Last SPT Show of the Season Tonight and Tomorrow Only

Cedar Rapids - The final installment of SPT's Tales from the Writers' Room series opens tonight. Entitled Magnificent 7, it features an evening of sketch comedy and drama, monologue, poetry and live music provided by SPT and musical guests.

From the press release: "Magnificent comes from the Latin magnificus, meaning 'great, elevated, noble, distinguished.' Someone actually decided to use this word for a Writers' Room show. Awkward!"

Special guests include Alex Schulte and Hannah Spina. The musical guests are Billy Heller, Greg Kanz and Dave Ollinger.

Bar opens at 7:00, doors open at 7:30, show at 8:00 at CSPS 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids. Tickets available thought Legion Arts' website.

SPT will present Magnicent 7 May 22 & 23

Cedar Rapids - SPT Theatre will conclude their "7" themed season of Tales from the Writers' Room with a show called Magnificent 7. The show will be performed at CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids at 8 pm on May 22 and 23.

From the SPT email:

"Featuring the original musings of the members of the Writers' Room, Tales is an evening of sketch comedy and drama, monologue, poetry and live music provided by SPT and musical guests. Magnificent comes from the Latin magnificus, meaning "great, elevated, noble, distinguished." Someone actually decided to use this word for a Writers' Room show. Awkward!"

Special guests include Alex Schulte and Hannah Spina. Musical guests Billy Heller, Greg Kanz and Dave Ollinger. The bar opens at 7:00, the doors open at 7:30, and the show starts at 8:00. More information available at spttheatre.org and legionarts.org.

An Itch to Scratch

By K. Michael Moore

Cedar Rapids - Some of my most amazing memories are of sitting in some friend’s basement, or around a table at some dive, tossing back a couple beers and having a bull session with my creative, often acerbic, always dreaming, creative friends. The unplanned conversations that spark a “You know what we could do…?” brainstorming session, that maybe leads to nothing at all but a couple laughs and a memory, or maybe becomes the next sensation. SPT’s Tales from the Writers’ Room series makes me feel like I’m watching those conversations every single time I go. The SPT troupe has this unplanned feel to everything, and it’s beautiful. They don’t waste time worrying about perfection, they throw together the funniest, best stuff they’ve got and see what sticks. And the result is really, really enjoyable.

For those who don’t know, Tales is like Cedar Rapids own SNL – a variety show of local writers and acting talent, with musical interludes between sketches. As far as I understand, like SNL, the performers come together in the week ahead of the 2-night set, and cram like hell to memorize, block, and put up a full evening of sketch comedy, spoken-word, and often electrifying concert-style music. Each season has a theme the writers must utilize, and each specific session has a specific topic – both must be included or at least nodded to in each sketch. In addition, each session includes the talents of the usual band of SPT ne’er-do-wells, and also 2 Guest Actors, a Guest Writer, and Musical Guest Artists. This season’s theme is “7”, and this weekend’s particular session was 7 Year Itch.

Tales from the Writers' Room: 7 Year Itch

Cedar Rapids - "SPT continues it's "Seven" theme with its next Tales from the Writers' Room, entitled 7-Year Itch, February 20 and 21 at 8pm at CSPS

Seven Deadly Sins Plays October 31 and November 1

Cedar Rapids - This weekend at CSPS (1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids): Sins don't kill. The people using the sins kill. Well, I suppose Gluttony can pop your stomach, so maybe ... well, come to think of it, Sins are ultimately pretty dangerous. Like bacon.

7 Deadly Sins feature special guests Nikki Stewart and John Smick with guest writer Chris Okiishi. Musical guests are Craig Erickson, Greg Kanz, & Dave Ollinger.

New "Tales from the Writers' Room" Season

Cedar Rapids - The 7th season of SPT's "Tales from the Writers' Room" begins September 12 with Lucky 7.

SPT's Nightcap Draws the Evening Down Slowly

by Genevieve Heinrich

Cedar Rapids - The current season of SPT Theatre's Tales from The Writers' Room winds to a close this weekend and, appropriately to the theme (Food for Thought) they are ending on a Nightcap. Like all SPT shows, the crowd and the performers were full of energy last night, with that welcoming, familial vibe that always makes the theater space at CSPS Hall feel more like a living room. The evening began with a clever twist: audience participation. Every person in attendance was given a slip of paper with two questions, and teased with the promise that some of the responses would be used later in the show.

