Backstage with Troll Music Opening March 20

Iowa City - Troll Music, written by Janet Schlapkohl, opens March 20 at the Montgomery Hall on the Johnson County Fairgrounds. This Combined Efforts Theatre production runs through March 28.We had a chance to talk to Janet about the show.

Can you give us a quick synopsis of the play?

Janet: Down on their luck musicians return to an old dance hall in the hopes of reuniting their old group, and resurrecting their careers. They don't know that other members including a retired burlesque group is still at the hall, now working in the kitchen. They return at the spring equinox, a time when Nisse (think elfish-gnomes) sneak into dance halls everywhere to listen to the music and help fix mistakes of the past. In the case of these folks, there were plenty of mistakes. But, as the leader of the Nisse explains, "There was a gift here once, which will be lost forever unless forgiveness sweeps the cobwebs of memory and the truth blows through the music."

The Riverbank Jazz Band plays in Troll Music

Iowa City - "The Riverbank Jazz band is composed of…

Ira Greenstein, Trumpet and Valve Trombone
Katie Greenstein, Trumpet and vocals
Chris Clark, Sax
Jim Hall, Piano
Tim Shulte, Bass
Steve Norris, Drums

These top local musicians will play during the performance of Troll Music,
An original play by Janet Schlapkohl.

Camo! Is a Clever Collaboration

By Sharon Falduto
Photos by Emily McKnight

L-R: Kalvin Goodlaxon, Rip Russell, Iver Hovet, Bob Shaffer

Iowa City - Iowa City Community Theatre’s Camo! The Musical is a snapshot of a time in our recent past when men were the men who hunted and wore camouflage, and women were the women who kibitzed and crocheted. It is a joint effort with Combined Efforts Theatre, “Iowa’s only theatre company with a mission purposefully to include individuals with disabilities in compelling and entertaining performances.” CET and ICCT both serve the mission well with this seriocomic piece.

The musical was written by local talents Janet Schlapkohl and Chris Okiishi. How lucky are we to have such world class song and story writers in Iowa City? Camo! dips into many topical subjects — the role of women and men in a changing word, the disconnect between brothers who have different goals in life, racism, the wounds of childhood, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Camo! The Musical

Mike Wilhelm and Rip Russell. Photo by Emily McKnight.

Iowa City - "Camo! The Musical opens December 5th at ICCT. ICCT is very proud to be collaborating with CET, Iowa’s only theatre company with the mission of purposeful inclusion of individuals with disabilities in compelling and entertaining performances. This fun and original new musical is written and co-directed by CET founder Janet Schlapkohl, with co-director Krista Neumann, and music written by Chris Okiishi.

Howling at the Moon

Iowa City - Combined Efforts announces its fourth annual "Howling at the Moon."

VSA Young Playwright Discovery Program

Iowa City - The Young Playwright Discovery Program is continuing this year.

A VSA instructor comes to your classroom for a minimum of five hours, scheduled at your request. There is no charge to the school, and the program is endorsed by ICCSD’s director of curriculum and instruction.

Trubblesume Tymes a Frolicking Evening

Iowa City - Combined Efforts' summer shows would not be what they are without the beautiful location that is the Country Camp, a small farm at the edge of Iowa City that is an ideal setting for promenade theatre. Nature blessed the company of Trubblesume Tymes at the Faire with a beautiful breezy night tonight, not too hot and not too cold, the perfect weather to appreciate a nice night in the country with the fun set pieces that make up Tymes. Equally important are the people themselves; at Combined Efforts everyone is included, and this cast has a very warm feeling, welcoming the crowd in, singing and making jokes, brimming with the fun of performing. The people and the place combine to make Tymes something halfway between community theatre and a local Renaissance Fair.

Trubblesume Tymes at the Faire Opens July 25

Kathy Mossman and Darling
photo by Laura Schlapkohl Johnson

Iowa City - Suspicion, banishments, a witch and love collide in this rollicking farce when something of her Majesty’s goes missing. Puppeteers, Roma dancers, jousts, peasants, a pony, chickens and confused royalty are all part of Combined Efforts Theatre's Fifth Annual Outdoor Promenade Theatre.

