by Matthew Falduto
Last year, I created the EEEPs, which stands for Excellence in Exercising our Emotions Prizes. Just as we strengthen our minds and our bodies through exercise, emotional exercise strengthens our spirits. Experiencing theatre provides that emotional exercise. We need to feel joy and sadness and glee and fear and wonder and anger in order to thrive in this life. Theatre allows us a safe place to do that. So what follows are ten shows that have earned the 2011 Iowa Theatre Blog Excellence in Exercising our Emotions Prizes.
I do not pretend that this list is exhaustive of the great work done in our community over the past year. I am certain there are shows you believe should be on this list that are not. This is just my opinion. If you'd like to share your opinion, the comment section awaits!
Riverside Theatre
Thank goodness for Riverside Theatre. They so rarely disappoint. Their production of All My Sons was a masterpiece. Jody Hovland gave us a wonderfully heartbreaking portrayal of Kate Keller. As I think back on the show, it is her performance that stands out. Which is not to say the other actors were forgettable - far from it. Both Ron Clark and Scot West imbued their characters with pathos and passion, particularly in Act Two. This was simply a powerful production of a masterpiece of the American Theatre.
Old Creamery Theatre
Sometimes it's just all about the actors. Such was the case with Art. Three immensely talented actors - Sean McCall, Tim Budd and Patrick Dulaney - using every bit of their skill and talent to create a funny and thought provoking play. From the review:
"Budd does needling well, but he also delivers when he has to verbally attack, using a vicious cadence and an unyielding posture."
"Dulaney's face is a canvas upon which he can create any expression, each more thought provoking or humorous than the last."
"McCall wring[s] out all of the humor and all of the pathos. His ability to reinterpret again and again the word "Yes" in one scene is truly masterful."
Are we not truly lucky to have the opportunity to watch master class actors ply their trade?
Theatre Cedar Rapids
Eurydice is the sort of show I absolutely love. It's a fantasy redrawn for a modern audience that offers a new and at the same time familiar examination of the father-daughter relationship. As the father of three daughters, Eurydice is the sort of strong heroine I want to see more often onstage. Powerful performances, strong direction, a simple set that offered the audience the opportunity to participate in its creation... this show was fantastic from beginning to end.
Iowa City Community Theatre
Last April I had the opportunity to see 42nd Street at a professional theatre company in Illinois. It was astounding. As we left the theatre, I lamented to my wife that you never see that kind of skillful tap dancing in our local productions. So color my shocked when a few weeks later I witnessed some of the most marvelous dancing in ICCT's production of The Drowsy Chaperone. Kudos to choreographer Jill Beardsley with a special "Wow!" to dancers CJ Jones and Adam Kopfman. Of course, the show had more to recommend it than the choreography. From the review: "This production also contains the single best lighting design and sound effects I have seen in any ICCT production...The set is... one of the most complex and sophisticated I have witnessed in a community theatre production. There will be times where you’ll see someone make an entrance and marvel at the ingenuity of the design." And of course, then there was the spot on comic timing, not to mention the strong singing. All in all, an excellent show from ICCT, the old kid on the block.
Dreamwell
The Unitarian Universalist space was not Dreamwell's first choice for Henry V. They searched for something larger, but in the end returned to a space they knew well. Realizing an epic play required an epic space, Director Angie Toomsen bravely moved in a new direction, creating an amazing thrust space by utilizing the small stage as well as the main floor, while seating the audience in a horseshoe, just two rows deep. It was only the first of many impressively creative decisions Toomsen made in creating Henry V. She was fortunate to have a stellar cast, particularly K Michael Moore in the title role, Mark McCusker as Pistol, and James Trainor as the Dauphin. As with all Shakespearean plays, it's easy for our modern ears to lose our way, but this cast understood the words they spoke and emotions they embodied so well that every moment was clear from beginning to end. If this is what Dreamwell can do with Shakespeare, let's hope we see more of it soon.
with a Baby in my Teeth
Riverside Theatre
It's hard for a show I did not personally see to make this list, but there were two shows friends would not stop talking about and so I had to include them. One was Megan Gogerty's solo show about motherhood. I have seen Megan perform many times in the past - she's fearless. It's clear from James Trainor's review that fearlessness continued in this show: "Gogerty's acting style is unabashed, heightened and resourceful... She throws herself completely into a bit, commanding the full stage with ease and energy." But it's not just her acting, but her writing that is fearless. In this show she dared to ask, "Is motherhood worth it? Do you regret it?" And according to one friend who saw the show, she did not provide a glib answer, but rather delved into the complexities of emotion involved in being a parent. Kudos to Riverside for providing such a unique artist a wonderful stage.