This scheme is a tangible representation of what SPT does best - engaging their audiences, making them feel like a valuable part of the action. Their venue at CSPS is a key component of this, as well. In their time there, the intimate feel has only deepened, helped along by CSPS' own close-knit atmosphere. Even the volunteers wax poetic about the joys of being part of that community! It's the sort of collaborative match that artists long for.

Tales from the Writers' Room: Nightcap

Cedar Rapids - How can it be the end of another Tales From the Writers' Room season already??? Come on up for a final nip from our menu on Friday, May 30th and Saturday, May 31st 8:00 p.m. at CSPS.

Catherine Blades comes back from New York to join new guest Alex Doser for our last show of this season. A little last tipple from the Writers' Room decanter, a last sip of our comic aperitif, a last quaff of music, always with a twist of something surprising. Let our Nightcap warm you for this last morsel from Food for Thought. All your favorites will be back including Jason Alberty, Doug Ellott, Akwi Niji, Jane Pini, Mary Sullivan and Adam Witte. Special musical guest Billy Heller will be there along with the rest of the band; Greg Kanz, Dave Ollinger and Gerard Estella.

Tales from the Writer's Room: Dessert

Cedar Rapids - "Yummmm. Dessert!

Three Special Guests come to play with our food for this weekend’s show and one of them might just do some live art!

Join us this weekend, April 4th and 5th, as Mel Andringa, Meg Merckens and Chris Okishi help create mayhem and magic among the regular cast of characters.

Musical Guests include Matt Brooks, Greg Kanz, Dave Ollinger and will feature our own fabulous Janelle Lauer!

Take Five From Your Busy Schedule to Check Out 5

By James E. Trainor III

Cedar Rapids - This weekend, SPT wraps up the fifth show of its fifth season of its Tales from the Writers' Room series. The theme of the show, as you might have guessed, is the number five. Though the show has moved spaces over the years and brought on director Richard Barker, the quality and the format remain the same: funny skits, thoughtful monologues, and rocking music.

Tales from the Writer's Room: Episode Five

Cedar Rapids - SPT'S 2012-13 Tales from the Writer's Room series closes with Episode Five on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8.

The show begins at 8:00 p.m. at CSPS -- 1103 3rd St SE in Cedar Rapids. Guest artists will be Jackson Bartelme and Hannah Spina. Musical guests: Matt Brooks, Greg Kanz, and Dave Ollinger.

Tales from the Writers' Room: 4 April 12 & 13

Cedar Rapids - The next installment of SPT's "Tales from the Writers' Room," entitled 4, will be performed at CSPS April 12 & 13 starting at 8:00 p.m. Guest Artists are Stephen Ginsberg and Meg Merckens; musical guests are Gayle Elliott, Craig Erickson, Greg Kanz & Dave Ollinger.

Charming Times at 3

Jason Alberty as Professor Peter Pizzle

by Genevieve Heinrich
photos by James E. Trainor III

Cedar Rapids—"How can you speak about everything, briefly?" This dilemma, raised by Jason Alberty's pontificating Professor Pizzle, seems uniquely well-suited to 3, the most recent installment of SPT Theatre's "Tales from the Writer's Room." The most obvious answer, of course, is sketch comedy... but as SPT has long realized, that doesn't *quite* cut it. Pertinent music and some well-placed moments of sincerity are also needed in order to truly approach full coverage. In order to sufficiently untangle what Pizzle refers to as the "dialectic conundrum" of 3, the group calls on every skill in its considerable arsenal, and rises to the challenge.

On the poster for this show, SPT indeed references the "triumvirate of music, comedy and drama"—but what emerged more clearly from last night's performance was the triarchy of actors, writers, and musicians, weaving their skills together seamlessly while at the same time competing good-naturedly for audience attention. Wonderful moments were created to showcase and savor each. Alberty's engaging physicality and special guest Matthew James' ability to pull faces that speak more than a full page of dialogue draw focus to the actors' contribution. Director Richard Barker's hand in all this is obvious, especially when pointed attention shifts serve to highlight the clever or beautiful wordplay. The musicians had opportunities to play up their versatility and flexibility, bouncing around stylistically with infectious joy.

