this year which sets the wheels in motion for a “Royalty Rematch!” Music, songs, and the “Quest for the Crown” are woven throughout the Reunion’s dinner (Craig, (Tom Johnson, South Amana), Highland Valley’s custodian, is in charge of the food and has given this year’s meal a Hawaiian theme.) The cast includes long-time Highland Valley High School principal Ernest Dingleman, (Ed Moersfelder), music teacher and piano player, Mr. Bradley, (Bradley Fritz, Cedar Rapids) and the oldest Highland Valley graduate and current math teacher, Ralph Waldo Smith, (Marshall Nielsen, Cedar Falls). Other alumni providing entertainment include Darryl “Moose” Tremain, (Randy Sandersfeld, Amana), class of ’77, former high school football standout turned country music star, Jonathan Olivier, (Ian Zahren, South Amana), class of ’06, whose love for show choir didn’t end with high school, and class of 2010 valedictorian and head cheerleader, Jody Wilkerson, (Jenna Vik, Woodbury, Minnesota). Gunnar Pálsson, (Alex Shockley, Algona), is the 2010 Foreign Exchange Student from Iceland.
The production also features a talented cast of “singing waiters.” These young performers play current students of Highland Valley’s show choir who are helping with the buffet dinner at the reunion. A “mini-reunion” of Williamsburg High School’s Men’s Ensemble, "En Harmony," occurs with two former show choir members, Harry Zuber, (East Amana) and Trevor Harrison, (Williamsburg) in the cast. They are joined by Fritz Burgher (East Amana), Liesl Burgher, (East Amana) and Katie Moore (South Amana) who complete Highland Valley's performing ensemble of singers.
Tom Johnson, co-Producer and writer of All School Reunion adds, “It’s the nearest thing to a real All-School Reunion except it’s a whole lot funnier.”
The production opens June 18 and runs through August 1. Afternoon performances are offered on Fridays and Sundays. Audience members are encouraged to arrive between 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM to pick up their tickets, fill out name tags and have their photo taken with “Jackie,” mascot of Highland Valley’s “Fightin’ Jackalopes” Entertainment officially begins at 12:30 PM for matinees. Evening performances are offered Fridays and Saturdays, with registration/ticket pick up and photos between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM and entertainment beginning at 6:30 PM. Ticket prices are $35 for adults and $25 for students. Seating is limited. For information and reservations, call: 319-622-3222 or visit: www.iowatheatreartists.org
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Air is Free: Lawnchair Man soars high above the Corridor
by Joe Jennison
I have been singing one of the numbers from Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s production of Robert Lindsey-Nassif’s Flight of the Lawnchair Man again and again and again, and I just can’t seem to get it out of my head. And, I do believe that is a GOOD thing.
The song, “The Air is Free,” is a ballad introduced about three-fourths of the way through the musical comedy, that seems to sum up very concisely and artistically the musical play’s theme: no matter the obstacles against us, all dreams are possible to those who believe. This is one of 15 wonderfully written original songs in the quick-moving, one-act musical.
The play begins with the main character, Jerry Gorman (T.J. Besler), standing on a chair with a noose made out of an extension cord around his neck. Seems his job at the snack bar at Wal-Mart is not satisfying, he is not getting along with his mother (Jane Pini), and his dreams to fly are no more than a pipedream. The only real joy in his life is his faithful, loving and supportive girlfriend, Gracie (Janelle Lauer), a tollbooth worker who believes in him with all her heart. On his 34th birthday, everything seems to hit him: “Jesus had ascended by the time he was 34,” he tells his friends at his party.
And then, he decides to do something extraordinary: he decides to tie hundreds of helium balloons to his lawnchair and take off over the suburbs of New Jersey on a magical flight that immediately captures the attention of TV crews, NASA and the FAA. These scenes with Besler in an actual lawnchair high above the stage on fly-rigging are some of my favorites in the piece. From the sky, Besler’s character imagines conversations with Leonardo Da Vinci (Jeff Jablonski), Amelia Earhart (Nina Swanson) and a tap-dancing Charles Lindbergh (Zach Parker). Besler has a beautiful voice and appears so incredibly comfortable on the lawnchair high above the crowd. This show belongs to him and he seems quite comfortable stepping in and taking control of this character’s dream and destiny.
