On Friday, Dec. 18, the historic Englert Theatre lit up the icy streets of downtown Iowa City as its newly restored marquee shone above in all its 1950s-vintage glory. With exposed ankles turning red and propane heaters blazing, only the clouds of frigid breath were missing underneath an array of masks, Santa Claus hats and […]
Articles by Emily Creery
‘The Parking Space’ melds media for a new exploration of what art can do

Would you care to dance with me? The Parking Space, a “site-specific listening piece about rest and perspective,” debuts today, Friday, Dec. 4, on the fourth floor of the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp (415 E Washington St, downtown Iowa City). Stephanie Miracle, choreographer, dancer and visiting assistant professor for the University of Iowa’s Department of […]
Sparse and exquisite, Riverside’s production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is exactly what we need

With its opening this past weekend, Riverside Theatre’s production of Paul Morella’s A Christmas Carol adaptation has officially brought the holiday season down upon us. The pandemic takes the loss this time — it can’t rid us of the magic, charm and lessons we cherish from stingy old Ebenezer Scrooge. Nestle in front of your […]
Mirrorbox Theatre reflects on Out the Box, its thriving 2020 virtual series, closing with ‘landscape’

When everything seems to be going wrong in a world shifted askew by the weight of our own tears, that’s precisely when we turn to faraway lands to bring us hope: the arts. Of course, it’s 2020, a time when the arts we consume have been strictly confined within a small rectangular screen. But sometimes […]
FilmScene’s Halloweek is giving fright film fans a chance to create their own FilmScream-like marathon

‘Twas the night before Halloween, when all through the city Not a theater was open, not even FilmScene But what to my wondering eyes should appear, Five horrifically fun movies to stream virtually — with a beer. The spooky tradition of FilmScream is just one of the dozens of FilmScene’s programming initiatives that has been […]
Quirky, tender ‘The Mole Agent’ marks virtual return of Vino Vérité series

Today, Oct. 23, marks the FilmScene debut of The Mole Agent, a film that serves as the first ever Virtual Vino Vérité (“online wine and cinematic realism,” essentially, for all those who just mind-mumbled right over that). Co-sponsored by Bread Garden Market and Little Village, Vino Vérité traditionally involves a catered reception with a filmmaker […]
Intoxicating and otherworldly, TCR’s ‘St. Nicholas’ will linger with you after you leave

Like the protagonist in Conor McPherson’s St. Nicholas, I, too, am struggling to find the perfect words — in my case, to convey my unadulterated awe and affection for Theatre Cedar Rapids’ exquisitely haunting (and hilariously vulgar) production of the 1997 play. Listening to the drunken, Irish monologue is intoxicating in itself as Mathew James […]
Riverside’s ‘Buyer and Cellar’ sets the stage for a fall of fantastic virtual performances

According to the first result that loads on Google (bless you, Wikipedia), a utopia “is an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its citizens.” The hilariously absurd, one-man tale that unfolds in Riverside Theatre’s Buyer and Cellar is just that, a utopia. Starring the sensational Patrick DuLaney and […]
Mirrorbox invites drive-ins for humorous, heartfelt, thought-provoking production ‘The Parking Lot’

Picture this: Several strangers gathered around in their cars, watching a married couple go through the pros and cons of a relationship on the verge of divorce. No, this isn’t your weekly trip to Walmart or your neighbor’s driveway — it’s the Mirrorbox Theatre production of The Parking Lot. A socially distanced, pandemic-proof theatrical drive-in […]