By John Busbee
3/3/2021
Stuart (Will C. Johnson) is a little mouse on a big adventure in âStuart Little,â playing through March 14, in repertory with âLeaving Iowa,â at The Des Moines Playhouse. Photo Credit: Brent Isenberger
This month marks the one-year anniversary of when stages across central Iowa went dark. As local producers mourn the loss, they remain resolved to adapt and find ways to overcome the situation. A key ingredient has been the support from patrons and the government. Each of these sources is a testament to the vital contributions that performing arts add to a healthy and thriving community. Another has been the collective coping with the situation. Each company not only has gone through rigorous internal evaluations and ârolling plansâ in response to the fluid challenge, but they are also maintaining ties with their kindred spirits: fellow companies in the community. Countless pencil scratching with plenty of erasures were used in t
You have a voice. You have a story. The life experiences you have, continue to add to your story. As your story continues, how often do you take the time to hear another person s story? How often do you take the time to listen to a person s story who is a different race than you? On Thursday, February 25, I had that opportunity when Two Steps from the Left Productions, with production assistance from Des Moines Playhouse, presented nature of the dream, a devised theatre piece that uplifts voices and stories regarding Black identity in Iowa.
Filmmaker and director Miriam Randolph believes the term Iowa nice is commonly used but not always practiced. Author: Khalil Maycock Updated: 11:44 AM CST February 18, 2021
DES MOINES, Iowa Two filmmakers displaced from California because of wildfires and COVID-19 have created a film titled Nature of the Dream , which explores Black identity in Iowa.
Filmmaker and director Miriam Randolph said the film takes personal experiences from a group of nine Black people, who are from the metro, and turns it into a piece highlighting their dreams and experiences. I wanted to focus on personal dreams that African Americans have, Randolph said.
Honing in on those experiences is used as a way to show others how the American Dream sometimes does and sometimes does not, apply to Blacks in the United States.