Of course, a great dream such as this in musical theater requires great obstacles. And here Nassif and writing partner Peter Ulllian (book) create a masculine-but-female FAA Agent (played by Leslie Charipar) that has a very funny moment with Lauer, as they fight over a communication device. The two seem to be channeling Lucy and Ethel as they create a humorous moment of very well-rehearsed, slapstick comedy. Very funny.
The scenery and costumes, credited to Quinn Fortune and Curtis Phillips for the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, Tenn., deserve a mention here. The sets are painted a beautiful sky blue with clouds, and against that backdrop are gorgeous reds and greens and yellows, bright, bright colors that remind the viewer of a live-action Dr. Seuss book. This is a very well-done fantasy that has the look of a Seussical dream -- the creativity involved in this piece is non-stop. The ensemble becomes cars at Gracie’s tollbooth, a neighborhood pilot (Scott Schulte) and his uppity flight attendant (Kate Knudsen) spend a great deal of the piece in a wearable airplane with an accordion middle that they carry across the stage as they dance and sing and rumba. And the music and comedy seem to build throughout the evening up to and including the aforementioned “The Air is Free” number. A nine-piece orchestra conducted by Daniel Kleinknecht keeps the evening moving along, and flying effects by Hall Associates Flying Effects adds much to the production.
There are so many scenes and songs that I loved that require mentioning here: there is a wonderful recreation of the French film The Red Balloon on stage that is just a hoot. Nina Swanson in this piece plays the little boy in the movie and the entire piece is done on a large, recreated TV console that includes real balloons, a slingshot and a very obvious puppet tied to Swanson’s neck – hysterical.
Several smaller characters added fun and humor to the piece as well, including Steve Rezabeck as a completely uptight Wal-Mart manager, and the aforementioned Parker, Swanson and Jablonski as fantasy portrayals of Lindbergh (as Jimmy Stewart), Earhart (as Kathrine Hepburn) and Da Vinci (as someone very Italian, sorry couldn’t place the characterization). I loved these portrayals most of all, very unexpected and totally in keeping with the crazy, colorful fantasy set up by the production team. Kate Knudsen’s Blaire is gorgeous in turquoise (and heels!); Schulte’s Big Jack Preston is completely boorish and lovable. And Lauer’s Gracie offers a full-throttle commitment of love and support of her beau Jerry, which is just as strong and as passionate as Pini’s Mother Gorman’s insistence that her son deny his dreams in favor of a Wal-Mart 401k and health benefits.
At this time of year, the message of pursuing your dreams no matter what the reaction of family, friends, and the general public is so incredibly important. It may be very human to encourage (or outright demand) that our young people continue on a path of security and comfort, but I hope every young person in our community has the opportunity to see and hear and take Nassif’s message to heart.
“You can own the highways and you can own TV,
But you can’t own the air, sir, the air is free.”
I love this song and am listening to it over and over in my head, even as I type this. Congratulations to Nassif and Ullian and Besler and Lauer and Schulte and Knudsen and Pini and Parker and Jablonski and Swanson and the Rezabecks and every other hardworking castmember involved in this production. This high-flying, fun-loving, colorful evening of magic, music, comedy and, oh yes, fly-rigging is a must-see for anyone who still believes that dreaming does matter. I loved it!
“You can’t own the air, sir, the air is free.”
Flight of the Lawnchair Man was commissioned by the Prince Music Theatre, Philadelphia, Penn., which produced the world premiere of 3hree in October 2000 and was originally developed in The Harold Prince Workshop Musical Theatre Program at the Directors Company in New York City. It was also presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in 2004, and was originally produced by The Goodspeed Opera by Michael P. Price, executive producer and Sue Frost, associate producer.
Joe Jennison is a freelance writer and playwright living in Mount Vernon. If you’d like Mr. Jennison to review your show, send him a quick email at joejennison@hotmail.com.