July 25th and 26th at 7:00 p.m. at The Country Camp.
Tickets available on site
Adults: $10.00
Ages 5-13: $5.00
Under 5: Free

Seating is provided or, if you prefer, bring your own lawn chair or blanket.


Source: Combined Effort Theatre

Kennedy Center play winners to be produced

Iowa City - An Evening of Five Short Plays will be presented this weekend.These are the winning plays from the Young Playwright Discovery Program which is sponsored by The Kennedy Center and hosted by Combined Efforts Theatre. Five area students will have their plays performed by local actors, and be recognized for their work. The event is free and open to the public. Check it out at 7 pm on Sunday, June 29 at Riverside Theatre on Gilbert Street in Iowa City.

Free Classes from CET

Iowa City - CET offers ACTING CLASSES! With a Focus for Students with Autism:

Taught by Janet Schlapkohl, MFA Playwright MS Special Education, founder of  Combined Efforts Theatre

Beginning on April 1st. Tuesdays at 5:00-6:00 at Hillel House in Iowa City! Six week session. Classes are free, supported by the Kennedy Center!

To Register call 319-321-7926 or show up at the first class!



Source: Combined Effort Theatre

Don't Change the Station! Opens January 10

Iowa City - CET (Combined Efforts Theatre)'s production of Don't Change the Station!, written by Janet Schlapkohl and directed by Osean Perez, runs for two nights only, January 10th and 11th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Iowa City Community Theatre’s home at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, a new venue for the company. CET rehearses at Uptown Bill’s and Hillel house, in Iowa City. “Hillel house is accessible and accommodating, director Jerry Sorokin is delightful and Uptown Bill’s is marvelous, Tom Gilsenen couldn’t be more welcoming.” Says Janet Schlapkohl, company founder.

Several new actors will be making their CET debuts in this performance. Terry Cunningham plays Judge Greyson, an aging soap opera star. Terry holds an MS degree and works at the University of Iowa’s Center for Excellence on Disabilities. “Terry’s comedic timing is brilliant.” says director Osean Perez. Terry uses a wheelchair for mobility, which the Johnson County space accommodates well.

Mark Nidey, a local actor who has performed with Dreamwell Company, and Sue Melleker play Network executives, in charge of a reality T.V. show, The End of an Era, although their characters have forgotten what it means to experience a real moment. “They make a wonderful emotional arc in the performance. They’re fun to watch.” says CET board president Mary Vasey.

Jerry Sorokin, Director of Hillel house in Iowa City, is also in the show. He plays the television station’s cameraman.

An entire family is bringing their talents to the production, Jane Bradbury, Ken Gayley, and their children, Anna and Peter are characters of a Medical Science show.

CET is an award winning company, Iowa’s only theatre company purposefully inclusive of performers with disabilities.

CET was selected by the Kennedy Center to implement the Young Playwright Discovery Program for students ages 10 to 22. The program is free to participants. CET hired several local theatre professionals as teachers. There are current openings at various sites and times.

“The program is open to students with and without disabilities. There are play-making classes for non-writers as well.” Says Janet Schlapkohl, the program director.

CET is a nonprofit organization that also includes a Dance Company and Men’s Choir Company. Both companies are involved in the current production. CET also has a monthly open mike performance, Slices: Performance and Pie held at Uptown Bill's in Iowa City.


Source: CET press release

Playwrighting Workshop Through Combined Efforts and the Kennedy Center

Iowa City - "Combined Efforts Theatre has been selected by the Kennedy Center to launch a program which invites middle and high school students to create a script for theatre or film reflecting the world and influence of those differently abled. The work may be historical, personal, metaphorical, or movement based, on any subject and of various lengths. Creative work may include comedies, dramas, or musicals.

Student work will be submitted to the Kennedy Center to be entered in a national competition. Prizes for student winners include a trip to Washington to have work professionally developed. Entries may be the work of individuals or small groups (up to 5). Ages 10-18 or 22 for students with an IEP (Individualized Educational Program). Two divisions: fifth through eighth grade and high school.

