Hancher

partnership, community, art

It’s finally here.

I’ve been looking forward to Mayberry for a long time. Sean Lewis came to Hancher with the idea for a new play about Iowa City in 2010. He was inspired by the controversial conversations on news outlets about “people from Chicago” and wanted to explore the deeper story behind the dramatic postings on newspaper comment boards. The play that he’s developed, Mayberry, focuses on hot-button topics including the migration of African-Americans to Iowa City and how a college town adjusts to a new group of people in the community.

Since that initial meeting with Hancher, I’ve been working consistently with Sean and his company, Working Group Theatre, throughout the past eighteen months. Sean’s been a part of many educational activities at Hancher, including co-leading a faculty institute with a focus on the arts and being a guest speaker at many university classes. He’s been busy researching this play, writing the script, and directing the production.

I’m lucky because I’ve had an insiders’ view of Mayberry over the course of its development. I’ve been to readings, open rehearsals, seen script and set revisions. Our production staff has been even more involved—building sets, painting materials, stage managing the show. It’s normal to see Sean at our offices once a week. We’ve been integrally involved with the development and production of this play, which is something that we don’t often get to do with touring artists. Our partnership with Working Group Theatre has been an important part of our programming this year, allowing us to be more deeply involved in our local arts scene.

I can’t wait to see the completed production today. This play will make you laugh. It might make you cry. It will probably make you feel uncomfortable. But I am sure of one thing—it will get you to think about your community.

 

—Erin Donohue

history and right now

Sometimes things come together that just make sense. Often they are unrelated but find their way to combine into a powerful force. Such is theater this week here in Iowa City.

You can see (tonight, Hancher, at the Englert) a play about Lincoln. Appropriate for President's Day week. And you can also see (Thursday-Sunday, Working Group Theatre, at Riverside Theatre) a play about Bosnia. Appropriate to remember the 20th year after the genocide there.

The RIvalry is part of this year's Hancher season and is by the L.A. Theatre Works, a group we have had here before and have never been disappointed. This group is nationally known for quality theater. Based on the Lincoln-Douglas debates in the 1858 Senate race. Our brochure describes it this way: "L.A. Theatre Works breathes new life into America's past via the Lincoln-Douglas debates' conflict and compromise. Arguably, The Rivalry also offers a shrewd commentary on the messy partisan politics of the present." Tickets here.

And then The Toymaker's War is a look at a devastating time 20 years ago when the Bosnian war began through the story of a journalist going for a story and finding much more. A special talkback event will be held after the Friday performance.

"Audiences are invited to join us for a post show discussion to explore the themes of the play with journalist, Stephen J. Berry, and Bosnian War survivor, Amir Hadzic, on Friday February 24. Stephen J. Berry is a Pulitzer Prize winning former reporter who specializes in investigative reporting. He is co-founder and the interim executive director-editor of The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism and currently teaches at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Amir Hadzic, Coordinator of International Student Services and Men's Head Soccer Coach at Mt. Mercy College, was a Sarajevo native who lived through and fled the siege of that city, escaping through a mile long tunnel under the airport.  After living as a refugee in Croatia for a year, he emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Iowa."

Tickets here.

Somehow all of these events based on history seem cutting edge current. Hmmm. Love theater.

—Ron

never discount the weather

Oh man, how disappointing is this. We are basking in the mildest winter we remember for awhile (remember this day last year?) and the weather has forced us to cancel tonight's show with Stew and the Negro problem. Bummer. Stew was on his way but his flight last night and all today were cancelled because the Eastern Iowa Airport was fogged in. It cleared up here but the airport was still closed because the fog lingered there until it was too late to for Stew and Heidi to leave Minneapolis in time to make the show here.

The box office has let everyone know what to do if you had tickets and that information is right here. We hope we can present it at some future date and really regret the inconvenience.

 

art and music and so easy

Okay, here's an idea.

The weather is nice so tonight after work head over to the Old Capitol Museum for the opening of a new exhibit by Old Capitol Museum, the UI Museum of Art, and UI Museum of Natural History called Iowa: Inspired by Landscapes.  The opening is free and is from 5-7 and include hors d'oeuvres and cash bar.

You can grab a bite to eat downtown and then head to the Englert for the great Hancher commissioned event with Stew and Negro Problem at 7:30. It includes new songs by Stew and Heidi about Iowa City premiering tonight . Tickets are available at the Box Office in the Old Capitol Mall today and at the door tonight. Plus click here and you can get a $10 discount. Not done yet? Dessert somewhere would be nice. 

I love Iowa City. 