Editor's Note: Due to limited resources, The Iowa Theatre does not regularly cover the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. However, we are more than willing to publish reviews of such shows, and others in the area, that go beyond our focus. If you are a freelance writer who would like to write about a particular show that is outside of our normal coverage, drop an email and we'll see if we can get it posted.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Shakespeare's Labour Not Lost on Riverside
by James Trainor
Love's Labour's Lost is a tough play. Sitting down with the text, one can easily become lost in the footnotes, attempting to parse corrupted Latin and borrowed French and skimming through long diversion into European history. Also disconcerting is the play's style, which hops swiftly from traditional English comedy to Commedia dell'arte and back for eight scenes and suddenly somersaults into a third, highly unexpected thing in the last 200 lines.
One wonders what Shakespeare is up to. He treats us to a delightful romp, then pulls the rug under us; a tactic not unheard of, but Shakespeare seems to wait until we're flying on a magic carpet to perform his coup de théâtre. Fortunately, Riverside's company does a spectacular job of embracing the dizzying heights of the ride as well as plumbing the troubling depths of the fall.
The plot is actually quite simple and very amusing. The King of Navarre (played here with comic dignity by Zachary Andrews) has entered into a legal contract with his friends to endure three years of rigorous study without the distractions of women. Berowne (Michael Daniel Anderson) is quick to point out that these restrictions are not only too harsh, but are, in fact, impossible to keep: the Princess of France and her coterie of beautiful ladies has just arrived to do business with the King. Puffed with pride, they sign anyway, and in a delightfully awkward scene the King must explain to the Princess that, due to his oath, he cannot welcome them inside and they must spend their visit in a field a mile away. His friends, meanwhile, are smitten with the French women and immediately begin to write gushing sonnets behind each other's backs.
The main plot is interspersed with pastoral scenes involving characters lifted from the Italian Commedia dell'arte. Armado, the braggart (Tim Budd in a hilarious triumph), has been smitten with the country girl Jaquenetta (Jessica Flood), and must use his rival Costard (Patrick DuLaney) as a go-between. The characters here are larger than life, crass, unpolished, and extremely funny. DuLaney is at his comic best as Costard, finding ample opportunities to wink at the audience in a play loaded with double-entendres. David Tull creates a wonderfully bumbling cop in Constable Dull, and Jody Hovland a particularly preposterous pedant as the learned Holofernes. Dennis Florine is the quick-witted Moth, and he delivers his comic asides with excellent precision and timing.
The whole thing is a laugh riot. It's fun to watch the men make fools of themselves (with a little help from the women) in the main plot, and the Commedia scenes, with their bawdy humor and over-the-top staging, remind us why these characters have such a central place in theatrical history. The resolution, however, is an unexpected and disorienting sudden shift in tone.
Instead of dovetailing together as in most Shakespeare plays, the two worlds practically collide. During the Pageant of the Nine Worthies, Holofernes presents to the court Judas Maccabeus - not to be confused with Judas Iscariot. The lords delight in just this confusion, however, and mercilessly mock the poor scholar. Deflated, he pleads for dignity, "This is not generous, not gentle, not humble." The scene, played with incredible skill by Jody Hovland, casts a pall on the festivities. The pageant continues, however, until it is interrupted by Costard, who challenges Armano over Jaquenetta (now pregnant by Armano). This too is interrupted by a messenger bearing dark tidings: the King of France has just died, and the Princess is now the Queen. The French women, ever more coolly rational than the impulsive men, declare they will not hear any suits of love for a period of one year and prepare to depart.
If this sounds like a mystifying and illogical series of events, that's because it's intended to be. The moment is so awkward, in fact, that the characters feel the need to comment on it.
"Our wooing doth not end like an old play," complains Berowne. "Jack hath not Jill. These ladies' courtesy might well have made our sport a comedy." Berowne is appealing to the spirit of cooperation, suggesting the women should enter into marriage simply to appease the expectations of dramatic structure. It sounds ridiculous because it is. Shakespeare is insisting we take a closer look at this whole "romantic comedy" business.
Think about it. Don't you ever want to grab Romeo by the shoulders and just shake him? "Think for a second, lover boy! You just met this woman." The trappings of stage romance, like Berowne's sonnets, are quite ridiculous. Of course, the idea of "love at first sight" does not go unexamined in Romeo & Juliet; in fact, it's laid quite bare in Friar Lawrence's admonitions and in Juliet's own reservations. Juliet, however, gives in to her youthful passion, and pays the price. In Love's Labour's Lost we see the same notions rebuked by more mature women.
