All the town’s a stage
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Three diverse theater companies in the Iowa City/Coralville community provide an eclectic array of theater.
Riverside Theatre
Riverside Theatre is proudly known as Iowa City’s resident professional theater. Founded in 1981, Riverside is one of only two professional theaters in Iowa that works with and hires members of the Actors Equity Association, a union representing American theater actors and stage managers.
“We bring in a wealth of talent, including those artists with Broadway credits or deep regional credits,” said Riverside cofounder Ron Clark.
Riverside produces a wide range of material from classic to contemporary. Because of the theater’s intimate setting, Riverside is able to pay more for quality and manage with less quantity.
“We try to be the leading edge in theater,” Clark said. “We have an excellent reputation in professional theaters all across the country.”
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Iowa City Community Theatre
The Iowa City Community Theatre was established in 1956, and it currently resides in Building A of the Johnson County Fairgrounds. It works to pool the community’s resources to provide quality, family-friendly productions. Josh Sazon, who frequently directs productions for the group, said working in such an unconventional arena (effectively a shed) “allows us to be creative in our own way,” which lends to its charm.
The organization attracts a lot of local talent, including UI students, who participate through acting, live music performance, set design and a host of other roles.
“In spite of the fact this is essentially amateur theater, we still manage to pull off a fairly decent job,” Sazon said.
Plays at the community theater might be more old-fashioned and conventional than those at other local venues, but they may still include lesser-known productions, such as last spring’s The Baker’s Wife. The group produces an average of two to three musicals each season.
City Circle Acting Company
City Circle Acting Company, based in Coralville, will soon be housed in a 540-seat theater at the new Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (fall of 2010).
City Circle seeks participation from both UI theater students and theatrical individuals with professional experience.
“We are interested in any people with talent, regardless of experience,” City Circle Board President Chris Okiishi said. “Anyone willing to drive here is welcome to be in our shows.”
The acting company stays fresh with an array of contemporary shows of all styles. Last season’s schedule included a comedy by Steve Martin, a serious family drama, and the musical Schoolhouse Rock LIVE!
“We are always looking for more volunteers,” Okiishi said. “We need help building and designing costumes and sets, working backstage, ushering, creating and distributing publicity.”
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