A review of Walking the Wire: Classified

by Andrew R. Juhl

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre's Walking the Wire is one annual highlight of the local theatre scene, and for good reason. The performances are often fantastic, the writing is often fresh and multifaceted, and the roiling complements of comedy and tragedy provide a routinely enjoyable evening for audiences of this amaranthine platform.

As in years past, some familiar faces bring great performances to the event, even to the few underwhelming included monologues. And as in years past, the monologues with the most resonance and impact were those performed by their writers. Director Jody Hovland must have realized this to some degree, as she placed a writer-performer at both the beginning and end of the evening. Specifically, she placed the two most baldly autobiographical pieces of the evening (Chris Okiishi’s “Bully for You” and Janet Schlapkohl’s “Valentine Bunnies”) as those bookends, and I applaud this subtle, warranted use of symmetry. The third writer-performer, Ron Clark, imbues his happily-sad, fictitious story with the seemingly effortless gravitas one has come to nearly take for granted after so many years—but never should.

Walking the Wire opens March 6

Felipe Carrasco in WTW: Classified

Iowa City – For the past fifteen years, Riverside Theatre has offered an evening of original monologues called Walking the Wire, often centered around a theme. Past themes included Food!, Holiday, OMG and TMI. The festival has offered local and national writers a chance to see their work performed on a professional stage.

This year, Riverside encourages us to slip on our dark glasses and join them for an evening of monologues that have a little mystery, a dash of intrigue, and a few big secrets because this year’s theme is Classified.
 
Audiences will ride on the bus to Omaha as an aspiring comedian travels to meet his birth mother; meet General Custer…the horse; sneak through the doggie door in a pretty neighbor’s house; cuddle a school’s Valentine bunny, Dr. Dre…and more! WTW return performers include Jessica Wilson, Janet Schlapkohl, Ron Clark, and Chris Okiishi.  Also onstage this year: Debo Balogun, Mary Bryant, Felipe Carrasco, Cory Johnson, and Andrew Mehegan. WTW lighting and sound design is by Drew Bielinski. 

Walking the Wire: Classified runs Thursday-Sunday, March 6-15, 2015. Thurs-Sat shows at 7:30pm; Sun shows at 2:00pm. Tickets can be ordered here.

Submissions for Walking the Wire: Classified

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre invites playwrights to submit monologues for performance in Walking the Wire. This annual celebration of original work features monologues of ten minutes or less by both established and emerging playwrights. The focus for this season’s monologues is: Classified. Submissions must be emailed as a Word document and dated by midnight CST September 15, 2014; final selections will be announced on Riverside Theatre’s website (www.riversidetheatre.org) on November 3, 2014. The monologues will be performed March 6-15, 2015 at Riverside Theatre.

Riverside's Walking the Wire "Merges" Apt Acting and Deft Directing

By James E. Trainor III

Iowa City - The word "merge" can have a lot of connotations. One imagines driving, certainly, but also two things combining, coalescing, becoming a new thing, maybe a company, a family, a partnership. It's a very rich word to wrap a theme around, so it's understandable that Riverside Theatre's annual monologue show, Walking the Wire: Merge has such a wide variety of offerings.

The show, directed by Jody Hovland, consists of twelve stories presented by seven actors. It runs through March 9th.

Walking the Wire Opens February 28

Iowa City – Riverside Theatre proudly announces its annual festival of original monologues, Walking the Wire, this year exploring the theme "Merge." The monologues are from national and local writers, spanning the country from Woodbridge, Virginia to Los Angeles, California. Tickets for Walking the Wire: Merge are available by calling the Riverside Theatre Box Office, 319-338-7672. Performances at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City. More information here.

This year’s theme, "Merge," will take you on a ride through original monologues submitted from playwrights around the country. Yield to the heartwarming stories of a first son’s bar mitzvah and an unlikely friendship between soldiers. Take the green light to laugh at tales of a married clown, an unweanable toddler and a training seminar for strippers, then coast through more great monologues, exiting happy.

How did this monologue festival earn its name? Jody Hovland, director of Walking the Wire: Merge and artistic director of Riverside Theatre explains, “Performing a monologue is the sparest and most vulnerable of acting opportunities – just you, a good story, and an audience to share it with. It’s the high wire act of the theatre!”

Walking the Wire: Get TMI'd at Riverside!

By James E. Trainor III

Iowa City - Any theatrical monologue is an intimate moment. A performer is up there alone, often on a bare stage with few (if any) props, relying only on his or her training and a few pages of text. Riverside's Walking the Wire takes the form a step further this year: with the theme "Too Much Information," the characters are revealing their darkest secrets, deepest dreams, or most private moments.

