by Matthew Falduto
Iowa City - The Cripple of Inishmaan is a vicious show. The characters are cruel, violence is accepted as a matter of course, and words bite. Fortunately, it's also extremely funny.
This show is a cooperative production between Riverside Theatre and Cornell College. The play is short on plot and long on interesting characters. We follow the story of Cripple Billy (Osean Perez), who objects to the adjective in front of his name, but that dissatisfaction falls on deaf ears. Even his "aunts", two spinster sisters who have raised him, can't stop calling him "Cripple." He longs to escape his little town and uses the arrival of a film crew as a means to that end. While this play seems to be Billy's story, strangely we stay with the colorful characters of Inishmaan instead of deeply delving into Billy's adventure. The secondary characters are fascinating, but this is where the plot seems a little thin. Nevertheless, the play is very enjoyable as we are treated to riveting characters.
Perez is marvelous as Billy, evoking empathy with just a look or simple gesture. He also wonderfully contorts his body and maintains that physical form for the entire show in what appears to be an effortless performance. Perez delivers a truly impressive level of physicality.
As the spinster sisters, Kristy Hartsgrove and Jody Hovland are perfectly hilarious. In the opening scene, as they lament the fact that Billy will never find a wife, their cruel barbs are delivered so matter of factly, we can't help but laugh even as we wince. Hartsgrove is always good at this sort of comedy and Hovland manages to meet her comic thrust for comic thrust.
The sisters' store is the setting for much of the play. Scenographer Christopher Domanski created a wonderful yet simple set for the store, complete with many accoutrements and all of the little details that allow us to believe we are where we're supposed to be.
Tim Budd plays Johnnypateenmike, the town gossip who trades information for food or other items from the sisters' general store. Budd is also funny, though he does have difficulty maintaining the accent. Budd's best scenes are with his alcoholic Mammy, memorably rendered by Corinne Johnson. Brother and sister Helen and Bartley are played by Anna Sewell and Alexander Justin Gonzales respectively. Both play unlikable characters, but Sewell turns in an exceptionally vulnerable performance, allowing the audience to care for her despite her wanton cruelty.
Finally, I cannot complete this review without mentioning the wonderful Celtic music that permeates the play. Local group The Beggarmen's rhythmic tones complete our journey to the Irish island of Innishmaan.
I strongly encourage you to experience this play. Martin McDonagh has established himself as one of the most important playwrights of our day. And as far as McDonagh plays go, The Cripple of Inishmaan is actually not nearly as dark or violent as most. What's more, in the hands of the talented artists at Riverside and Cornell College, this play delivers the laughs.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Experience The Cripple of Inishmaan
Thursday, October 27, 2011
SPT Finds a New Home at CSPS
Cedar Rapids - CSPS has reopened in Cedar Rapids, complete with gallery, bar, and some blackbox space downstairs. The renovated space was opened to the public this fall, and it's great to see this cornerstone of cultural life revived. The upstairs performance space will be home to, among others, SPT Theatre, who open their new season on Friday with "Games People Play."
SPT's season "explores life's twists and turns through the lens of popular board games." The first installment, Twister, will feature guest artists Scott Humeston, Ron DeWitte, Greg Kanz and Dave Ollinger. It runs October 28th and 29th at 8pm at CSPS, 1103 3rd St in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $25 at the door, $20 here.
Ready to Time Warp with City Circle?
Coralville - Not produced in the south corridor since City Circle produced it in 2001, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show is a perennial Halloween Favorite. An irreverent musical mash up of Science Fiction, Horror and Kitsch features such infectious tunes at “Sweet Transvestite”, “Over at the Frankenstein Place” and “The Time Warp.”
Featuring actors brand new to City Circle and many local favorites (including a generous helping of the Hairspray cast), this production features all the lines, all the songs, brand new choreography and a brand new, concert-like staging. Also, the hair, makeup and costumes are inspired by Lady Gaga and other current pop sensations.
The fun begins one half-hour ahead of curtain time where City Circle will be holding a costume contest in the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts lobby. In a unique move, they will also be auditioning singer/actors to take over the song “Charles Atlas (I Can Make You a Man)” in the production. “We wanted to take audience participation to a higher level and actually have someone come on stage and sing with us,” says director Chris Okiishi. “We will have the sheet music for them and the band and cast are excited to work them in. Come show us what you’ve got!”
Also on sale are prop bags filled with the necessary “Rocky Horror” essentials—confetti, flashlights, playing cards, noisemakers and more. Outside props are not allowed.
There are two performances Friday and Saturday night: 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. For more information and tickets, go here.
CAST:
Narrator – Walker Williams (Kalona)
Brad – Michael Penick (Iowa City)
Janet – Ramya Hipp (Iowa City)
Magenta – Elizabeth Breed (Iowa City)
Riff Raff — Rod McCrea (Iowa City)
Columbia – Victoria Vaughn (Iowa City)
Frank – Justin Mangrich (Marion)
Eddie/Dr. Scott – Brett Myers (Iowa City)
Rocky – Ryan Forbes Shellady (Iowa City)
Usherette-who-survives/Tap Queen – Jessica Murillo (Iowa City)
Transylvanians:
Danielle Paulsen (Coralville)
Kelly Richeal (Coralville)
Alicia Weidner (Iowa City)
Becca Wright (Coralville)
Joel Collins (Iowa City)
Robert Kemp (Tiffin)
Jacob Ludin (Iowa City)
Wesley Tener (Iowa City)
Michael Wright (Iowa City)
The Transylvanian Trio:
Acaica Williams (Kalona)
Ellen Stevenson (Iowa City)
Barbara Lee (Iowa City)
Cripple of Inishmaan opens Friday
Iowa City – The Cripple of Inishmaan, a wickedly hilarious Irish comedy by Martin McDonagh, will be performed at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City October 28 through November 13.
Every couple of years, Riverside teams up with Cornell College to produce a show, giving students the opportunity to work with professional actors and designers. The Cripple of Inishmaan is the latest in this long history of collaboration. It is directed by Riverside Theatre Resident Artist and Production Manager Ron Clark.
