Cat Clings on By Its Claws

By James E. Trainor III
Photos by Emily McKnight

Rachel Korach Howell and Aaron Weiner

Iowa City - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is one of Tennessee Williams's most iconic plays. Set on a southern plantation in the middle of the 20th century, it tells the story of Brick (Aaron Weiner), who drinks to avoid his family, his past, and his conflicted sexual identity. His sexually frustrated wife Maggie (Rachel Korach Howell) must keep his head above water as his squabbling family threatens to disinherit him. It is a whirlwind of a drama, delivered in three powerful acts, and it is a challenge for any community theatre. Iowa City Community Theatre's production of Cat (directed by Brett Borden) manages to stay on the roof - thanks mainly to the acting chops of Weiner and Howell.

Seven Deadly Sins Plays October 31 and November 1

Cedar Rapids - This weekend at CSPS (1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids): Sins don't kill. The people using the sins kill. Well, I suppose Gluttony can pop your stomach, so maybe ... well, come to think of it, Sins are ultimately pretty dangerous. Like bacon.

7 Deadly Sins feature special guests Nikki Stewart and John Smick with guest writer Chris Okiishi. Musical guests are Craig Erickson, Greg Kanz, & Dave Ollinger.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Opens October 31

Aaron Weiner and Rachel Korach Howell.
Photo by Emily McKnight.

Iowa City - ICCT's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opens this Friday, October 31.

Sponsored by STEVE HALL and THE JOHNSON TEAM
October 31, November 1 & 7-8 at 7:30pm
November 2 & 9 at 2:00pm

One of Tennessee Williams’s best-known works and his personal favorite, is set in the “plantation home in the Mississippi Delta” of Big Daddy Pollitt, a wealthy cotton tycoon. The play examines the relationships among members of Big Daddy’s family, primarily between his son Brick and Maggie the “Cat”, Brick’s wife; examining the conflict between truth and illusion. Winner of the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Directed by Brett Borden

Tickets are available at http://www.iowacitycommunitytheatre.com/.


Source: ICCT Press Release

A Grateful Nation Reading Nov. 15 & 16

Friends coming home from WWII. Photo courtesy of Rick Williams.

Iowa City – Rick Williams and Ron Clark, natives of Columbus Junction, Iowa, will premier A Grateful Nation at Riverside Theatre, a new play about how World War II affected their town, parents, community, and lives.

The script-in-hand performance will run for 2 shows only at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street on Saturday, November 15, 7:30PM and Sunday, November 16 at 2:00pm. Ron Clark is also directing the play. More information at riversidetheatre.org or 319-338-7672

Tickets: $20 adults, $15 Riverdog Season Pass holders. Veterans, military personnel and their immediate family receive a 20% discount off of regular adult-priced tickets as part of Riverside’s Blue Star Theatre Program.

A Grateful Nation is sponsored by River Products Company, Inc.

Romeo and Juliet Cast

Waterloo -The Black Hawk Children’s Theatre has cast 13 local, talented actors in roles for its upcoming production of Romeo & Juliet. William Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers is brought to life in this adaptation by BHCT Artistic Director, Anita Ross.

Romeo and his crew are up to no good when they crash the party of their rivals, the Capulets. One escapade leads to love with Juliet as this meeting sets up a series of events leading to a tragic ending for this star-crossed pair. With passion and poetry, share Shakespeare’s timeless tale of young love that brings unity to fighting factions.

Dogfight Makes Quite an Impression

by Matthew Falduto
Photos by Charles "Rain" Black (eyeguessphotography.com)

Shane Nielsen, Logan Adam Schultz, Jackson Bartelme

Cedar Rapids - Electricity flowed through the opening night crowd of Dogfight, the second production by new kid on the block theatre company Revival. The raucous audience drank and kibitzed while waiting for the show to begin. The ushers added chairs to accommodate the crowd. During the opening remarks, every announcement was greeted with thunderous applause, from thanking sponsors to just mentioning the fact that it was opening night. This was an excited, motivated crowd ready to be entertained. Fortunately, the cast and crew of Dogfight delivered, from the opening song to the final emotional moments.

