We're going to the theatre. How about you?
Another weekend in the Corridor runs the gamut of theatrical selections. Here's the long and the short of it:
@The Englert
ICCT brings you Lerner and Loewe's Gigi. It's a musical about a bored womanizer and who becomes enchanted with a young courtesan-to-be; check out the review here. The show opens March 1st at 7:30 and runs this weekend only.
@ICPL
Riverside is hosting a talk on the historiocity of the character Shylock from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which they will perform in repertory with As You Like It this summer. The talk, by UI professor Miriam Gilbert, is entitled: "Shakespeare and 'the likeness of a Jew' Shylock, Fagin and Disraeli." The lecture is free and open to the public and will be presented at the Iowa City Public Library in Meeting Room A at 7pm on March 1st.
@Riverside
At Gilbert St. itself, Riverside opens its annual monologue festival Walking the Wire this weekend. The show features a variety of performers and writers, and centers on the theme "This Will Never Work." Opens March 2nd and runs through March 11th.
@TCR
TCR closes its run of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde in the Grandon Studio this weekend. See the review here.
@The Ox Yoke Inn
Murder Rides Again, the dinner theatre murder mystery that refused to die, rides on at the Ox Yoke Inn this weekend.
@UI
On Friday and Saturday, MFA acting students present their showcase at Cosmo Catalano Acting Studio.
In Theatre B, Nathan Halvorson directs Sidewinders, a new play by Basil Kreimendahl. It's "an absurdist-western genderqueer romp" that promises to provoke a lot of discussion about sexual identity. (Friday through Sunday)
@UNI
At the University of Northern Iowa, students are offering Dying City by Christopher Shinn, a dark drama about a war widow who encounter's her dead husband's twin brother.
From comedy to drama to intellectual discussion, there's plenty to chose from, so what are you waiting for? Get out to the theatre!
Want to contribute reviews or articles?
Contact us at ictheatreblog@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label Gross Indecency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gross Indecency. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
What Are You Doing This Weekend?
We're going to the theatre. How about you?
There are a variety of choices available for the finicky theatre-goer out there. Let's look at the freshest first:
@Riverside
Working Group's brand-new play Toymaker's War opens tonight (February 23rd) at Riverside Theatre on Gilbert St. Written by Jennifer Fawcett and directed by Sean Christopher Lewis, it tells the story of an ambitious young journalist sucked into a world of child soldiers and ambiguous ethics. (Review here.)
@TCR
In the Grandon Studio at TCR, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde continues. It's Moises Kaufmann's look at the persecution of the famous satirist (Look here for a review).
@The Ox Yoke Inn
Murder Rides Again continues riding strong. (If you haven't made reservations for this weekend, never fear: they've added dates!
@Oster Regent Theatre
If you're in the Cedar Falls area (or you're not, and you're just up for a trek), you might want to check out the Oster Regent Theatre's production of Gogol's classic comedy, The Inspector General. It's a laugh-a-minute spectacle of mistaken identity, in its final weekend (7:30pm Friday & Saturday)
@The Englert
If you've been following the campaign season this year, you've probably heard a lot of talk about "Lincoln/Douglas" style debates. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Seeing The Rivalry might be informative. It's a docudrama by L. A. Theatre Works, using the original transcripts to create a entertaining and educational night of theatre. (Tonight only, 7:30pm)
@U of I
Or maybe you're thinking you'd sell your soul to see some college theatre? Then Dr. Faustus is the show for you! Christopher Marlowe's classic tale of reckless bargains, showing in Theatre B (Thursday through Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2pm)
@Cornell College
And if you're wondering what the devil that noise is next door, it's Cornell College's production of Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play. The play tells the curious and hilarious history of the creation of the vibrator, in Kimmel Theatre at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon. (Friday through Saturday 7pm, Sunday 2pm).
