December 17th, 2011 by Kathy
Iowa River Players is having a first time Season Ticket drive! Yeah! This year you can become a member for $25 and along with that membership you will receive one season ticket which will entitle you to attend each of three productions in the 2012 year. There is still time to buy a membership for your hard-to-buy-for mother-in-law, or the guy who mows your lawn, or your kid’s babysitter, or whoever!! You save money by being a member! Get a ticket for yourself and one for your partner.
The shows planned for 2012 are “The Spirit of Hispania” in the spring, “Dixie Swim Club” in summer, and “James & the Giant Peach” in the fall. The regular price of a ticket is $10.
The annual meeting/awards night/ pot luck is on Saturday, January 7th at 6PM at the OSRM Community Room in Belmond (503 4th Street NE, Belmond — the old Ramsay elementary school). We are including an additional feature of a Murder Mystery game/play. RSVP to Luanne if you plan to attend and would like a role (641-444-4220). All members, volunteers, cast and crew are invited!! It will be fun!
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October 28th, 2011 by Kathy
Trouble is brewing when the Herdman kids force their way into the annual Christmas program. Everybody knows they are bad to the bone, so why would they be allowed in the big show?
Iowa River Players will present this lawless collection of barbarians in four performances of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at the community theatre at 901 Broadway Street in Rowan.
Come witness the pandemonium — and the hilarity — when the Herdmans meet the Christmas story head-on in this holiday favorite. Performances are on Sat. & Sun., Nov. 12 & 13 and 19 & 20. All performances are afternoon matinees beginning at 2:00. The box office opens one hour before curtain and tickets are available at the door. (Adults $10, Students $2)
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Beverly Robinson has long been enjoyed by young readers. A favorite holiday show for families, the story is based on a popular children’s book that focuses on a clan of poorly-behaved children who through their involvement in the Christmas pageant help the community discover the true meaning of Christmas. What starts out looking like a disaster evolves into the most unusual and meaningful pageant anyone has seen. And without a doubt, the best one ever!
Cast members include as the Herdman kids: Eveie Sherman (Ralph), Chloe (Claudie) and Remi (Gladys) Johnson from Clarion; Matt Smith (LeRoy), Lizzie Nelson (Ollie) and Grace Ritter (Imogene) from Belmond.
The members of the Bradley family are portrayed by Linda DeNio (Mother) of Dows; Maddie Mason (Beth), Kelly (Father) and Chelsea (Charlie) Sayer of Belmond.
The Children of the congregation are played by: Hanna Jo Gustafson (Beverly) of Clarion, Mariah Smith (Alice), Kelsey Peterson (Hobie), Connor Miltenberger (David), Jesse Brown (Elmer) of Belmond.
Micheala Henrichs from Hampton portrays the more grown up Beth who narrates the story and she is joined by Mel Mayberry also from Hampton as Mrs. Armstrong. Others in the cast are Zach Reed (Rev Hopkins), Karen Smith (Mrs McCarthy), Jason (Fireman) and Michele Miltonberger (Mrs Slocum), Kate Simonson (Mrs Clausing) and Steve Froehlich (Fireman).
In its film version, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” starred Loretta Swit of TV’s M*A*S*H* fame.
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August 29th, 2011 by Kathy
BRAs and APPLAUSE for the Cause
We are excited to see your creative ideas.
ON Friday, October 21, 2011:
This Juried Art show will be set up at the IRP theatre at 901 Broadway St in Rowan, on Friday evening, October 21, 2011. Bra Art entries will be taken in between 4 and 7 p.m. You are responsible for display details. A statement about your work: title and/or meaning … may add popular interest to your work.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Schedule for the Bras and Applause for the Cause Saturday, October 22, fundraiser is:
3:00 p.m. Judging of entries.
4:00 p.m. Art Show featuring Fabulous Fanciful Bras open to the public for viewing, silent auction (suggested $5 donation)
6:30 p.m. luscious deserts ($10 tickets for desert and show)
7:30 p.m. “Love, Loss and What I Wore” by Nora and Delia Ephron -staged reading of a play which is both comic and dramatic.
The winners will be announced at intermission of The Reading.
Registration
Please register your intent to participate as an artist by sending in this form on or before September 15, 2011. Your $5 entry fee will be used for the prize winners. All other proceeds for this event will go to Susan G. Koman for the Cure.
Contact Information
For any questions, contact Becky (515-532-2565), Kathy (kathyschnell@frontier.com) (515-571-6310) Michelle (515-859-3889) ( mevans@ifacadets.net ).
Send your $5 entry fee along with your name, address, phone number and email address to
Becky Ahrendsen, Attn: Art show 728 Maple Lane, Clarion, IA 50525
Please also include any information about your planned entry or entries.
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July 15th, 2011 by Kathy
Click “like” on our Facebook page and get information about our shows delivered to your newsfeed.
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June 5th, 2011 by Kathy
Iowa River Players has started on their summer musical, “Little Shop of Horrors”. The shop referred to in the title is actually a florist shop that has one very unusual plant: a carnivorous plant named “Audry 2” or “Twoey”. The hero of the story, Seymour, has nurtured the plant from an undernourished weakling to (by the end of the play) a demon-possessed monster. He has even named the plant after Audrey, the girl of his dreams.