Hairspray
City Circle
Sharon Falduto began her review of Hairspray with one word: joy. It was the ideal descriptor for this theatre experience. The actors clearly enjoyed every moment of the show and the audience left the theatre tapping their toes and humming the songs. City Circle chose a perfect show to open their new performance venue, the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. They brought back Chad Larabee, a favorite son director who has since gone on to the professional theatre world. They found an amazing cast lead by the immensely talented Elizabeth Breed, who was staggeringly good as Tracy Trueblood. If this is what we can expect of City Circle in their new home, the future for theatre is very bright in Coralville.
Urban Theatre Project
Urban Theatre Project's Rabbit Hole is the other production I missed, but still included on this list. So many people commented on how wonderful this production was. As a lover of unusual theatre, I was delighted that they performed the show in an actual house. Creating theatre off a traditional stage is exciting and challenging, and it's part of UTP's ongoing mission. We've seen some excellent examples of that in our area, from City Circle's performance of Metamorphosis in a swimming pool a few years back to Dreamwell's Soldier's Daughter performed on a farm just last July. The mansion chosen by UTP fit the show perfectly. In addition, the talented cast-Leslie Chariper, Sarah Jarmon, Nick Ostrem, Cheryl Moon Thomason, and Jason Alberty-was well directed by Angie Toomsen. I am sorry to say I missed Alberty, one of our very talented comedic actors, in a dramatic role. Hopefully, we'll get the chance to see him stretch those drama muscles again. And UTP, don't make us wait another couple of years for your next show!
Old Creamery Theatre
Ah, Pinocchio. A story we all know well. One that continues to captivate children even today in our tech heavy world. Two of my children, Rachel, age eleven, and Piper, age four, experienced this show. They both loved it, as did I. Old Creamery must be commended for creating their Theatre for Young Audiences series. What was truly magical about this production was the use of classic theatrical tradition of “Commedia dell’Arte.” The actors played actors in a troupe creating the story of Pinocchio using just masks, sound effects, and simple set pieces. This allowed the children to see behind the scenes of the show, encouraging them to create their own shows at home. An inspiring and fun performance, the actors dived into the action letting their inner children shine. Particularly fun was Andrew Bosworth as the Cricket. If you have children, or even if you just want to let your inner child out, check out the next season of Old Creamery's Theatre for Young Audiences series.
Theatre Cedar Rapids 
Of all the shows I saw this year, Summerland affected me the most. I think part of that was the fact that I was witnessing a brand new play and thinking this was as good or better than so many published plays I'd seen over the years. But more than that, the story of a man desperate to bring his wife back from death and of a women trying to understand her new self was riveting. So many questions arose from Summerland. Who are we? What makes us human? Our memories? Our emotions? Our bodies? Some combination of all three? The genius of Rob Merritt's play is that he offers no definitive answers, allowing the audience to leave the theatre asking these questions. Brian Tanner noted in his comments about 2011 that there were so many original shows offered by many different companies. This is definitely a strength of our theatre community. Summerland is an excellent example of the creative talent in our community.
So those are the ten shows I've chosen to receive an EEEP this year. Congratulations to all and Happy New Year! I am sure 2012 will be even better.
Matthew Falduto founded Dreamwell Theatre over 14 years ago. He has served on the board of the Iowa City Community Theatre and the board nomination committee for City Circle. For close to twenty years, he has produced, directed, and acted in many shows in the Iowa City area with many different companies. A playwright, he is also a member of the Black Doggers. Two of his shows, Pop Tart Hero and Soldier's Daughter have been produced in recent years. He started the Iowa Theatre Blog in 2007 because he felt the excellent theatre productions of our area were not getting the coverage they deserved.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Goodybe to 2011, Part 2, The EEEPs
Goodbye to 2011, Part 1
by Matthew Falduto (and friends)
I think this is my favorite part of this blog - the year in review. I get to reflect and recall the amazing theater we've experienced over the past twelve months. And I absolutely love hearing the thoughts of my friends and colleagues. Some of those thoughts are below. Thank you, Chris, Mike, Rob, Brian, and Kevin, for sharing your thoughts. Later on today, I'll post my final wrap up article.