The smart scenes with the French women are a great contrast to the silly romps of the lovesick men, though Ron Clark is a bit too bombastic as the subtle and smarmy Boyet. The women, very civilized and composed in early twentieth century blue summer-dresses, are a delight. Kalen Harriman is charming as the willful Princess of France, though she is frequently upstaged by Cristina Panfilio as the sassy Rosaline. Panfilio is bright, quick, and plays the courting game with a playfulness that somehow does not tarnish the serious tone beneath it. When she chides Berowne, she does so with the respect of a good teacher who trusts her pupil, and it seems by the end he takes the lesson to heart. She finally decides she will marry him in a year, like the others, but he must spend that year among the terminally ill and see if he still finds himself so funny in front of so tough a crowd.
Whether he passes this test we don't find out. We're left with hope, however, and whatever the ultimate resolution, the play is an interesting reflection on our notions of love and courtship. It reminds us that the vows we make in the heat of summer had better be able to withstand the frigid winter.
Love's Labour's Lost is a great counterpoint to Romeo & Juliet, as the plays deal with similar themes in quite different ways. Riverside's company, under the direction of the Theodore Swetz, does a marvelous job with the bombastic comedy and isn't afraid to address the "problem play" parts of the piece. The result is a night of theatre that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Love's Labour's Lost will be presented on the Festival stage in Lower City Park until July 11th, in repertory with Romeo & Juliet. Tickets are $15-$37 and can be reserved by phone at 319.338.7672. See Riverside's website for more information.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Do not miss Working Group's Odyssues, Iowa
by Matthew Falduto
Working Group - When people ask me why I live in the Iowa City area, I always talk about the theatre opportunities here. If you're a reader of this blog you know how incredible our theatre community is. So many different experiences await you in this town. I've seen a lot of unique theatre in my nearly 20 years in Iowa, but tonight's performance of Odysseus, Iowa by Working Group was the first time I'd ever experienced theatre where the landscape of Iowa was an important character. The play is performed in various locations on a farm. This is promenade theatre, where the audience follows the action to different areas. When was the last time you've been to promenade theatre? That's what I thought. Go or you'll regret it!
The story is a familiar one, very loosely based on the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. We follow the heroic journey of Odie (Martin Andrews), who has lost his love, Penny (Maggie Blake), in a flood and must traverse many obstacles to find her. Odie is accompanied on his journey by John (John Watkins), a troubadour who plays the guitar. It's a search for love, but of course there's a modern twist at the end that might fly over the heads of the kids, though was much appreciated by the adult audience, I'm sure.
All of the actors embrace the witty and sometimes farcical material, from Andrews' sincerely lovelorn hero to Watkins' laid back singer, who also composed the original music he played for the show. Brian Quijada and Luke Schares shine in all of their supporting roles, but especially so as the SloMos, two frat boys who have been scavenging stuff from the flood. The script, written by Jennifer Fawcett and Sean Christopher Lewis, is tight and moves us quickly through the action. There is not a flaw in the show and when it was over after a brief 60 minutes or so, I wanted more.
But what's truly unique about Odysseus, Iowa is how Iowa's landscape became a character in the show. The play opens with Odie looking for Penny, who we see off in the distance in a beautiful green field, before she disappears into the distance. It's a stunningly beautiful theatrical moment that is possible only because of the location. As we follow Odie and John on their journey, different character leap out of small buildings or pontificate from atop a wooden structure. The climax of the play occurs in a barn-like building with a hard concrete floor. Every last bit of humidity of the evening was locked in there with us, but it was the perfect setting for this final encounter with the most feared creature, the Cyclops. (And fortunately, we got to leave the furnace building before too long.) Every setting was carefully chosen for maximum impact. This is bold, original theatre that challenges convention.
My nine-year-old daughter accompanied me to the show and she loved it. This is a perfect show to take your kids to see. It's a wonderful story, with honest and genuine performances, amidst a beautiful setting. I can't recommend it enough. It's not as far out there in the country as you think it is. Here are the directions:
Take Highway 1 to the southwest of Iowa City towards Kalona. Take a left on to Maier Avenue (gravel) which takes an S curve and winds past a small subdivision (on your left.) At the first intersection, take a right onto Osage. The Country Camp will be on your right - it's the only property on the road. Please park on the road (don’t go too far onto the side – the ditch is deep!)