The Cripple of Inishmaan is set in 1934 on the remote island of Inishmaan, where Cripple Billy dreams of a world away from his adopted aunts, their tiny village store, and their nosy fellow villagers. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifWhen he hears that a Hollywood film crew is working nearby, Billy hatches a plot to land a part. What follows is a tale of adventure, loss and redemption.
The cast includes Kristy Hartsgrove as Kate, Osean Perez as Cripple Billy, Anna Sewell as Helen and Tim Budd as Johnnypateenmike.
For more information or for tickets, call the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 319-338-7672 or order online.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Experience a classic in Amana: The Mousetrap
Old Creamery - The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie is a classic theatre piece. It has run non-stop in London since 1952. Take a moment to marvel at that. No other show of any type - live performance, TV or radio - can boast such longevity on a 
single medium. However, Old Creamery's version of this classic only runs until November 13 so be sure to catch it before it closes.
Old Creamery's Mousetrap boasts a complex and beautiful set, instantly taking us back to 1950s England. Lovely furniture, lots of knick knacks and a large window with a realistic tree outside allow the audience to slide into the story. There's even a snow effect! Kudos to Tom Milligan, who also plays a character in the show, for the wonderful set.
Director Rachael Lindhart kept the show moving quickly, essential for a suspenseful murder mystery. Real life husband and wife Sean and Jackie McCall play the proprietors of Monkswell Manor, a guest house about to receive its first guests. As we wait for the guests to arrive, we hear about a killer on the loose and the fact that the roads will soon be impassable. It's quite clear what's coming - guests show up, someone is a murderer, and no one can leave.
There was a lot of humor in this show for all that it's a murder mystery. Sean and Jackie McCall have an easy chemistry and both create interesting and real characters from their first moments on stage. Sean McCall is particularly good whenever he is called on to add a bit of silent humor with a gesture or a scowl. James Fleming is fine as the mysterious Major Metcalf and Kay Francis commands the stage as the uptight society woman, Mrs. Boyle.
Less successful was Tom Milligan as Mr. Paravinci, a character who should elicit a lot of laughs. Milligan's one note performance obscured a lot of the humor inherent in the character. I feared two of the younger actors - Laura Ambrose as Miss Casewell and John Hill as Christopher Wren - would also deliver one note performances, but fortunately their characters came alive in the second act. When first introduced both actors went over the top with their character quirks - Casewell's masculinity and Wren's... well, wackiness - which made it difficult to believe these were real people. However, in the second act, when challenged with more serious material, both actors rose to the occasion and demonstrated nuanced performances, allowing us to care about and sympathize with their plights. Hill benefited from a strong scene partner in Jackie McCall for some of the more earnest scenes.
The ending almost always surprises first time audiences, though I did hear one person behind me whisper, "I knew it was..." as the murderer was revealed. (Note to audience members: Shhh!) I encourage you to check out The Mousetrap, a classic show that everyone needs to see at least once.
Murder and Dinner in Lisbon
Lisbon – Several local celebrities will be volunteering their time as suspects in a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre event taking place Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29, at 6 pm, in Heritage Hall of the Lisbon Public Library, 101 E. Main Street, Lisbon.
The event, titled Who Killed John Bardsley? will begin at Heritage Hall and will feature a staged murder and nine suspects. Audiences will be asked to examine the evidence, interview the suspects and make a determination for themselves as to who is responsible for the fictional murder of Lisbon City Council Member John Bardsley.
The fundraiser event, written by Barb Bardsley, Joe Jennison and Amy White, will benefit three local non-profit organizations: The Lisbon History Center, Lisbon Public Library and Southeast Linn Community Center. The committee is planning a progressive dinner with appetizers, dinner and desserts taking place in each of the three organizations’ buildings.
“This event has been a hoot to put together,” says Joe Jennison, Volunteer Chair of the Event. “Audiences should expect lots of fun and surprises as local celebrities, friends and neighbors, each become obsessed with murder. By purchasing a ticket, you not only will get a great meal and a goofy tongue-in-cheek murder mystery, but you will help three very important local non-profits.”
Tickets are $25, and are available at the Lisbon Public Library or Shepley Pharmacy in Mount Vernon. Further information is available through Lisbon Public Library at (319) 455-2800.
Suspects (split over the two nights) include: Slaton Anthony, Gregg Bova, Becky Bunting, Noreen Bush, Megan Dietsch, Ian Dye, Rich Eskelsen, Jake Krob, Diane McAfee, Karen Mills, Mike Moran, Anton Rood, Braden Rood, Nina Scott, Robin Stoker, Darryl Studt, and Shannon Studt.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Last of the Red Hot Lovers a surprising gem
by Brad Quinn
ICCT - As I took my seat for this show, I noted that the small theater was less than half full, which is disappointing for an opening night performance. Especially for a comedy by a big name playwright such as Neil Simon, despite this being one of his lesser known works. And as I was to discover, the people not filling those vacant seats were missing out.
I hope that more people will take advantage of those empty seats for the coming performances, and perhaps some who might not otherwise go will read this review and head out to the fairgrounds to see it, because this is a good show. Top to bottom.
Before I get to the true heart of the show, let me first take note of a few of the more mundane details. Last of the Red Hot Lovers is about a middle aged restaurateur in the early 1970’s named Barney Cashman, played by veteran actor Josh Sazon, who has decided that he is going to have an affair. It’s not something he’s ever done before, and it’s certainly not something he’s any good at. The play presents three separate scenes, each detailing one of his rather inept attempts at seduction.
The single set, and all of the action, takes place in the living room of Barney’s mother’s New York apartment. This is ably rendered by the set designer and constructor Rich Riggleman (who is also the director, and pulls down quadruple duty by running the sound and light boards as well). The furnishings, color scheme, and bad carpet (which could only have been more vintage by being shag) were perfectly reminiscent of the cheap and gaudy 70’s style. There was also a nice touch rendered by a window complete with blinds and curtains and sunlight streaming through.
That actually was one of my only problems with the lighting design. All of Barney’s assignations took place mid-afternoon, and though they tried to simulate this by the light coming through the blinds, the apartment was nevertheless far too dark in the moments before Barney turned the lights on. Sunlight floods a space with ambient light, but this appeared more to be a room late at night with a pair of headlights shining through the window.