Young writers with and without disabilities are encouraged to participate in the program.

Workshops will be held at local venues; Riverside Theatre, local Schools, The Children’s Therapy Center and Uptown Bill's.

Instructors include: Kate Aspengren, Kaitlyn Busbee, Maggie Conroy, Kristy Hartsgrove, Jason Grubbe, Janet Schlapkohl, Mary Vasey, Maria Vorhis, and other theatre professionals.

The first session will begin the week of October 28th.
Hours are afterschool and on Saturdays.
Students may repeat a session.
Programming is free.
Registration is offered on a first-come first served basis.
Class sizes are limited.

Call Combined Efforts Theatre to register: 319-321-7926."

(Source: Combined Efforts Press Release)

Summer Magic at the County Fair

Iowa City - SUMMER MAGIC AT THE COUNTY FAIR, July 26 and 27 at 6:30 pm

Combined Efforts Theatre presents its fourth annual County Fair play, Summer Magic at the County Fair. Morris Hawkins, snake oil salesman appears at the fair with an elixir to sell. Is it really magic or is there something else giving folks confidence, courage, talent, and, yes, romance?

Join the mayor, the Rungling Brothers, a lion tamer, tightrope walkers, equestrians, a sharp shooter, clowns, a fortune teller, retired burlesque dancers, a boxer and many more.

There are exhibits to see and prizes to win.

Coming Up At Combined Efforts

Iowa City - Three events coming up at Combined Efforts theatre:

ISO Is Charmingly Out of This World

By James E. Trainor III

Iowa City - ISO is a spaceship orbiting Earth from the galaxy Tennaj55. Their mission is to comb the universe looking for the DNA code for peace; it's the Commander's belief that somewhere out there, there is intelligent life that has moved beyond violence and aggression. Of course, with hardly any power left and a pair of sarcastic robots who can't help but point out that the planet seems to have wiped itself out in a nuclear war, there's not a lot for her to hope for.

So goes Combined Efforts' post-apocalyptic comedy ISO - Orbiting from Galaxy Tenaj55, written and directed by Janet Schlapkohl. The show is an entertaining tale about the quest to find something worth saving in a universe that has been torn apart by war. The show runs again tonight (December 8) at City High's Little Theatre at 7:00. Not only is it quite funny, but it asks some thought-provoking questions and has some very moving moments.

ISO opens on a futuristic spaceship; the set is a creative collection of found objects arranged to look like sophisticated consoles for mysterious machines. It sets just the right tone for a fun space voyage. We meet the Commander (Isabel Cody), whose mission is to find "the genetic code for peace." An energetic leader who pushes forward with bull-headed determination, she knows that the universe is big enough to contain anything, even intelligent life that is peaceful. Cody, full of physical energy and snappy dialogue, is delightful as this character.

The robots on board the ship, XC#13 (Avery Mossman) and XC#14 (Jacob Walterhouse) are a little more skeptical. They're convinced that only machines are perfect and that anything that contains DNA is inherently prone to violence. As they descend toward the "third planet from the star," clouded in a recent nuclear winter, they constantly nay-say and poke holes in the captain's philosophy. Mossman and Walterhouse are hilarious as these robots; their awkward movements and voice patterns are quite funny, they play off each other well, and some of the best moments are their clashes with their frustrated commander.

The whole ensemble is really solid in this first part; it's an entertaining introduction that moves right along. Schlapkohl's direction is very effective, as is her writing: the exposition is clear and quick, the jokes and gags are quite clever, and the character types, though they come from an alien culture, are easily recognizable.

The other setting—the scorched Earth that this spaceship is orbiting—takes a different tone. It's a little slower, a little more dire, and very sweet. Hux (Emi Bergman-Corbet) and Ren (Jordan Lafauce) are charged with caring for Vin (Phoebe Chapnik-Sorokin) and passing down the knowledge that allowed them to survive this wasteland. We learn two facts, one tragic and one inspiring, from these three: that Ren and Hux are the elders of their people, because nobody lives past twenty, and that the methods of survival and safety as well as their culture's morality are passed down as "code." Much of this code contains the best of humanity—kindness, respect, and protecting those who are in need—but some of it results in fear and isolation. The young Vim, who isn't afraid to buck the "code" to do what's right, and who still believes in the psuedo-mythical Eve Firefox (Evie Stanske), who's older than twenty and remembers the past, seems to take a longer view.