There's only one more show - tomorrow night at 7 pm. Don't miss it!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Remain True takes you back to the past
by Meghan D'Souza
ITAC - When I was growing up, my grandparents would tell me stories about their childhoods living on farms here in Iowa in the 1920s. In my mind, I could clearly picture my grandfather as a child in black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a short haircut. In one story, he was in the small man-made farm 
house that he lived in with his four siblings and mother. He walked into the kitchen just as his mother, donned in a floral dress and apron that she made herself, was scolding his little sister and gave her a timeout at the kitchen table. Just as little boys today would, my grandfather got a good laugh and teased his sister for getting in trouble. His mother looked at him sternly and told him to grab a chair. Now both of them were in timeout. Suddenly, it wasn't so funny.
Stories like this are passed down from generation to generation because they are treasures that we want to keep. Besides being entertaining, they remind us of where people before us have been, how they may have struggled and persevered, and show us how far they have come. How much time has changed or, in some cases, how people are still the same, despite the changing times.
The fun thing about Remain True is that it takes actual oral histories regarding the Amana Colonies and brings them to life. Actors Meg Merckens, Ed Moersfelder, Alex Shockley, and Jenna Vik brought different German characters alive for short stories throughout the show. While this sounds like a task that could leave the audience confused and wondering who they are representing, the foursome pulled the show off beautifully.
The set was simple, with a wood bench, antique chairs from an Amana hotel and a wood burning stove that would have been used in the stories they were reenacting. The actors stayed on stage during the swift scene changes, which worked just fine. If they weren't telling the story, their backs were toward the audience as they made adjustments to their time appropriate costumes.
The most impressive part of the show was the great transition each actor made from one story to the next, graduating from how the Germans came to Iowa, to sharing anecdotes that explained how life was lived, to how they eventually decided not to live communally in the Amanas. Watching the stories play out in front of me really took me back to the fun days of listening to my grandparents share memories of their youth. Instead of having to imagine what it was like, it was great to actually see the narratives passed down from residents of the Amanas acted out. This show is a wonderful way to share the history of the Amanas, with facts that are interesting and unique. It is worth seeing at least once this summer!
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.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
2010 Shakespeare festival opens Friday!
Riverside – William Shakespeare's Love’s 
Labour’s Lost, directed by Theodore Swetz, will open the 2010 Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival on June 11. The Festival will also include performances of Romeo and Juliet. All performances are Romeo and Juliet will open on June 18 and the two shows will be performed in rotation at the Riverside Festival Stage in Lower City Park until July 11. This is the first time Riverside has produced Love's Labour's Lost; Romeo and Juliet was last performed in 2002.
One of Shakespeare’s most romantic and wittiest comedies, Love’s Labour’s Lost is a feast of young love, ripe with parody, puns and surprises. A king and his noblemen swear off women to concentrate on their studies. Then, four of France’s most alluring beauties arrive! Kansas City director Theodore Swetz is a founding company member of American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and is currently head of graduate actor training at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Love’s Labour’s Lost features Zachary Andrews as the young King of Navarre. His lords are played by Michael Daniel Anderson, Andrew Truschinski and Michael Perez. The Princess of France is played by Kalen Harriman; her ladies are Cristina Panfilio, Kersten Haile and Emily Draffen, and an attending lord is played by Riverside co-founder Ron Clark. Comic characters include Tim Budd as Armado the Braggart, Patrick DuLaney as Costard the Clown, David Tull as Dull the Constable, Dan Stearns as Nathaniel the Curate, and Riverside co-founder Jody Hovland as Holofernes the Pedant. Jessica Flood, Andrew Clancy and Dennis Florine round out the cast. The costumes are designed by Lindsay W. Davis, scenic and lighting design by Paul Sannerud, original music and sound design by Timothy Munger.
To make an evening of the Festival, audience members are invited to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic in City Park. Concession items are available for sale before the show and during intermission. One hour before each main stage performance, patrons may gather at the Green Show stage (located next to the pavilion) to brush up on the plot of that night’s play with original story theatre versions of the evening’s play performed by the Festival Intern Company.
