Intimate Apparel, directed at Theater Cedar Rapids by Deanna Downes, examines friendship, love, race and how people are able to keep going in situations they would not choose.
Cedar Rapids Live Theatre
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Play in verse ‘There Is A Happiness That Morning Is’ masterfully presented
The day after Bernard (Matthew James) and Ellen (Angie Toomsen) are caught making passionate love on the college green, they are informed they must apologize publicly for their display or face termination. The play opens when Bernard takes the stage, lecturing on the ecstasy that is Blake’s poem “Infant Joy” from Songs of Innocence; Ellen’s final class centers on “The Sick Rose” from Songs of Experience. Both characters spend the bulk of the the play connecting the poems to their lives and their 20-year long relationship.
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Experience the wonder of ‘Annie’ at Theatre Cedar Rapids
By the end of the Theatre Cedar Rapids production of Annie, you may want to adopt Evie Kunz, in the title role, yourself.
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‘The Wood Problem’ explores the tension between Grant Wood and the University of Iowa
On Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m., a portion of The Wood Problem will be presented as a staged reading at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The reading will be followed by a panel discussion with Bradley, Grant Wood Art Colony Founder Jim Hayes and University of Iowa Art History Professor Joni Kinsey. The event is free.
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‘Pang!’ premiere underscores the connectedness of all of us
Pang! had its world premiere last night at CSPS Hall in the New Bohemia district of Cedar Rapids, and I cannot imagine that one person left this remarkable show unaffected.
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CSPS Legion Arts-commissioned ‘Pang!’ premieres in Cedar Rapids, exploring poverty on stage
Pang! CSPS Hall — Friday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21 at 4 and 8 p.m. Pang!, a production made up of three live radio plays about families struggling with hunger, will have its world premiere performances this weekend at CSPS Hall in the New Bohemia district of Cedar Rapids. Legion Arts, […]
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SPT New Play Incubator Series captures honest emotion via beautiful language in ‘Conjure’
At the beginning and end of ‘Conjure,’ written by area poet and playwright Jennifer Rouse, the all-female cast joins hands and forms a circle, their faces turned inward toward one another. It’s a ceremonial act, and it signals and exemplifies the palpable bond linking these performers/characters. It also exemplifies the challenges the work poses to the audience.
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‘Men of Tortuga’ argue action and ethics in Foundry’s taut, fraught inaugural production
Two impressive pillars in the Shores Event Center frame the playing area for ‘Men of Tortuga,’ the first production of the Foundry Forge, part of a new arts endeavor headed by Jason Alberty. The production itself is supported by two impressive pillars, as well — a strong script by Jason Wells and sharp performances by the cast of five under Alberty’s direction.
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The Foundry Forge brings a new theater vision to Cedar Rapids
This week, a new arts organization in Cedar Rapids will stage its first production. The Foundry Performance Laboratory presents Jason Wells’ Men of Tortuga under the banner of the organization’s performance division, the Foundry Forge.
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‘Lysistrata’ comes alive at Brucemore
There is an incredible adaptability inherent in theatre and I rejoice inside when I get the opportunity to explore it along with a group of artists and their audience. I was lucky enough to snag two tickets to Wednesday night’s preview performance of ‘Lysistrata’ at Brucemore, where the cast and crew put their deft adaptability skills on display.
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Hijinks ensue in Revival Theatre Company’s beautiful production of ‘Victor/Victoria’
Revival Theatre Company Presents: Victor/Victoria Dows Fine Art Center at Coe College — through Sunday, June 4 The 1982 film Victor/Victoria and the 1995 Broadway musical of the same name were both star vehicles for Julie Andrews. This, of course, sets a high bar for anyone stepping into the title role. Nina Swanson, well known […]
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‘The Bully Plays’ pack a punch at Theatre Cedar Rapids
The short plays that make up The Bully Plays have all the subtlety of a punch to the gut. In the Theatre Cedar Rapids Grandon Studio under the direction of Amanda Mayfield, a cast of 10 young people and five adults present 12 of the 24 texts compiled and edited by Linda Habjan.
