How I Learned What I Learned is a one-man show, originally performed by Wilson himself, and takes the audience on a tour through his life as a poet and young writer in Pittsburgh, as well as his friendships, experience of racism and more. Wilson offers himself up with a stark vulnerability […]
Iowa City theatre
‘Marjorie Prime’ an incredibly sensitive meditation on aging and grief

The rub of science fiction is that it requires quite a bit of world building to be comprehensible to the audience. Director Jen Brown guides her actors into a subtlety that nicely highlights the universals of personality, humanity and family life without dwelling too long on the technicalities of 2050. […]
Brilliant and bold performances anchor ‘Much Ado’
‘Kinky Boots’ struts its stuff into Hancher, courtesy of the nimble Jos N. Banks

Based on a BBC documentary series that featured the true story of a struggling heir of a failing shoe-manufacturing company that rebooted itself by designing footwear for drag performers and the fetish market, Kinky Boots was adapted into a Broadway musical by a trifecta of talent, with multi-Tony winning Harvey Fierstein writing the book, lyrics by Grammy-winner Cyndi Lauper and Tony-nominated Jerry Mitchell as choreographer and director. […]
Missing ‘A View From the Bridge’ at Riverside Theatre will haunt you
Riverside Theatre boldly embraces a divisive conversation with season opener ‘Black and Blue’

Black and Blue Riverside Theatre — through Sept. 25 The conversation about race and police brutality in our country has, in recent years, become about as divisive and vicious as such a thing can get. At public protests, on personal Facebook feeds, and in the comments sections on news articles, people continue to speak — […]
Thank you Lord! ‘Book of Mormon’ tickets go on sale this week from Hancher
Riverside Theatre to transition interim artistic director

Riverside Theatre has announced that its recently appointed artistic director, Sam Osheroff, is stepping down after a single season. Sean Lewis will take his place, serving as interim artistic director. Sam Osheroff took over as Artistic Director last summer when founders Ron Clark and Jody Hovland stepped down from active leadership roles. His wife, actor […]
Hancher and Joffrey Ballet announce collaboration for new ‘Nutcracker’ set in World’s Fair Chicago

In 1987, Robert Joffrey’s Chicago-based ballet company held the world premier of their production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at The University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium. At a press conference held Tuesday on stage at the nearly completed Hancher Auditorium — nearly eight years after the original facility was destroyed by historic floods — Hancher Executive […]
‘Dancing Lessons’ waltzes into Riverside Theatre

Dancing Lessons Riverside Theatre — opens Fri., Apr. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Riverside Theatre wraps up its 35th season with Mark St. Germain’s 2014 play Dancing Lessons. The play, which centers on a man with Asperger syndrome, opens today, Apr. 1 — fittingly, the start to Autism Awareness Month. Sam Osheroff, who took over as […]
Riverside’s ‘ROAR!’ deftly directed and designed, with wonderful performances

Roar! Riverside Theatre — through Mar. 13 Riverside’s annual monologue show, formerly Walking the Wire, has been repackaged as ROAR! this year. Along with the new name, director Sam Osheroff has made some tweaks to the show’s format. This allows Riverside to pack a lot of theatre into a small space, while keeping with the […]
Riverside Theatre explores small-scale farce in ‘Line of Descent’

Line of Descent Riverside Theatre — through Feb. 21 Comedy is one of the most difficult genres to execute well. And farce is on a level all its own. We’re used to the A Flea In Her Ears and Noises Offs — large scale shows with impressive production accessories and a multitude of physical shenanigans […]