Patrons are also invited to take advantage of Family Night discounts. On Family Nights, up to two adults accompanying a youth (18 or younger) will receive their tickets at the $15 youth price. Family Night performances for Love’s Labour’s Lost are scheduled for June 22 and July 6; Family Night on June 29 will feature Romeo and Juliet. Family Night shows begin at 7 p.m.
Directions to Lower City Park and information about parking can be found at www.riversidetheatre.org. Ticket prices range from $15 to $37, with discounts available for youth, students and seniors. Group discounts are also available. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (319) 338-7672 or visit www.riversidetheatre.org.
Check out video for Odysseus, Iowa
Working Group - There's a youtube video of a portion of Odysseus, Iowa, the new show by Iowa City's newest professional theatre. Check it out here. The show opens tomorrow.
City Circle accepting submissions for New Play Festival
City Circle - City Circle is now accepting 
original scripts to be performed in their New Play Festival in March 2011. Scripts will be accepted now through October 1, 2010. A final list of chosen plays will be announced November 1, 2010. Ideal plays would be roughly 10 minutes in length. They are always looking for new and upcoming playwrights. Please send your submissions to megan@citycircle.org. Submissions will be read and selected anonymously by a play selection committee.
The last time City Circle produced a new play festival, it was call City Circle Shorts. Here's a link to our coverage of that event.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
City Circle's summer shows are moving forward
City Circle - The first of City Circle's two youth shows is about to open and the the cast of the second has been announced. Godspell opens July 23. The cast is as follows:
Jason Milsap - Jesus
Taylor Troyer - Joanne
Colin Berry - John the Baptist/Judas
Melissa Melloy - Robin
David Maize - Jeffrey
Coady Sierra - Peggy
Tyler Jensen - LaMar
Rica Kenyon - Sonia
Amanda Miller - Herb
Addi O'Conner - Gilmer
But first, the cast of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown takes to the stage beginning June 11 at the Iowa Children's Museum. City Circle says this is a fresh approach to the 1967 classic. Sally Brown joins Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder and Snoopy in this version. Two new songs, Beethoven Day and My New Philosophy, have been added to the twelve wonderful numbers of the original version, such as My Blanket and Me, The Kite, The Baseball Game, Little Known Facts, Suppertime and Happiness.
"This show really lends itself to the ambiance of the Children's Museum," said director Angela Howard. "It is so whimsical and bright." For more information (including a behind the scenes video) or tickets, go here.
Auditions for [TITLE OF SHOW] coming up
Riverside - Riverside Theatre announces auditions on Monday, June 14 beginning at 4 pm for its 2010-11 season opening musical, [TITLE OF SHOW] – yes, that’s really the title – an original Broadway musical about two nobodies writing an original Broadway musical. [TITLE OF SHOW] was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009.
Roles are currently available for two non-Equity performers, one male (tenor) and one female (alto to mezzo) to play characters in their 30s.
Audition requirements: brief contemporary comic monologue, 16 bars of upbeat tempo song, sight reading. Accompanist provided. [TITLE OF SHOW], directed by Ron Clark, begins rehearsals August 9, with performances September 10 - October 3.
To schedule an audition, please call the box office at 338-7672 (noon-4 pm, Tuesday-Saturday). For more information about the auditions, please contact Jody Hovland at artistic@riversidetheatre.org. More information about Riverside Theatre is available at www.riversidetheatre.org.
Auditions for 9 Parts coming up
Dreamwell & ICCT - Dreamwell Theatre and Iowa City Community Theatre join forces to produce 9 Parts of Desire, a portrait of the extraordinary (and ordinary) lives of a cross-section of Iraqi women: a sexy painter, a radical Communist, doctors, exiles, wives and lovers.
Heather Raffo's critically-acclaimed work, directed by Rachel Howell, dives into the conflicting aspects of what it means to be a woman in the age-old war zone of Iraq. An unusually timely meditation on the ancient, the modern and the feminine in a country overshadowed by war.
Audition Dates/Time:
Sunday, June 20, 2010, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Monday, June 21, 2010, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
Actors Needed: 5-9 women, various ages, ethnicities.
What to prepare: Sides will be provided at the auditions. A full script is available for check out at the Reserve Desk at the Iowa City Public Library.
Rehearsal Process: Begins end of June, flexible rehearsal scheduling.
Performance Dates: August 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 at the Riverside Festival Stage.