Be First in Line for SPT's New Show, 1

by Kassia Lisinski

Cedar Rapids - I count myself lucky to have had the opportunity to experience SPT Theatre's first production of their newest season. This season is based on the theme of numbers and opens with the appropriately titled: 1. It's my first time back at an SPT production in a few years, and I've been itching to return since that first show, curious about the art and growth of a company which includes three of my former teachers. And well I waited, for it is a trauma of a unique and delightful sort to witness your one-time instructor dressed in a tight white hoodie, swimming goggles, and prosthetic tail, arms tucked under the spandex, making swimming motions as he imitates a sperm dropping pick-up lines for a sexy anthropomorphization of an unfertilized egg.

I loved the ridiculousness of this show, and I love CSPS for supporting it: for the venue itself—the old wood floors, the post-flood expansion of space, the ceiling tiled in dove-grey mandalas—and for the crowd, a delightful amalgam of cultured New Bo residents and enthusiasts, wine-drinkers, and bespectacled intellectuals. I always feel like this kind of crowd could use a little mess to it, and the raunchiness of SPT's humor provides. The sheer absurdity of subjects—a school of fish with one daring individual breaking the grapevine dance routine, the endearing guest Nicolette Coiner-Winn's rampant string of unexpected expletives on a Jeopardy spoof, the dating show complete with a neo-Nazi in search of his beloved fascism (broadcast on US news)—is mind-boggling in its originality and dedication to "no subject too odd to be awesomely produced." The show comes complete with a full and fantastic band, particularly guest Matt Brooks on soul-enthralling electric blues guitar and founders Gerard Estella's keys and Jane Pini's voice.

The energy was apparent as the audience seemed to anticipate the beginning even before the lights dimmed and the actors took their places. The show began with Akwi Nji giving a short definition of the many different meanings of the word "one," or "won," or even "wan," with a relevant quip for each delivered in a few lines by Mary Sullivan and guest Nicolette Coiner-Winn (potentially an overused ploy, but saved by charisma and humor). Following this, the audience was immediately abducted by the band and SPT's spectacular arrangement of Harry Nilsson's famous "One," led by Jane Pini's beautiful, space-filling vocals. The whole audience was enlivened; the musical assortments which interspersed skits and monologues helped to carry a sense of unity through what could have been a more confusing, disjointed production. However, like a dream in which the scenes change rapidly but maintain a theme of meaning or feeling, so was this performance linked by the prompt of "One," the music, and the five sequential episodes of "Grant Woody," in which Sullivan's Nan and guest David Combs' Grant Wood part ways and journey through the art world in search of space from each other.

The performance of each and every participant was wonderful, with almost too many highlights to point out. Sullivan's Nan, with her Fargo accent, startled jumps, and conspicuous huffing her bangs from her face, was especially endearing. Coiner-Winn, Adam Witte, and David Morton also had their stage-stealing moments, and their parts in "Alex Trebek," "The Search," "First Among Equals," "Madame Ovary," and "School of Fish" are certainly to be anticipated.

Yet, however strong the acting, the real star of the show was the unceasingly unique and engaging writing, particularly evident in the innumerable one-liners provided by the one-sided phone conversation in "First Among Equals" and in the poignancy of "I Would Like to Say," written by Nji. This latter in particular stuck with me, not least because of its sobriety of topic—ideas of kindness and the universality of religious teachings—in the midst of all the silliness. I found especially memorable the lines, "I believe peace on Earth comes in fleeting moments," and "...Heaven is bribery, Hell is extortion, and senseless kindness is the only kind that makes sense." Nji's writing shone again in her monologue about her young headstrong daughter, who replies to "You can't go to Monroe, they're closing the school," with "Watch me!" Which of course results in on-stage consumption of a quantity of wine (provided by the attendant Witte with a nice bottle of red).

There were few flubs and mistakes throughout the production, although there were several instances of unintended darkness. Most mistakes were, I'm sure, unnoticeable to me, and the rest were covered adequately with ad lib, such as when the wine in the aforementioned skit was spilled a bit and Nji simply proceeded to sip it off her sleeve and glass, no big deal. The one major trip-up came in one of the last musical numbers: I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but the song seemed vocally unrehearsed and more than a little sloppy to begin with. Just as I was becoming concerned that the magic of the production would be ruined, the piece was salvaged and ended strongly, and I envy the audience's experience tonight.

I am so glad I was able to experience SPT's production of 1, playing one more night only: September 15 at 8:00 p.m., at CSPS in Cedar Rapids. It was was immensely engaging and, surprisingly, left me with equal doses of giggle-induced endorphins, meditations on meaning, and pride in the talent inherent in the artists of my home region. I look forward to the next show, 2, which opens early in November, and the many future "Tales From the Writers' Room." Don't miss out- make sure to get your tickets and seats early!

