Don't Hug Me is an entertaining Christmas show

by Rachel Brown

Amana - November 18th seemed a bit early for me to entertain the idea of a Christmas show. Generally I am a “wait until after Thanksgiving to even think about Christmas music” sort of person, but Old Creamery's A Don't Hug me Christmas Carol was a fun and lighthearted introduction to the Christmas season.


A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol, begins Christmas eve in the bar owned by Clara and Gunner decked to the halls with Christmas decorations. It is a tacky, glittering, electrified and authentic scene. The Bunyan Bay bar's only patron, Kanute (Jeff Haffner) – dressed in what reminds me of Red Green's best elf suit – is helping himself to some beer and cheese ball. Clara (Marquetta Senters) is putting up Christmas decorations, much to the chagrin of Gunner (James Fleming) whose bumbling bah-humbugs are worsened only by running gags about his infertility.

Angry and off-put that his wife and Kanute keep singing along with the karaoke machine – songs that were written by him but stolen by his nemesis Sven Yorgenson – Gunner storms off, mounts his snowmobile and is off across the frozen lake. The next we see of him, Gunner is in a coma by a ill-placed ice hole and being plagued, Dicken's style, by ghosts of past, present, and future in the form of Yorgenson. He spends the rest of the play confronting his hardships and insecurities through a series of delightfully cheesy and sometimes off color holiday-themed tunes. Fleming makes the audience laugh as he grumbles through his shock watching Yorgensen paint a less-than-happy portrait of his life, and croons to women of Bunyan including Gunner’s wife, Clara - seducing her with his charm. Marquetta Senters reminds me fondly of family members of my own as she plays Clara with her mix spitfire and kindness. She is a nice balance to Fleming's character.

Jeff Haffner is a (Christmas) ham, and understandably so as he plays the laughable and not too bright Kanute, the Bunyan businessman who wants nothing more than to win back his once fiance Bernice (Amber Snyder). His jokes and singing are an enjoyable part of this show. He keeps the audience laughing as he bumbles after Bernice.

This show comes with a variety of music types – music provided by the 'voice-activated' Karaoke machine decorated with holiday flair at the center of the bar. Snyder excels, whether strutting her stuff in “I’d Rather be Naughty” or her strange but amusing Tiny Tim tap dance. Boettger also adds his own flair to the mix with the spirited Bunyan Beguine and his best “Voice of God.”

This cheesy – yet heart felt - Christmas Carol is high energy and high-jinx. If you are already familiar with the Bunyan Bay crew (or even if you aren't), I have no doubts you will enjoy this back-woods Christmas tale. The show runs through December 18th at Old Creamery's Main Stage. Tickets are $27 for adults and $17.50 for students and are available by calling 800-35amana or visiting www.oldcreamery.com

Mystery at the County Fair - Sweet as Pie!

by Rachel Brown

Iowa City - Android GPS is only as smart as you tell it to be. So, if for some reason you manage to type in the wrong address, it seems likely that you will find yourself on the wrong side of the city looking for a farm that just isn’t there. The show was a minute from starting as I finally arrived at the farm where Mystery at the County Fair was being held. With a sigh of relief and a silent “Thank You” to the sky for letting the rain stop, I took my seat in front of the large wrap-around porch decorated in American flags and patriotic paraphernalia. It was a step right back to the county fairs of my youth.

Writers Kate Aspengren, Mary Vasey and Janet Shlapkohl brought to life a glimpse of rural Iowa tradition and tailored their work to the lives and memories of anyone who has knowledge of small town life and county fairs. The characters are people that could have been pulled right out of my own head. They were relatable, realistic and funny!

Throw in some adorable goats and there are more than enough laughs and “awwws’ to last all evening.

There were many actors in the show who were just a blast to watch. Mary Vasey, playing Nancy, the wife of the fair organizer. With her slowly emptying bottle of hard cider, she showed a feisty, down-to-earth view of life. Rip Russell and Kathy Maxey, who played 2 Hollywood TV producers in search of Americas Best County Fair, wandered into the first scene much like myself, with unusable GPS-enabled cell phones.

They each gave their best to play the out of place “city folk” Katherine Smith as Agnes Lola Hammer - always second best - showed her character's sweetness and frustration as she struggled to understand why she was destined to be the runner-up in everything she endeavored.

This is the first time I have ever experienced this particular style of show. Each scene was played at a different location around the farm and as the actors moved through the farm the audience followed. We were led to each destination by a barbershop style quintet. The intermittent music in this show was enjoyable and fitting. Several of the main characters were given small songs to sing during each scene, adding a nice variety to the show and keeping the audience entertained and on our toes.

This is a short show, shorter than I expected, and I found this refreshing! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a 3-hour musical as much as the next thespian but I don’t feel that every piece of theatre needs to be long and complicated to be enjoyable. There weren’t any unnecessary scenes to draw out the action, the characters all rounded out their purposes and the audience got an hour-long slice of theatre - forgive the expression - sweeter than apple pie.

With only one more show Saturday August 6th at 7:00PM, I highly recommend you take an hour of your evening and drive out to see this great little show. Mystery at the County Fair is playing at 3418 Osage st SW, Iowa city, just a short drive off of Hwy 1. Tickets are available at the gate and more information about Combined Efforts Theatre can be found at www.combinedefforts.org.

Ah Wilderness! is a feel good comedy

by Rachel Brown

Iowa City - Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! is not a show I would have ever associated with the Riverside Shakespeare Festival because, well, It's not Shakespeare. But, fear not! I hear it on good authority and from the theatre interns at Riverside that it is quite common for Shakespeare festivals to include shows that are not written by The Bard.

The 12th annual Riverside Shakespeare Festival opened this weekend with O'Neill's classic tale of young love and the American family, Ah Wilderness!. Set in a "large-small-town" in Connecticut on the 4th of July 1906, the play follows 17-year old Richard Miller and his family on a two day roller-coaster ride of young love and its trials and tribulations. Richard struggles with his innocence and idealism at the heart of a traditional American family living in a much simpler time; a time when riding in the car was a special occasion and the writings Oscar Wilde and Omar Khayyam were considered anarchist.

Christopher Peltier provided a painfully accurate portrayal of Richard, with all the innocence of a 17-year old hopeless romantic facing his first taste of heartbreak. Christopher brought forward a surprising range of emotion and tenderness to the character. It was easy for me to empathize with him.

The head of the Miller household, Nat Miller (Ron Clark) and his wife Essie Miller (Jody Hovland) are fun and full of energy. They are a delight to watch as they bicker and tease and run their family.

Jim Van Valen steals the show with his portrayal of Sid Davis, the ever-joking and often drunk brother of Essie Miller. There wasn't a moment he was on stage that he didn't command the attention of the audience, however he was conscious to not pull focus when it wasn't his job to do so.

The supporting cast, notably the actors playing the three other Miller children, Zachary Andrews (Arthur Miller), Sarah Smithton (Mildred Miller) and Sarah Smith (Tommy Miller) rounded out the show and balanced out their brother's plight with humor.

Costumes and hair for this show were everything that I would expect from a professional company. They were well designed, well made, appropriate to the time period and showcased the characters. The same can be said for the set design. It was simple, unobtrusive and well thought out, providing the flexibility to use pieces several times for different scenes. Even the scene changes were peppy and quick, something I always appreciate when seeing a show.

I truly enjoy experiencing shows at the festival stage. It brings me back to the roots of theatre and it was a wonderful setting for this show, although next time I will remember that shows start at 8 p.m. and not arrive ungodly early. However, one reward of arriving as early as I did was I was able to catch the short “Green show” put on by the theatre interns speculating whether or not William Shakespeare had time-traveled to modern times and penned Ah Wilderness! under the assumed name of Eugene O'Neill – an interesting and entertaining concept, however far-fetched.