Mike Moran, Goatsinger
The development of [Megan] Gogerty's piece (Feet First in the Water with a Baby in my Teeth) was a delight for me to watch. Her initial monologue performed at Riverside's Walking the Wire last Spring was fun, but the entire show in the Fall -- from the drive with future-husband out to Carhenge to the embarrassment of squatting beside the Depends at HyVee -- was funny, head-shaking, and inspired. She's a gem.
Another, I have to say -- and this is personal -- was the image of Brad Quinn playing Eros being chased by Elizabeth Breed playing Psyche over the ridge of a field in Dreamwell's outdoor production of Soldier's Daughter. Fun fun funny.
And finally, Kelly Garrett as Mary Warren, in the rather uneven Dreamwell production of The Crucible, was brilliant, bringing power and pathos to her performance that was, in the end, absolutely chilling.
Rob Merritt, Communications Director, Theatre Cedar Rapids
Henry V, Dreamwell – it was stunning that director Angie Toomsen could take a play of such sprawling size and depth and make it work in a small space like Dreamwell’s. Aside from the compelling performances – and there were many – the clever production choices often gave the Shakespearean classic all-new dimension. A PowerPoint presentation that explained exactly why Harry should attack France was both a modern touch, and a clever way to get the audience to understand what’s going to happen next. And the choice to stage the play in the round was inspired. Definitely one of my favorite shows this past season.
Rabbit Hole, Urban Theater Project – Brilliant and honest portrayal of a tragedy that happens far too often: The loss of a child. Staged in the living room of a house in Cedar Rapids – and with the audience seated just a few feet from the actors – the setting couldn’t have been any more real. And that reality was complemented by spot-on performances by the ensemble, particularly Leslie Charipar and Jason Alberty as grieving parents who are trying to move on with their lives. Once word got around, the show sold out quickly. It isn’t hard to see why.
TCR Underground New Play Festival, Theatre Cedar Rapids – In the interest of full disclosure, I was a playwright in TCR’s Festival. However, my own play aside, one of the things that excited me the most was seeing the overall reaction to a festival of this nature across the board – from actors, writers and directors all the way to audience members. From the huge amount of submissions, to the large turnout of auditioners, to the popular audience response, it seemed clear that this was an event the Corridor was hungry for. It was incredibly encouraging for the future. And that, for me, was what made this one of the most exciting and memorable theatre experiences I had all year.
Kevin Moore, President, Dreamwell Theatre
I thought this was a fantastic year for local theatre! City Circle's Hairspray leaps to mind - the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement of that production carried through to the audience in ways very rare in community theatre. Dreamwell's Henry V brought the power of Shakespeare back to the Iowa City downtown arena. Of course, the opening of the CCPA in Coralville is a landmark of local performance of all sorts.
Brian Tanner, playwright, actor, director
I think one of the great things about this year were all of the original works that were presented. We had the City Circle "New Play Fest 5", Riverside's "Walking the Wire", Dreamwell and City Circle's "All in a Day Play Festival 4", Dreamwell's Soldier's Daughter, and TCR's "Underground Festival". We have so much talent right here in the area and it's great that theatres across the area will take the chance to feature it. I was honored and privileged to have my own work included in many of these events.
I thought TCR's Sweeney Todd and Crimes of the Heart were an amazing example of how large Broadway style theatre and intimate, heartfelt drama can be done right here at home. At the same time, Dreamwell, can make use of a smaller venue to bring to us the larger than life stories of Stuff Happens and Henry V. The logistics of the space are unable to hold back live theatre's ability to take us out of a church basement and into the inner circle of the Oval Office and the halls of Agincourt.
One other standout for me was ICCT's The Drowsy Chaperone. So well done, perfectly cast, hilarious, and the dance routines were wild!
