The University of Iowa

Theater

SITI Company

In this new English translation, SITI Company invites us to Thebes where Dionysus—god of wine, ritual madness, fertility, and theater (and in this production imagined as a rock star)—is opposed by King Pentheus. SITI Company’s famed co-artistic director Anne Bogart will be on hand for a post-performance conversation.

Sankai Juku

For the first time in 20 years, Sankai Juku, Japan’s internationally renowned butoh dance troupe, returns to Hancher. Butoh, which has been called Japan’s most startling cultural export, is enthralling, surprising, and often deeply moving. Utsushi is the perfect introduction to the work of Sankai Juku.

Theatre Lovett

In this enchanting play performed by Ireland’s Theatre Lovett, a sensitive musical prodigy leaves her quiet sanctuary for the noise of the big city as she tries to recover her magical, musical hat. The young people in your life will love the music, characters, and encouragement to follow their dreams.

L.A. Theatre Works

The nation’s leading producer of audio theater will present a radio theater-style performance of Robert Harling’s classic play Steel Magnolias. A diverse cast will take us inside Truvy’s beauty shop in a small Southern town where six women find their lives intertwined.

The Cashore Marionettes

Intricately carved and masterfully manipulated, the marionettes of Joseph Cashore bring to life crystalline moments of melancholy and joy. Cashore’s craft captivates children and adults alike. In the intimate space of Strauss Hall, small audiences will encounter big delights.

Hamid Rahmanian & The Shahnameh Project Lecture

Since the late 1980s, New York–based Iranian filmmaker and graphic artist Hamid Rahmanian has combined his love of traditional Persian art forms with modern technology to create new works of art that visually bridge the gaps of East and West. As a story-teller, his works have focused on people and issues that are rarely covered in the mainstream media, offering audiences new perspectives and intimate glimpses into otherwise little known worlds.

Reading: Muslims in Iowa

Part of Embracing Complexity

Muslims in Iowa (working title) is a documentary play about the lives of Muslims who call Iowa home. The creative team interviewed over 50 Muslims throughout the state of Iowa. The stories shared by the interviewees are heartbreaking, hilarious, and harrowing; the fabric of their lives rich and diverse; their experiences inspiring and illuminating.

KJ Sanchez

KJ Sanchez and her company, American Records, create documentary plays about key issues, seeking to build connections between people. Her lecture will focus on her work concerning the concussion crisis in American football and issues of immigrants and resettlement in the United States.

Taylor Mac

Hancher was a proud commissioner and presenter of Taylor Mac’s 1846–1856 Whitman vs. Foster: Songs Popular Near the Breaking Point, a portion of the artist’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music. Now, Mac returns with a condensed version of this magnum opus.