Last but not least, there are two special annual events going on in the area: Diamonds and Denim, by Riverside Theatre and Puppets and Pastries by Eulenspiegel. Diamonds and Denim includes an auction to support live professional theatre, and Puppets and Pastries involves a puppet show and some tasty treats. Both are guaranteed to be a great time, so get out there to celebrate and support local theatre!
That's your roundup for the week. Variety is the spice of life, so pick something and get out to the theatre!
There are a variety of choices available for the finicky theatre-goer out there. Let's look at the freshest first:
@Riverside
Working Group's brand-new play Toymaker's War opens tonight (February 23rd) at Riverside Theatre on Gilbert St. Written by Jennifer Fawcett and directed by Sean Christopher Lewis, it tells the story of an ambitious young journalist sucked into a world of child soldiers and ambiguous ethics. (Review here.)
@TCR
In the Grandon Studio at TCR, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde continues. It's Moises Kaufmann's look at the persecution of the famous satirist (Look here for a review).
@The Ox Yoke Inn
Murder Rides Again continues riding strong. (If you haven't made reservations for this weekend, never fear: they've added dates!
@Oster Regent Theatre
If you're in the Cedar Falls area (or you're not, and you're just up for a trek), you might want to check out the Oster Regent Theatre's production of Gogol's classic comedy, The Inspector General. It's a laugh-a-minute spectacle of mistaken identity, in its final weekend (7:30pm Friday & Saturday)
@The Englert
If you've been following the campaign season this year, you've probably heard a lot of talk about "Lincoln/Douglas" style debates. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Seeing The Rivalry might be informative. It's a docudrama by L. A. Theatre Works, using the original transcripts to create a entertaining and educational night of theatre. (Tonight only, 7:30pm)
@U of I
Or maybe you're thinking you'd sell your soul to see some college theatre? Then Dr. Faustus is the show for you! Christopher Marlowe's classic tale of reckless bargains, showing in Theatre B (Thursday through Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2pm)
@Cornell College
And if you're wondering what the devil that noise is next door, it's Cornell College's production of Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play. The play tells the curious and hilarious history of the creation of the vibrator, in Kimmel Theatre at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon. (Friday through Saturday 7pm, Sunday 2pm).
Last but not least, there are two special annual events going on in the area: Diamonds and Denim, by Riverside Theatre and Puppets and Pastries by Eulenspiegel. Diamonds and Denim includes an auction to support live professional theatre, and Puppets and Pastries involves a puppet show and some tasty treats. Both are guaranteed to be a great time, so get out there to celebrate and support local theatre!
That's your roundup for the week. Variety is the spice of life, so pick something and get out to the theatre!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Precise, Nuanced Performances Make Gross Indecency Brilliant
By Elizabeth Breed
Admittedly, I don’t consider myself to be a scholar when it comes to the life and works of Oscar Wilde. Of course, being involved in the theatre world, I have studied his play The Importance of Being Earnest and I knew of An Ideal Husband and his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. I had no pre-existing knowledge, at least no extensive knowledge, of his personal life as I entered the Grandon Theatre at Theatre Cedar Rapids on Saturday night. To be honest, all I really knew was that he was famously homosexual, a label that was coined soon after, and perhaps as a result of, his London court trials beginning in 1895. TCR’s Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde chronicles those trials in a precise and affecting manner.
Written by Moises Kaufmann and the Tectonic Theatre Project in 1997, Gross Indecency utilizes letters, biographies, and Wilde’s own work to tell the story of his persecution and ultimate conviction of gross indecency, a term defined by Victorian law as being any actions that could be considered immoral. In Wilde’s case, it was an accusation of sodomy stemming from his relationship with his companion Lord Alfred Douglas. Kaufmann et al. are most famous for creating The Laramie Project, a work that tells the story of the aftermath of the murder of Laramie, Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard, and Gross Indecency is written in a very similar manner. Nine actors portray 40+ characters in a fast paced show that elaborates on Wilde’s three trials - not just the criminal court cases, but also the trials of Wilde’s sexuality, his morality, and his art.