The show consists of eleven monologues by seven different performers. Jody Hovland directs the whole thing, tying it all together with a simple device: there are seven chairs onstage, which the actors in turn bring into the light to create their character's world. A lot is made of this one set piece: they can sit on it, stand on it, or ignore it all together. They can be at a bar, in a waiting room, or in the comfort of their own home. Each of these actors, with Hovland's guidance, is an adept storyteller, successful at invoking a variety of settings with only their voice and body.

Walking the Wire Opens March 1

Iowa City - "Riverside Theatre's annual original monologue festival, Walking the Wire, runs March 1 - 10 in Iowa City. This year's theme is 'Too Much Information.' Directed by Jody Hovland; featuring monologues from across the country with local performers. Tickets are $15 (youth/student rush) or $25-28 (adults). Savor the beautifully embarrassing moments when one shares 'too much information.' Performances at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St.

February 20, 2013 – Iowa City, Iowa – Riverside Theatre proudly announces its annual festival of original monologues, Walking the Wire, this year exploring the theme 'too much information' (or TMI). The monologues come from national and local writers, spanning the country from Pine Bush, New York to Medford, Oregon. Tickets for Walking the Wire: TMI are available online at riversidetheatre.org, or by calling the Riverside Theatre Box Office, 319-338-7672. Performances at Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert Street, Iowa City.

Riverside Accepting Walking the Wire Submissions

Iowa City - The next Walking the Wire at Riverside, themed "TMI," will be performed beginning March 1, 2013. Submissions are due by September 15; accepted entries will be announced on November 1.

Walking the Wire is Riverside's annual evening of ten-minute-or-less monologues; each year Riverside asks writers to submit monologues centered around a particular theme. Contest guidelines below.

"Riverside Theatre is seeking original monologues with the theme of TMI (too much information): moments of startling revelations…wince-worthy weirdness…and hilarious personal habits (that didn’t really need to be shared)."

Rules

Up to two submissions per author of original, unpublished and unproduced monologues less than ten minutes length (please read it aloud and include the approximate performance time on the first page of your submission; all lengths of up to ten minutes will be considered, with the objective of choosing monologues of varying lengths).

Selection considerations: Monologues should have strong forward action and a clear dramatic event or moment.

Copy requirements: double spaced in a minimum 12 pt. font, and including the playwright's name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.

Simple is best. Since Walking the Wire typically includes 10-12 monologues, it is important that each one require as little production as possible; set-pieces, props or effects needing set-up, strike, or special technical support may disqualify an otherwise excellent submission.

Email submissions (Word or PDF document attachment) must be dated by midnight CST September 15, 2012. Final selections will announced November 1, 2012, on Riverside Theatre’s website, www.riversidetheatre.org.

Writers will be credited in all marketing and playbill materials; no royalties will be paid. Walking the Wire will be produced March 1-10, 2013. Playwrights are entitled to two complimentary tickets to any single performance; tickets are not transferable.

Submissions should be emailed to: artistic@riversidetheatre.org

Desperate Struggles Make This Will Never Work Compelling

By James E. Trainor III
Photo by Sarah Burnett

Riverside - "What do you want?"

It's the classic acting-class question; you've heard it a hundred times if you work in the theatre. Occasionally "how do you feel," often "what are you going to do," but always "what do you want?"

There's a simple reason why: it's good storytelling. We relate deeply to underdogs with desperate plans, to square pegs trying to squeeze into round holes. Riverside's series of monologues, Walking the Wire: This Will Never Work, which opened on March 2nd, hits home with tales of characters overflowing with want and drowning in need.

With material written by Ron Clark, Amy White, Mike Moran, Gwendolyn Rice, Amanda Petefish-Schrag, Brent Boyd, Jen Silverman, Mark Harvey Levine, Dave Carley, Deborah Magid, Gordon Mennenga, and Janet Schlapkohl, and performed by (pictured, from left to right) Mike Moran, Fannie Hungerford, Jessica Wilson, Ron Clark, Katherine Smith, Janet Schlapkohl, Tim Budd, and David Busch, Walking the Wire: This Will Never Work offers a series of monologues in two acts that are sometimes comic, sometimes shockingly dramatic, and always compelling.