In truth “Little Shop of Horrors” is something of a morality play. As in “Faust” by Goethe, the main character is tempted by the devil. Audrey 2 is undoubtedly a most devilish plant.
Props for Little Shop of Horrors will be very unusual, too. “Twoey” the plant, has to grow from the size that would fit in a coffee can to a plant that monopolizes the entire stage.
The cast is busily making steam punk accessories to go with the director’s concept for the play. For the unschooled, “steam punk” is alternate history, and speculative fiction, rising out of the 1980’s and early 90’s. It includes the technology of such fictional machines as those found in the works of Jules Verne or H. G. Wells, or even real technologies such as the computer or cell phone but as if developed at an earlier point in history.
Since the play takes place in a florist shop, IRP requests donations of any silk floral arrangements that might be otherwise headed for the Goodwill truck. Anyone who thinks they have something that might fill the bill, please call Luanne Krabbe at 641-444-4220 or Jon and Becky Ahrendsen at 515-532-2565.
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April 21st, 2011 by Kathy
Upcoming productions at Iowa River Players:
“Little Shop of Horrors”
July 29, 30, 31, Aug 6, 7,8 – 2011
Let’s show our support for breast cancer research!
Art bra show with a staged reading of
“Love, Loss and What I Wore”
October 22, 2011
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”
November 11, 12, 13,18, 19, 20 – 2011
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April 8th, 2011 by Kathy
“Of Mice and Men”, a classic American masterpiece by John Steinbeck, will be presented on the Iowa River Players stage in Rowan. The show opens Friday, April 29 at 7:30. Additional performances are on April 30, May 6 and 7, all at 7:30pm. One matinee is scheduled for Sunday, May 1 at 2:00pm.
As those who have read this book for their high school American literature class will recall, “Of Mice and Men” centers around the touching relationship between two migrant farm workers in Depression-era California: Lennie and George. Lennie (played by Kurt Hartmann of Latimer) is as strong as an ox and mentally challenged. George (played by David Dean of Clarion) is slight and quick-witted. George is Lennie’s protector and care-giver, watching over him to keep him out of trouble. Living a hand to mouth existence and drifting from farm to farm for work, the unlikely pair has dreamed of a place of their own. The technicolor details of the dream are often recited by George upon Lennie’s insistence: the most important feature of which, to Lennie, is being able to tend the soft rabbits.
Lennie and George find themselves on a ranch with an assortment of society’s castoffs: Candy, an old man (portrayed by Paul Bamford of Belmond) who has lost a hand in a farm accident, and Crooks, the shunned black stable boy (portrayed by Kaluba Namoonde of Fort Dodge). While it may seem hopeful that the dream may come to fruition, the poet tells us that “the best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry” and Lennie being in the wrong place at the wrong time brings about the tragic end.
The cast is rounded out with Brian McGurk from Clarion in the role of the boss’ pugnacious son, “Curley”; Kimberly Conlon, Clarion, as “Curley’s Wife”, J Henry Arends (Belmond) as the fair-minded “Slim”, Dale Arends (Belmond) and Zach Reed (Lake Cornelia) as farm workers “Carlson” and “Whit”, and Steve Froehlich (Belmond) as “Boss”. The role of Candy’s dog is played by Maisy the dog.
Individual tickets to this production are $5 for students and $10 for adults, and are available only at the door. Special, half-price tickets are being offered to groups of 20 or greater. Call Shannon Walker Carlson (cell phone 515-851-8487) to arrange for group seating and payment.
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April 4th, 2011 by Kathy
We are proud indeed! “Glacier Bay” and “After the Ball” were performed at the state festival in Newton. There were three first-time festival performers! Paul earned adjudicators award as well as people’s choice award, along with Luanne for acting; Paul received the people’s choice for directing. Zach received a beautiful glass goblet as an Award in Excellence for his performance last summer as Widow Twankey in “Aladdin”. “Glacier Bay” was named as alternate, with the shows from Newton and Cedar Rapids advancing to Regional competition in Salinas, Kansas on April 29.
Bravo and Kudos to all!!
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March 16th, 2011 by Kathy
We are hard at work keeping “Senior Moments” rehearsed for the state festival. We will be presenting “Glacier Bay” featuring Luanne, Paul and Becky as our competition piece and “After the Ball” with Zach and Jean as a showcase piece. “Sneeze” will also be presented as a showcase piece. This all happens April 1-3 in Newton. It’s a great opportunity to see a variety of theatre, party with your friends and work on your PhD in Community Theatre!! Five other theatres from around the state will be presenting shows also.
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February 24th, 2011 by Kathy
Iowa River Players invites you to be a part of the staging of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” — open auditions on Monday Feb 28 and Tues Mar. 1 at 7 pm at the Community Theatre in Rowan. Performance dates are April 29, 30, May 1, 6 & 7. call Luanne @ 444 4220 for more information or to read a copy of the play.
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