Walking into the Grandon Studio on Saturday, I can’t say that I was “transported” into the world of Oscar Wilde, at least not in the literal sense. A minimalist set, the stage floor painted black, serves as an empty canvas on which the actors play. The very intimate space has no large set pieces, but three upholstered period chairs, a platform and rail for the witness stand, and several boxes to provide for levels served many different purposes effectively. An interesting feature of the set was a series of hooks on stage right and stage left. Hanging coats, hats, and other costume pieces there allowed the actors easy access to them when needed and helped create a smooth transitions for the actors' many characters. One particularly nice choice was to have all of the actors playing newspaper reporters wear the same hat, which they would pass off to one another in a staging ballet. The accessibility of the costume pieces was very helpful in keeping up the pacing of a quite difficult script, and the audience was able to stay in the world of the play that the nine skilled actors were able to create.
The actors’ portrayals of the 40 or so characters necessitated fast changes from one role to the next. Many of those switches were gracefully accomplished by the change of accents or dialects, or even slight nuanced postures or gestures. The cast was able to master several English dialects, as well as Irish, Scottish, French, and even a stereotypical American accent. The majority of the time the actors were able to hold their accents with ease, with only occasional slip ups, such as a few dropped accents here or there, and the occasional insertion of an accidental Southern accent, but overall, very realistic and unforced, all around! Since I did not notice a credit of a dialect coach in the playbill, I assume it was the actors and director who worked to make their dialects genuine.
David Morton elegantly portrayed the role of Oscar Wilde. As the doomed playwright, Morton’s Wilde was sophisticated, regal, and even at times gamesome, especially when being questioned by the opposing attorney in Act One. Morton successfully fused a masculine energy with a somewhat feminine gait and posture; mixing that with a timbre one would liken to that of a skilled Shakespearean actor made his performance nothing less than entrancing. When he was speaking, the audience could barely tear their eyes away from Morton; it was evident early on in the production that he had the audience wrapped around his little finger. My friend who attended the performance with me professed her disappointment felt the very few times that Morton was not onstage. Delightfully eloquent and beautifully portrayed!
Matthew James filled the part of Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde’s companion and lover, with the grace of any nobleman of that time period. Taking full ownership of the role of Lord Douglas, he also mastered several smaller roles with gusto, especially that of Marvin Taylor, a modern day Wilde scholar, in a cute, but slightly misplaced scene. Every role James plays is realized with his entire body, and his moves and dialect are precise. In one particularly touching scene towards the end of the play, Lord Douglas is reading a letter that Wilde has written, which Morton narrates. James does not speak a word, but entire volumes of emotions are recited in his glossy eyes. It is truly heartbreaking.
In Act One, the two counsels are played aptly by Greg Smith and Keith A. Kenel. Smith’s Sir Edward Clark is very intelligent and assertive, but it sometimes seemed was bogged down by the dialect. Despite this, moments of true sympathy occur between Clark and Wilde, and Smith is able to adjust to his strength to meet his powerhouse scene partner. Also lovely are his moments of cross-examination, when he defends his client against his accusers with a cleverness that was very enjoyable to watch. Kenel’s Edward Carson, the prosecuting attorney, was a bit uneven at times, suffering from an imprecise portrayal and an occasionally dropped accent, but he was able to recover during times of direct philosophical dialogue with Wilde and he was truly able to shine.
Kevin Burford’s Act One character is that of the Marquess of Queensbury, Lord Douglas’s father and the man accused of libelous remarks in the first trial. Burford’s portrayal is passionate and unyielding, but again was hindered by the dialect. Many of Burford’s early speeches provide a fair amount of exposition in the first few minutes of the play, and most of them were quite hard to understand, perhaps due to the strong dialect as well as the fast pace that for a majority of the time is very precise, but early on seemed a bit careless. Burford was skilled enough to remedy this as the play progressed, and the rest of his performance, and his other roles, were stellar.
