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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Students rehearse for the 27th Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival presented by The University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts in the Theatre Building on Jan. 22, 2024. The cast is starring in a play titled “The Worst Supervillain in the World” written by student Darrin Terpstra. (Madison Frette/The Daily Iowan)

UI Theater Department presents student-run Ten Minute Plays

Riley Dunn, Arts Reporter January 23, 2024

 The University of Iowa’s Theater Department’s annual Ten-Minute Play Festival is a unique, student-run production that incorporates the talents of UI students interested in play production. Showcased...

Scot West and Barrington Vaxter performing in “The Case for the Existence of God” at Riverside Theater in Iowa City on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.

Riverside Theatre presents ‘A Case for the Existence of God’ and excels on opening night

Caden Gantenbein, Arts Reporter January 23, 2024

Riverside Theatre successfully brought another tremendous and professional play to its venue on Jan. 19. Despite the threat of negative windchill on the opening night for “A Case for the...

Photo contributed by Hancher Auditorium.

Review | Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ gives fresh spin on familiar story

Riley Dunn, Arts Reporter January 22, 2024

Hancher Auditorium’s final production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” closed its curtains to thunderous applause on Sunday. Adapted for the stage by Academy Award winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin,...

Photo contributed by the Tinfoil Hat Committee

The Tinfoil Hat Committee: Still laughing

Charlie Hickman, Assistant Arts Editor January 16, 2024

Iowa City has fostered a burgeoning comedy scene for several years, but the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to damper community excitement in comedy. Since comedy performances have resumed, however,...

The new Wilson Family Stage plaque is seen in Riverside Theatre in Iowa City on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2023.

Wilson family leaves legacy on Riverside’s main stage

Stella Shipman, Arts Editor December 12, 2023

Herb and Janice Wilson always loved attending productions together at the Riverside Theatre’s former location on North Gilbert Street in downtown Iowa City. Their appreciation for the arts and local...

Charlotte Brontë, played by Katie Gucik, opens a letter during a production of “Brontë: The World Without” at Riverside Theater in Iowa City on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023.

Riverside produces play premiere

Riley Dunn, Arts Reporter December 3, 2023

As the lights dimmed and music started playing in Riverside Theatre in Iowa City on the opening night of “Brontë: The World Without,” audiences quickly realized this production would be something...

Emma Bibb, Owen Brightman and Mary Lukas perform during a showing of Eli Campbell’s Pleasure Play directed by Meredith Alexander at The Artifactory on North Dubuque Street in Iowa City on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.

Review | Eli Campbell’s ‘Pleasure Play’ tells captivating story of three complicated characters

Riley Dunn, Arts Reporter November 28, 2023

The past two weekends, the Iowa City community was given the chance to experience Eli Campbell’s newest work, “Pleasure Play,” which follows the lives of Meave and Gracie, a couple trying to...

A child skips between the middle aisle at intermission during “Oh My Gourd!” a Playmaker performance hosted by Riverside Theatre in Iowa City on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.

Pupil playwrights: IC elementary students’ plays share the big stage

Lily Czechowicz and Avi Lapchick November 14, 2023

Fourth-grade student Caroline Hodges wanted to create a story from her mind. She said she got pretty far and might put it to paper one day — if only she had the time and the space to do so. She...

Design concepts are seen at the University of Iowa Dance and Opera Costume Shop at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.

UI Dance and Opera Costume Shop works behind the scenes to create the image of productions

Emma Gaughan, Arts Reporter November 7, 2023

When entering the University of Iowa Dance and Opera Costume Shop in Hancher Auditorium, every color and texture of fabric imaginable is illuminated in a bright, sunlit room. Since the spring 2022,...

The cast of The Sound of Waves Crashing on Broken Glass performs at Artifactory in Iowa City on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.

Run of the Mill presents ‘The Sound of Waves Crashing on an Island of Broken Glass’

Lily Czechowicz, Arts Reporter October 31, 2023

Twelve-year-old Malibu entered the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, unfazed by the old man chained to the floor. The man, revealed to be her grandfather, told Malibu her parents were not good people....

Jody Hovland, playing Mrs. Watts, and Phil Jordan, an ensemble member, perform during a production of “Trip to Bountiful” at Riverside Theater in Iowa City on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.

Review | Riverside presents heartfelt rendition of ‘The Trip to Bountiful’

Caden Gantenbein, Arts Reporter October 24, 2023

On the opening night of “The Trip to Bountiful,” Riverside Director Adam Knight spoke to a packed theater, expressing his excitement for the play. The stage was strategically filled with furniture,...

Gina Hausknecht speaks during a discussion panel about contemporary approaches to Shakespeare at the Senate Chambers in the Old Capitol Building in Iowa City on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023.

400 years after his first folio, William Shakespeare is still relevant to Iowa City community

Emma Gaughan, Arts Reporter October 17, 2023

On a rainy fall evening in Iowa City, scholars of theater and English gathered in the University of Iowa Old Capitol Museum to discuss the impact of the first folio of William Shakespeare 400 years...