Moonlight and Magnolias Opens July 11

Sean McCall, Adam Lewis, and Nicholas Hodge in
Moonlight & Magnolias. Photo by Shelley Klimes

Amana – "Who’s not familiar with Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind? One of the screenwriters of the play, that’s who! Moonlight and Magnolias is the hilarious behind-the-scenes account of three men who spent a weekend locked in an office rewriting the screenplay for the movie, Gone With the Wind, while the cameras were already rolling. See what “really” happened as the producer and director act out key scenes for the screenwriter for what eventually became one of the greatest movies ever made.

My Five Husbands Opens July 19

Iowa City - "My Five Husbands is the winning play of the 2013-2014 season Writer’s Joust. My Five Husbands by Joe Jennison and directed by Meg Dobbs will be performed at the East Side Recycling Center at 2401 Scott Boulevard in Iowa City on July 19 and 20 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $13 regular and $10 students/seniors.

The play fits well as part of Dreamwell's themed season Ovation: A Season of Women's Words. Jennison’s play celebrates a woman–one Wilder Rose Still. Quickly approaching 40 and hesitant about dating anyone new for fear they might be after her money, Wilder decides to put together a pool of possible choices, gathered from a review of her past relationships–so we meet George, her former live-in partner who shares history; Bill, a former boyfriend who is always a good time; Ernie, another former boyfriend with lots of sex appeal; Langston, another ex with a literary bent; and Joe, her gay best friend. The audience is involved in helping her review these choices as she seeks to weigh each one’s appeal. The play is heavily influenced by Thornton Wilder with references to his great novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, as well as his stage works. The playwright calls it “an interactive comedy about a woman who makes an impact by daring to write her own future." Previous playwriting contest winners were Tom Deiker’s Innocence and Amy White’s World’s Teeniest.

The cast list is as follows:

Wilder – Diviin Huff
George – Jeff Emrich
Joe – Joseph C. Anderson
Ernie – Jordan Running
Bill – Brian Tanner
Langston – Ken Van Egdon"

(Source: Dreamwell Newsletter)

Staged Reading of Stop Kiss

Iowa City - "FOURTH ROOM THEATRE PRESENTS A FULLY STAGED READING OF AWARD-WINNING STOP KISS BY DIANA SON, Sunday, July 7th at 2:00 p.m. in the downstairs common room at Old Brick (26 E Market St., Iowa City - at the corner of Market and Clinton).

Just two blocks from the Pentacrest, STOP KISS is a chance to add a little stirring and provocative theater (and air conditioning!) to your Iowa City Jazz Fest weekend!

A GOOD BYE TO OTTAVIA!

STOP KISS also marks the final Iowa City production for Fourth Room core and founding member, Ottavia De Luca. Please come help Fourth Room see her off to new adventures, including refreshments after the show! (We’ll supply the tissues! Sniff!)

ABOUT THE PLAY

Callie, a savvy New Yorker, and Sara, a recent Midwest transplant, find a new friendship quickly escalates into a scintillating and unexpected attraction. A hesitant first kiss unlocks deeper desires, but also triggers a violent attack and a sequence of events that changes their lives forever. A New York Times “Best of the Year” pick and winner of the GLAAD Media Award for Best New York Production, STOP KISS is an evocative, funny play about personal discovery, vulnerability and the perils of living a full life when personal truths challenge the fearful.

"There's so much that is vital and exciting about STOP KISS…you want to embrace this author and cheer her on to other works." —NY Daily News

“A thoroughly modern story that uses a gay romance to point out the unexpected places that love can take us.” —Curtainup

“Manhattan growls like an underfed pit bull in Stop Kiss, a sweet, sad and enchantingly sincere play . . . Falling in love with New York or in New York is risky. Only the brave need apply.” — Ben Brantley New York Times

Directed by Kehry Anson Lane, STOP KISS features Rachel Korach Howell and Ottavia De Luca as Callie and Sara, joined by a cast of area talent.

Tickets are free, but donations accepted. Donations will help fund a future fully mounted production of STOP KISS."

(Source: Fourth Room Newsletter)

Riverside's The School for Scandal Gets High Marks

John William Watkins as Crabtree; Jody Hovland
as Mrs. Candour. Photo by Bob Goodfellow

By James E. Trainor III

Iowa City - The School for Scandal, the other half of Riverside's 2013 Riverside Theatre in the Park Festival (Hamlet opened last week), first opened in London in 1777. In it, Richard Brinsley Sheridan ruthlessly mocks 18th-Century British society. Though the costumes (by Lauren Roark) do a wonderful job of transporting us back to that time via recreating the ridiculous fashions that dominated, the production itself is surprisingly modern. Contemporary American society, after all, has no shortage of hypocrites, gossips, liars, and usurers. Theodore Swetz's direction focuses on the storytelling, and does a wonderfully job of taking these very colorful characters and putting them into context. It is very clear how much social power these scandalmongers have, and how much the protagonists are in their grip. Thoughtful direction, dazzling design, and excellent acting make The School for Scandal an entertaining and thought-provoking play.