The cast is rounded out by ensemble actors Mike Wilhelm, Paul Freese, Andrew Clancey, and Bryant Duffy, with all the men in the cast serving as narrators, newspapermen, prostitutes, and others. Perhaps my favorite scene in the show was when the four men portrayed the four men who were Wilde's accusers in his sodomy trial. A mixture of smarm, sympathy, and detestation was adamant in this scene. Due to the relationship the audience had established with Wilde early on in the performance, we felt as if we were to despise these men, but all four actors were able to keep empathy and surprising likability in their portrayals, particularly that of Freese’s Fred Atkins and Wilhelm’s Alfred Wood.
One of my favorite performances of the night was that of Wilhelm’s George Bernard Shaw. The only other familiar name to me, Wilhelm’s Shaw was exceedingly likable and almost playful, to the point of nearing close territory of becoming a caricature due to the thick Irish accent, but he was able to hold back just enough that the portrayal stayed truthful. Duffy’s Act Two role of Frank Lockwood, prosecutor in the final, damning trial, was haunting and contained, even in a simple hand gesture made in a non-speaking moment, a moment paralleled in an earlier scene where Duffy portrays one of Wilde's accusers, Sidney Mavor, a time where a powerful, nuanced turn of the body can say so much by speaking so little.
All in all the cast and crew of Gross Indecency has much to be proud of. Through the use of little more than their bodies, the nine actors are able to convey a very big message through very nuanced performances. The text of this piece is not easy to perform, and it’s relevance is not at first evident. But in an age of societal morality issues, particularly those of the rights of homosexuals in this country, this piece is far too relevant, tragically it seems. A truly lovely night of theatre!
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde plays through March 3rd in the Grandon Studio at Theatre Cedar Rapids. Showtimes are 7:30pm Thursday through Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday. Tickets here.
Admittedly, I don’t consider myself to be a scholar when it comes to the life and works of Oscar Wilde. Of course, being involved in the theatre world, I have studied his play The Importance of Being Earnest and I knew of An Ideal Husband and his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. I had no pre-existing knowledge, at least no extensive knowledge, of his personal life as I entered the Grandon Theatre at Theatre Cedar Rapids on Saturday night. To be honest, all I really knew was that he was famously homosexual, a label that was coined soon after, and perhaps as a result of, his London court trials beginning in 1895. TCR’s Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde chronicles those trials in a precise and affecting manner.
Written by Moises Kaufmann and the Tectonic Theatre Project in 1997, Gross Indecency utilizes letters, biographies, and Wilde’s own work to tell the story of his persecution and ultimate conviction of gross indecency, a term defined by Victorian law as being any actions that could be considered immoral. In Wilde’s case, it was an accusation of sodomy stemming from his relationship with his companion Lord Alfred Douglas. Kaufmann et al. are most famous for creating The Laramie Project, a work that tells the story of the aftermath of the murder of Laramie, Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard, and Gross Indecency is written in a very similar manner. Nine actors portray 40+ characters in a fast paced show that elaborates on Wilde’s three trials - not just the criminal court cases, but also the trials of Wilde’s sexuality, his morality, and his art.
Walking into the Grandon Studio on Saturday, I can’t say that I was “transported” into the world of Oscar Wilde, at least not in the literal sense. A minimalist set, the stage floor painted black, serves as an empty canvas on which the actors play. The very intimate space has no large set pieces, but three upholstered period chairs, a platform and rail for the witness stand, and several boxes to provide for levels served many different purposes effectively. An interesting feature of the set was a series of hooks on stage right and stage left. Hanging coats, hats, and other costume pieces there allowed the actors easy access to them when needed and helped create a smooth transitions for the actors' many characters. One particularly nice choice was to have all of the actors playing newspaper reporters wear the same hat, which they would pass off to one another in a staging ballet. The accessibility of the costume pieces was very helpful in keeping up the pacing of a quite difficult script, and the audience was able to stay in the world of the play that the nine skilled actors were able to create.