Dollar Dog Reading: A+

Iowa City – On Sunday, October 26 at 6:30pm flip a coin to enjoy a reading of Sean Christopher Lewis’ new play about education in America, “A+” for only $1 or $2.

This is the 2nd reading in this season’s Dollar Dog Reading Series, a collaborative effort between Riverside Theatre and Working Group Theatre to publicly share scripts early in the development process.

Festival of Trees: City Circle's Annual Fundraiser

Coralville - City Circle's Festival of Trees moves to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts! This November 29, kick off the holiday season with an evening of festive performances, food, fun, and fabulous decor!

DiNO-LIGHT at the CCPA

Coralville - The Coralville Center for the Performing Arts is thrilled to bring Lightwire Theater’s production of DiNO-LIGHT to the Coralville on Tuesday, November 11, with a public performance at 6:30pm and a special 12:30pm matinee for school groups.

Created by Corbian Visual Arts and Dance, DiNO-Light (also known as Darwin the Dinosaur) is a heart-warming original story that features a friendly dinosaur who wanders away from home and discovers a world of creatures who light up the darkness and help him find the true meaning of love. The story is told through electroluminescent puppetry, music, sound, and movement and has delighted children and adults around the world.

Almost, Maine at Cornell

Nick Barnes and Millicent Marter.
Photo by Haley Severance

Mount Vernon – The Department of Theatre at Cornell College is proud to announce its production of Almost, Maine, written by John Cariani. This romantic comedy has received world- wide acclaim with productions by over 70 professional companies since its Off-Broadway debut in 2006. Wildly popular in high schools, this is a story that may be weird enough to show us what Love is really all about. Cornell’s production is directed by Artist in Residence, Ron Clark of Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre.

Morning’s at Seven Opens on ITAC Stage on October 24 in Amana

Meg Merckens and Clark Skaggs

Amana - Paul Osborn’s classic American play, Morning’s at Seven, opens on Friday, October 24 for a three-week run on the Iowa Theatre Artists Company’s stage in Amana. Written in 1939, it has received two revivals on Broadway, the most recent one in 2002, with New York City papers describing the show as “absolutely entrancing” with “charm to burn.”

Set in the backyards of an “American town” in the late 1930s, the story revolves around the seemingly quiet lives of the four aging Gibb sisters, who have lived in close proximity to each other all of their lives. Osborn skillfully paints a sweetly funny portrait of the four sisters, their eccentric mates and quirky offspring and the long-held secrets that divide them but ultimately strengthen their family ties. Bringing this endearing, funny and “oh-so-familiar” family interaction to life is a cast of some of the strongest veteran actors in Eastern Iowa, along with two very talented young performers. Audiences in the Cedar Rapids area will recognize and enjoy favorite, local stage actors, Cherryl Thomason, Marty Norton, Jim Kern, David Morton and Susie Streit. Equally acclaimed are two actors from the Amana area, Meg Merckens and Tom Milligan. Two younger Iowa theatre artists, Robert Kemp and Jessica Murrillo, who hail from the Iowa City area, represent the up-and-coming stage talent of Eastern Iowa. It’s the largest non-musical cast in ITAC’s seven-year history to grace the theatre’s stage in Amana. Mike Cervantes of Cedar Rapids is making his directorial debut with this production. “We wanted to present a festive season of theatre this final year in our building, and choosing this particular production with such an outstanding cast of actors is turning out to be a perfect fit,” stated Producing Director, Tom Johnson.

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm from October 24 through November 9. Reservations are strongly encouraged for this three-week run in the intimate 99-seat ITAC theatre. Prices are $22.50 for Adults, $20 for Seniors (60 and up) and $10 for Students (through college). For reservations call: 319-622-3222 and for more information about ITAC, visit: iowatheatreartists.org.