These young actors are wonderful. They play close attention to the intention behind what they're saying, and they do it with energy, humor, and warmth. Lafauce is quite funny, Bergman-Corbet is sweet and protecting, and Chapnik-Sorokin is outstanding. As she sets off on her adventure, her charm and optimism are infectious.

What she finds is knowledge of the past—or what remains of it—in a small green globe that transmits holograms. This is how she communicates with the spaceship, sharing knowledge of Earth's history, in the form of an old variety show. This is a great device for Combined Efforts because it allows songs and skits into the show without breaking the narrative. The a capella songs are very intimate, and very sincere, and there are some very funny moments in the ensemble pieces. At the same time, Schlapkohl's selections hit at the bigger themes of the show.

Is humanity worth saving? What would a floating spaceship in the future think of our collective culture? Would we look bad, as Hux fears, or would we be redeemed? From the perspective of the XC units, it seems like a long litany of wars and violence, from Bonnie and Clyde to the succession wars of medieval England to World War I and beyond... and is a species worthwhile if it doesn't value itself enough to avoid its own destruction?

But then we have Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," sung beautifully by Cornel Stringer, and one wonders how someone can describe such beauty so soon after the massive, pointless destruction of World War II. One couplet from the song strikes at the heart of Iso's optimism:

"I see babies cry/I watch them grow
They'll learn more/Than I'll ever know..."

The possibility of learning and growing is highlighted, as Vim, Ren, and Hux learn from the mistakes of their elders and as ISO's Commander restlessly sweeps the galaxy looking for morally perfect lifeforms. We're far from there yet, but there is hope, and the selfless acts of the main characters are very moving.

These themes fit right in with Combined Efforts' mission, which is to be "a purposefully inclusive theatre company for artists with and without disabilities." Everyone on stage performs at their best, and there is a real sense of community, and people working together to create something bigger than themselves. This is a warm, funny, and thoughtful show, and I encourage you to take the opportunity to see it tonight.

ISO - ORBITING from GALAXY TENAJ55 Opens Dec 7

Iowa City - "It has been many years since the Nuclear Winter, which followed Earth’s final war. Three Earth Survivors struggle to send a message into the Universe, hoping for salvation to come from afar. The youngest Survivor believes in Eve Firefox- an ancient and wise woman whose real existence is questioned. But when she actually meets Eve, it is at the moment when they establish contact with a Star vessel of DNA collectors from Galaxy Tenaj55.

Can they prove to the Tenajians that they deserve to be preserved, despite what Eve Firefox knows of the past?

December 7 and 8
7:00 at the City High Little Theater
More information at www.combinedefforts.org
Admission: $5.00"

(source: Combined Efforts)

Combined Efforts' Haunted Dance Hall

Iowa City - Come Howl at the Moon with Combined Efforts Theatre.  First, be entertained in the Haunted Dance Hall: family fun for everybody.  Then, if you are brave, stroll through the Haunted Forest—this is not for the faint of heart.  Finally, gather around the bonfire.

The event is free.  Donations are always welcome.

7:00 pm on September 29
3418 SW Osage
For directions go to www.combinedefforts.org

What's Happening At the County Fair Opens July 13

Iowa City - Combined Efforts Theatre is celebrating its tenth year this summer. This summer's show, called What's Happening at the County Fair? will be an outdoor "Perambulation Production," meaning the audience will move around the farm in a promenade style.

The show combines live music, live animals, feminist warriors, an enthusiastic mayor, a sheriff and deputy, a DJ, and...Zombies!

Combined Efforts Theatre is Iowa's inclusive Non-Profit Theatre Group . Its mission is to give all talented actors and musicians, with and without special needs, an opportunity to perform.