To complete the 70’s retro feel, costume designer Rachael Lindhart did an excellent job in outfitting the cast. The outfits worn by the women were spot on. Barney was outfitted in standard men’s suits, of course, but the first suit was a very dapper blue double breasted number that definitely set a tone for the kind of character Barney was. My only complaint was that, after declaring in the first scene that he always wore a blue suit, he was then seen next in a brown suit and then a checked sport coat.
Of course that is all just window dressing, the real reason to come see this show is the stellar performances given by its cast. Riggleman chose his cast very well, and put the right people into the right roles. The aforementioned Josh Sazon is in perfect form as the gentle nebbish Barney Cashman, a role he fits in both physicality and temperament. Sazon has excellent comic timing and delivery, and if there is any problem with his delivery it’s that he has such precise and clear diction that it’s difficult to believe we’re actually hearing a New Yorker speak.
Paula Grady, another veteran actor, plays the role of Elaine Nevazio, a hard drinking, hard smoking sexpot who is Barney’s first attempted affair. In some ways this is the most difficult role to play in the show because it would be very easy to play it in such a way that would lacks any sympathetic nature at all for her character and indeed become almost a caricature. Grady resists this temptation and navigates these treacherous waters well.
Barney’s second try at extra-marital love involves a young, free spirited wanna-be actress named Bobbi Michele, played by K. Lindsay Eaves. He quickly discovers she is completely cracked, a flighty neurotic with a seemingly infinite capacity for self-deception and a penchant for horrible romantic partners. This is a very funny scene, and Eaves brings plenty of energy and inhabits the character of Bobbi so well as to make one wonder where the character ends and she begins.
This act also contains what I found to be the best directed scene in the show. Riggleman did an excellent job throughout of keeping his actors in the right zone, but I most enjoyed the final few minutes of this act where both characters were stoned and sitting together on the couch. There was almost no movement, but it was very funny.
Last but certainly not least was Carole Martin’s turn as Jeanette Fisher in the final act. Her low key delivery and facial expressions had the audience laughing almost from the moment she stepped on stage. Jeanette is an uptight, depressed woman who has become completely disillusioned with humanity. Martin does a fine job of finding the humor in a humorless woman, and her interplay with Sazon allows both characters to finally reach the peace they’ve both been looking for.
The art of comedy is, in my opinion, the most difficult of all the various shades of theater. Without great skill, it is easy to ruin an otherwise hilarious script, and with great skill one can make even a mediocre script hilarious. I understand that, because of this, going to see an amateur performance is a risky proposition at best, which may explain some of the reason why the theater had so many unfilled seats. Well, I can assure that I would have a difficult time deciding if Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a mediocre script because it was so enjoyable to watch. I hope that tells you something, and I hope that you’ll grace these hard-working actors with your presence, because I do not think you will be disappointed.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Goatsinger Show Returns with "Getting Dark"
Mount Vernon - The Goatsinger Show, Mount Vernon's own modern vaudeville show, returns Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the Uptown Theatre in the First Street Community Center, 221 1st Street NE, Mount Vernon. The event features music, sketches, dance, theater, puppetry, and more.
The October Show is titled Getting Dark and features SanDee's Sisters of the Shifting Sands as they dance an exorcism, Josh Woosley putting his own dark spin on some head-shaking music, Sam Butz and Nicci Miles singing through a spooky little tune, a ghost story/performance by Brandon Rowray, a new tale from the Iowa Goatsinger, a poem slammed by Zak Moran, a freshened-up sing-a-long, and Frog.
“This show has been slowly gaining popularity over the past year,” said Goatsinger producer, Mike Moran. “We are always looking for the strange and unique -- whatever playful or fascinating act we can book.”
Admission to The Goatsinger Show is on a pay-what-you-can basis. More information is available through (319)213-0148.
Old Creamery presents Mousetrap
Amana – A massive snowstorm, a house full of strange guests and an unsolved murder, add up to a night of suspicion and mystery in 
this classic by Agatha Christie, the undisputed Queen of “who done it.” The Mousetrap opens Thursday, Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. on The Old Creamery Theatre’s Main Stage in Amana and runs through Nov. 13.
Called one of the most skillfully written murder mysteries ever produced, you won’t want to miss The Old Creamery’s production even if you think you know “who done it.”
The cast of The Mousetrap consists of John Hill of Rockford, Il; Sean McCall of Marengo; Kay Francis of Naples, Florida; James Fleming of New York; Laura Ambrose of Minneapolis, Minn.; Jackie McCall of Marengo; Andrew Bosworth of Holly Springs, North Carolina and Tom Milligan of West Amana.
The Mousetrap runs through Nov. 13 and is rated Theatre PG. Tickets are $27 for adults and $17.50 for students. Show times are Wednesday, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website for more information or to purchase tickets. Group and student rates are available.
Red-Hot Lovers at ICCT
by Jen Gerbyshak (originally printed in the ICCT newsletter)
Iowa City - “And the good guy married the beautiful girl, and they all lived happily ever after.”
It’s the payoff we look for in a plethora of stories, and not just fairy tales. Just 
ask yourself what happened in the last 10 shows you went to see, live or at the movies. Nine times out of ten, it was either a happy ending just like the above, or it was a tear-jerker precisely because the good guy didn’t get the girl (or the girl didn’t get the good guy, depending on your point of view).
But inherent in that cinematic payoff is the idea that everything works out forever and ever after the guy and girl hook up. That after you’ve found your dream-spouse, it’s all easy sailing from there. Anyone who’s ever been in a long-term committed relationship knows better than that, of course. Even after “I do,” there are doubts, fears and conflicts. I know it. You know it.
Neil Simon knew it.
The nagging doubts and unresolved conflict inherent in a decades-long marriage are at the heart of his hilarious play Last of the Red-Hot Lovers. Barney Cashman, the protagonist, has been faithfully married to his high school sweetheart for over 20 years, but times have changed, and Barney wonders if he didn’t miss out on something by not playing around before settling down. His solution? Bring a string of three women to his mother’s empty apartment and have an affair—or at least try to!