Source: ITAC Press Release

Pandora's Circus at the CCPA

Coralville - Iowa circus performer, Laura Ernst, owner of the Iowa Circus Academy, has created and produced a unique cirque style show that will be hitting theaters all over Iowa and the Midwest starting in Nov of 2014.

This show is a Cirque-Style theater show inspired by Greek mythology that follows Pandora who opens the box full of vengeful spirits that drag her to the Underworld.

Halloween Costume Rentals at WCP

Waterloo – Find the perfect costume to go haunting in from your local costuming experts. The Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre makes costumes used in local productions available for rental, not only during the Halloween season, but throughout the year. Imagine the vast variety of costumes available from a community theatre in its’ 98th Season. The Costume Rental Shop at the Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre will be open extended hours to meet your Halloween costuming needs. Extended hours include: Saturday, October 25 at 1-5 pm, Tuesday-Friday, October 28-31 at 1-7pm and Saturday, November 1 at 1-5pm. The shop is located on the upper level of the Walker Building at 224 Commercial Street in Waterloo.

Camo! The Musical Cast

Iowa City - ICCT has announced the cast for its upcoming production of Camo! The Musical.

A group of hunters prepares for the fall season. Women gather to drink coffee and discuss men, marriage, their own camouflage, and a thing called Lamaze. The woods become magical as army-buddies reunite; brothers discover what they need most and for two outsiders, love blossoms. A comedy set in the early 1980’s, the themes and characters will be familiar to anyone who knows what a prune Kolache is.

Kimberly Akimbo Comes Together Beautifully

By Rachel Korach Howell
Photos by Bob Goodfellow

Jody Hovland as Kimberly; Frankie Rose as Jeff

Iowa City - David Lindsay-Abaire’s Kimberly Akimbo is chock full of the necessary humor humans must utilize in order to bear the weight of impending doom. Some may say the humor is too harsh at times. The love we hope to see is easily marred by a presentation that might not perfectly walk that line; nevertheless, you cannot deny the love that is deeply rooted within the language Lindsay-Abaire gives his characters.

Kimberly Levaco was born with a disease which ages her at 4x the rate of a “normal” human being. At 4 years old, she looks 16, and so on. We meet Kimberly on her 16th birthday, the picture of an old woman, the hopes of a budding teenager, with a wisdom and understanding of life forced upon her by her circumstances. Her parents are selfish, rude, angry, and - her mother especially - cruel to their daughter at times. She has only two friends: a nerdy dungeon master, who's a wizard with anagrams, and her quirky homeless aunt. Kimberly’s life may end soon, but she succeeds in teaching each character what it takes to truly live.

Uncle Vanya Timid But Effective

By Genevieve Heinrich
Photos by Elisabeth Ross

Julia Sears as Sonya; Brad Quinn as Mikhail

Iowa City - Dreamwell Theatre kicked off their '14-'15 season, "The Grand Delusion," last night with a thoughtful performance of the David Mamet adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (tr. Vlada Chernomirdik). The show is an old classic that stands the test of time. The tensions and emotions inherent in any family, or group of people who has long lived together as family, bubble to the surface in agonizingly familiar ways. None of the character tropes in Vanya is new to the audience; each is an old friend or enemy or aspect of self. The language is fresh and engaging, tackling large philosophies and petty squabbles with equal deftness. This is a show that any theater lover should see at least once, and Dreamwell's production is a wonderful opportunity to do so locally.

An In Depth Look at Revival Theatre Company

Cedar Rapids - There's a new theatre in town! Revival Theatre Company presented its first show, Children of Eden, last month at Brucemore's Outdoor Stage. Dedicated to producing musicals, Revival has two more shows coming in 2014-15: Dogfight opening this month and Pippin in June. We had the chance to talk to Brian J. Glick, artistic director, about the company.