Chris Okiishi, Past President, City Circle
Cripple of Inishmaan--if for nothing more than Kristy Hartsgrove's revelatory performance, a master class in how to be a team player and still steal every scene.
Feet First in the Water with a Baby in My Teeth--the titular story sticks with me, the jokes still make me smile, and the veritable Megan Gogerty-ness of it all makes it specific in the way that makes it universal.
Soldier's Daughter--which I didn't see--but admire everything about it. Biggest loss of the year for me not seeing this.
Ah! Wilderness--shame, shame on the small, narrow-minded segment of the community that got up in arms when Riverside dared to program a summer show not written by the Bard. (Taking a small google-look-around proves that most Shakespeare festivals go waaaaay further afield--they do frigging Oklahoma or even Music Man, for heck's sake!) The purists missed out on a truly wondrous production with Jim Van Valen breaking hearts and the single most thrilling theater moment of the year: Ron Clark and Jody Hovland standing on stage, in character but not acting, reflecting on a life of love and devotion. Two Gents wasn't bad either (especially the bit with the sadly now-deceased dog), but Ah! Wilderness was pure and golden.
Hairspray--yes, I'm biased. Truth be told, I'm biased about every show above, written, directed, performed by friends. But I'm really proud of Hairspray--a show that we were told couldn't be cast, would never be ready, would not find an audience and would not be able open on time. Phooey. A dream team of collaborators found an ideal cast at the perfect time and through careful, constant work, willed it to life.
So, there you go. I'm also grateful to have worked on the Riverside Shakespeare Cabaret, West Side Story, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Rocky Horror Show, Christmas Carol and our Holiday Cabaret, each of which had some "best of" moments: John Watkins singing Mumford and Son's "Sigh No More" with Tara Dutcher on Violin and Carrie Houchins-Witt and Patrick DuLaney on back ups, Ryan Shellady and Victoria Vaughn's Broadway Carols, Rod McCrea's entrance in "There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)", the Dance at the Gym, Josh Sazon as a very unique, almost-Buddhist Ghost of Christmas Past.
I also was very fond of Creamery's Art and TCR's Horatio's Purgatory.
It was a remarkably varied year, especially given our "culturally-challenged"* status.
*And let's hope that's the last Stephen Bloom reference ever.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Outstanding Performances of 2011
by James E. Trainor III
Theatre is a collaboration between a great number of artists with a wide variety of abilities - from writers to actors to graphic designers and everything in-between - but the role of the individual actor is unique because it gives the art a very personal feel. An actor can be a evocation of the audience's collective demons, a warm guide into a world of wonder, or simply an entertaining host for an exciting night out.
Today I want to talk about a few people who did a particularly memorable job of creating characters in the past year. This list is by no means exhaustive; we cherish all those who spend their time and energy bringing imaginary worlds to life. Please post in the comments if you have particular performances you remember fondly from 2011.
Mike Wilhelm as Mr. Applegate
Damn Yankees, TCR
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy about a man who offers his soul in exchange for the chance to be young again and win the Washington Senators the pennant. It's a fun, heartwarming, and clever piece that pops when it gets going. To really swing for the fence on this one, a company needs someone who can bring considerable stage presence to bear as Mr. Applegate, the sly, smooth-talking devil who tries to con honest Joe out of his soul.
Applegate does it all: sings, dances, even lights his cigarette with a flashy bit of stage magic. Wilhelm embodied the role with the smooth carelessness that can only come from weeks of careful practice. Whenever he stepped on the stage, the dramatic stakes rose and the pure fun of the piece went up a notch. The charm, grace and gleeful evil he brought to the role really sold the premise of the piece.
K. Lindsay Eaves as Abigail Williams
The Crucible, Dreamwell
If Mr. Applegate is the devil you love to hate, Abigail Williams brings a more realistic, decidedly frightening face of evil to the stage. The destructive, opportunistic girl embodies all the mendacity, paranoia and perversion that is present in Miller's depiction of the Salem witch trials. She is the shrill counterpart to the calm, maddeningly rational Danforth; a more active and therefore more dangerous evil.