If you are up for a feel-good comedy, please make the time to see Ah, Wilderness! at the Riverside Theatre Festival Stage in Lower City Park. Have no fear - bug spray and rain ponchos are available. The show will be playing June 29th, 30th and July 2nd, 5th, 8th and 10th while sharing space with their second show Two Gentlemen of Verona. Tickets can be ordered by phone at 319-338-7672, or at the Riverside Theatre Box Office, 213 N. Gilbert St, Iowa City.

Dreamwell's View Deserved their Standing O

by Rachel Brown

Dreamwell - Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge is striking show. Its fit as part of Dreamwell's “Taboo Bijou” season is a good one. The story told is one of Eddie Carbone and his family who take in two illegal immigrant cousins from Italy. One is saving money to send home to his wife, and one instantly takes a liking to Eddie's niece whom he has raised from a childhood. Eddie is forced to face the idea that she is no longer a young girl, and his growing feelings towards her as a woman. Many of the issues raised during this show are powerful and thought provoking. Even though it was written in the 50's, it is still very relevant to today's society and issues we are facing everyday in this community and across the country.

I started my theater career at a small liberal arts college in Iowa. Our theatre space was a small 150ish seat black box with sometimes as little as a foot of separation between actors and audience. Maybe this is why I have a fondness towards the intimacy provided at the Unitarian Universalist Society where Dreamwell performs its show. Granted, I did choose to put myself in the front row and anyone who finds themselves there will be inches from the actors. Dreamwell has never shied away from pulling their audience members right into the thick of the action and it is something I have always found effective there. With such limited space, there is always a need for creative staging and I enjoyed the set pieces on the floor. Director Krista Neumann made a great staging choice and it was easy to distinguish between the apartment, the street and the office of Lawyer Alfieri.

I also really enjoyed how, acting as both narrator and involved character, Alfieri, played by Demetrios Hadjis, was allowed to wander in and out of the scenes, commenting on or being part of the action. One of the only awkward blocking moments in the show, was when the immigration officers were stuck on stage, twiddling their thumbs until the lights faded. I'm not sure if this was an oversight, a instance of necessity (they were removing set pieces for the next scene), or an opening night timing issue.

On to the actors.

This is the second show I have seen Rip Russell perform in and I have yet to be disappointed in his commitment to his character. Eddie Carbone is both a simple and complicated man. Rip take the words on the page and turns them into a powerful depiction of one man's flaws, love, and conviction to his family. Kathy Maxey's Beatrice is a complex, devoted and conflicted woman. The emotions were there and you can tell she is right there in the moment. I enjoyed the way K Michael Moore was able to make himself burly and intimidating as Marco. Even if size wise he may actually be smaller than Rip, I never doubted his ability to physically dominate. Hadjis as Alfieri is the grounding member of the cast. He keeps the action centered and focused where it needs to be.

Aaron Brewer. I actually heard one of the audience members say “...could he be any cuter?” Rudolfo is a young illegal immigrant who instantly falls for the 18 year old niece of his cousin. It takes a lot of energy to go from singing and dancing and to then switch gears completely for the show's more dramatic and emotional moments. I could see the connection between Aaron and Angelique who plays Catherine.

Angelique VanDorpe's portrayal of Catherine was admirable. This is very much a coming of age story for Catherine and perhaps for Angelique as well. It is very clear they're both are saying “I'm not a young girl anymore, I am a woman who deserves to be taken seriously.” This show is, for a lack of a better word, very heavy stuff. Angelique has the experience and the tools necessary to handle it in a believable way and convey thoughts and emotion in her voice, her face and her connection to the other actors.

Music and lights both consciously and unconsciously set the tone of a show. While the UU doesn't offer a great variety of lighting options, the set and actors were still well lit. I enjoyed the house music, especially coming back from intermission. I sat down in my seat to “White Christmas” and was like”...um...okay... this is strange”, until I took a look at the set and saw the Christmas tree and garland. It was an obvious choice and the songs were chosen with purpose. Often I think productions fail to remember the impact that music can have on the audience.