Why did you choose the name Revival? 

The whole idea of bringing musicals back to the forefront and showing audiences musical theatre that they maybe haven't ever seen or haven't seen in years, led to the name “Revival.” We are reviving shows, we are bringing back the classics and the rare gems and giving them new light in a corridor that maybe hasn't seen one of our productions.


Can you give us a little history on the theatre? Whose idea was it and how did it come about? Who is involved in the theatre? Do you have executive director, artistic director, board of directors etc? 

Cameron Sullenberger and I created Revival Theatre Company. I was living in New York at the time and through many phone conversations we kept talking about the shows we wanted to produce, knowing that whatever shows we did, they would be musicals. The idea to start a theatre company didn't come up in the initial conversations, but after many discussions about the things we wanted to do and how we wanted to go about doing them, we realized that it really is something of its own.

Xanadu Is Campy Fun, But Frequently Falters

By Sharon Falduto
Photos by Jackie Blake Jensen Photography

Victoria Vaughn as Clio; Skylar Matthias as Sonny

Coralville - Nostalgia for the recent past is big business, as musicals like Mamma Mia! have shown. Xanadu mines a similar vein for an audience who wants to reminisce about its youth, and maybe cringe a little along the way.

Xanadu is a labor of love for director Chris Okiishi. He admits to book problems in his director’s note, but tells us how he went to the movie five times in its opening week anyway. His love for the high concept musical shows in the details, but I fear his adoration may have blinded him to some of its weaknesses. Fortunately, the show is, if nothing else, a lot of fun.

Vang at Coe

The story of recent immigrant farmers will be presented in the drama Vang at Coe College. The play will be performed in Dows Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. It is open to the public at no charge.

Kimberly Akimbo Opens October 17

Iowa City – This fall, Riverside Theatre brings to Iowa City Kimberly Akimbo, David Lindsay-Abaire’s quirky comedy, directed by Sean Christopher Lewis.

Kimberly is your regular teenager, except that she has an age-advancing genetic disease, an alcoholic father, a pregnant, hypochondriac mother, and a pesky criminal aunt. Now she is facing the most terrifying thing of all… the possibility of first love.

Featuring Jody Hovland as Kimberly, with Tim Budd, Carrie Houchins-Witt, Kristy Hartsgrove Mooers, and Frankie Rose. Budd, Houchins-Witt, Hovland and Mooers were all seen in the cast of Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People last January at Riverside.

Kimberly Akimbo runs Thursday–Sunday, October 17–November 2, 2014. Tickets: Adults, $28-30; Youth, $18, Student Rush, $20. Details at riversidetheatre.org, or by phone at 319-338-7672. Riverside Theatre is located at 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, Iowa.

ConcertIA presents An Evening of Opera

Coralville - Shari Rhoads and Chaz'men Williams-Ali will guide you through an evening with Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Strauss, Wagner, Bizet, Delibes, and Gounud. Perfect for opera lovers and novices alike! This concert is a fundraiser for the March 2015 production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

Tickets are $10-$25, with a $75 "Gold Ticket" that includes a post-gala reception at TheLuxeZone and "after-glow" casual concert with the artists. Tickets are available online, by phone at 319.248.9370, and in person at the CCPA box office and Coralville Rec Center.


Source: CCPA Newsletter

Auditions for Don Giovanni

Cedar Rapids - Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre announces auditions for the adult chorus of the January 2015 production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Paramount Theatre. To request an audition time and an application, please contact Virginia Michalicek before October 2 at the Opera Office, 319-365-7401 or vmichalicek@cr-opera.org.

Cedar Rapids Auditions for the Adult Chorus of Mozart’s Don Giovanni

Date: Thursday October 2, 2014
Time: 5:00PM – 7:00PM
Location: Coe College Choir Room (Marquis Hall #201), 1220 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids