Working Group's brilliant showcase

by Rachel Brown

Iowa City - On a cold, rainy April evening I was grateful to be ushered into such the warm and inviting environment that is Riverside Theatre. I'm a bit ashamed to say that in the nearly 4 years I've been in Iowa City, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to attend a show at Riverside. Not for lack of wanting, mind you. It just always happened that I was either involved in another show or I heard about things too late. Attending the first weekend of Working Group Theatre's Under Construction was a great introduction to the well known and well attended Riverside Theatre.

This first weekend of Under Construction was a showcase of four local individuals each with a different style and a unique story to tell. It was mixture of serious reflection and comedy punctuated by intervals of old-timey folk music provided by the evening's house band, Mutiny in the Parlor. It was much like how I imagine a '50s beatnik coffee house, minus the berets and cigarette smoke.

Approximately 30 seats were set up cabaret style on a section of the Riverside Theatre stage. I'll be honest when I say I had no idea what to expect. This was certainly not a traditional show. I love these types of happenings, though, with the excitement of experiencing something new and unfamiliar.

Each presenter' own style was unique and entertaining.

John Kaufman was the first of four performers to take the stage. He did something I have never seen a performer do before and that was ask the audience to turn their cellphones on. In an age of technology it was fun to see a performer not only embrace and understand the umbilical tie we have to our mobile devices but incorporate it into a section his performance piece. Bravely posting his own cellphone number on the wall he asked audience members to forward him the most recent text they had received. He then incorporated them into an improved song. Kaufman showcased his storytelling ability with a short monologue about the first time he visited a bathhouse in Osaka, Japan with his brother and the terror (and humor) of scrotal discomfort.

After a short break and another song from the house band, Jennifer Fawcett began her series of stories about growing up in Canada, summers riding her bike thought the back roads and her trip to Tanzania working with a small group of theatre artists teaching Tanzanian children by putting together a play in 2 weeks. Her expression and emotion drew me instantly into her memory and I found myself lost in the visions of a dirt country road or a vast green paradise. It was nice to take this little mental vacation into her world.

Idris Goodwin's rhythm and flow of hip-hop poetry was breath-taking. Each line and syllable moved forward in in a way that makes me jealous of his verbal grace. The series of five short poems he presented were influenced by his work with a group of students in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He spoke of students, a tenacious preteen and a 17 year old with a distaste for the pressure she felt from the sky. He mused about his family's question “Are there any black people in New Mexico?” (to which the answer is, yes, but not many,) and painted a verbal portrait of a hip-hop city. It was musical verse and heart wrenching lines delivered with a style that made me want to dance.

Lastly Martin Andrews took the stage and with again a different style began to weave the tale of his confrontation with the idea of becoming a father. He worried out loud about what kind of father he would become and whether he would follow in the footsteps of the men in his past. This humorous and enchantingly emotional piece was felt soul-deep. The feelings of worry, confusion, angst and pure undiluted joy were painted in his words and actions. It was a truly exquisite piece to end the evening.

While these performances had just a short two day run last weekend, Working Group Theatre will continue its presentation of Under Construction tonight through Sunday at Riverside Theatre with two nationally recognized performers: Leslie Ishii (Desperate Housewives and Lost) and Sean Christopher Lewis. Information about these performers and Working Group Theatre can be found online at www.workinggrouptheatre.org.

A Review of Walking the Wire: Food

Riverside - For ten years, Riverside Theatre has offered its audience an evening of original monologues called Walking the Wire. This year’s evening was centered around a subject near and dear to all of our hearts: food. Monologues can be the most difficult of all theatrical challenges. One actor on stage talking the audience. As any actor will tell you, teamwork is key to a good production. You have to know and trust your fellow actors. With a monologue, you’re on your own. It can be terrifying. Fortunately, the actors chosen for this year’s Walking the Wire were all excellent.

The show began strong with an engaging monologue that used the metaphor of a leftover piece of chicken to tell us about the various phases of a relationship. Written by Dale Mackey of Knoxville, TN, “Throwing Out is Hard to Do” was admirably performed with a growing desperation and comedic despair by Lorin Ditzler.

One of the finest monologues, “A Taste of Home” by Gwendolyn Rice of Madison, WI, was performed by Rachael Lindhart, one of our Iowa City area acting legends. With an easy and comfortable manner, Lindhart told the story of how learning to love Thai food brought her a greater understanding of people of different cultures. By contrasting what the character learned with her mother’s reactions, we were given a complete coming of age story in a heartfelt monologue. While the monologue took a little while to get going, the truly excellent writing combined with natural storytelling made this piece a winner.