—Ron

Jacob tells it

Check out this blog entry. Steven P. Marsh is a New York blogger who was at Joe's Pub when Stew mentioned Iowa City. Marsh was intrigued, tracked down our very own Jacob Yarrow and this blog is about what we are up to tomorrow night. We think you will want to be there. http://bit.ly/w2dMdH

gotta love a discount

Stew and Heidi at Wetherby Park in Iowa City last fall.

Often for me, it is all about the discount. A couple of places I shop always manage to pull me in with every one of their discount promotions. But I really need those art supplies on hand just in case and the discount was so good.

So here's a discount secret. The emailed Hancher newsletter going out today has a code for a $10 discount on tickets for Stew and the Negro Problem. (Shhh. It's not really a secret because if you aren't a subscriber, you can get to it by clicking on the newsletter link on the left hand side of the Hancher homepage.)

The thing is, you can get all these deals in the future when they come up by being a subscriber to our eNews. It comes out once a week and reminds you of what is coming up and has things like today's special deal.

In our staff meeting yesterday, those who know said that this really is going to be a great show. Stew has a new cd out this week, was at Joe's Pub in NYC where he mentioned this Iowa project, was on Terry Gross for one whole show this week, AND they will be performing the songs we commissioned about Iowa City.

It's Thursday night, so don't wait.

—Ron

 

second kind of love

So Stew and Heidi were here earlier in the season to get to know Iowa City. The new work we commissioned with them involves songs about Iowa CIty. If you know Stew's work you know it will be interesting and will get us thinking. He won a Tony for Passing Strange. Here is what the Hancher blurb says:

Take biting social satire and mix with psychedelic pop; add sly humor, sophisticated wordplay, and a heaping dose of theatricality; top it off with genuine emotional resonance, and you may come close to Stew & The Negro Problem's acclaimed blend of "genre-defying rock-pop-funk-punk-cabaret … 'Afro-baroque' music" (The New York Times).

The show Thursday night at the Englert will have the new songs and some of Stew's other stuff. He just released his new album this week and even mentioned the UI project at Joe's Pub in NYC last week.

AND Terry Gross is interviewing Stew today on Fresh Air today. Oh yea, and Stew talks in the Fresh Air interview about Heidi and their work being a second kind of love.

The photo is one that Jacob took of Stew at Hamburg Inn last fall.

This is cool stuff. It is a commission. It is local. It is immediate. It is New York right here. Parking is easy. Tickets are available.

—Ron

enough's enough

Yesterday's post was the 100th image of Seashore Hall. I started this project in February 2010. We had moved into Seashore after leaving our first post-flood digs and I was finding the history and mystery of this old building interesting. Some peeling paint reminded my of Aaron Siskind's work and I thought I would just start posting photos of Seashore. Somewhere along the way a goal of 100 seemed right. I just recorded images whenever I spotted them. With 100 it seems like it's enough.You can see them all here.

The things that interested me were primarily design things: texture, color, shape, composition. Sometimes humor prompted the image to be included. Sometimes it was just something odd. As I looked at the space here, I couldn't help imagining this place 100 years ago when this was University Hospital. There are lots of areas of the building that I couldn't get to and probably contain lots of interesting images. But, as I said, enough is enough.

—Ron

view

Seashore Hall photo 100 

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ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

plywood

Seashore Hall photo 99

plywood

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

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Seashore Hall photo 98

structures

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

ultimate drum major

Check out the terrific artwork for this year's Martin Luther King Celebration of Human Rights Day by Duncan Ross. At the website you can also see all the posters from past years. It is a nice gallery of work honoring this day. With everyone off work and students mostly back but no classes, it is a great day to do something to further human rights. I was struck by a comment I heard during the Presidential Caucus. Someone was urging people to volunteer and made the comment that they didn't need to be fearful of getting stuck with doing something they don't feel comfortable with. I think that idea fits here and makes doing something easier. Do something that fits who you are: right a letter, join a group, volunteer anywhere, comment on social media, attend a lecture, donate to the Crisis Center. In looking through the list of events the University has for this event (and not just on Monday), the thing that strikes me is the wide ranging areas of human rights that are represented. After all the caucus words spread here in the last month, it is clear that all our voices need to be heard in one way or another. Just find your way.

And thanks to Duncan for doing his part.

 

 

 

squares

Seashore Hall photo 97

squares

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

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Seashore Hall photo 96

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ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

frosted

Seashore Hall photo 95 

frosted

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

bathroom

Seashore Hall photo 94 

bathroom

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

marble

Seashore Hall photo 93

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ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

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Seashore Hall photo 92

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ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

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Seashore Hall photo 91 

stair tread

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall

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Seashore Hall photo 90

brushwork

ongoing series of photos from Hancher's home in Seashore Hall