Please take the time to attend Dreamwell's production of A View from the Bridge. They are a quickly growing company both in numbers and reputation. The Little Theatre that Could, perhaps, but their shows are nothing but ambitious. This cast deserved it's opening night standing ovation.


Rachel Brown has been a part of the Iowa City theatre community for three years. She graduated from Waldorf college with a BA in Theatre Arts, has acted in and directed shows for Iowa City Community Theatre and performed in shows with the now defunct Catalyst Acting Company as well as Red Door Ensemble and Washington Community Theatre.

TCR Spells Success with Spelling Bee

by Rachel Brown

TCR - Middle School. That word alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who has lived through it. Theatre Cedar Rapids' production of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee paints a hilarious and intimate portrait of six adolescents, all of whom not only have to spell words I've never even heard of, but are dealing with the pressures and awkwardness of early adulthood. As stated before by director Leslie Charipar, this is not exactly a family show. I don't think anyone who hasn't already gone though these issues would be able to appreciate them as much as those who have. But if the goal of this production was to take us as audience members back to our own gawky pubescence, with an equally balanced mix of crude humor and the blatant truth of adolescent suffering, then they succeeded and how.

It was obvious everyone was up on stage having as much, if not more, fun than the audience. The amount of time and effort put forth by the directors and cast is evident in the commitment each actor had to his or her character. Each was a clearly defined and magnified version of people we all knew during our middle school years. There is someone for each of us to identify with.

Alex Schulte's head first dive into his character of William Barfee and his blocked sinuses had audience members in fits of laughter. Special recognition has to be given to Laura Tatar (as Logainne Schwarzand-Grubeniere) for singing so clearly with a lisp and to Nathan Scheetz: man, it takes a lot of balls to sing so convincingly about erections. This show allows for each character to have their bit in the limelight. Charipar made some great staging decisions with each character. One moment that sticks out in my mind was during Elizabeth Simon's solo “The I Love You Song” in the second act which demonstrates the problems her character Olives is facing at home. Her frustration and uncertainty are well illustrated by the blocking in addition to the song being sung so beautifully.

Actors Justin Braden (Mitch Mahoney), Dyanna Dawn Davidson (Rona Lisa Peretti) and Mike Wilhelm (Duglas Panch) were well cast and well suited to their roles. Each had a specific and well thought out character and the voices to support them, as did the entire cast.

This show is unique in its ability to literally draw the audience into the show by allowing them to offer themselves up as possible spelling bee contestants. Each actor then has to interact with the audience members while maintaining and reacting in character. Bringing audience members up on stage can be a dangerous thing, and this company excelled.

Compliments to Janelle Lauer for putting together such a cohesive sounding cast. This show doesn't really have principals and it doesn't really have an ensemble, but a cast that works together to form a well balanced mix of music and movement.

Having been to several TCR performances I have never been disappointed by the set. This show is set in a middle school gym in present day Putnam County. I don't know who to give credit to for the remarkable gym floor, so I will say kudos to both Derek Easton and Becky Buhlig. I had to ask someone on the production team if the floor was fabricated or if it was actually planking laid down on the stage. The only thing that could have made it feel more gym-like would have been the smell of gym clothes and floor wax. I am always impressed by the ability of a scenic designer to take a stage with the capacity of TCR's and make it feel so intimate. All in all this was a wonderful space for this company to use to convey their story.

No, I won't tell you who wins the Spelling Bee, but I will tell you this was a fantastic way to spend an evening. Please take the time to see 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Theatre Cedar Rapids. You will be laughing your way through your own trip down memory lane.


Rachel Brown has been a part of the Iowa City theatre community for three years. She graduated from Waldorf college with a BA in Theatre Arts, has acted in and directed shows for Iowa City Community Theatre and performed in shows with the now defunct Catalyst Acting Company as well as Red Door Ensemble and Washington Community Theatre.