Needless to say, things don’t work out quite the way Barney had envisioned, and much hilarity ensues. This is a Neil Simon script, for crying out loud. And ICChttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifT’s knock-out cast promises to deliver the laughs, with Josh Sazon as the neurotic Cashman, Paula Grady as the va-va-voom Elaine, K. Lindsay Eaves as the psychotic actress Bobbi and Carole Martin as the wife-next-door Jeannette. Each of these actors has proven themselves many times over on the stage, in roles ranging from Shakespeare to musical theater. Watching what these four performers bring to Red-Hot’s lovers is certain to be four kinds of crazy fun.
Join ICCT for Last of the Red-Hot Lovers October 21-23 & 28-30 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall. Friday and Saturday evening shows start at 7:30; Sunday matinees start at 2:00PM. Take this lesson from Barney, and don’t wait until the experience passes you by!
For tickets and more information, go here.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Leaving Iowa filled with humor and heart
by Sharon Falduto
Washington - The family road trip is a situation easily mined for a story, for nostalgia, and for humor. Even in the modern era, families still pack the car for trips around the country and forced family bonding.
Leaving Iowa, presented by the Washington Community Theater, is a nice play. Gentle humor, gentle people, and slight self deprecating jabs at Iowa that should make every Iowan smile. We are warned before the play begins that we are not allowed to video tape, take photos, or detassel during the performance.
Don is the main character of the show, the prodigal son who returns home to visit family, and to fulfill a promise to his father. The play is told in a series of flashbacks to the family vacations of their youth; interminable car rides with the sibling squabbles and wrong turns that anyone who has ever taken a road trip will recognize. He is played by affable Steven Lockard, who transitions seamlessly from annoyed older brother to a grown man on an “adventure” and back again. His reactions to his annoying little sister feel true, and his weariness as he completes the task set before him as an older man shows in the slump of his shoulders.
Dad, played in the flashbacks by Brett Pierson, is the center of the story and carries himself energetically and with enthusiasm as he treats his family to Civil War reenactments, historical markers, and other Fascinating Road Trip Wonders. He is a quiet presence on stage when his character is no longer with us, and a bubbly center when he is.
Melody Lockard's Mom character is alternately annoyed, patient, and balancing precariously in between—a mom we can all relate to. Melanie Jeter-Hawkins retains a nice sense of character as she shifts from the role of pesty younger sister to the adult role of irritating younger sister. I didn't quite feel the chemistry I wanted, however, between her and her brother.
The show suffered from some pacing problems and dragged occasionally, forcing the audience to wait too long for the punch line of a long tale.
The incidental characters that drifted through the play were used to nice effect; their sight gags and characters were sometimes unexpected and sometimes familiar. After all, a play called Leaving Iowa is almost required to have at least one farmer in Osh Kosh B'Goshs and one homage to “American Gothic,” isn't it? My particular favorite character was Sue Spencer's Museum Assistant, the sort of stern usherette type every theatergoer has encountered at least once.
Leaving Iowa is an Iowan kind of show; not flashy, but droll, and with a good heart. Before the show begins we are treated to a slide show of some wonderful Iowa scenery, which is a nice introduction to the state and to the show. The message of the play, which will resonate with many Iowa Theatre Blog readers, is that you can leave Iowa, but it will still be your home.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Leaving Iowa plays one weekend only
Washington - Washington Community Theater will present Leaving Iowa By Tim Clue and Spike Manton this weekend. Leaving Iowa is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer, who returns home and decides to finally take his father’s ashes to his childhood home, as requested. But when Don discovers Grandma’s house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place. This road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don’s memories of the annual, torturous vacations of his childhood. Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found himself or herself driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of youth.
The show is directed by Doug and Beth McBride. Co-playwright Tim Clue described the show as “...a toast to children of parents from the now dubbed ‘greatest generation’. The story is a tribute to that idealism and character and a little roast of their undying dedication to the classic family roadtrip. It is a postcard to anyone who has ever found themselves driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of their youth.”
Performances are October 14 and 15 at 7:30 PM and October 16 at 2:30 PM. Call 319-653-5175 or email leavingiowatickets@gmail.com for information and tickets.
Cast:
Don Browning – Steven Lockard
Dad – Brett Pierson
Mom – Melody Lockard
Sis – Melanie Jeter-Hawkins
Farmer Johnson, Mechanic, Bob – Rick Bonar
Mrs. Johnson, Judy – Mary Maxted
Grandpa, Uncle Phil, Civil War Guy – Terry Shaw
Grandma, Aunt Phyllis, Jessie – Nancy Salemink
Cart Guy, Jack Singer, Wayne – Brent Pfeiffer
Joe Hofingers, Amish Guy – Bill Gatchel
Amish Gal, Clerk – Regina Schantz
Museum Assistant, Jamie – Sue Spencer
Drunk Lady, Park Ranger – Amy Langr
Kitchen Witches opens tomorrow
Amana - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company (ITAC) will present Caroline Smith’s comedy, The Kitchen Witches, from October 14 through November 6 on the ITAC stage in 
Amana. This popular new script will feature two performers from the Cedar Rapids area, Lynne Rothrock and Eddie Skaggs in addition to ITAC co-founder, Meg Merckens of South Amana, Marshall Nielsen of Cedar Falls and Kimberly Braun of Mankato, Minnesota. The show is directed by Thomas P. Johnson.
Written in 2003, the play premiered in Ontario, Canada and has quickly become a laugh-filled favorite across Canada and the U.S. This fast-paced comedy casts two rival cooking show hostesses who are pressured to appear together on a single show 
when audience response to their on-camera antics and sparring relationship creates a crowd-loving recipe for disaster. The cooking divas have been at odds with each other ever since one dated the man that the other eventually married. Food, fun and banter abound in this fall comedy, with Johnson remarking, “…that having Lynne and Meg on stage together is as much fun as watching Lucy and Ethel in the old “I Love Lucy” series. It’s a first stage match-up for these two performers and they make a wonderful comic team.”
In Amana, performances are: Fridays at 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm, Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 1:30 pm. The show opens on Friday, October 14 and runs through Sunday, November 6. Reservations are strongly recommended. City Revealed Magazine is the Media Sponsor of ITAC's production of The Kitchen Witches.
On Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30, the cast and crew of The Kitchen Witches will travel to Dysart to do two performances at the Union Middle School 
Auditorium as a fundraiser for the Garrison and Dysart Lions Clubs. The Saturday performance is scheduled at 7:30 pm and the Sunday matinee is at 2 pm. For more information about those two shows, please call: Dwayne Luze in Dysart at 319-476-4949 or Dick Flickinger in Garrison at 319-477-8423. Tickets can also be ordered through the ITAC Box Office, 319-622-3222.
While ITAC travels out of Amana, “The Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers” from Palm Desert, California make their Iowa premiere with two concerts on the ITAC stage on Saturday, October 29 and two “Silver Screen Cowboy Concerts” on Sunday, October 30. Each day the shows are scheduled for 1:30 pm and 7 pm. Seating is limited, and co-producer, Meg Merckens urges interested patrons “…to call early to see this award-winning group make a very unique stop in Iowa with their Western swing and toe-tappin’ music, including a very special tribute to Roy Rogers’ 100th Birthday!” To read more about this group and their shows, visit this website.
For more information and reservations about The Kitchen Witches and upcoming ITAC shows, call: 319-622-3222 or go here.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Actors needed for staged reading of ‘Invisible Man’
Iowa City - Union and non-union actors are being sought for a staged reading of a new adaptation of Ralph Ellison’s seminal novel Invisible Man. An honorarium of $100 will be paid to each cast member. The book won the National Book Award in 1953. Oren Jacoby has adapted the novel for the stage, and director Christopher McElroen is preparing for the world premiere of the play, set for early 2012 in Chicago, with an extended residency at the University of Iowa. The staged reading is part of that residency.
Auditions will take place on Monday, November 7 at 6 p.m. in Shambaugh Auditorium, located in the UI Main Library. The reading will be performed on Saturday, December 3 at 7 p.m. in Shambaugh Auditorium.
Those who are cast must be able to attend the majority of rehearsals. Rehearsal dates and times are:
November 28, 1-6 p.m.
November 29, 1-6 p.m.
November 30, 11-3:30 p.m.
December 1, 3-8 p.m.
December 2, 11-4 p.m.
December 3, 4-7 p.m., with public reading to begin at 7 p.m.
McElroen is seeking: Three African American males ranging in age from mid-20s to late-50s; two Caucasian males ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-50s; two African American females ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-40s; and one Caucasian female ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-30s.
Actors are asked to prepare a two-minute monologue of their choosing. Those with questions may contact Hancher Executive Director Chuck Swanson at 319-335-1133.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Damn Yankees a Hell of a Good Time
By James E. Trainor III
Cedar Rapids - Joe Boyd (Greg Smith) will do anything to see the Washington Senators win the pennant. Literally. The trouble is, those damn Yankees are practically unbeatable. So when the mysterious Mr. Applegate (Mike Wilhelm) shows up and offers him a chance not only to be young again but to lead the Senators to victory, Joe thinks it's a hell of a deal.
There's one catch, though. Joe's a real estate agent, and he won't take the deal without negotiating an "escape clause," meaning, if he can win the World Series before September 24th, he can steal home to his wife and save his soul.
What follows is a funny and energetic musical in the 1950s style, full of singing, dancing, one-liners, and amusing set pieces. TCR's production is really solid in its direction; this kind of show is difficult to pull off because the sheer number of scene transitions can really kill the pace. It kept moving along, however, at an energetic clip, due to Trevor Debth's insightful direction and a solid backstage crew.
TCR's Damn Yankees is a fun, flashy musical that showcases a number of really great ensemble performances. The ensemble cast is quite engaged and a lot of fun to watch, especially Zach Parker, Jay Burken, Rick Titus and Tracie Hodina. The jokes all land, the orchestra is peppy, and the energy doesn't really die down until intermission.
The only real problem with the show is somewhat inherent in the plot. The main character, Joe, just doesn't seem fleshed out very well. Of course, there's not a lot of room for character growth in an old-school musical, but he didn't seem as believable as some of the others onstage. He's not portrayed as a crafty go-getter who can outsmart the devil; he seems a little greedy, a little static, and a little unlikable. After all, he jumped at Applegate's deal in a hurry, and he changes his mind just as quickly. All he really has going for him is his undying loyalty to his wife, which is of course a good thing. I guess part of the point of the show is to square off simple honest Good with fast and flashy Evil, but I feel even Joe could use a bit of pizazz.
Greg Smith's performance at the beginning (and end) is very sincere and his songs are very soulful. Casey Prince is good as the young Joe - he is particularly generous as a scene partner in scenes with Wilhem and Jordan Hougham (who plays the supernatural seductress Lola), and his voice fits the part perfectly, very sweet and pure. However, as the heart of the piece he comes off as a little cold and static. Again, the text might have something to do with this: Joe doesn't really get out of the bargain by himself; he is saved by his unwitting wife and Lola (who has a change of heart). All he has to do is play baseball with the skills Mr. Applegate gave him in the first place.
Fortunately, we don't come see Damn Yankees just for Joe. The show's strength lies in its ensemble of silly ballplayers and eager fans, and of course its smooth, sexy and altogether hilarious villains, Mr. Applegate and Lola.
Mike Wilhlem is definitely the MVP here. His Applegate is slick, sadistic, and a whole lot of fun. He pursues his objective with a tireless devil-may-care attitude and it's funny to watch him get hot under the collar when he's foiled. When he sings his solo number "Those Were the Good Old Days," he really knocks it out of the park. Wilhelm is a creative and resourceful theatre artist, and it's a joy to see him nail a role like this.
Jordan Hougham is also a great team player. Her Lola is smooth, graceful, and very funny. Many of the most entertaining moments in the show come after she enters. First Applegate sets her to seduce Joe, then she switches teams and gulls Applegate. Hougham works quite well with both Prince and Wilhelm, and she brings a lot of creativity to the plate that livens up the whole piece. Her "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets" comes with a quirky businesslike quality that belies the cliche of the seduction game. It's a lot of laughs.
The production values on Damn Yankees are really a sight. The lights (by Derek Easton) do a great job giving us a clear sense of time and place, as well as a little atmosphere. The set (by Scott Olinger) was also quite evocative, transporting us to the baseball field (or a 1950s living room), while being functional enough to enable quick scene changes. It also allowed for Joe's magical transformations to go off without a hitch. The choreography (Trevor Debth) was energetic and creative; it used the entire stage and showcased the variety of talent in the ensemble quite well.
The costumes (by Joni Sackett) are at once nostalgic and really fresh. Particularly good designs were for the potbellied Old Joe and the virile Young Joe, the suave boardroom evil of Mr. Applegate, and the collection of zany ensembles worn by the succubus Lola. The Senators were well-designed as well, and really gave Damn Yankees a touch of nostalgic Americana.
Damn Yankees runs until October 29th at the Iowa Theatre Building, 102 3rd St SE in Cedar Rapids. More information here.
Only One More Performance of Powerful Triangle
by Gerry Roe
Iowa City - The story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factor Fire on March 25, 1911, is legendary. At the time, it was one of New York City’s greatest disasters, with 146 (some sources say 147) people dead, 
some by smoke inhalation, some by fire, and many who chose to leap to their death from the top three floors of the building. Most of those who died in the fire were recent immigrants, predominantly Jewish and Irish women, many in their twenties, some as young as 14.
How do you stage a disaster like this on a small stage with limited resources? You get Janet Schlapkohl to write it, that’s how, and Jason Grubbe to direct it. With a small cast, key characters doubling in contrasting roles, and an exceptional commitment to telling a story, the play makes us think as well as feel.
Heidi Biebler plays Essie Schilman, a recent immigrant from Germany and a Triangle factory girl as well as Irene Clemmens, a Vassar student who is not, we eventually learn, a typical Vassar girl from a wealthy family. Claire Wool doubles as a Russian immigrant labor organizer and Alva Schneider, a Vassar student organizer. Ali Heath doubles as a Russian immigrant factory girl and a Vassar student. Clarissa Jolly more than doubles as a NLPCP organizer, Methodist Episcopal Church member, and a Vassar College employee. Megan Reif and Katherine Smith double as Italian immigrant factory girls Josephine and Francesca and as Vassar girls. Ryann Sirois doubles as factory girl Esther, a German immigrant, and as a Vassar girl. Rounding out the cast are Alex Grubbe as a shop foreman, Kalvin Goodlaxson as a Policeman, Spencer Rideout as Luigi, brother of Josephine and Francesca, and Evie Stanske as a street vendor.
Sound confusing? Well, it isn’t because the writing and direction, not to mention the acting, keep it all straight for us. The characterizations are extremely well drawn and executed. Safe in the audience, we all knew what was happening and whom we were watching. We see the gradual awakening to exploitation and the inchoate union movement. We even see striking workers, gulled by promises the employers had no intention of fulfilling.
The real tragedy of the play is that the fire need not have claimed all these lives. Exit doors were locked, some doors opened inward so the crush of desperate workers prevented anyone from escaping, the fire escape could not bear the weight of multiple bodies, pulling away from the building and sending the workers precipitately to their death.
This is a grim topic for a play but the magic of theatre prevents us from leaving the performance defeated and depressed. I don’t want to reveal the wonderful ending of the play, our last glimpse of the six factory girls we have come to know, but I will tell you it is powerfully effective and will stay with you.
The play will be presented again tonight (Saturday) at 7:00 p.m. by Combined Efforts Theatre. See it if you can; it is a remarkable accomplishment.
Directions: Take Highway 1 in Southwest Iowa City toward Kalona. Turn left(South) on Maier Avenue (gravel). It takes an S curve and winds past a subdivision(on the left). The first intersection is Osage. Turn right(West). It will be on the right, the only property on the road.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Cast chosen for Curious Savage
Iowa City - Dreamwell Theatre director Gerry Roe has chosen the cast for their upcoming production, The Curious Savage by John Patrick. The show opens November 11.
The Curious Savage is about a recently widowed woman, Ethel Savage, whose step children don’t want her to use her inheritance for good works, so they commit her to an institution. Ethel becomes close to the unique individuals in the institution, who might just be more sane than her own step children. The Curious Savage is a comedy with a lovely message about the human spirit and choosing one’s identity.
Cast:
Fairy May - Elisabeth Ross
Jeff - Ben Singer
Hannibal - Monty Hendricks
Mrs. Paddy - Meg Dobbs
Florence - Teresa Meeks-Mosley
Miss Willie - Roxy Running
Dr. Emmett - Mark Nidey
Lily Belle - Traci Gardner
Titus - John Crosheck
Samuel - Steve Polchert
Ethel - Linda Merritt
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Damn Yankees opens Friday with Season Kickoff Event
Cedar Rapids - Faust meets professional baseball in the Broadway classic Damn Yankees. Middle-aged baseball fanatic Joe Boyd trades his soul to the Devil (the charming but devious Mr. Applegate) for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees. As young baseball sensation Joe Hardy, he transforms the hapless Washington Senators into a winning team, only to realize the true worth of the life (and wife) he’s left behind. With the help of a hanhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdy escape clause and a guilt-ridden temptress named Lola, Joe outsmarts Applegate, returns to his former self and shepherds the Senators to the World Series. Starring a host of talented alumni and newcomers alike, including Greg Smith, Mike Wilhelm, Janelle Steichen, Jordan Hougham, Susan Scharnau, and TCR’s very own Casey Prince.
The show is directed by Trevor Debth, with musical direction by Damon Cole. For tickets, go here.
As part of the opening night performance, TCR is doing a Season Kickoff Event which starts at 6 pm. The event includes an auction, wine tasting, and a photo booth. GOP here to get tickets to that event.