K. Lindsay Eaves portrayed this vicious young lady with boundless energy and tireless commitment. She was never afraid to take things to the next level, and was always working with the other actors silently as the consequences of Abigail's schemes played out. The result was the perfect atmosphere for a script of this caliber. The work of Eaves and her scene partners kept the tension in this classic drama agonizingly high, and if you missed it, I'm sorry to say you missed one of the best productions of The Crucible to come to the Corridor in quite a while.
Saffron Henke in The Syringa Tree
Riverside Theatre
The area has no shortage of profoundly dedicated professional performers. Facilitated by companies like Riverside Theatre, these artists are able to bring incredibly immersive works like The Syringa Tree to the stage.
The Syringa Tree tells the story of South African apartheid from a variety of perspective, most notably from that of Lizzie Grace, who introduces us to this morally ambiguous world with childlike innocence and whose story we follow throughout the play. The show is remarkable because the same performer creates all the characters, and Henke did an amazing job creating a world that was absorbing from beginning to end. With no other actors and little set dressing to speak of, she applied her considerable skill and experience to play all parts, with equal dedication, in this bemusing, tragic and ultimately invigorating story.
Lincoln Ginsberg as Tobias and Emmy Palmersheim as Little Stone
Sweeney Todd and Eurydice, TCR
Theatre is above all else a art that enlivens the spirit of community, and an important part of that is passing down our traditions to our children. TCR does a fantastic job of selecting shows that allow young actors to work directly with a script, onstage with their elders, learning the craft as part of the community.
Lincoln Ginsberg and Emmy Palmersheim stood out this year as two young performers who went above and beyond in some really challenging roles. Ginsberg played the ill-fated Tobias in Sweeney Todd to chilling effect. He was charming, energetic, understood the tone of the show, and took direction well. The image of Tobias's final moments strike is probably the most haunting thing I've seen on the TCR mainstage, and I've been screaming at vampires, pirates and assassins in that space since I was a boy myself.
Emmy Palmersheim did a remarkable job in Eurydice, a poetic and quirky modern retelling of a famous Greek Myth. She worked well with the other actors and has a very striking stage presence. She also successfully directed a very funny ten-minute piece The Ethical Dilemma of a Sandwich Down the Pants for TCR Underground. Acting in a surrealist tragedy and directing a funny short play require completely different skill-sets, and to accomplish both in one season is deserving of recognition.
So, a round of applause to these artists, and to all those who brought us out to the theatre this year to draw inspiration, confront uncomfortable truths, or just plain have a good time.
What were your favorite performances this year? Memorable characters? Hilarious or shocking moments? We'd like to hear from you; follow the "Comments" link below to post your thoughts.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
January break
The Iowa Theatre Blog will be silent for the month of January. We'll be posting a couple of year end articles in the next couple of days, but after that frankly, we need a break to recharge.
Sans Merci cast chosen
Iowa City - Director Meg Dobbs has selected the cast for Sans Merci, the next play in Dreamwell Theatre's Here I Stand season.
The show runs February 10-18.
Kelly – Nika Tipsword
Tracy – Elisabeth Ross
Elizabeth – Annette Rohlk
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Fourth Room Theatre Breaks Into the Iowa City Scene with Closer
by Sarah Jarmon
Iowa City - I have spent the majority of my adult life dealing with relationships; my own, those that have sprung up and fallen around me, those that ought to have crumbled long before they did, and those that seem as though they will last forever. As members of the Disney generation, my fellow twenty somethings and I have been set up to fail at love from birth. Fooled by the lie of “happily ever after,” we have been particularly bruised by our own romantic ineptitude.
Fourth Room Theatre's production of Closer is like a salve to sooth those wounds. Not because it makes you feel good, this isn’t a feel good play, but because it allows you to feel as though finally someone’s willing to tell it like it is. As Larry, one of the plays two men puts it, “Thank God life ends—we'd never survive it. From Big Bang to weary shag, the history of the world. Our flesh is ferocious...our bodies will kill us...our bones will outlive us.”
This play is one of the only honest dialogues I have ever been privy to on the subject of romantic love, and as devastating as it is, one cannot help but breathe a sigh of relief that “Oh, it’s not just me. Love punishes everyone.” Director Angie Toomsen guides us through this conversation without kid gloves making neither more, nor less, of the script than it offers, letting the audience make of it what they will.