For more information contact director Rachel Howell at rachelhowell23@gmail.com
ITAC offers a memory play
ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company (ITAC) opens the second play of their 2010 Season, Remain True, on June 9. This original production is a newly-adapted historical depiction of the early life in the Amana Colonies, based on the true-life stories of those who lived in the Colony during the communal era from 1855 through 1932. With stories that are captivating, lively, charming and compassionate, this one-hour matinee will be performed on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 1:30 pm from June 9 until August 28.
Remain True is based on an original production, Home On The Iowa, first conceived and adapted by Thomas P. Johnson in 2000. Using the oral histories gathered by the Amana Heritage Society in the 1980’s from many of the surviving communal-era residents of the Amana Colonies, Johnson created a dynamic, insightful and entertaining theatrical production of Amana history. Remain True features a number of stories presented in Home On The Iowa, with additional stories that will be making their first appearance on stage in this newest production. Four actors will give voice to dozens of real-life residents of the early Amanas and their stories of communal life. Meg Merckens (South Amana), Jenna Vik (Woodbury, Minnesota), Ed Moersfelder (Amery, Wisconsin) and Alex Shockley (Algona) have been working together to study the history, listen to the stories and create their own unique telling of this German settlement in eastern Iowa. Together they present the historic journey of the Amana people as they moved from Germany to Ebenezer, New York and finally to their home in Iowa. The actors’ have received invaluable assistance from the Amana Heritage Society and also from Amana residents, Marietta Moershel, Peter Hoehnle and Emilie Hoppe. “It’s a great way of presenting history in a thoroughly entertaining manner to a wide age range of audience members,” states Meg Merckens, one of the acting ensemble. “Our hope is that it will be a memorable as well as an informative experience for all who attend.”
For ticket information and to reserve seats, call 319-622-3222 or email: itac@southslope.net. All tickets are $10.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Rumors lacks farcical touch
Old Creamery - The thing about Rumors is that it’s a farce, not just a comedy. Neil Simon conceived and wrote it to be a farce, and the original promotional materials go so far as to pointedly advertise this fact. To me, a hallmark of all successful farces is a group of cartoonish, overacted characters ridiculously perpetuating a given situation. You don’t expect the characters to act in a certain way because—when played correctly—their nonsensical nature is of central definition to their existence. To wit, the comedy found in a good farce isn’t predicated in the disbelief that a certain character would do or say a certain thing, it is resultant from the incredulity that any character would do or say a certain thing. To this end, the wackiness of a good farce is typically driven more by the characters’ actions and reactions than any single situation those characters find themselves in.
While I would consider the play Rumors a successful farce, I’m afraid I can’t say the same for this production. Make no mistake: if you pay to spend an evening with this cast at the Old Creamery Theatre, you will experience numerous laughs and very likely enjoy yourself, but I would argue this is a byproduct a wonderful venue, decades of aggregate acting experience, and some very funny (if not entirely solid) source material.
Collectively, this cast has respectable comedy chops. They can tell a good joke, and—with a few notable exceptions I’m willing to chalk up to opening night trepidation—they’ve got the classical comedic timing needed to sell a punch line. The problem is: they’re far-too often so obviously trying to sell those punch lines. The overwhelming majority of the actors in this production are playing their characters as straight—as normal people with normal problems thrown into an incomprehensible situation. But this was never the intention; these aren’t supposed to be normal people, their problems are supposed to be normal problems, and the situation they find themselves isn’t inherently zany or insurmountable. It is this nearly across-the-board lack of commitment to the truly farcical underpinnings of source material that keeps Old Creamery’s production merely good, instead of fantastic.
The play concerns four couples attending the 10th anniversary party of their friend, the deputy mayor of New York, and his wife. As each couple arrives in succession, they discover (one way or another) that their host is bedridden in his upstairs bedroom and suffering from a gunshot wound to the ear, their hostess has seemingly disappeared, and the party’s cook and wait staff are similarly conspicuously absent.
Because this is an ensemble cast, I think it only fitting to give each actor and actress their due, in turn.