Cast for Damn Yankees:
Greg Smith - Joe Boyd (Old Joe)
Janelle Steichen - Meg Boyd
Mike Wilhelm - Applegate
Jordan Hougham - Lola
Mike Cervantes - Van Buren
Casey Prince - Joe Hardy (Young Joe)
Susan Scharnau - Gloria
Rick Swan - Welch/Husband
Tracie Hodina - Doris
Stephanie Shaffer Martinez - Sister
Carol White - Wife/Various Roles
Rick Titus - Husband/Various Roles
Doug Jackson - Husband/Various Roles
Randal Jones - Husband/Various Roles
Aaron Canterbury - Ballplayer/Eddie
Brian Glick - Ballplayer
Danny Mulka - Ballplayer
Jay Burken - Ballplayer
Matt Russell - Ballplayer
Ryan Watters - Ballplayer
Zach Johnson - Ballplayer
Zach Parker - Ballplayer
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Triangle runs two nights only
Iowa City - Combined Efforts Theatre will present a unique 'Immersion Event,' the play Triangle by Janet Schlapkohl, about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire this weekend. The fire was a horrific, heart-breaking event in early twentieth century America. It was the worst workplace disaster until 9/11. Fifty thousand people marched in the streets of New York after the tragic fire. The repercussions of the needless and preventable deaths of the young women who agreed to a strike settlement after enduring fourteen weeks of bitter cold and hunger on the picket lines the previous winter galvanized public opinion.
The links of labor corruption, and industry abuse reverberate today as advantage is taken of those whose situations create a lack of choice.
The play focuses on a small group of women whose lives are impacted by the larger events of garment workers strike, and subsequent fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. The relationship between the women uncloaks the influences of family, race, nationality, religion and social status, and education. The performance places the audience members in the midst of the action on the streets and in the factory.
The play was performed during the previous academic year as part of the University of Iowa Gallery series to much acclaim. Some of the actors revisit their roles, while many are new to the show. Jason Grubbe directs.
Cast members are doubled for a compelling argument about social justice, zealous politics and personal relationships. Prestigious society matrons, socialists, college students, and suffragists wove an agenda then tear at the fabric, that bound them in America. The play explores on a personal level, the friendships and private lives of the women.
The show runs for two nights only, October 7 and 8 at 7:00 PM, at the performance space at 3418 Osage SW, Iowa City. Tickets available at the door for only $8.00 ($5.00 for audience members arriving in period costume) or reserve by calling 319-354-336.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
"Here I Stand" Season Opens With Terrifying Production of The Crucible
By James E. Trainor III
Iowa City - Dreamwell's theme for this season's shows is "Here I Stand," stories of people standing up against injustice or impossible odds. There could be few better shows, then, to begin this season than Arthur Miller's 20th-century masterpiece The Crucible.
Though Miller's text, like so many of his plays, is highly critical of American culture, John Proctor has earned a place in our nation's canon as an archetypal American hero. The protagonist's stark, sometimes foolish individualism speaks to ideals we hold dear, ideals that require incredible courage to fulfill.
The Crucible, under Scott Strode's direction, focuses on the struggle to be brave and speak the truth while the whole world is twisting and writhing with deceit, paranoia and hysteria.
The world of the play is absurd. The opening scenes are almost comic, with characters making ridiculous accusations of spectral murders. The Reverend Parris (Jim Evans), a petty, greedy creature, is portrayed with an excess of shallow showmanship. Ann & Thomas Putnam (Lois Crowley & Paul Freese) have been beset with misfortune and are looking for someone to blame. Parris' niece Abigail (K. Lindsay Eaves) and her friends are silly girls who want to cover up their minor misdeeds with wild stories. The new arrival Reverend Hale (Brett Myers) is a bright and eager young man schooled in the best Puritan learning and is only too ready to help these poor benighted folks find their demons.
All of this would be a perfect recipe for a farce were Miller not putting actual historical events on the stage. We know what happened at Salem, and we know how quickly a bit of silly superstition can spiral into mob violence. When Parris' slave Tituba (June Kungu) is interrogated about her "compact with the devil," she begins frantically to come up with a story that will save her from the rope. As she struggles to repeat the lines they are feeding her, it is so theatrical, so desperate and so obviously false that it is quite funny. It is possible to forgive Tituba, powerless and struggling for her life, for selling out her masters' enemies. When the children take Tituba's cue and join in, gleefully repeating the slander, the tragedy and absurdity rise to a fever pitch. The scene ends with Betty (Mira Bohannan Kumar) shouting names with the high-pitched energy of a young girl's game, spreading lies that will murder her neighbors as readily as children on the playground spread "cooties."
It is highly effective. Kungu, Myers and Evans are excellent performers, and the frenzy that builds in this first scene is both preposterous and yet completely 
believable. The mob mentality is already out of control by the end of the scene, and the objections of the more sensible townsfolk are doomed from the beginning. John Proctor (Brad Quinn), Giles Corey (Scott Strode) and Rebecca Nurse (Bryson Dean) stand off to one side as this is going on, skeptical of the bright young scholar Hale, forming an tiny faction of dissent. They are quick to point out that people will say anything to keep from being executed, and that Putnam is looking to lay his hands on the lands of the accused.
Common sense and careful logic, however, have no place in the world of witch trials. The accusers are looking for invisible evidence, and the fact that they are looking for it is enough to let them see it everywhere. In such a world, a poorly kept pig becomes a cursed animal, a child's toy becomes a voodoo doll, and an off-hand comment about strange books becomes a death sentence. There is no way to disprove such allegations short of calling them nonsense, and to call them nonsense would be un-Christian.
The judge they bring in, Lt. Governor Danforth (Jason Tipsword), exemplifies this idea quite well. He will not hear the court's legitimacy questioned, and every attempt to bring the conversation back to the commonplace causes of the play's events becomes a dismissal of the importance of the spirit world. The debate becomes an exercise in circular reasoning: if so many people are in jail, there must be a fitting supernatural explanation. If the court has hanged twelve people already, how can it be considered valid if it pardons people now? Everyone should be happy to be brought in for questioning; why would they fear the court if they were not already in league with the Devil?