The actors’ portrayals of the 40 or so characters necessitated fast changes from one role to the next. Many of those switches were gracefully accomplished by the change of accents or dialects, or even slight nuanced postures or gestures. The cast was able to master several English dialects, as well as Irish, Scottish, French, and even a stereotypical American accent. The majority of the time the actors were able to hold their accents with ease, with only occasional slip ups, such as a few dropped accents here or there, and the occasional insertion of an accidental Southern accent, but overall, very realistic and unforced, all around! Since I did not notice a credit of a dialect coach in the playbill, I assume it was the actors and director who worked to make their dialects genuine.
David Morton elegantly portrayed the role of Oscar Wilde. As the doomed playwright, Morton’s Wilde was sophisticated, regal, and even at times gamesome, especially when being questioned by the opposing attorney in Act One. Morton successfully fused a masculine energy with a somewhat feminine gait and posture; mixing that with a timbre one would liken to that of a skilled Shakespearean actor made his performance nothing less than entrancing. When he was speaking, the audience could barely tear their eyes away from Morton; it was evident early on in the production that he had the audience wrapped around his little finger. My friend who attended the performance with me professed her disappointment felt the very few times that Morton was not onstage. Delightfully eloquent and beautifully portrayed! Matthew James filled the part of Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde’s companion and lover, with the grace of any nobleman of that time period. Taking full ownership of the role of Lord Douglas, he also mastered several smaller roles with gusto, especially that of Marvin Taylor, a modern day Wilde scholar, in a cute, but slightly misplaced scene. Every role James plays is realized with his entire body, and his moves and dialect are precise. In one particularly touching scene towards the end of the play, Lord Douglas is reading a letter that Wilde has written, which Morton narrates. James does not speak a word, but entire volumes of emotions are recited in his glossy eyes. It is truly heartbreaking.
In Act One, the two counsels are played aptly by Greg Smith and Keith A. Kenel. Smith’s Sir Edward Clark is very intelligent and assertive, but it sometimes seemed was bogged down by the dialect. Despite this, moments of true sympathy occur between Clark and Wilde, and Smith is able to adjust to his strength to meet his powerhouse scene partner. Also lovely are his moments of cross-examination, when he defends his client against his accusers with a cleverness that was very enjoyable to watch. Kenel’s Edward Carson, the prosecuting attorney, was a bit uneven at times, suffering from an imprecise portrayal and an occasionally dropped accent, but he was able to recover during times of direct philosophical dialogue with Wilde and he was truly able to shine.
Kevin Burford’s Act One character is that of the Marquess of Queensbury, Lord Douglas’s father and the man accused of libelous remarks in the first trial. Burford’s portrayal is passionate and unyielding, but again was hindered by the dialect. Many of Burford’s early speeches provide a fair amount of exposition in the first few minutes of the play, and most of them were quite hard to understand, perhaps due to the strong dialect as well as the fast pace that for a majority of the time is very precise, but early on seemed a bit careless. Burford was skilled enough to remedy this as the play progressed, and the rest of his performance, and his other roles, were stellar.
The cast is rounded out by ensemble actors Mike Wilhelm, Paul Freese, Andrew Clancey, and Bryant Duffy, with all the men in the cast serving as narrators, newspapermen, prostitutes, and others. Perhaps my favorite scene in the show was when the four men portrayed the four men who were Wilde's accusers in his sodomy trial. A mixture of smarm, sympathy, and detestation was adamant in this scene. Due to the relationship the audience had established with Wilde early on in the performance, we felt as if we were to despise these men, but all four actors were able to keep empathy and surprising likability in their portrayals, particularly that of Freese’s Fred Atkins and Wilhelm’s Alfred Wood.