The first couple to arrive is the Gormans, Chris (Deborah Kennedy) and Ken (Sean McCall). Both Kennedy and McCall do a satisfactory job of setting the scene and preparing the audience for the action to come. Early in the show, I found McCall to have a Nathan Lane-like quality to his performance that was comforting and well-fitted to the role, but the obnoxiousness of a physical malady his character is later subjected to wears on the audience something fretful. The less lines he has as the show progresses, the happier the audience seems. Deborah Kennedy, on the other hand, has a significantly more utilitarian presence throughout the play, and handled it with aplomb—though the lusciousness of her lush-ness could be improved upon with a little overacting.
The next couple is Clarie Ganz (Kay Francis) and Lenny Ganz (Tom Milligan). Again, the female of the pair had the more utilitarian role, and Francis did a fine job with it. Milligan, however, is easily the best-received actor in the show. Though still played straighter than I would have preferred, Milligan just plain has a preponderance of the night’s best lines, as well as a preponderance of the night’s best deliveries.
The penultimate couple is the Cusacks, Cookie (Nicole Savitt) and Ernie (Steve Weiss). Weiss has the unenviable job of actually being a voice of calm and reason for the first part of his performance before finally and predictably losing his cool. Not to beat a dead horse, but even this role could benefit from an injection of daft implausibility; Weiss’s portrayal isn’t just monochromatic, it hypoxic—it sucks the breath out of a scene whenever his wet blanket of a character bothers to interact with the others in any meaningful way. Savitt—whose character is easily the most annoying of the eight principals—is the only actor who consistently goes over-the-top with her performance, and for that I not only give her a well-deserved pass, but no small measure of my respectful gratitude.
Finally arriving are the Coopers, Cassie (Jackie McCall) and State Senator Glenn (D. Allan Boettgar). Apart from contributing to the soulless din that closes out the first Act, both of these characters are rather forgettable and unlikable. Both actors perform satisfactorily, but the pair seems entirely superfluous to the needs of the production—whether that be the cause of the book or the directing, each audience should judge for itself.
When the play’s climax finally arrives and officers Welch (Ric Swann) and Pudney (Laura Ambrose) come knocking, nothing seems all that important or pressing—least of all the police—to keep the audience engaged. There are still jokes, and they still hit more than they miss, but the observant theatergoer will notice total the lack of urgency or need to deceive these officers in any way. While they’re at it, those same observant theatergoers might also notice the utter lack of importance several unseen but frequently referenced characters actually contribute to the plot.
Up until this point, one might think I was writing a negative review, and rereading the previous paragraphs, I might be tempted to agree if not for one simple fact: I would actually recommend this show to others. The Old Creamery Theatre is a delightful location to see any theatrical performance, and this production continued their tradition of truly immaculate set design and construction, beautiful individual and ensemble costuming, and wonderful usage of the entire stage. Director S. Joseph Nassif and his crew passably requite themselves for the missteps in overall tone with an enviable understanding for lighting, sound, and blocking.
Old Creamery’s production of Rumors runs through July 3rd and is enjoyable theatre fare for teens and up. Like almost all comedies that have ever passed through the Old Creamery, it is worth the price of admission, and I can only assume that statement will increase in accuracy as the production grows more comfortable with increased zaniness throughout the coming weeks.
Andrew R. Juhl is an area author and director. He has previously worked with the City Circle Acting Company of Coralville and Rage Theatrics.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Rumors opens tomorrow!
Old Creamery – What is supposed to be an anniversary party for New York’s deputy mayor turns into a wild night of zany adventures for four couples. An attempted suicide (or is it?), a missing hostess, a damaged car, recurring back spasms, and rumors galore all add to the comedic mayhem of one of Neil Simon’s funniest plays, Rumors. It opens June 3 on The Old Creamery’s Main Stage.
The cast of Rumors consists of: Kay Francis of Naples Flordia; D. Allan Boettger, of Cedar Rapids; Nicole Savitt of Arlington Heights, Ill.; Ric Swann of Cedar Rapids; Laura Ambrose of Andover, Minn; and Old Creamery favorites Steve Weiss, of Cedar Rapids; Tom Milligan and Deborah Kennedy of East Amana; and Sean and Jackie McCall of Marengo.
Directed by S. Joseph Nassif of Cedar Rapids, Rumors is rated Theatre PG -13, and runs through July 3. Show times are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $26.50 for adults and $17.50 for students. Reservations are recommended.
Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for tickets or more information.