Coming Up At Combined Efforts

Iowa City - Three events coming up at Combined Efforts theatre:

Music at the Old Creamery

Amana – "The Old Creamery Theatre has special events coming your way in July!

On Saturday, July 6 they welcome back Keith Allynn, winner of the 2009 and 2010 Tribute Artist of the Year and the 2010 and 2011 Tribute Show of the Year. Direct from Branson Mo, Allynn will perform two great shows on The Old Creamery’s Main Stage.

In A Tribute to Neil Diamond, you’ll experience the “Feel of Neil” in this non-stop show that tells Neil Diamond’s life through his songs. You’ll hear favorites from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s such as Cracklin’ Rose, America, Solitary Man, Play Me, Song Sung Blue, Sweet Caroline and many more. A Tribute to Neil Diamond plays on the Main Stage for one show only on Saturday, July 6th at 3 p.m.

At 8 p.m, Allynn takes to the stage again for On the Road Again with Willie Nelson and Other Outlaws, where he will showcase not only Willie Nelson, but also Waylon Jennings, Joe Cocker, Roger Miller, Elvis and many others. Keith even performs a duet – alone! You’ll laugh until it hurts as Keith spins a yarn, literally changing character before your eyes in this Branson style production.

Tickets to each of Keith Allynn’s shows are $25 per person or come to both shows for just $40 per person!

The Old Creamery Theatre is also pleased to bring you The Brett Family Singers, direct from Branson Mo., for three exciting shows, July 16, 17 and 18 at 3 p.m.

From an amateur family act, to an internationally known group of seasoned professionals, The Bretts have appeared on worldwide television and in more than 3,000 live performances around the globe. The Bretts deliver high energy, high-caliber professional entertainment to audiences of all ages. Voted Best Morning Show in Branson, The Bretts consistently make their daytime performance the place to be on the Strip in Branson and now you can see them without leaving the state! The Bretts are celebrating their 15th anniversary of performing with this all-new show you won’t want to miss.

Tickets to The Bretts are $29.50 for adults and $19.50 for students. Group rates for 15 or more are available.

For tickets to any of these special events, call The Old Creamery Theatre box office at 800-35-AMANA (800-352-6262) or go online at www.oldcreamery.com to reserve your seats today!

Special events are not included as part of any Season Ticket or Discount Ticket Package. Coupons, gift certificates, complimentary tickets or $20 ticket vouchers will not be accepted to purchase tickets to special events."

(Source: Old Creamery press release)

The Little Mermaid Jr Opens July 19

Coralville - Young Footliters presents The Little Mermaid Jr, opening at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts July 19 at 7 p.m. Additional shows are Saturday, July 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through the CCPA website

"Adapted from Disney's 2008 Broadway production and featuring young performers grades K-12, Young Footliters' production of The Little Mermaid, Jr features the hit songs "Part of Your World," "Kiss the Girl," "She's in Love," and the Oscar-winning "Under the Sea!"

In a magical kingdom fathoms below, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father, King Triton; make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula; and convince Prince Eric that she's the girl with the enchanting voice."

(Source: Young Footliers press release)

Riverside's Hamlet: "Sit You Down and Let Me Wring Your Heart"

By James E. Trainor III

Christopher Peltier as Hamlet; Eliza Stoughton as Ophelia.
Photo by Bob Goodfellow

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre in the Park is not in the park this year; it's been moved to West High's auditorium due to flooding. However, the company has adapted well to the new space, and Riverside's production of Hamlet, directed by Kristin Horton, retains the quality expected of both the festival and of Shakespeare's most famous tragedy.

Horton begins the play with some innovative staging; in the court scene that follows the initial sighting of the ghost, Hamlet (Christopher Peltier) is first noticed by his absence. All the principals but him are assembled; just as we are about to wonder how he will be brought on he begins speaking from the back of the house, and his confrontation with his family is carried out across the audience. The change in venues actually makes this choice more effective, despite some issues with sightlines; standing at the back of West High's rather large auditorium, we can hear Hamlet before we see him, and he makes a rather ominous approach shrouded in the "inky cloak" of the darkened theatre.

Instead of dispersing the crowd for Hamlet's first monologue, Horton has the company freeze as Hamlet weaves in and out of them, explaining the situation to the audience. This is an interesting device that serves to separate Hamlet from the world of Elsinore, and it brings up interesting questions about his role in the play. Is this bitter, curmudgeonly young man an unreliable narrator? Or is he the only one willing to speak the truth about the conniving and scheming courtiers we see displayed onstage?

