JOYRIDE Theatre Cedar Rapids’ Grandon Studio — Fri-Sun, Nov. 13-15 Theatre Cedar Rapids breaks new ground this week with its very first Studio Improv Series. Once the sole purview of the independent theater and college scenes, and dedicated companies like the Magnet Theatre and the IO, improvisational theatre has found an unlikely home at TCR […]
The Stage
Impassioned actors carry campy ‘Psycho Beach Party’
Psycho Beach Party Johnson County Fairgrounds — Through Nov. 1 In his program notes for Psycho Beach Party, director Louis Edward Doerge says of the show that, “at its core, it’s a love letter to film.” That homage is evident from the start, and many elements of the production highlight and emphasize those aspects of […]
Interview: Playwright Nina Morrison counters gender biases in ‘Féminaal’
Féminaal UI Theatre Building — Oct. 22-25 Playwright, MFA Directing candidate and feminist Nina Morrison took time to talk with Little Village about her upcoming show, Féminaal, which debuts this Thursday at 8 p.m. at the UI Theatre Building (Theatre B). Penned by Morrison and directed by Sam Collier, who recently graduated from the MFA […]
‘Listening for Grace’: A play reconciling sexuality, comedy and Christ
Listening for Grace Old Brick Church — Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. Issues of religion and sexuality are difficult to navigate in conversation. Navigating just those sorts of difficulties is where the arts — and theatre in particular — excel. Enter Ted Swartz. For two decades, Swartz has been travelling the U.S. and the […]
Things that go bump on the stage: IC’s October theatre lineup is spooky good
Humans love to tell each other stories. We sit around our proverbial campfires and spin yarns to keep the dark at bay. This time of year, though, the dark lasts longer; our fears are deeper. The nights are chill, the trees are stark. The earth is cycling away from the sun, and, as a society, […]
Interview: Private Lives Director Rachel Korach Howell on the making of a modern classic
The play centers on the lives of divorced couple Elyot and Amanda, and their tangled path back into one another’s hearts. … […]
Riverside Theatre founders Ron Clark and Jody Hovland step down after 34 years
Riverside Theatre has gone through many changes since founders Ron Clark and Jody Hovland staged its inaugural production in the early ‘80s… […]
Revival Theatre Company brings princely tale ‘Pippin’ to Cedar Rapids
The Corridor has seen its share of plays about princes on quests during recent years. For the final production of its inaugural season, Revival Theatre Company… […]
Local theatre company brings classic tales to the Englert stage this weekend
Old Capitol Opera is back with a packed summer season. First up is a weekend perfect for people who are curious about opera, but hesitant to devote… […]
‘Barefoot in the Park’ opens Friday at Giving Tree Theater
Giving Tree Theater, a new company in Marion, is putting on Barefoot in the Park as part of its innovative mission. The classic comedy about newlyweds in New York City was a notable high point in playwright Neil Simon’s career — Barefoot in the Park ran on Broadway for 1500 performances over the course of four years. […]
Dreamwell brings ‘Death of a Salesman’ to the local stage
Dreamwell is concluding its season of “The Grand Delusion” with quite possibly the best play to embody this theme. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is widely considered the best American play of the 20th century. Traveling salesman Willy Loman clings to the hope that his children will achieve greatness one day, but son Biff grows disillusioned with his father’s version of the American Dream… […]
Review: ‘Housebroken’ offers comedic take on the challenges of homeownership
Megan Gogerty’s previous original one-woman show, Feet First in the Water with a Baby in My Teeth, dealt with parenthood, a topic which… […]