One of my favorite performances of the night was that of Wilhelm’s George Bernard Shaw. The only other familiar name to me, Wilhelm’s Shaw was exceedingly likable and almost playful, to the point of nearing close territory of becoming a caricature due to the thick Irish accent, but he was able to hold back just enough that the portrayal stayed truthful. Duffy’s Act Two role of Frank Lockwood, prosecutor in the final, damning trial, was haunting and contained, even in a simple hand gesture made in a non-speaking moment, a moment paralleled in an earlier scene where Duffy portrays one of Wilde's accusers, Sidney Mavor, a time where a powerful, nuanced turn of the body can say so much by speaking so little.
All in all the cast and crew of Gross Indecency has much to be proud of. Through the use of little more than their bodies, the nine actors are able to convey a very big message through very nuanced performances. The text of this piece is not easy to perform, and it’s relevance is not at first evident. But in an age of societal morality issues, particularly those of the rights of homosexuals in this country, this piece is far too relevant, tragically it seems. A truly lovely night of theatre!
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde plays through March 3rd in the Grandon Studio at Theatre Cedar Rapids. Showtimes are 7:30pm Thursday through Saturday, 2:30pm Sunday. Tickets here.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
What Are You Doing This Weekend?
There's a wide variety of theatre in the Corridor this weekend, from old classics to brand-new works, with a little holiday (or rather, anti-holiday) flavor thrown in as well.
Here's the rundown:
@Riverside
Guys on Ice continues its run at Riverside. It's an ice-fishing musical about two pals trying to land a cable fishing show. The show starts at 7:30 (2 on Sunday); tickets Here.
@The Ox Yoke Inn
Murder Rides again is Old Creamery's whodunnit with food, held at the Ox Yoke Inn. The show begins at 6; call the Ox Yoke at 1.800.233.3441 for tickets.
@TCR
Theatre Cedar Rapids continues with the hilarious Oscar Wilde play The Importance of Being Earnest on the mainstage, while down in the basement, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde tells a darker tale of Oscar Wilde's persecution by a court that was highly suspicious of his work and his lifestyle.
Earnest is on the mainstage Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 (Sunday at 2:30); Gross Indecency is in the Grandon at 7:30 Friday & Saturday. Tickets here.
@PS1
3 Brothers' Men Misbehaving is a series of bad-boy monologues that is stomping up the Corridor from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City this weekend. They'll be at Public Space One (129 E. Washington St) at 7:30 (2 on Sunday); call 319.621.0024 for tickets.
Also in Public Space on this weekend is Mud, a University of Iowa Theatre Honors Project. The play is written by Maria Irene Fornes and directed by Maria Vorhis. From the Facebook page:
"Mae is learning to read. When not at school, she irons all day and takes care of Lloyd. Mae meets Henry, and desiring his brilliant mind, invites him to live with them. Tensions in the house grow and Mae must choose between the world she inhabits and the world she craves."
The cost is free, and the time is 8 starting Thursday (tonight), and Friday. For Saturday and Sunday, the show will move to the University of Iowa Theatre Building, room 172.
@UI
While you're in the Theatre Building to see Mud, why not pop into the Next Room? Yes, the University is doing Sarah Ruhl's hit adult comedy In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play. It's an examination of the history of the vibrator, which was originally invented by Victorian doctors to cure "hysteria" in women. Ruhl's play is a bold and funny look at the sexual politics of the Victorian Age and the fear of feminine sexuality. It's at 8pm Friday and Saturday (no Sunday) in E. C. Mabie Theatre. Tickets through Hancher.
@Gilbert St. Piano Lounge
The sexy and funny In the Next Room must be the perfect show for Valentine's Day. But what if you can't stand Valentine's Day? Well, the perfect show for you might be Fourth Room's Anti-Valentine's Day Cabaret, F*CK LOVE!!! From Fourth Room's press release:
"Fourth Room Theatre presents an evening of piano and song dedicated to the misery, insanity, heartbreak, betrayal, boredom, loss, grief, unrequited passion, obsession, creepiness and sadism that comprise the dark side of Hallmark's favorite holiday.