MFA Film Student Seeks Actors

Iowa City - "Looking for lead actors for an MFA thesis film Solace directed by Kasia Plazinska. Solace tells a story of a family of three, the father, mother and a young daughter, who lead their life in a house located in a distant, as if suspended in time, landscape. The prairie breaths in its own rhythm just like the family does. The daughter is an explorer of the landscape. She wanders around its confined infinity and observes the life of nature. But what seemingly seems like an innocent act of child's curiosity leads to girl's liminal change which disrupts the harmonious life of the family.

Lead roles are:
The father (age: 28 – 45)
The mother (age: 25 – 45)
The daughter (age: 5 – 12)

The shooting will take place August 16 - August 25.

About the filmmaker:
I am a University of Iowa MFA film production student from Poland. I have worked with actors both in film and theater. My films have played at international and local film festivals. My portfolio can be found at https://vimeo.com/67152093

Contact (email preferable):
email: katarzyna-plazinska@uiowa.edu
cell phone: 319-621-9269"

(Source: Kasia Plazinska)

National Czech & Slovak Museum Premiers New Working Group Play

Sean Christopher Lewis as Marek and Maria Vorhis as
Jitka. Photo by Rob Merritt/NCSML.

Cedar Rapids – "The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is premiering a new original play by Working Group Theatre, and the public is invited to see it for free.

The Finder’s Daughter, an original script based heavily on hundreds of real-life oral histories, will be presented as a free outdoor performance in the NCSML’s Rockwell Collins Amphitheatre. The "Theatre by the Cedar" performance is the grand finale of opening day for the NCSML’s new permanent exhibit, "Faces of Freedom: The Czech and Slovak Journey." The performance begins at 7 p.m.; audience members are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.

Written by Working Group Artistic Director Sean Christopher Lewis, who previously earned acclaim with Mayberry and Killadelphia, The Finder’s Daughter is the tale of a family struggling under the oppression of the Russian regime. Marek (played by Lewis) is struggling to simultaneously raise Jitka (Maria Vorhis), the daughter of his best friend – who was taken by the Russians eight years previously and never seen again – and continue his friend’s work publishing underground newspapers alongside Jana (Kristy Hartsgrove Moors). As the "vanishings" of political dissidents get closer and closer, Marek is torn between protecting his family and fighting for his people.

Take Five From Your Busy Schedule to Check Out 5

By James E. Trainor III

Cedar Rapids - This weekend, SPT wraps up the fifth show of its fifth season of its Tales from the Writers' Room series. The theme of the show, as you might have guessed, is the number five. Though the show has moved spaces over the years and brought on director Richard Barker, the quality and the format remain the same: funny skits, thoughtful monologues, and rocking music.

Cookin' With Gus Is a Smorgasbord of Silliness

By James E. Trainor III
Photo By Jackie McCall

Deborah Kennedy as Gus;
Marquetta Senters as Carmen

Amana - Gourmet chef Gus Richardson (Deborah Kennedy) has been offered the chance of a lifetime: her very own cooking show. There's only one problem: she's deathly afraid of cameras, microphones, and public speaking in general. Well, there are two problems, really; her boyfriend Walter (Dion Stover) doesn't want her to do the show. He's a retired inventor who wants her to take some time off, travel with him, and finally tie the knot. When they strike a precarious bargain — he'll hypnotize her to overcome her stage fright if she'll agree to get married and go on safari — the stage is set for the series of farcical mishaps that is Cookin' with Gus.

Riverside Theatre in the Park moves indoors

Iowa City – "The shows will go on! Due to City Park flooding, Riverside Theatre in the Park is moving indoors for its 14th summer season to West High Auditorium. Dates and times remain the same, June 14 - July 7, 2013. This summer’s plays are William Shakespeare’s much-loved drama Hamlet, directed by Kristin Horton, and Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 18th century comedy about English aristocracy, The School for Scandal, directed by Theodore Swetz. For tickets and information, call 319-338-7672 or visit www.riversidetheatre.org. West High School is located at 2901 Melrose Ave, Iowa City, Iowa.

About West High Auditorium

West High Auditorium is an air-conditioned indoor theatre with excellent acoustics. Located at 2901 Melrose Ave, Iowa City, there is easy access to the building and plenty of parking.

Bring your own picnic and enjoy the Green Show on the lawn near the auditorium one hour before each performance. Riverside Theatre will be selling limited concessions. The Green Show is a short performance that provides a humorous overview of the evening’s main production."