There are your classic climbs to the top, with varying degrees of success: in "Third," written and performed by Ron Clark, a big fish decides, very late in his career, to leap out of his small pond in Kansas and try to hack it as a middle-aged actor in Los Angeles. He doesn't want to be first place - he'll settle for third, or fourth, or fifth - but he wants it with all his being, and the feel is warm and funny, if a little bit sad. In "Toots," written by Gwendolyn Rice and performed by Jessica Wilson, a soon-to-be grandmother recounts her family's struggle and tells the story of her daughter's rule-bending interracial marriage - the product of which might seem vaguely familiar. In "Bert, One Year Later" by Dave Carley, with some great character work by Ron Clark, an old man deals with grief by watching ducks until a depressed teen by the river gives him an unexpected new lease on life.

Then there are those characters who are just stuck, doomed, or destined to fail; their stories are no less compelling to watch. In "Inner Child" by Amy White, a young girl, played with charming and heart-breaking accuracy by Katherine Smith, sits in the doctor's office and fantasizes about how her teen pregnancy could have gone differently. In "Shakytown" by Gordon Mennenga, performed by Tim Budd, a man recalls his big-city uncle who always promised to take him out of the dead-end town he grew up in, but never delivered. In "Lost in the Flood" by Amanda Petefish-Schrag, peformed with boundless energy and bitter humor by Fannie Hungerford, Noah's wife gives us a different perspective on the story of the Ark, as she tries desperately to save the majestic mastodons from extinction.

Then there are stories that take unexpected, sometimes tragic twists. In "Mia" by Jen Silverman, performed by Fannie Hungerford, a sixteen-year-old girl takes on the world, moving out to New York to live with her big sister and become a dancer. The reality of what she finds there is an ambivalent mixture of a romantic teenager's notions of the Big Apple and the worms that writhe within. In "Double Barrel" by Brent Boyd, performed with chilling calm and precision by Tim Budd, a man's carefully orchestrated revenge plot suddenly goes catastrophically awry. In "A Pigeon in a Dress," written and performed by Janet Schlapkohl, a pair of sisters are deposited into the standardized, cookie-cutter world of the 1950s, a world whose rigid expectations twist the girls both physically and emotionally.

There are plenty of examples of great storytelling in the writing, and the actors, under the expert direction of Jody Hovland, pursue these rash, sometimes ridiculous objectives with reckless abandon. All of the performers do an excellent job of interpreting the stories, and their physical choices often fill the stage, creating an entire world out of a ten-minute monologue.

Mike Moran, who writes, performs and sings in "In Hank's Brain," paces about the stage with the unchained anger of a spurned lover, until his temper tantrum takes him through a window, falling through imaginary trees, and right into Hank Williams' brain. It's a bizarre and infectiously creative concept, and Moran's acting executes it perfectly. A wild drop onto the stage and a change of cadence transports us suddenly into a different space, as the protagonist tries to tell Hank his troubles.

Fannie Hungerford is excellent in both her performances. In "Mia" she plays the energetic and nubile teen as realistically as the tired, regretful mother telling the story. In "Lost in the Flood" she fills the stage with apocalyptic energy, gathering invisible beasts with full commitment to the physical choices. The result is wonderfully comic.

Janet Schlapkohl's "A Pigeon in a Dress" creates a world most completely and remarkably. She performs not only the speaker but the speaker's sister, parents, teachers, classmates and everyone in-between with specificity and care. The story is inspiring and disheartening at the same time, as the two sisters each try to break the mold and become someone unique. Schlapkohl's wry humor and warm, impassioned vocal work endear us to the characters and make us sympathetic to their struggle. This one has the feel that it could be a larger piece; though the ending is appropriate to the story, there's a whole world that could be explored between these two sisters, and "A Pigeon in a Dress" leaves the audience craving more.

It's always a joy to see Riverside's annual monologue show, Walking the Wire, and this year is no exception. These stories of man's reach exceeding his grasp range from the restlessly funny to the shockingly tragic, all performed with the skill and care of professional performers. So what do you want? Tickets.

Walking the Wire: This Will Never Work runs through March 11th at 213 N Gilbert St. Showtimes are 7:30pm Thursday - Saturday, 2pm Sunday.

What Are You Doing This Weekend?

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!

Walking the Wire opens March 2

Riverside – Some ideas sound crazy, others really are…creating a homemade medical device, falling in love with a Barbie doll, channeling direct orders from God, moving to a far away city to chase a dream.

Walking the Wire, Riverside Theatre’s annual festival of original work from playwrights across North America, will bring to the stage a wide variety of potentially implausible scenarios as part of this year’s theme, This Will Never Work.