“Becoming Italian” by Claudia Haas of White Bear Lake, MN struck me where I live. My last name isn’t Falduto for nothing. Actress Kristen Behrendt told the story of how her mother had ingrained in her a sense of self through the Italian food she had taught her to make. Wonderfully true (and horrifying) moments such as how Midwesterners make lasagna with cottage cheese echoed my own experiences as an Italian stuck in Iowa. Pass the canoli and give me more of Haas’ memories.

Two monologues that tried too hard were “Worth in Numbers” by Neeley Gossett of Marietta, GA and “Sandbags and Sandwiches” by Shirley King of Benicia, CA. The numbers gimmick in Gossett’s piece grew tiresome quickly despite the fact that the audience was learning important facts about how women can obsess about their waistline. It’s difficult to say whether the acting or the writing doomed “Sandbags and Sandwiches” as it just never got going.

There were other excellent monologues, but two need to be singled out. North Liberty native Brian Tanner’s “Special Delivery” about a pizza man’s strange encounters and “Sacrificial Turkey” by Janet Story Schlapkohl of Iowa City garnered the biggest laughs. William Czerwionka melded a stance, a voice and an attitude that perfectly captured a pizza delivery guy. “Sacrificial Turkey” ended the evening on a hilarious note. Schlapkohl performed her own piece, telling the familiar tale of a woman attempting to make Thanksgiving dinner under the watchful and critical eyes of her mother in law. Except just to add to the pressure, grandmother-in-law invades the kitchen too! Schlapkohl expertly created the characters of the mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law with a clever accent and a slight contortion of her body. The audience loved this final piece and exited the theatre on a very high note.

While this year’s Walking the Wire is over, be sure to check it out next year. It’s clear Riverside takes time picking interesting monologues and pairing them with excellent actors.

--Matthew Falduto

Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.

Riverside Shakespeare Auditions

Riverside - Riverside Theatre will hold area auditions for the professional company of the 2009 Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival on Saturday, December 6, 2008, beginning at 11:00 am. Auditions will be held at the theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street in Iowa City. To schedule an audition appointment, call the Riverside Theatre box office at (319) 338-7672.

The Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival will employ a full time, professional company, both Equity and non-Equity actors. All professional actors will be cast in both shows and will also understudy. Rehearsals begin May 12. The productions play in repertory through July 12, a nine-week contract. Audition requirements: photo/resume, two contrasting monologues (one classical and one contemporary), 3 minutes maximum.

For the full regional audition schedule, please visit the website.

Apartment 3A opens tomorrow

Riverside - Riverside Theatre will open Apartment 3A, written by actor turned playwright Jeff Daniels, tomorrow night.

Annie Wilson has lost her faith – faith in God, men and even (gasp!) PBS. A Director of Fundraising for Public Television, Annie has just moved into a new apartment after a failed relationship with an unfaithful lover. Licking her wounds, she is quickly introduced to the quirky characters in her building: Donald, her mysterious neighbor, and Dal, her nosy landlord. Complicating her personal life, there’s Elliott, an overly earnest and sweet co-worker who is madly in love with Annie, and Tony, another wacky co-worker. As Annie navigates her way through a new phase in her personal and professional life, Daniels’ flair for fast one-liners and hilarious physical comedy shines through these eccentric characters. Apartment 3A is a sweet feel-good comedy about love and romance – with a twist no one can see coming!

Elena Passarello will play the leading role of Annie. Recent local roles have included Riverside’s Walking the Wire (2006), two seasons with Iowa Summer Repertory Theatre, and Liars Radio Theatre. Fighting for the role as Annie’s leading man are Tim Budd (Donald) and Jim Kropa (Elliott). Budd has been seen in numerous roles at Riverside, including the Fool in King Lear (2007) and Father Flynn in Doubt (2008). Jim Kropa of Cedar Rapids recently appeared at Riverside in the 2006 production of Death of a Salesman. Rounding out the cast are Jason Grubbe as Dal and David Morton as Tony.

Riverside Theatre will offer a Date Night package for the performances of Apartment 3A on March 29, April 5 and April 12. This package will include 15% off two adult tickets and a coupon for 15% off dinner at 126, Devotay and Takanami. A limited number of packages are available. For detailed information or to purchase a Date Night package, call the Riverside Theatre box office at (319) 338-7672.

For more information, go here.

(Photo by Bob Goodfellow.)