Noël Coward’s Design for Living is a play that demands a deft balance of wit, tension and vulnerability — qualities that are central to an exploration of love, freedom and emotional tangles. Dreamwell’s recent production, directed by Will Asmus, certainly attempts to bring Coward’s dark comedy to life, but the results are, at times, uneven, leaving the audience to question whether the fault lies with the production or the material itself.
Review
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Review: You won’t be borden at ICCT’s ‘Lizzie the Musical,’ a rock-horror show rooted in history
Calling all true crime fans… Lizzie the Musical is a rock-infused retelling of the infamous Lizzie Borden case, in which Lizzie is accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. The show explores the events leading up to the murders, focusing on Lizzie’s strained family life, her oppressive circumstances and her rebellious spirit. With […]
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Theater Review: ‘The Roommate’ at Riverside Theatre
The Roommate was penned by one of the most produced playwrights in the country right now, Jen Silverman, who received an MFA in playwriting at the University of Iowa. The show takes place in Iowa City and, for the first time now, is being staged here Though Silverman’s lived all over the world, Iowa must […]
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ICDOCS focused on process, observation
This past weekend saw the 2018 version of the Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival, sponsored by the University of Iowa and directed by Emily Drummer, with collaboration by Film Scene, the UI Dept of Cinematic Arts and a host of local sponsors.
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‘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.