SPT Returns to CSPS

Cedar Rapids - SPT's "Tales from the Writer's Room" series opens its fifth season on September 14, with David Combs, David Morton, and Nicolette Coiner-Winn as guest artists, Matt Brooks and Ron DeWitte as musical guests. Episode 1 runs September 14 - 15 at 8:00 at CSPS - 1103 3rd St SE in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $20 online, $25 at the door.

SPT Has Nothing to Apologize For

By James E. Trainor III

SPT - This weekend, SPT closes its Games People Play series of "Tales from the Writer's Room," its first season at CSPS, with Sorry, a funny and thoughtful show with a host of skilled performers and an amazing band.

SPT's shows feature a wide variety of adept artists, and guest Craig Erickson is no exception. Erickson is an accomplished guitar player who can make a guitar speak truthfully no matter the style of the song. He lays down some powerful guitar solos on "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" and "Perfect Word." He also signs with passion and soul on "Rivertown" and "Prodigal."

As usual, we have excellent performances and a great selection of songs from Doug Elliott, Janelle Lauer, and Jane Pini. The band is great; everyone's really listening to each other and the effect is impressive. This setup is ideal - Greg Kanz and Dave Ollinger anchoring everyone with a steady beat so that Gerard Estella can set off into playful flights of fancy. What makes Sorry really work is this dynamic throughout the show: consistent pacing and really connected performers who are free to experiment and launch into a rockin' solo, a moving monologue, or a hilarious bit of comic acting.

Joining the acting ensemble this show are Scott Humeston, Aaron Murphy, and Hannah Spina. Humeston is an excellent character actor; he's always willing to pick something memorable and go all the way with it. From his wild-haired, rock-and-rolling Nikola Tesla to his creative rendition of "the voice from above" in the garden of Eden, Humeston is simply laugh-out-loud funny. He's also a rock when he needs to play a straight man or set up a punchline.

Aaron Murphy and Hannah Spina work well together. You can tell they're having a blast and some really fun comedy comes out of their interaction. Spina is big and bold with her character choices. Murphy is quick-witted and quite charming. They're both excellent listeners and really clear with their body language, which makes for a great pair. One of the best scenes is "My Best Ideas," where a blocked writer fields suggestions from his "helpful" wife. Spina jumps up and starts acting out her outrageous ideas in the middle of the kitchen; Murphy's reactions are priceless. They're also great in "Sweet and Cold," where a couple of spurned siblings plot revenge on their elders.

There's plenty of laughter in Sorry, but there's also a lot of heart. "Il Padrino" tells a poignant story of a woman and her dying mother-in-law sharing a quiet moment before they have to say goodbye forever. Mary Sullivan's acting is very effective as her character struggles to accept the facts in this scene.

"Check One" is a tear-jerking monologue that takes off from a simple form at the doctor's office—Akwi Nji is asked to check a box reporting to the government whether she's "black" or "white." "I can't check two?" she asks. It's suffocating, being stuffed in a box like this, forced to choose Africa over America or vice-versa, and the exploration of this idea is emotional without being sentimental, passionate without being didactic. At the heart of what makes these shows meaningful are these thoughtful or personal elements, and "Check One" is an excellent example.

It's also interesting in that it shows the theme cutting both ways. Nji starts the scene being "sorry"—embarrassed, even—but the monologue takes her from being defensive about the situation to being proud of her courage in rejecting the very idea of boxes for people. Many of these scenes are about people who refuse to apologize for who they are or what they've done—from a comic scene about an engineer who's alienated his daughter by deciding to become a mime to a thoughtful monologue about Fay Wray taking a wild chance and, quite literally, reaching new heights. There's also characters who are angry, wronged, and out for revenge, such as the spurned lover in "Young Woman's Lament." There are some funny examinations of the nature of apologies and of guilt itself in scenes like "Sweet and Cold," "And Mean It," and "Eden Prairie." It's always interesting to see the wide variety of ideas that come from the themes these shows take as their base.

