War and Consequences

War is like love; it always finds a way.
~ Bertolt Brecht.

On the heels of our Icky-nominated “Taboo Bijou” season, Dreamwell Theatre proudly announces the 2011 season,” “War and Consequences,” an exploration of works about the stages and effects of war, from situation room to home front to front lines. The January-through-July “mini season” transitions Dreamwell to a fall-to-spring programming schedule that follows the academic year.

Last Train to Nibroc
by Arlene Hutton
February 10, 11, 12.

“War and Consequences” kicks off with Last Train to Nibroc by Arlene Hutton, a love story set during World War II (and perfect for Valentines Day’s weekend.) The Associated Press calls Nibroc “…a gently charming little play, reminiscent of Thornton Wilder in its look at rustic Americans who are to be treasured for their simplicity and directness.” We have planned a special performance of this show at the Oaknoll retirement community on February 14th.

Stuff Happens
by David Hare
7:30 pm April 8, 9, 15, 16.
Unitarian Universalist Society, 10 S. Gilbert St. Iowa City

The season’s April offering is David Hare’s Stuff Happens, a political (recent) history play exploring the often notorious events and decisions that led to the war in Iraq. With characters such as George Bush, Colin Powell, Tony Blair and Condoleezza Rice, this show is sure to spark discussion. The New Yorker calls it “an exhilarating account of the genesis of the current war in Iraq.”

Henry V
by William Shakespeare
7:30 pm June 3, 4, 10, 11; 2:00 pm June 5, 12

In June, Dreamwell ventures into the “vastly fields of France” – and our first-ever Shakespeare – with an imaginative re-telling of William Shakespeare’s most famous war play, Henry the Fifth. Auditions will take place in the beginning of February.

Soldier’s Daughter
by The Black Doggers
July 15, 16, 22, 23

The mini-season concludes in July with Soldier’s Daughter , an entirely original play about a soldier who shares with his daughter a series of stories about humanity. The play will be performed promenade-style, moving from location-to-location around the delightful spaces on a performance farm that has been home home to several wonderful shows this past year. In keeping with Dreamwell’s mission of collaboration, this play was written by members of the Black Doggers, a playwriting group with members from all over the Corridor.