This year’s Walking the Wire is directed by Riverside Theatre Artistic Director Jody Hovland. The show is sponsored by Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT).

“Walking the Wire has all the theatricality of an aerial act - a single performer telling a story in a single spot of light. And this year’s theme insures plenty of daring twists and turns as well,” Hovland said.

With over 100 submissions from across the U.S. and beyond, the dozen monologues reflect a diverse range of original work from playwrights both near and far.

The 12 playwrights whose work will be presented are: Brent Boyd (North Hollywood, CA); Dave Carley (Toronto, ON); Ron Clark (Iowa City); Mark Harvey Levine (Pasadena, CA); Deborah Magid (Cleveland Heights, OH); Gordon Mennenga (Iowa City); Mike Moran (Mount Vernon); Amanda Petefish-Schrag (Maryville, MO); Gwendolyn Rice (Madison, WI); Janet Schlapkohl (Iowa City); Jen Silverman (Astoria, NY); and Amy White (Mount Vernon).

Three area writers, Clark, Moran and Schlapkohl, will perform their own work, with an additional cast of actors including Tim Budd, David Busch, Fannie Hungerford, Katherine Smith and Jessica Wilson.

Walking the Wire runs March 2-11. Showtimes are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for 60 and over/30 and under, $15 for youth (18 and under). $15 student rush tickets are available 20 minutes before curtain on a first come, first served basis for any remaining seats. Tickets can be purchased online at www.riversidetheatre.org, by phone at (319) 338-7672 or at the Riverside Theatre Box Office. The Box Office is located at 213 N. Gilbert St, Iowa City. Box Office Hours are: 12 - 4 p.m. Monday – Friday, and one hour before performances.

Walking the Wire selections announced

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre announced the playwright selections for Walking the Wire, their annual evening of original monologues centered around a specific theme. Walking the Wire: This Will Never Work will be performed at Riverside Theatre March 2-11, 2012.

“Double Barrel” – Brent Boyd, North Hollywood, CA

“Bert, One Year Later” – Dave Carley, Toronto, Ontario

“Third” – Ron Clark, Iowa City, IA

“Nicole” – Mark Harvey Levine, Pasadena, CA

“The Cowboy” – Deborah Magid, Cleveland Heights, OH

“Shakytown” – Gordon Mennenga, Iowa City, IA

“In Hank’s Brain” – Mike Moran, Mt. Vernon, IA

“Lost in the Flood” – Amanda Petefish-Schrag, Maryville, MO

“Toots” – Gwendolyn Rice, Madison, WI

“A Pigeon in a Dress” – Janet Schlapkohl, Iowa City, IA

“Mia” – Jen Silverman, Astoria, NY

“Inner Child” – Amy White, Mt. Vernon, IA

Riverside Accepting Walking the Wire Submissions

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre invites playwrights to submit monologues for performance in Walking the Wire. This annual celebration of original work features monologues of ten minutes or less by both established and up-and-coming playwrights. The focus for this season’s monologues is: This Will Never Work. Submissions must be emailed as a Word document and dated by midnight CST September 15, 2011; final selections will be announced on Riverside Theatre’s website (www.riversidetheatre.org) on November 1, 2011. The monologues will be performed March 2-11, 2012 at Riverside Theatre.

Submission Guidelines

1) Riverside Theatre is seeking original monologues with the theme of This Will Never Work (tales of round pegs in square holes. . .hare-brained schemes. . .and skeptics proved wrong). Up to two submissions per author of original, unpublished and unproduced monologues less than ten minutes length (please read it aloud and include the approximate performance time on the first page of your submission; all lengths of up to ten minutes will be considered, with the objective of choosing monologues of varying lengths). Selection considerations: Intentionally paired monologues that present two voices or points of view on the same moment will be considered. Monologues should have strong forward action and a clear dramatic event or moment. Copy requirements: double spaced in a minimum 12 pt. font, and including the playwright's name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.

2) Simple is best. Since Walking the Wire typically includes 10-12 monologues, it is important that each one require as little production as possible; set-pieces, props, or effects needing set-up, strike, or special technical support may disqualify an otherwise excellent submission.

3) Email submissions (Word document attachment) must be dated by midnight CST September 15, 2011. Final selections will announced on Riverside Theatre’s website, www.riversidetheatre.org on November 1, 2011.

4) Writers will be credited in all marketing and playbill materials; no royalties will be paid. Walking the Wire will be produced March 2-11, 2012. Playwrights are entitled to two complimentary tickets to any single performance; tickets are not transferable.

