Chore Boots Celebrates the Midwestern Farmer

By James E. Trainor III
Photo courtesy Riverside Theatre

Janet Schlapkohl

Iowa City - "Pay attention. Watch it. Get back."

Janet Schlapkohl, in her new play Coming of Age in Chore Boots, weaves those three concise phrases throughout the piece to reflect on what she learned growing up in the rural Midwest. The piece celebrates the farmer: the pragmatic survivor with the courage to weather the harsh Iowa winters and the tenacity to awake at dawn to do the work than needs to be done. It also tells the story of a girl growing up in this culture, at a time when the world around her was undergoing great upheaval.

Coming of Age in Chore Boots Opens November 29

Iowa City – "Janet Schlapkohl, writer, director and frequent Walking the Wire performer shares her memories of growing up in the Midwest. Stories both hilarious and poignant emerge—from the local characters of the Waspi Women’s Club, back-to-the-landers and early Lamaze advocates, to Vietnam and the farm crisis. This world premiere is directed by Tim Budd.

Shows run at Riverside Theatre, Thursday – Sunday, November 29 – December 8, 2013. Tickets: Adults, $25-30; Youth/Student Rush, $15. More information at riversidetheatre.org, or by calling the Riverside Theatre Box Office, 319-338-7672. Riverside Theatre is located at 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, Iowa.

About the Play

“It celebrates the survival of humor and good nature found in the silence and pauses in conversation of the people who experienced the Farm Crisis. People are drawn to these stories like they’re drawn to old photographs of farming. They remember the idiosyncrasies and the effort with a great fondness.” –playwright Janet Schlapkohl