I went into The Seagull with some dread. I’ve never been a big fan of Anton Chekhov. The Russian playwright is one of the most influential figures within his medium, likely known to even non-theater-goers by virtue of the concept of “Chekhov’s gun.” His reputation as one of the greatest playwrights of all time is […]
Eastern Iowa Arts & Entertainment
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Descendants lead Q.C. punk fans in a night of aggression and joy, joined by Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Nobro
This past Saturday was St. Patrick’s Day in the Quad Cities, which boasts the only bi-state St. Patrick’s Day parade in the United States. The occasion saw hundreds of people dressed in green and imbibing drinks throughout the day. As a veteran bartender, I know that the madness of St. Patrick’s calms by roughly 6 […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Andre Perry hopes Stop/Time celebrates the ‘spirit of innovation’ Iowa City artists and festival-goers embrace
I first met Perry standing in front of the bar at The Mill (R.I.P.). He was memorable for his manner: he pays attention, asks probing questions, looks you in the eye and seems to actually care about what you say. At the time he had a band, The LonelyHearts, and was working on an MFA in […]
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The Free Art Studio finds a new space for their weekly ‘bad art’ workshops in Iowa City
The Free Art Studio, an Iowa City organization that strives to make art accessible for all, held their first workshop in their new home, the Ned Ashton House, on March 8. The studio was previously housed in Iowa City’s Wright House of Fashion. With help from a variety of community members, Lauren Simmering and Penelope […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
237 Collective to mark its new nonprofit status with a cozy night of poetry and storytelling in Cedar Rapids
“We began as a local art gallery and supply shop and quickly realized there was a gap to fill in Cedar Rapids around community connection,” Long-Williams said. Eventually, “we began exploring what it would look like for 237 to be a nonprofit, and after two years, have officially made the transition.”
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Mission Creek Festival and Brink announce lineup for Day Party, a new, one-day festival of music, arts and food
Saturday, April 25 will mark the first Day Party, a one-day mini-festival in downtown Iowa City co-directed by Mission Creek Festival and Brink, a literary nonprofit supporting hybrid writing. Tickets went on sale Friday morning.
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‘The more aggressive we got, the more we found ourselves’: The Rumours reflect on their rise ahead of a hometown show at Octopus College Hill
When the Rumours pull into the venue Saturday and start unloading their van, it’s inevitable someone will assume they’re the “girlfriends carrying the guy’s gear.” “They don’t know that we’re the girl band that’s actually playing,” said Ela Moore, bassist and singer for the Rumours. “Yeah, it’s one of those situations. We get a lot of disrespect, so we’re just kind of pissed off about it.”
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Queen of Iowa horror’ Carrsan T. Morrissey’s new short to debut at FilmScene Wednesday night
Bleeders, a new short film by local filmmaker Carssan T. Morrissey, will premiere at FilmScene in Iowa City Wednesday, following a showing of Evil Dead (2013). The two films are paired together as part of FilmScene’s long-running love letter to niche horror flicks, Late Shift at the Grindhouse. Morrissey’s short film explores consumption, lust and […]
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Review: The Milk Carton Kids and Sierra Hull present two sides of folk in one big night at the Englert
Grammy Award nominees The Milk Carton Kids and Sierra Hull performed to a buzzing Englert Theatre crowd on Thursday night, co-headlining a show that would please most any folk music fan. The Milk Carton Kids opened up with a stripped down, folksy acoustic set that had incredible harmonies and intricate guitar and banjo work. The […]
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‘Art is my escape’: Paintings, drawings, a Popsicle stick sculpture and other intricate work make up the 2026 Art from the Inside Out exhibition, debuting Friday
“My biggest inspiration for my artwork is God, injustice and purpose,” said Ivan Flores, an incarcerated artist with work featured in the fourth annual “Art From the Inside Out” exhibition. Coordinated by Inside Out Reentry Community, the exhibition is currently on display in Iowa City through Feb. 14 at the Public Space One Close House. […]
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Review: Cedar Rapids Opera’s ‘Die Fledermaus’ is endearing and perfectly ridiculous
Like a tempting glass of champagne in the middle of Dry January, Cedar Rapids Opera’s production of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus was a perfectly frothy, frivolous escape from the dark and dreary winter.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Worth a Rewatch: A Black American filmmaker shook up the French New Wave with 1967’s ‘The Story of a Three-Day Pass’
The Story of a Three-Day Pass was awarded the critics’ choice award at the 1967 San Francisco International Film Festival, and all of a sudden Melvin Van Peebles found himself in a position that was almost unbelievable. He was a Hollywood darling. A decade before, when Van Peebles went looking for a job in Hollywood, […]