5) Submissions should be emailed to: artistic@riversidetheatre.org

OMG! Riverside Opens Another Successful Walking the Wire.

By Angie Toomsen

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre, Iowa City’s resident professional theatre company, has launched this year’s Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside. Walking the Wire has become an audience favorite in Riverside’s season, as evidenced by the full house on opening night this past Friday.

To those unfamiliar with Walking the Wire, Riverside Theatre puts out a call for ten-minute monologues around a central theme. This year’s theme is “OMG.” Yes, that OMG. The acronym that has earned a place in the “parlance of our times” through its popularity with tweens, texters and Tweeters.

But, lest you assume Walking the Wire is piece-upon-piece of neo-Valleygirl-isms and the truncated dispositions of text-heads, fear not. In actuality, Walking the Wire is about the “Oh My God” moment. That moment—often accompanied by an inhalation of recognition—that inspires any number of emotions and states-of-being, including but not limited to: thrill, anticipation, alarm, wonderment, disconcert, sadness, contrition, prayer, and so on.

From pleading to God over a pregnancy stick to early sexual experiences dashed to budding love, this year’s theme inspired very personal, moving and often hilarious interpretations of the now culturally-ingrained turn-of-phrase.

WTW’s two opening pieces take the “my God” at face value and include The Almighty as a remembered subject of note and silent monologue partner. Devoid of politicking or confrontation, the pieces bring human and experiential perspectives to divisive topics.

In “A Damn Damp Novena,” by Ron Clark, Carrie Houchins-Witt is a soldier mom engaged in a pleasant, albeit one-sided conversation-turned-negotiation with God about her triplet daughters. Of chief concern is her lesbian daughter, who wants to have her child baptized in the church. Houchins-Witt is a warm and confident opener, kicking off the night. The fullness of familial detail in “Novena’s” storytelling is, not surprisingly, reminiscent of Clark’s piece in the 2010 Walking the Wire, “Uncle Leo’s Revenge.” As a side note, Clark’s piece last year also included triplets. Do I sense an ongoing motif? Or a coming anthology?

“The God of ‘Animal Planet,’” by Amanda Petefish Schrag, finds actress Jessica Wilson recalling moments of prayer that have taken place in the bathroom. Praying not to be pregnant, praying to get pregnant, then praying to stay pregnant. Schrag’s piece starts somewhat lighter, arriving at a dark and satisfying surprise conclusion. Wilson’s energy is intimate and honest.

Several pieces touch on “OMG” moments when romantic love is nascent and surprising. Brandon Bruce has a likeable ease as a Philadelphia cabbie recounting the night he won his wife’s heart with a little parking lot chivalry in Seth Bauer’s “Not a Bad Time of It.” Bruce’s authentic warmth as a performer extends to “(That) Guy Meets (That) Girl,” by Laura Nessler, about an endearing, fumbling encounter with a girl who wants to ask him out.

Gwendolyn Rice’s “I Hear Everything” is about a man with hyperacusis, an affliction of extra sensitive hearing. Gifted storyteller, Mike Moran, is a man who hears everything, and, as a consequence, can’t really hear a thing. Moran invites the audience to the refreshing silence of the library archives where he works, and imparts a tender and unexpected encounter with a hushed woman who utters words with great difficulty. This piece is one of the most touching of the evening and I heard a few people around me whisper “wow” and “that was nice” in the closing blackout.

Several of the monologues dealt with early sexual encounters and/or sexual identities crushed by judgment in a time when they aren’t even fully formed. A tragic infringement indeed, though Walking the Wire’s three representative pieces are primarily comedies.

In “The Six Million Dollar Man Monologue” by Joe Jennison, also performed by Moran, a man packing to move encounters a doll he idolized, and an early encounter that shaped his sexual identity. Jennison’s coming-of-age comedy seems as though it could be an excerpt from a longer, one man show even though it stands on its own. I credit this impression in equal parts to writing detail and to Moran’s expansiveness and inclusion of the audience in his performance. Moran embraced the idea that monologues can be dialogues, with live sentient beings who really do want to exchange energy and be acknowledged. Jennison’s piece easily lends itself to such interaction.

A similar scenario materializes in “I’m Barbara Eden” by Michael Whistler. The piece finds Chris Okishi joyously imparting the story of his little boy self and his best friend, carefree, only to have his early expression of self squashed by a disapproving adult. Okishi, who also appears—with dialect—in Richard Ballon’s “How We Began,” is like watching a smile take the stage. He clearly loves to perform and his energy is welcoming and infectious.

