What Are You Doing This Weekend?

Going out to the theatre, we hope! Here's our weekly roundup:

From Riverside Theatre: The Merchant of Venice

(final weekend; review here.)

"One of Shakespeare's less frequently produced plays, The Merchant of Venice introduces characters rich in complexity, humor and, most of all, flaws. To help Bassanio win the heart of the wealthy heiress Portia, Venetian merchant Antonio borrows money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Amid the blossoming love and comic pursuits of the heart, Shylock's loan goes unpaid and Antonio must suffer the consequences."

Script by William Shakespeare; directed by Kristin Horton.

Location: Lower City Park in Iowa City
Time: 8:00 Saturday
Price: $17 - 39

As You Like It

(final weekend; review here.)

"Rosalind, Shakespeare's most breathtaking heroine, and her boyfriend Orlando find themselves in the enchanted Forest of Arden, where 'all the world's a stage,' and where sudden infatuation is as confusing as it is beautiful. As You Like It has everything people adore about Shakespearean comedy: mistaken identity, cross-dressing, madness, mayhem, laughter, and romance... plus an original score and a cappella singing!"

Script by William Shakespeare; directed by Theodore Swetz.

Location: Lower City Park in Iowa City
Time: 8:00 Friday, 7:00 Sunday.
Price: $17 - 39

From Iowa Summer Rep: What the Butler Saw

"What the Butler Saw is one of the great satiric comedies of modern theatre, and, like a good detective, it requires curiosity and a quick mind. It may be the craziest spoof of detective mysteries ever written."

Script by Joe Orton; directed by Eric Forsythe

Location: David Thayer Theatre
Time: 8:00 Sunday
Price: $26 ($23 Youth, $13 Student, $5 UI Student)

The Woman in Black

"Yes, this play is based on the same book as the recent movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. It's a bone-chilling mystery of the imagination, especially notable for having only two actors—and one ghost—perform the entire play."

Script by Susan Hill; directed by Mary Beth Easley.

Location: E. C. Mabie Theatre
Time: 8:00 Friday & Saturday
Price: $26 ($23 Youth, $13 Student, $5 UI Student)

From ITAC: Stories of Old Amana

"This new stage adaptation of the rich history of the Amana Colony features stories that have been gathered from the Amana Heritage Museum in addition to stories directly provided to ITAC’s acting ensemble. A few of the stories in this special one-hour presentation will be told for the very first time on the Amana stage. Five actors keep the pace of this show lively and engaging and the addition of projected slides of communal-era Amana enhances the enjoyment of this unique and illuminating show recommended for audiences from elementary age children to senior citizens."

Location: Iowa Theatre Artists Company
Time: 1:30 Friday & Saturday
Price: $10

From The Old Creamery: Shirley Valentine

"Shirley Valentine is a house wife who feels she's in a rut and wonders how she got there. When her friend wins a trip for two to Greece she jumps at the chance to have an adventure. She finds one, and also a new awareness about herself and her life!"

Script by Willy Russell; directed by Rachael Lindhart.

Location: Studio Stage
Time: 7:30 Friday & Saturday, 3:00 Sunday
Price: $25.50 ($16.50 Student)

From TCR: Hairspray

"Hairspray delighted audiences by sweeping them away to 1960′s Baltimore, where the 50′s are out — and change is in the air. Loveable plus-size heroine, Tracy Turnblad, has a passion for dancing, and wins a spot on the local TV dance program, 'The Corny Collins Show.' Overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity. Can a larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program’s reigning princess, integrate the television show, and find true love (singing and dancing all the while, of course!) without mussing her hair?"

Book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman. Directed by Leslie Charipar, musical direction by Janelle Lauer, choreography by Mike Weaver.

Location: Mainstage
Time: 7:30 Friday & Saturday (Friday performance sold out).
Price: $25-30 ($20 Youth/Student)

... so get out to the theatre!