The structure of the show, particularly in the second act, takes full advantage of the flexibility of the variety-show format. Songs can frame scenes, taking us in and back out again, and the combination of music and theatre has an additive effect; though two very different arts, they feed each other and keep the energy in the room always creeping up to a higher level. The pacing can be lightning-quick, with little snapshot moments taking off into the next thing as soon as they land, or there can be some breathing room for a longer and more complicated scene when there needs to be. The transitions, the choice of the songs, and the order of the scenes were well-considered in this show, and director Richard Barker's vision brings all of these elements into one coherent show quite well.

Games People Play: Sorry has one more night at CSPS (Saturday, June 2 at 8:00), then the series goes on break until September 14. Stay tuned for more information on SPT's next season!

Sorry Opens June 1

SPT - The 2011-12 "Tales from the Writer's Room" series closes this weekend with Games People Play: Sorry. Special guests will be Scott Humeston, Aaron Murphy and Hannah Spina. Musical guests will be Craig Erickson, Greg Kanz and Dave Ollinger.

Games People Play: Sorry runs June 1 & 2 at 8:00 at CSPS in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $25 at the door, $20 online.

A Belated Review of Clue

By James E. Trainor III

SPT - The fourth installment of the "Games People Play" series of SPT's "Tales from the Writer's Room" played to a packed house this weekend. Special guests Bret Goethe and Katy Slaven joined the SPT crowd onstage, along with Matt Brooks, Ron DeWitte, Dave Nolte, and Dave Ollinger in the band.

The show takes a slightly different format this time, with a couple of intertwined stories that run through the entire evening: Julie (Katy Slaven) and Nick (Adam Witte), a couple of old friends, find themselves watching a classic film noir called The Clueless Dick. No, it's not a porno; "Pierce Arrow" (Jason Alberty) is a private eye who's been called on to solve a mystery. While they're discussing the movie, it becomes clear that Julie has long been in love with Nick, but doesn't know how to tell him, much like Pierce's assistant Kitty (Mary Sullivan) can't confess her infatuation with her boss.

Jason Alberty is very funny as the overconfident Pierce, playing beside Mary Sullivan and Bret Gothe (who does a hilarious turn as the damsel in distress). The writing is very punchy; it's a little bawdy, but a lot of fun, and the cast gets the patter very well. The film noir genre is lampooned with love and care by the company, and the scenes with Pierce and Kitty leave you wanting more.

Meanwhile, Julie is trying to convince Nick to quit pining over Penny (Akwi Nji) and see what's right in front of him. This storyline is silly and farcical, with equally good writing, and it's a lot of fun to watch. It also has heart: Julie's journey is instantly familiar and very engaging, and Slaven's acting is touching in these moments. It's something you don't get to see very often with the variety-show SPT format: character growth. Clue keeps moving along, with great music inbetween scenes and visits from old friends like Professor Pizzle and Fiona, but you also get to spend time with a character, and living inside a role with focus and specificity is something Slaven does really well. It's good to see SPT mixing things up a bit, and the dual storyline in Clue is particularly effective.

Richard Barker's direction holds this piece together, with very simple staging that allows for energetic performances from the actors. Most of the props are mimed, which allows for a lot of fun gags as items slip in and out of existence. The actors make great use of the space, they really pay attention to each other, and the pacing is very tight.

SPT has one more show in their "Games People Play" season - Sorry on June 1 & 2. Get tickets now; they're going fast!

SPT Tales From the Writers' Room: Clue

SPT - The fourth installment in the "Games People Play" series, Clue, will open April 13 at CSPS. Guest artists Bret Goethe and Katy Slaven will be featured.

Games People Play: Clue plays April 13 and 14 at 8:00 at CSPS (1103 3rd St. SE in Cedar Rapids). Tickets are $25 at the event or $20 online.

SPT Corners the Market on Comedy

By James E. Trainor III

SPT - Last night a crowd gathered at the recently-renovated CSPS building to see the latest installment of SPT's Tales from the Writer's Room. The theme this year is "The Games People Play;" each show revolves around a specific popular board game. This weekend's fare involves that classic game of money-grubbing, Monopoly.

The Writer's Room shows have been a cornerstone of SPT's work for a while now, but it is a new deveolpment that they have a large, flexible space in which to present them. The stage at CSPS, now with more seating, is deep enough to comfortably fit a band, with a lower space downstage for the skits and scenes, or for Doug and Jane to come down and do a fun number.