Though more subdued and distressed in her first act piece, Jessica Wilson does a 180-degree turn for “Banana Split, by Ellen Grafton. Taking the audience on a very visceral encounter of freshman back seat teenage lust—stifled by a flashback to a very odd exercise in a sex education course—Wilson is fun and the story her character recalls is cringe-worthy.

Another comic highlight that doesn’t fit into any of the categories above but is, nonetheless, rife with “OMG” moments, is Janet Schlapkohl’s “Childbirth Methods,” a hilarious trip through the evolution of childbirth over several decades. Riverside’s artistic director, Jody Hovland, plays a maternity nurse who maintains a healthy skepticism as she watches methods of giving birth change through the years. Fads, shifting roles, contradictions and absurdities abound. Schlapkohl’s piece has the most cohesive writing and concise progression of story in the evening. This piece also seemed the most rehearsed and “in the bones” of the perfomer, as Hovland navigated its turns and surprises with skilled comic timing.

As a “bonus” and fitting finale, Walking the Wire audiences are treated to a side-splitting preview of Megan Gogerty’s one-woman show, Megan Gogerty Wants You to Know, opening September 2011 at Riverside. To those unfamiliar with her work, Gogerty’s comedic writing is brilliant and her energy on stage is larger than life. And she is an explosion of hilarity. She is a seasoned one-woman-show-girl who, in Walking the Wire, recounts a trip shuttling her baby to NYC on a plane.

Thinking on her piece days later, I recalled the imagery her story created in my mind—the planes, the disapproving faces of passengers, the tiny bathroom where she struggled to change a diaper. That’s when I know a monologist is really good—when the character’s memories become my memory of the piece, not the actor or actress performer. (Though her shiny red shoes were to die for. I’ll remember those for a while.)

Walking the Wire is directed by Ron Clark, Riverside’s resident artist and production manager. The evening flew by, aided by effectively-timed lighting shifts within and between monologues, designed by Drew Bielinski. The sound and transition music, designed by Sarah Smith, also helped the evening maintain meaningful momentum.

This year’s writers hail from Iowa, Philadelphia, Chicago, Maryville, MO, Amherst, MA, and Madison, WI.

Walking the Wire runs March 11-13 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information go to www.riversidetheatre.org.

OMG! It's Walking the Wire this Weekend!

Iowa City - No matter what life holds there are always OMG! moments.

Romantic miscommunication. OMG! The pretty girl asking you out. OMG! Having intimate conversations with God. OMG! Child birth. OMG! Playing dress up. OMG! The Six Million Dollar Man. OMG!

Walking the Wire will bring to life a variety of OMG! moments during its annual festival of original work from playwrights across the country and right here in Iowa.

"Walking The Wire is a total blast. As a seasoned monologist who is also a people person, I always start my monologues half-expecting someone to join me onstage,” said local actor and playwright Megan Gogerty.

This show also features a preview of Gogerty’s new one-woman show, which will open the 2011-2012 season.

"Walking The Wire is a great way for me to test-drive material for my full-length monologue play, also conveniently premiering at Riverside,” Gogerty said. “If it goes well, then I guarantee there'll be more of the same when my show opens in September."

This year’s Walking the Wire is directed by co-founder, resident artist, and production manager Ron Clark. The show is sponsored by Toyota-Scion of Iowa City.

“This show is very exciting - it's like a circus train of stories that whiz by, each one carrying its own emotional wallop. The evening always flies by and has become a favorite with our audiences,” Clark said.

Riverside Theatre received monologues submissions from all over the country and across Iowa for the annual festival.

The eleven playwrights whose work will be presented are: Richard Ballon (Amherst, MA); P. Seth Bauer (Philadelphia, PA); Ron Clark (Iowa City); Megan Gogerty (Iowa City); Ellen Grafton (Chicago, IL); Joe Jennison (Mount Vernon); Laura Nessler (Chicago, IL); Amanda Petefish-Schrag (Maryville, MO); Gwendolyn Rice (Madison, WI); Janet Schlapkohl (Iowa City); and Michael Whistler (Philadelphia, PA).

Performers for the monologue festival are Brandon Bruce, Megan Gogerty, Carrie Houchins-Witt, Jody Hovland, Mike Moran, Chris Okiishi, and Jessica Wilson.

Walking the Wire runs March 4-13. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $26 for adults, $23 for 60 and over/30 and under, $12 for youth (18 and under). Tickets can be purchased online at www.riversidetheatre.org or by phone at (319) 338-7672. Riverside Theatre Box Office is located at 213 N. Gilbert St, Iowa City. Box office hours are: 12 - 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.