Tipsword resists the urge to exaggerate this part, and his performance is extremely effective. His Danforth is calm, cold, and infuriatingly rational. He is an expert lawyer, even if his logic is twisted and self-referential. He is a villain, but his humanity is what makes him effective. We see him sweat in the final scene, when dealing with the unpredictable and stubbornly moral John Proctor. He is a cold-blooded tyrant, but he is also a man with an agenda, and Tipsword's careful attention to the objective play and the twists and turns of the piece make a more believable, and therefore scarier, Danforth.
Tipsword scarcely swaggers or rails; indeed, Evans' hot-headed Parris seems cartoonish compared to this careful, professional, but altogether ruthless representative of the State. At the same time, he seems completely aware of what is going on. He is careful around Abigail not because he is fooled by her but because he needs her. If the Salem Witch Trials are a piece of deadly theatre, Danforth is the director and Abigail the star performer.
K. Lindsay Eaves' Abigail Williams is the polar opposite of Tipsword's Danforth. She is loud, she is lusty, she is ridiculous, and she is very, very dangerous. It is clear from the very beginning that Abigail is in charge of the clique of Salem girls. Her silent scene work and the work of her partners (especially Kelly Garrett as Mary), shows the relationships very quickly and effectively. Eaves does not have much dialogue in the first scene, but she is a very powerful presence on stage, listening and watching, planning and conniving.
By the end of the play, with the help of her chorus of hysterical playmates, she has the entire town in the palm of her hand. Every time someone tries to get to the heart of the matter, Abigail is suddenly beset by invisible demons, and it is impossible to talk about anything so boring as disputes over lumber, cows, or golden candlesticks. Proctor thinks he can end the madness and save his wife by admitting he slept with Abigail, revealing the entire plot as a mad child's jealous vengeance. In doing so, however, he underestimates Abigail's skill at theatrical distraction. It is in this context that The Crucible is so effective for a modern audience; the play was written nearly sixty years ago, but the "look at me!" tactic Abigail employs in every scene is all too familiar from our contemporary political culture.
Because of this, the play is difficult to watch. It is infuriating at times, because it is an extremely effective indictment of the irrational behavior of crowds, of greedy, petty hysteria, and of cold-blooded hypocrisy. It seems that, in Strode's Crucible, absolutely everyone is in on the joke. Every single character knows the witch trials are a sham, but very few are able to admit it. Abigail needs the pretense to protect her reputation. Putnam needs the pretense to expand his territory. Parris needs the pretense to control his congregation, just as Danforth needs it to maintain his authority over the state. What is clear from the direction and the acting is that everyone knows it is a lie. The dramatic question, then, is whether anyone has the courage to tell the truth.
Mary is the first one tested, and in a tear-jerking scene, she comes before the intimidating Danforth, charged by John Proctor to reveal her part in the plot and save his wife Elizabeth (Traci Gardner). Garrett is incredible in this scene as Mary
struggles desperately to resist the badgering of Danforth and the murderous glare of Abigail. The scene is an incredibly energetic roller-coaster, and Garrett never checks out; she is completely engaged as everyone on stage tries to play out their agendas through her. A particularly beautiful and pitiful moment is when she silently begs the ruthless Abigail for mercy. When she finally caves and loses her courage it is devastating, and though we despise Mary for her cowardice, it is impossible not to have sympathy with her as we witness the intensity with which the other girls bully her into submission.
Mary Warren did not hang at Salem; she chose to redact her statement when her friends turned on her, and save herself by accusing her master. Spurred on only by Proctor's encouragement, from Gospel, "Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee," she cannot follow through. For Proctor is wrong; doing that which is good will cost Giles Corey and Rebecca Nurse their lives. It will cost him his. Mary is too weak to tell the truth if it means her death, so she gives in and runs back into the arms of the Salem coven, shifting the attention to our play's protagonist.
It is this that causes Hale to dramatically denounce the court. Historically, Hale probably did not turn until later, when his own family was touched by the hysteria. Miller, however, uses Hale as an effective moral tool, arguing for Christian charity and reason directly to the face of the symbol of tyranny, Lt. Governor Danforth. When he is not swayed even though his "justice" is depopulating the town, Hale attempts to convince Elizabeth to save her husband. "Beware, Goody Proctor," he counsels, "cleave to no faith when faith brings blood." Aloof from the dreary Puritan faith of Danfort and Parris and the reckless heroism of Proctor, he pleads for reason, compassion, and life above all else. He is the bright light of hope in this play, and Myers is excellent in his portrayal. He is charming and infectious, though a bit foolish, in the first act and admirable when he chooses to do the right thing in the second. Myers is a very generous scene partner, and he is a joy to watch with Quinn, with Tipsword and with Gardner.
Proctor, however, cannot finally stomach Hale's counsel. His fiery speeches, delivered here with tireless energy by Quinn, are why we come to see The Crucible. Even after he attempts to reach a reasonable agreement with an unreasonable court, and tell a ridiculous lie to gain his life, they are not done with him. They want him to act as a witness to help murder his friends' wives. In the end he stands up for himself, shouts down Danforth, and accepts his fate.
Miller could not stomach the Mary Warrens of the world, but said during the Red Scare of the 1950s that he "had as much pity as anger toward them." He refused, however, to name names in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee himself, and he will not let Proctor do so either. Proctor would rather die than be used as a tool, and even if it is hopeless he will not live on the blood of his friends. Quinn's tireless commitment to these later scenes makes this play a startling reminder of the courage of the human spirit, and serves as an inspiration to face down all the smaller injustices we see in our daily lives.
Strode's direction highlights the most valuable theme of The Crucible - the difficulty and necessity of resisting social pressures and speaking from the heart. There is a clear understanding of the dramatic throughline, and the entire production is engaging and effective. The stage is used quite well, employing a thrust to bring the intense court scenes right up to the audience. The actors have done their homework and work through the story with confidence and commitment. The lighting and costumes (Brandon Tanner, Rachael Lindhart) flesh out the story quite well, creating just the right tense atmosphere for the dangerous and irrational world in which the actors play.
I highly recommend you see The Crucible; it's a very powerful story executed with care and skill. It runs until October 8th at the Universality Unitarian Society. Bring some tissues.