F*ck Love features songs by C.Lo Green, George Michael, Stephen Sondheim, Adele, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Burt Bacharach, Weird All Yankovic, Leonard Cohen, Chess the Musical and many others."
The show begins at 8pm. Cost is a $5 donation at the door, which goes to help fund Fourth Room's next season.
@The UU
Dreamwell continues its "Here I Stand" season with Sans Merci by Joanna Adams. It's the story of a staunchly conservative woman's encounter with her daughter's lesbian lover. The girl has recently died tragically, and as the details unfold, the two very different survivors must find some common ground. Plays Friday & Saturday at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Society. Tickets here.
@Coe College
Last but not least, the Acting Company is bringing a production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors to Coe College. The production, directed by Ian Belknap, is a ridiculous romp playing off confusion and mistaken identity, centered around two pairs of long-lost twins. Plays Sunday at 3pm; call Coe's box office at 319.399.8600 for tickets.
So what are you waiting for? Plenty of options this weekend, so you've got no excuse. Grab your date, your twin, your imaginary brother, or your anti-Valentine's-Day anger, and get out to the theatre!
Here's the rundown:
@Riverside
Guys on Ice continues its run at Riverside. It's an ice-fishing musical about two pals trying to land a cable fishing show. The show starts at 7:30 (2 on Sunday); tickets Here.
@The Ox Yoke Inn
Murder Rides again is Old Creamery's whodunnit with food, held at the Ox Yoke Inn. The show begins at 6; call the Ox Yoke at 1.800.233.3441 for tickets.
@TCR
Theatre Cedar Rapids continues with the hilarious Oscar Wilde play The Importance of Being Earnest on the mainstage, while down in the basement, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde tells a darker tale of Oscar Wilde's persecution by a court that was highly suspicious of his work and his lifestyle.
Earnest is on the mainstage Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 (Sunday at 2:30); Gross Indecency is in the Grandon at 7:30 Friday & Saturday. Tickets here.@PS1
3 Brothers' Men Misbehaving is a series of bad-boy monologues that is stomping up the Corridor from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City this weekend. They'll be at Public Space One (129 E. Washington St) at 7:30 (2 on Sunday); call 319.621.0024 for tickets.
Also in Public Space on this weekend is Mud, a University of Iowa Theatre Honors Project. The play is written by Maria Irene Fornes and directed by Maria Vorhis. From the Facebook page:
"Mae is learning to read. When not at school, she irons all day and takes care of Lloyd. Mae meets Henry, and desiring his brilliant mind, invites him to live with them. Tensions in the house grow and Mae must choose between the world she inhabits and the world she craves."
The cost is free, and the time is 8 starting Thursday (tonight), and Friday. For Saturday and Sunday, the show will move to the University of Iowa Theatre Building, room 172.
@UI
While you're in the Theatre Building to see Mud, why not pop into the Next Room? Yes, the University is doing Sarah Ruhl's hit adult comedy In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play. It's an examination of the history of the vibrator, which was originally invented by Victorian doctors to cure "hysteria" in women. Ruhl's play is a bold and funny look at the sexual politics of the Victorian Age and the fear of feminine sexuality. It's at 8pm Friday and Saturday (no Sunday) in E. C. Mabie Theatre. Tickets through Hancher.
@Gilbert St. Piano Lounge
The sexy and funny In the Next Room must be the perfect show for Valentine's Day. But what if you can't stand Valentine's Day? Well, the perfect show for you might be Fourth Room's Anti-Valentine's Day Cabaret, F*CK LOVE!!! From Fourth Room's press release:
"Fourth Room Theatre presents an evening of piano and song dedicated to the misery, insanity, heartbreak, betrayal, boredom, loss, grief, unrequited passion, obsession, creepiness and sadism that comprise the dark side of Hallmark's favorite holiday.