The stage offers a lot of options, and however director Richard Barker stages the action, everyone can be seen. Sightlines were becoming a serious problem as the Writer's Room series outgrew its previous accommodations. Monopoly makes great use of the larger space, employing a number of entrances on different levels to keep things moving. Actors talk to the band, one scene can set up while the other finishes, and people can enter from the mainstage, the smaller stage, or the house, altogether allowing for a show that doesn't stop to catch its breath unless it wants to. Arranging for a larger, more flexible performance space is probably the smartest move SPT has made, and they take full advantage of it here.

The band, as always, is great. Joined by local pop/rock musician Layton White as well as regular guests Greg Kanz and Dave Ollinger, they fill the space with sound, keep the show moving along, and provide a groove that keeps you tapping your feet. Band regulars are Janelle Lauer (who sits at the piano and sings a bouncy, defiant version of "I'm not Falling for You Anymore"), Doug Elliot, (who applies his clear charming voice to such nostalgic numbers as "Boardwalk" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World") and Jane Pini (who brings down the house with "Little Pink Houses").

It's a rare treat to hear Dave Ollinger sing a number. His take on "Folsom Prison Blues" is a perfect choice to end an act; the catchy beat stays in your head throughout intermission and leaves you hungry for more.

Layton White is a young artist with a strong, soulful voice and a lot of passion. His versions of "Billionaire" and "Talk is Cheap" are a lot of fun. He's also game to join in the fun onstage, playing characters in "Rich Uncle Pennybags Falls on Hard Times" and "The People vs. Hallmark."

The actors — Akwi Nji, Mary Sullivan, and Adam Witte, with Jason Alberty and Dr. David Martino filling out the writing credits — are joined onstage by special guests Jim Kropa and Susie Streit.

Kropa is an excellent addition to this group, and he fills the stage with a very large and energetic presence. A great interstitial in this show is Kropa coming through between scenes, telling us in choppy, nervous monologues about how his ex-lover "monopolized" all his favorite love songs, and now music is ruined. In a comic twist on Aesop's "Grasshopper and the Ant," he creates a wild, loud, fun-loving insect to counter Nji's focused, industrious ant. He also sings, offering a steady, irreverent take on "King of the Road."

Streit is a solid performer with a great sense of comic timing. In "The People vs. Hallmark" she does a hilarious turn as a drunken, confused Judge Judy presiding over a case wherein a spurned lover tries to sue Hallmark for a faulty Valentine's card. With precision and biting sarcasm, she is able to hold her own against Kropa's larger-than-life Cupid, making for a lively, fast-paced skit.

There are a couple of interesting ideas that play out in this show. Part of it feels like an easy stroll around the block, reflecting on themes of hearth and home. In "Cedar Rapids," Adam Witte calls out Stephen Bloom with a witty, poetic counter to Bloom's much-reviled essay. In an inspiring note he remarks on our "battleship federal buildings" built to raise a defiant middle finger to the river; the sentiment, made in the midst of a New Bohemia that is decidedly in recovery, makes one wonder how cultural cornerstones such as CSPS failed to make a blip on Bloom's radar.

In a more comic vein, "A More Perfect Union" takes and turns Iowa's progressive marriage policies, as Sullivan and Witte play a straight couple who have come up from Arkansas to have a "happy, gay wedding," confounding the attempts of the "Pride Productions" wedding planner (played masterfully by Nji) to be inclusive. It's a very funny scene that leaves a warm and homey feeling, even as it pokes fun at the bitter state of our national discourse.

On the darker side, we are reminded in Monopoly of the economic realities we live in at the moment. The board game took off during the Great Depression, when people forgave the game its quirky mechanics for the chance to roleplay wheeling-and-dealing millionaires. Our own time is similar, and the "Monopoly" theme gives SPT a chance to compare and contrast these days to those. In "Rich Uncle Pennybags Falls on Hard Times" the masses revolt and occupy Park Place, a sardonic nod to the political turmoil going on even here in Iowa. In "Back to Start" a young woman gives herself a second chance to get the finances right. The pacing itself reflects the ups and downs of hard times — or a game of Monopoly: at times the show is fast-paced, energetic and restless, pulling itself up by its own bootstraps, and at others it is reflective, uncertain, assessing its situation. The timing always feels right for the moment, and director Richard Barker's hand is clearly at play here, bringing a wide variety of scenes and songs into a cohesive whole.

SPT's The Games People Play: Monopoly plays one more night: tonight, February 18th at 8pm at CSPS. If you don't have tickets to see this show, do not pass Go, do not collect $200 - get them now!