(Source: Riverside Theatre Press Release)

Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly Opens June 15

Hannah Spina, Beau Wilson, and Lou Petrucci

Amana – "Join The Old Creamery Theatre for Young Audiences and follow the adventures of Worm, Spider and Fly from their first day of school through the last as they learn to dream big in this show filled with music and fun for all! Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly opens June 15 on the Main Stage in Amana and runs through June 29.

The cast consists of Lou Petrucci, Beau Wilson, Hannah Spina, Jackie McCall, Lisa Crosby Wipperling, and Eddie Skaggs. Directed by Sean McCall, Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly was written by Joan Cushing.

Shows are at 1 p.m. on Saturdays, June 15, 22, and 29. Special weekday matinees are at 10 a.m. on Tuesday June 18, Thursday June 20, Wednesday June 26, and Thursday June 27. Tickets are $8.50 per person. Some weekday matinees are sold out so please call ahead to reserve your seats today. Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly is sponsored by Scheels with Kiss Country 96.5 as the media sponsor."

(Source: Old Creamery Press Release)

Iowa Theatre Artists Company Opens New Show About Amana History

Mary Ann Fels of Amana shows an historic wedding dress to Lauren Gentry of ITAC

(photo by Meg Merckens)

Amana - "Co-Producers of the Iowa Theatre Artists Company (ITAC), Tom Johnson and Meg Merckens, are creating a “new” show about “old” Amana that takes a close look at how community members coped with the end of their communal way of life in 1932 known as “the Great Change.” The one-hour play is called “Oma Tales – Stories My Grandmother Told Me.” The show opens on June 13 and continues through August 17 with performance times on Thursday and Friday at 2:30 PM and Saturday at 12 PM and 2:30 PM. This new production features long-time ITAC performers Meg Merckens (South Amana) and Marshall Nielsen (Cedar Falls) and introduces the 2013 Internship members, Lauren Gentry (Omaha, NE) and Andrew Burlage (Cedar Rapids).

Over the past few weeks, Johnson and Merckens have interviewed Amana residents who came of age in 1932 or just after. They’ve read first-person accounts, oral history transcripts and the historical accounts describing those frenetic months of 1931-32. This was familiar territory for the couple. About a decade ago Johnson wrote a very well received, full-length play on Amana’s history, “Home On The Iowa.” More recently the couple adapted oral histories of communal Amana into a one-hour stage show, called "Stories of Old Amana" that was presented at ITAC during the summer of 2012, and before that another show based on Amana history, "Remain True" that ran for two years.

“So many of the things I’ve read or the work we’ve done as a theatre with the previous Amana historical dramas, have stopped when we reached 1932, the end of the communal times. We want to explore that period of time after the Change,” Johnson explained.

In addition, clothing and other items from the period will be displayed in the ITAC lobby. After each performance, the audience will have the opportunity to talk with the actors about the show and the topics it introduces. “We have found that audiences enjoy the ‘talkback’ sessions so much. They add to the overall experience for the visitor and they’re fun for the actors too,” Merckens said.

Seating is General Admission but ITAC encourages patrons to call the Box Office, 319-622-3222, and reserve tickets due to the limited seating of its 99-seat theatre. Ticket Prices are $10 for Adults and $5 for Students. “This is a wonderful show to share between generations. Though the youngest children may not be able to follow some of the stories, we think that this is an ideal show for fifth graders right on up to their grandparents,” Johnson added."

(Source: ITAC Press Release)

Tales from the Writer's Room: Episode Five

Cedar Rapids - SPT'S 2012-13 Tales from the Writer's Room series closes with Episode Five on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8.

The show begins at 8:00 p.m. at CSPS -- 1103 3rd St SE in Cedar Rapids. Guest artists will be Jackson Bartelme and Hannah Spina. Musical guests: Matt Brooks, Greg Kanz, and Dave Ollinger.

Subscriptions on Sale for TCR's 80th Season

Cedar Rapids - Tickets are now on sale for TCR's 2013-14 Season, beginning with the "Curtain Raiser" event in September. More information here.

Iowa Shakespeare Experience's Summer Festival

Des Moines - Iowa Shakespeare Experience is presenting two free shows this summer, both at the Simon Estes Riverwalk Amphitheater.

On July 13, ISE teams up with Ballet Des Moines and the Belin String Quartet for Ballet, Belin and the Bard, a show that combined ballets with scenes from Shakespeare. Gates open at 6; curtain at 8.

The Passion of Othello, ISE's adaptation of the classic play, plays July 18-21. There are also paid shows at some of Des Moines' historic sites. More information here.

Special Performance of Rent

Coralville - "Tickets are now on sale for Rent which runs August 2-4.

Presented as a special theatrical fundraising event, former cast members unite to bring down the house in a concert version of the highly acclaimed Tony and Pulitzer Prize Award winner, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Boheme"

Tickets can be purchased through the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.

(Source: City Circle Newsletter)