What's Happening at the County Fair? runs July 13 and 14 at 7:00 at 3518 Osage St. SW in Iowa City. Tickets are $5 (children under 5 for free, families of five $20) and can be reserved by calling 319.936.1462 or emailing combinedeffortstheatre@gmail.com.

Combined Efforts Show runs Dec 16-17

Iowa City - Combined Efforts Presents Vaudeville Dreams, a dazzling display designed to educate, edify, amaze, and uplift.

A boy uses his imagination to create a world of Vaudeville in order to try to make sense of his mother's losing battle. He blends the things he sees and hears on the radio, from friends, his special education teacher, and others he meets even briefly in order to make a world he can control because he cannot control his mother's fight. The audience sees the world as he does, on occasion, but also tracks his story in what we consider reality.

The show runs December 16 and 17 at 7:30 pm in the City High Little Theater. Tickets are $5.00 at the door.

Combined Efforts exists to create and perform theatre that is excellent and compelling, with original scripts written for actors, musicians and dancers – individuals with and without special needs – that focuses on their strengths in a collaborative effort.

(Photo from A Carol for Our Time, a past Combined Efforts show.)

Only One More Performance of Powerful Triangle

by Gerry Roe

Iowa City - The story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factor Fire on March 25, 1911, is legendary. At the time, it was one of New York City’s greatest disasters, with 146 (some sources say 147) people dead, some by smoke inhalation, some by fire, and many who chose to leap to their death from the top three floors of the building. Most of those who died in the fire were recent immigrants, predominantly Jewish and Irish women, many in their twenties, some as young as 14.

How do you stage a disaster like this on a small stage with limited resources? You get Janet Schlapkohl to write it, that’s how, and Jason Grubbe to direct it. With a small cast, key characters doubling in contrasting roles, and an exceptional commitment to telling a story, the play makes us think as well as feel.

Heidi Biebler plays Essie Schilman, a recent immigrant from Germany and a Triangle factory girl as well as Irene Clemmens, a Vassar student who is not, we eventually learn, a typical Vassar girl from a wealthy family. Claire Wool doubles as a Russian immigrant labor organizer and Alva Schneider, a Vassar student organizer. Ali Heath doubles as a Russian immigrant factory girl and a Vassar student. Clarissa Jolly more than doubles as a NLPCP organizer, Methodist Episcopal Church member, and a Vassar College employee. Megan Reif and Katherine Smith double as Italian immigrant factory girls Josephine and Francesca and as Vassar girls. Ryann Sirois doubles as factory girl Esther, a German immigrant, and as a Vassar girl. Rounding out the cast are Alex Grubbe as a shop foreman, Kalvin Goodlaxson as a Policeman, Spencer Rideout as Luigi, brother of Josephine and Francesca, and Evie Stanske as a street vendor.

Sound confusing? Well, it isn’t because the writing and direction, not to mention the acting, keep it all straight for us. The characterizations are extremely well drawn and executed. Safe in the audience, we all knew what was happening and whom we were watching. We see the gradual awakening to exploitation and the inchoate union movement. We even see striking workers, gulled by promises the employers had no intention of fulfilling.

The real tragedy of the play is that the fire need not have claimed all these lives. Exit doors were locked, some doors opened inward so the crush of desperate workers prevented anyone from escaping, the fire escape could not bear the weight of multiple bodies, pulling away from the building and sending the workers precipitately to their death.

This is a grim topic for a play but the magic of theatre prevents us from leaving the performance defeated and depressed. I don’t want to reveal the wonderful ending of the play, our last glimpse of the six factory girls we have come to know, but I will tell you it is powerfully effective and will stay with you.

The play will be presented again tonight (Saturday) at 7:00 p.m. by Combined Efforts Theatre. See it if you can; it is a remarkable accomplishment.

Directions: Take Highway 1 in Southwest Iowa City toward Kalona. Turn left(South) on Maier Avenue (gravel). It takes an S curve and winds past a subdivision(on the left). The first intersection is Osage. Turn right(West). It will be on the right, the only property on the road.