A clean stage with minimalistic set pieces and props allows us to focus on the actors who are unfailingly exquisite in their depiction of human selfishness, loveliness, and passion. The structural backdrop is the perfect scenery for this play, artfully becoming a hospital, an aquarium, a photography studio, and two different peoples’ bedrooms simultaneously through the careful placement of plain white boxes.
The shortcoming of being staged in Chait Galleries is the lack of technical flexibility. Scenes changed with an audible click when the light switch was flipped. This was slightly distracting, though happily these moments book-ended scenes, so the action flowed uninterrupted.
One scene, easily the filthiest and funniest scene in the play, was lost to some viewers on the far right side of the audience because of the technical difficulties inherent in staging an online conversation. Posts from a chat room were projected in the only viable position in the space, but nevertheless were invisible to the unfortunate few out of the line of sight. The actors in this scene were more than equal to that unfortunate situation however, upon realizing the problem they immediately began vocalizing their posts, so as not to leave anyone out of the joke.
The actors were able to do that because they were tuned in, at every moment, to what was happening around them. This is freaking breathtaking when it happens, and it almost never does. This is especially important when dealing with the kind of material this play offers.
This script, often funny, often heartbreaking, is artfully written in such a ways as to sound completely natural…if your actors are up to the task. The fact is, if put in the wrong hands this play would be plodding, painful, and slow. The characters would come off as complete jerks who don’t care about anyone but themselves. Which to some extent, they are, but only to the extent that most people are.
In the hands of this capable company, nuances were delicately realized and though the plot jumps large gaps of time between scenes, we always know where the characters are. More importantly we are able to see these people for what they are, confused, careless slaves to both their passions and the information they are given. And while it is easy to blame them for their indiscretions, it is easy to sympathize with them as well.
Ottavia De Luca is, as described, disarming as Alice, an on-again, off-again stripper with a guarded past and a cheeky disposition. It is easy to love her, this girl who scoffs at the notion of falling in love. “That's the most stupid expression in the world. 'I fell in love'—as if you had no choice. There's a moment, there's always a moment; I can do this, I can give in to this or I can resist it. I don't know when your moment was but I bet there was one.” Sexy, saucy, and determined to get what she wants, she embodies the desperate nature of young love and the incomprehensible ache of its loss.
The more mature but no less foolish Anna shows us that even once you have been burned you are no less at the mercy of your own passions. But Anna, stoically portrayed by Rachel Korach Howell, seems to be already defeated at the outset. She is strong but soft, proclaiming resistance but giving in to temptation repeatedly. When confronted she fights, but when reasoned with she relents. Howell navigates this difficult terrain with a quiet fire behind her beautiful eyes and we long for her to find what she is looking for.
The two men, Dan, played by K. Michael Moore, and Larry, delivered by Matthew James, are equally careless and tragic. Dan is, on the surface, a man who wants what he can’t have and once he gets it no longer wants it. But in reality he simply longs for perfection, a crime none of us is innocent of committing. And though his actions are often deplorable, his confliction and affection is no less evident. And when he eventually loses Alice for good, his grief is so racking that tears flowed freely from a large majority of the audience.
Larry, Anna’s husband, could be portrayed many ways, none of them flattering, but Matthew James manages to capture the redeemable pieces of this man magnificently. He is a pitiably obsessed fool who is incapable of thinking outside of himself. And yet…you want him to improve. You want him to better himself. He’s like the lecherous friend that all of your other friends hate, but you understand him, and you can’t help but want to help him.
This play is long, but well worth the twelve dollar admission. If you enjoy character driven plays with a mix of disturbing drama and wicked humor, you will love Closer. The show continues December 15, 16, 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12. Seating is intimate and limited so please reserve your tickets by calling/texting 319-541-0038 or email fourthroomtheatre@gmail.com.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Best of 2011?
Like last year, we're going to do a end of the year wrap up of the really amazing theatre we've seen in the last twelve months. But first we want to ask you, the Iowa Theatre Blog readers, to weigh in with your thoughts. What shows really blew you away? What made you gasp? What made you laugh so hard you fell out of your seat? What touched your heart? Answer in the comments below. Here are some pictures to jog your memory.
