Between professional theatres in the Amanas and Iowa City, and community theatres as widespread as Mount Vernon-Lisbon and Washington, there has…
Theatre Cedar Rapids
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Theatre Cedar Rapids premiers stage version of ‘The Great Gatsby’
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, has been the bee’s knees in recent years after director Baz Luhrmann released his 2013 film extravaganza…
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‘Underground New Play Festival’ brings new talent and vision to the Iowa Stage
This year marks Theatre Cedar Rapids’ (TCR) fifth year hosting its Underground New Play Festival — quite an achievement considering the festival’s humble…
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Fairy tale tropes with a twist: ‘Into the Woods’ opens Friday at Theatre Cedar Rapids
If you have ever gone beyond Disney movies and read the original versions of fairy tales, you know that they aren’t exactly for kids. They use fantastical…
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Opening tonight: The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Les Mis
Two theatre productions kick off this evening, with The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Les Misérables opening at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts and Theatre Cedar Rapids, respectively. The Mystery of Edwin Drood Coralville Center for the Performing Arts — June 20-22 ($12-$27) Have you ever wished that the concept of “choose your […]
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The Stage: Behind the scenes, stage managers perfect each performance
When a theatrical performance is done well, it appears effortless from the perspective of the audience. The actors’ voices carry at the right volume, scenery changes…
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May: The month in theatre
Though the University of Iowa presents excellent theatre throughout the school year, its reputation in playwriting comes to full flower in the University’s annual New Play Festival. During the last week of spring semester classes, the department stages five full productions of plays by MFA playwriting students, daily readings of scripts by MFA and undergraduate students and roundtable discussions of the works presented.
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The Stage: The month in theatre
For fans of the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde that can’t be satisfied by merely watching it on cable practically every day, the only remedy is to “bend and snap” their way to see Theatre Cedar Rapids’ production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. This live version incorporates songs into the story of how sorority girl Elle Woods tries to win back her ex-boyfriend by attending Harvard Law School. Along the way she finds a purpose in life, makes new friends and proves that an encyclopedic knowledge of hair care products might come in handy someday. The show runs March 1-23. Tickets are available online at theatrecr.org. Just sit back, relax and try not to think about how Elle from the original movie is almost ready to celebrate her 10-year law school reunion.
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The Stage: Theatre Cedar Rapids’ Underground New Play Festival
One of my best friends used to work at a state-run hospital for convicts who required intense psychiatric care. She once observed, “Hearing a guy say ‘Jesus told me to kill my wife’ is enough to turn anybody off of religion.” When I learned that Tom Deiker, a playwright featured in Theatre Cedar Rapids’ (TCR) […]
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The Stage: All in A Day’s Work
From Broadway to Boise, all new plays face the same obstacles. The writer agonizes over when the play is finally complete. The director struggles to combine the writer’s intent with their own artistic vision. The actors breathe life into characters that have only been words on the page. In the Fifth Annual All-In-A-Day Play Festival, […]
