WCP Artistic Director Resigns

Waterloo - Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre Board President, John Mardis, has announced that he has accepted the resignation of Matthew R. Kerns, WCP Artistic Director. Matt has been with the Playhouse since last summer directing, Seussical, Frost/Nixon and most recently, A Murder is Announced.

Matt’s decision to leave the Playhouse came due to purely personal and family reasons, following the untimely passing of his father last fall. It has become necessary for him to move back to St. Louis to be with his family at this time. He has delayed the move to make sure that plans for the 2015-2016 season would not be impacted and he leaves WCP in good standing and with appreciation for his efforts.

Matt said, “This decision was not made lightly and I will miss all of my friends here at the Playhouse. I appreciate the opportunity I had to help the Playhouse turn the page to its next chapter.”

Year-End Wrap-Up!

As the year draws to a close, we at the Iowa Theatre Blog have gotten to reminiscing about the past 12 months. We're sure you have, too! So, we invited our reviewers to talk to us about their "best of" choices for 2014. It was a fun process: usually, we restrict what our reviewers can comment on. No one can review a show that a company they're affiliated with has produced, for example. Here, though, we gave them free reign to talk about what caught their attention, what moved them, what huge successes they saw in Corridor theatre in the year 2014. We hope you're as excited as we are to read the results! Also, we'd LOVE to hear what YOU think on the matter! Sound off in the comments here, or on FB, or Twitter... or just start the conversation at your favorite NYE party :-D What excited YOU about local theatre in 2014? What gave you hope for 2015? Read our reviewers' thoughts after the jump...

The Whipping Man Is a Must-See

by Matthew R. Kerns
photos by Bethany Horning

Roe Lloyd as Simon

Iowa City — It begins with a trip down a drafty church stairwell into the catacombs of this Unitarian place of worship in the heart of Iowa City. Folding chairs, globe lighting, posters, and congregants' name tags line the walls of this now-meeting place for artistic worship. At the far end of the basement is an antiquated auditorium stage that in my imagination has been host to countless holiday pageants, lectures, and community theatres like just like the Dreamwell Theatre Company.

At the beginning of the event Rachel Lindhart, Co-Artistic Director of Dreamwell and Director of this evening's show, offers a curtain speech explaining that the company is spending the entire year examining guilt. She finishes her speech and proceeds to lower the globe lights on the wall behind her. Music arises and we begin Dreamwell’s simplistic but stunning version of The Whipping Man.

Tru's Acting Shines But Production Struggles

Jeff Haffner

By Matthew R. Kerns
Photo by Shelley Klimes

Amana - My favorite things about the holiday season are the surprises. Unexpected gifts, people from exotic places, and stories as rich and fresh as warm baked sugar cookies. The Old Creamery Studio Stage offered all three to me on a frigid Iowa Friday night.

Tru, an unexpected holiday tale based on the life of Truman Capote is a new kind of Christmas show. A compelling and quirky two-act monologue delivered skillfully by Jeff Haffner recants the aftermath of Capote's excommunication from the wealthy and his eternal purgatory of waiting for the phone to ring announcing his return to societal life.

Haffner's performance should be celebrated and it is worth the trip to witness his hard work in this solo event. His vocal work is stellar, having mastered the high pitched whisperings of America's favorite writer. However, his physical embodiment of Capote is stiff and forced in a myriad of moments throughout the evening.