Walking the Wire impresses

by Angie Toomsen

Riverside - This past weekend I attended Riverside Theatre’s 11th Annual Walking the Wire monologue show. If there was another performance to follow this review, my unequivocal recommendation would be: “don’t miss this.” As it were, “don’t miss this NEXT year” will have to suffice.

To those unfamiliar with Walking the Wire, Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre puts out a call for ten-minute monologues. The plays orbit—or downright land upon—a unique theme each year. Twelve plays are selected, actors are cast and a show is made.

This year’s theme was “Holiday Tales.” From the 4th of July to Christmas to Veterans Day, the holidays provided a backdrop for touching, hilarious and often absurd circumstances. The theme seemed fitting, both because we are about to embark upon the holiday season and because holidays offer so many moments of recognition and shared experience.

Staged by Ron Clark, the pieces were well-selected (I have heard they have gotten over a hundred submissions in the past) and ordered in a sequence that energetically “passed the baton” from one to the next. The performers were dynamic, and I can’t think of a single moment when the actor standing on the stage didn’t have the audience’s full engagement. In fact, the crowd was very vocal and I overheard a few people around me whisper things like “this is outstanding” and “isn’t this wonderful?”

The evening opened with “A Declaration of Independence on Surf Avenue” by Carrie Lee O’Dell, which is the story of a young woman from a “sports family” who finally finds her sport…as a competitive eater. The details of her foray into the discipline — as well as the stomach-turning particulars of an actual event (and the days after the event) — are delivered by Jessica Wilson, whose spunky, genuine performance held Saturday’s audience in the palm of her hand.

Though the evening was not a competition, I felt that O’Dell’s piece was one of the contenders to wind up in a ten-minute play anthology and become an audition favorite, but I do have one structural observation. The narrator, when trying to support why it is she understands what a waste of food competitive eating can be, tells the story of a group of under served urban kids who helped put it in perspective for her.

The sub-narrative touched such a nerve and was approached with such depth by the actress that it was almost jarring to come back to the primary through-line, about a young woman declaring independence from the expectations and ambivalence of her family. That said, I would love to see a whole piece about the experience with the children as it was very emotionally charged and touching.

Steven Hunt’s “Thanksgiving Dinner with the Last Whore in Calhoun County,” performed by veteran “Riversider” Tim Budd, was another stand out. A drifter attempts to fund an evening with a prostitute — who has requested a Thanksgiving dinner and cake as payment — and inadvertently winds up helping to repair a rift between a mother and daughter. All parties, himself included, learn a little something about gratitude. Budd brings the story to life with such sensitivity and detail that I could easily paint a mental picture of the people and places he encountered.

“Uncle Leo’s Revenge” by Ron Clark is another contender for a play anthology. This is a side-splitting tale, told by one of three small-town-southern triplets, whose uncle Leo exacts vengeance on a group of problem boys. Leo forces the troublemakers to dance naked in the back of his flat bed truck as he drives through town while the girls throw firecrackers at the boys’ feet. Though ambivalent about the cancellation of his town’s July 4th festivities, Leo manages to unintentionally save the holiday by offering up a “parade float” the town would certainly talk about for ages. Kristy Hartsgrove handled the comedic storytelling like the pro she is, making this piece a definite crowd favorite.

Brian Tanner’s “Black Friday,” performed by William Czerwionka, is about a retail worker who, counter to his proclamation that he will not work a double shift on the biggest shopping day of the year, caves at the promise of a date with a work crush. “Black Friday” nails it when it comes to irrational shoppers, blistered feet and cold break room pizza. Czerwionka’s droll “every guy” delivery perfectly complements Tanner’s clever zingers. Everyone can relate to “Black Friday” on some level, but an insider’s take on it, wrapped up in a sweet (but not sickeningly so) love story, was entertaining and structurally satisfying.

Megan Gogerty’s “New Year,” performed by the lovely Saffron Henke, is filled with comic gems about a family Christmas with a budding intellectually elitist college kid who has decided that the calendar should start with his birthday. Among other hilariousness, parental fears of the boy’s potential outspokenness at a holiday party are assuaged by “medicinal brownies.” Like everything I have ever read of Gogerty, the piece is skillfully witty and a crowd-pleaser.

“Holiday Transformation,” written and performed by Janet Schlapkohl, brought the house down and served as fitting finale. “Holiday Transformation” is about a perm-gone-wrong and a dress-gone-wrong at a holiday party for veterinarians. If Schlapkohl were to write and perform in a full-length one-woman show, I would be there opening night. She is a riot, and even offered up the evening’s visual piece-de-resistance in the form of a dress that was meant to be stenciled with holly, but wound up looking undeniably phallic.