F*ck Love features songs by C.Lo Green, George Michael, Stephen Sondheim, Adele, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Burt Bacharach, Weird All Yankovic, Leonard Cohen, Chess the Musical and many others."
The show begins at 8pm. Cost is a $5 donation at the door, which goes to help fund Fourth Room's next season.
@The UU
Dreamwell continues its "Here I Stand" season with Sans Merci by Joanna Adams. It's the story of a staunchly conservative woman's encounter with her daughter's lesbian lover. The girl has recently died tragically, and as the details unfold, the two very different survivors must find some common ground. Plays Friday & Saturday at 7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Society. Tickets here.
@Coe College
Last but not least, the Acting Company is bringing a production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors to Coe College. The production, directed by Ian Belknap, is a ridiculous romp playing off confusion and mistaken identity, centered around two pairs of long-lost twins. Plays Sunday at 3pm; call Coe's box office at 319.399.8600 for tickets.
So what are you waiting for? Plenty of options this weekend, so you've got no excuse. Grab your date, your twin, your imaginary brother, or your anti-Valentine's-Day anger, and get out to the theatre!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Gross Indecency Opens February 10
TCR - In 1895, Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years hard labor for the crime of "gross indecency." The trial, the events leading up to it, and the surrounding discourse about the place of morality in literature, is the topic of Moises Kaufman's play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.
TCR's production is timed to coincide with their production of The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde's most famous play, which is taking place on the mainstage through February 18th. Gross Indecency will be in the more intimate Grandon Studio. It is directed by Jason Alberty and features Kevin Burford, Andrew Clancey, Bryant Duffy, Paul Freese, Matthew James, Keith Kenel, David Morton, Greg Smith and Mike Wilhelm.
The plot follows three separate trials, drawing heavily from the original court documents. In the first, Wilde sued the Marques of Queensbury for libel - Queensbury had depicted Wilde as a "posing sodomite." The defense, however, was suspicious of Wilde's relationship with Queensbury's son, as well as critical of Wilde's apparently immoral art. In a second trial, which resulted in a hung jury, Wilde was accused of "gross indecency" and spoke movingly in defense of "the love that dare not speak its name." In a third trial, Wilde was convicted and imprisoned, which was a serious blow to both his career and his health.
Moises Kaufman, using the style of documentary theatre made famous in The Laramie Project portrays these events within a historical perspective, examining the social and philosophical implications, but also with passion and a sense of tragedy.
Gross Indecency opens February 10th, in the Grandon Studio, and runs until March 3rd. Tickets can be purchased here.
TCR's production is timed to coincide with their production of The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde's most famous play, which is taking place on the mainstage through February 18th. Gross Indecency will be in the more intimate Grandon Studio. It is directed by Jason Alberty and features Kevin Burford, Andrew Clancey, Bryant Duffy, Paul Freese, Matthew James, Keith Kenel, David Morton, Greg Smith and Mike Wilhelm.
The plot follows three separate trials, drawing heavily from the original court documents. In the first, Wilde sued the Marques of Queensbury for libel - Queensbury had depicted Wilde as a "posing sodomite." The defense, however, was suspicious of Wilde's relationship with Queensbury's son, as well as critical of Wilde's apparently immoral art. In a second trial, which resulted in a hung jury, Wilde was accused of "gross indecency" and spoke movingly in defense of "the love that dare not speak its name." In a third trial, Wilde was convicted and imprisoned, which was a serious blow to both his career and his health.
Moises Kaufman, using the style of documentary theatre made famous in The Laramie Project portrays these events within a historical perspective, examining the social and philosophical implications, but also with passion and a sense of tragedy.
Gross Indecency opens February 10th, in the Grandon Studio, and runs until March 3rd. Tickets can be purchased here.
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