I show up about 15 minutes early to Concentric: Transcultural Resonance in Sound Practices on Tuesday, and the room’s already packed. There’s 50, maybe 60 people packed into the tiny CSPS Black Box Theatre when I arrive and slink towards the back into one of the chairs lining the walls.
CSPS Hall
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Love is a thing with feathers in ‘La Cage Aux Folle,’ a triumph for Revival Theatre Company
It was a sweaty, 83-degree day when I went to Revival Theatre Company’s staging of La Cage Aux Folles. This was perfect weather to be spirited away to Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera and into a packed theater full of cheering, clapping and the best show I’ve seen this year. The musical is a reworking […]
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Is it hot in here? A local erotica writer reviews Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha’s sexy burlesque circus
No animals were harmed by Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha, Iowa’s premier burlesque ensemble, in the presentation of their circus-themed variety shows last month. But you could still hear plenty of hooting and hollering from the wild animals in the audience of the adults-only Cirque Sensuale — including Yours Truly.
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Pop will eat Cedar Rapids? The Iowa Pop Art Festival returns this weekend
Everyday. Ordinary. Bright. Bold. Nondescript. Flashy. Unassuming. Pop: It’s all of those things, and that’s what makes it brilliant. Happening on Saturday May 21 at 10 a.m., the Iowa Pop Art Festival is spread around multiple locations in Cedar Rapids, including CSPS Hall, NewBo City Market and participating shops in the district. The festival consists […]
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Welcome back: Two CRANDIC theater companies return to the stage this weekend
It is late 1968 and Judy Garland is in London — in large part because her erratic behavior and performances have made it difficult for her to perform in the United States. She is preparing for a five-week run at the Talk of the Town cabaret club. And she’s remembering better times. That’s the story […]
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Taylor Bergen named executive director of CSPS
Taylor Bergen has been named executive director of CSPS, the Cedar Rapids arts organization formerly known as Legion Arts. Bergen had been serving as the interim director since October 2019 after co-founder F. John Herbert stepped down in late September 2019 after 28 years with the organization. Co-founder Mel Andringa retired a few months later […]
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CSPS uses the pandemic as an opportunity to focus on better serving artists and the community
The decision to use a space as an incubator for the arts and as a cultural gathering place for a community is often difficult, especially in a trendy neighborhood. Despite the fact that it is exactly these kinds of spaces that make neighborhoods attractive to restaurants, shops and other businesses, they frequently deal with razor-thin […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Taylor Bergen returns to Legion Arts as its interim director
After Taylor Bergen saw a show put on by Legion Arts at CSPS Hall in 2011, he decided he wanted to work for the Cedar Rapids arts organization. He called the next day to see if they were hiring. They weren’t. But a little over three months later, Bergen was hired as a program associate, and worked for Legion Arts for almost four years. Now, Bergen is back at CSPS. He was named interim director of Legion Arts on Wednesday.
Posted inCommunity/News
F. John Herbert, who helped transform the NewBo area and Iowa’s arts scene, steps down after leading Legion Arts for decades
Legion Arts co-founder F. John Herbert announced on Saturday he is stepping down as executive director of the Cedar Rapids nonprofit after 28 years. His resignation took effect on Sunday, Sept. 29.
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Every moment is meaningful in Mirrorbox Theatre’s production of ‘Sender’
Mirrorbox Theater is ready to ask some tough questions with its Iowa premier of ‘Sender’ this weekend. Questions like, “What really matters?” and “How do we define ourselves and our relationships?”
Posted inCommunity/News
‘I have a plan’: Sen. Elizabeth Warren discusses proposed wealth tax and more in Cedar Rapids
It was always expected that Sen. Elizabeth Warren would receive a warm welcome in Cedar Rapids from the Linn Phoenix Club. The group works to elect progressive Democrats at the county level, and Warren is one of the most progressive Democrats running for president. What wasn’t expected was the size of the welcome. The Thursday […]
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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.