I could say something great about every single piece in the show and every single performer. In all, this was an impressive night celebrating the talents of multiple writers, actors and the area’s own professional producing organization, Riverside Theatre. Again, if you can make it next year, don’t miss it.


Angie Toomsen has an MA in journalism from the University of Iowa and a BA in theatre from UNI. She spent nearly a decade in New York City, seeing, participating in and studying theatre. She still enjoys writing, acting and directing as time permits.

Holiday Tales at Riverside

Riverside - Riverside Theatre will host its 11th annual weekend of monologues, Walking the Wire: Holiday Tales November 19-22.

Walking the Wire: Holiday Tales is directed by Ron Clark and features twelve original monologues. As each piece is performed by a single actor who speaks directly to the audience, this element of Riverside’s 2009-2010 season represents theatre in one of its most ancient and stripped-down forms.

Though all of the monologues match the “holiday tale” theme, the calendar events in the spotlight range beyond those celebrated at the end of the year. The characters portrayed by the show’s performers include a determined young woman on the competitive eating circuit, a 1930s vagabond seeking shelter at a brothel, and a college student who ditches the traditional calendar in favor of one that commemorates events in his own life.

Riverside Theatre received monologues from all over the country in response to its call for submissions in summer 2009. The twelve playwrights whose work will be presented are: Ron Clark (Iowa City); Kent Forsberg (Middleton, WI); Megan Gogerty (Iowa City); Steven Hunt (Anchorage, AK); Barbara Lau (Mt. Vernon); Rebecca Leshin (New York City); Charles Monson (Iowa City); Carrie Lee O’Dell (Brooklyn, NY); Janet Schlapkohl (Iowa City); Brian Tanner (North Liberty); Amy Tofte (Los Angeles); and Amy White (Mt. Vernon.)

Among the performers, Riverside audiences will recognize Mary Bryant, Tim Budd, William Czerwionka, Kristy Hartsgrove, Saffron Henke, Janet Schlapkohl, Laura Tatar, and David Tull. Faces new to Riverside include Jessica Flood, Noah Wesley Parks, Becca Robinson, and Jessica Wilson.

Walking the Wire: Holiday Tales will run for four performances only Thursday, November 19-Sunday, November 22. Tickets range from $12-$26 with a $12 student rush 20 minutes before the performance. Tickets may be ordered through the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 213 N. Gilbert Street, by calling (319) 338-7672, or online.

Walking the Wire submissions

Riverside Theatre -Riverside Theatre invites playwrights to submit monologues for performance in Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside. This annual celebration of original work features monologues of ten minutes or less by both established and up-and-coming playwrights. The focus for this season’s monologues is: HOLIDAY TALES. Submissions must be postmarked July 15, 2009 or emailed as a Word document and dated by midnight July 15; final selections will be announced no later than September 1. The monologues will be performed November 19-22 at Riverside Theatre. Go here for more information.

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.

10 Years Walking the Wire

Riverside - Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside will play at the Gilbert Street stage March 5th through 8th. Directed by Ron Clark, the 10th annual festival features twelve monologues from playwrights in Iowa and across the country. Tickets are $12 - $24, and can be purchased at the Riverside Theatre box office at (319) 338-7672 or online.

Walking the Wire brings theatre back to its most simple form, with a dimly lit stage and a single actor telling a story. This evening of original monologues surrounds one of our favorite obsessions - food. This year’s actors portray a variety of characters including a woman dealing with a Thanksgiving turkey disaster, a woman rediscovering her heritage through Italian cuisine, and even a wacky actress desperate to make decent tips.

Riverside Theatre put out a national call for monologue submissions during the summer of 2008. Twelve were chosen representing playwrights from all over the country, each monologue falling into the food theme of this year’s festival. Playwrights include Rebecca Christian (Des Moines, IA), Ron Clark (Iowa City, IA), Neeley Gossett (Marietta, GA), Claudia Haas (White Bear Lake, MN), Shirley King (Benicia, CA), Dale Mackey (Knoxville, TN), Gwendolyn Rice (Madison, WI), Janet Story Schlapkohl (Iowa City, IA), Jen Silverman (Iowa City, IA), Brian Tanner (North Liberty, IA), Amy Tofte (Los Angeles, CA), and Lindsay Tornquist (Mt. Vernon, IA).

Check back for a review of the show.