The House is Open

Time for a talkback! This time with more people! The cast and playwright of "I'll Be Seeing You" sit down and crack a cider to talk about the play! Do it up!

Hey hey folks! We're back! Doing the show live now! With an audience! Whoo Hoo! The play is "I'll Be Seeing You" by Colin Mattox.

Synopsis: What happens when the child of a long-separated couple wants to write a play about his parents' relationship? A whole lot of sarcasm. Mickey and Robin lived together as a couple for nine years and had a son, Brendan. When their relationship comes to a rough end, the two are left without closure for years until Brendan, now a college student, wants to put pen to paper and interview both his parents. Maybe old wounds will be reopened and maybe some peace can be found.

Cast:

Mickey: Madonna Smith

Robin: Melissa Kaska

Brendan: Carson Tuttle

It's another talkback! Hey hey! We're talking back with playwright Brian Tanner and the cast of his short five plays. Give us your ears! 

Hey hey hey! We're BACK. This time we're giving you five short plays by our friend, playwright Brian Tanner! Five plays in the fifth month for the fifth episode!? Get out your telescopes because this episode is written in the stars. (I'm sorry, it was right there). Featuring performances by Madonna Smith, Rachael Lindhart, Kathy Maxey, Melissa Kaska, Bre Kenny, Spencer Loucks, Josh Rouse and Rip Russell. Directed by Colin Mattox. Do it up!

Hey hey hey, it's another talkback where we chat about "Shakes". Do it up!

Hey there ear-friends! Is that a weird term? I don't care. We're back with another reading of a new play. This one comes from an exciting if not somewhat narcissistic writer by the name of Colin Mattox. Yes. Yes, that is me. The host. Look man, I like hearing my stuff read too! Anyway, I like this play and Iike all the people involved. Give it a listen!

Synopsis--

A bartender with a love for movies, a hotheaded stick-up man, a girl who's smarter than she lets on and a gangster with an intense love for his cat are all shoved into a bar together. When past secrets, insecurities and unrequited love come to light, things will not end well.

Cast--

Zaq Vig, Brian Tanner, Melissa Kaska and Jeremy Eble

Directed by Madonna Smith

Hey hey y'all! Cuddle up with a drink and listen to the voices of people you may or may not know as they talk about theatre! Is that fun? It is fun! On this episode, we've got a talkback with playwright J. Vernon Reha, Valerie Davine, Robin Kime, Jacob Kostiv, Stephen Polchert and the voice you probably want to hear less of--Colin Mattox. Will we talk about mortality? The influence of those we've lost? The fickle nature of memories? Will Colin decide on a title for the talk-back section of this show? Tune in to find out!

Hey folks! We're back with another reading! Huzzah! On this episode, we've got "The Human Condition" by J. Vernon Reha. Directed by Valerie Davine and featuring performances from Robin Kime and Jacob Kostiv

Synopsis:

Abbi and Caleb are dying. Somehow alone in the last stages of life, two young adults navigate feelings of regret, anger, and acceptance as the gradual neurosis of the other side begins to set in. Armed only with memory, make-believe, and unquantifiable time, they cling to the memory of what it is that makes us alive.

Playwright Bio:

Bio:

Jakob Vernon Reha is a Cedar Falls based writer, actor, and director. He graduated from UNI with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre in 2019 and has spent his time since writing lots, watching lots of movies, and working as a board member for the Cedar Falls/Waterloo based Rising Fire Theatre, of which he is a founding member.

Welcome welcome! Gather around the devices, children and listen to some theatre folk talk about repressed shame in sexuality! Huzzah! 

In this talk-back, Colin and Chuck Dufano chat with playwright Charlie O'Leary, director Ann Kreitman and cast Andrew Lund, Brandon Trevino and Claire Boston.

If you're an Iowa playwright and you'd like to have your work featured on the show, you can send your full-length scripts to plays@dreamwell.com. 

Likewise, if you are an actor or director who would like to be part of this crew, you can join our Facebook page or email us at the above address and we will add you to our pool!

Hey folks! We're back with another reading! Huzzah!

This month we have "Humiliation Play" by Charlie O'Leary, directed by Ann Kreitman.

Synopsis: A college freshman plays kinky sex games with an older grad student. A radio journalist attempts to extract a story from a cagey gay escort. Flip a coin, heads or tails, but choose carefully: Loser gets humiliated.

Starring--

Andrew Lund as Colin

Brandon Trevino as Justin

Claire Boston as Katie

Playwright Bio: Charlie O’Leary (he/him) is a second-year in the Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Alumnus of the Project Y Playwrights Group, the Brooklyn Generator, the Advanced BMI Workshop, Crashbox Theatre Company's Write Play Launch, the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and the Fornés Playwriting Workshop. Finalist for the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, the DVRF Playwrights Program, and the Woodward/Newman Drama Award. Recipient of a New York Innovative Theatre Award. Short works published by Methuen Drama and Theatre Now New York.

"After you wring the second orgasm from your boy, praise him heavily for the load.
Taste it, let him see the adoration on your face. Tell him you love him, but only if you really do."

allbecauseoftheboys.tumblr.com, c. 2015

It's a talk-back! Each reading of a new play will be immediately followed by one of these episodes in which we will talk over the play!

For this episode, we go over "Bigfoot Takes a Walk" with playwright Liv Schneider, director Julia Corbett and actors Stephen Polchert, Melissa Kaska, Brian Tanner, Madonna Smith, Matt Falduto, Chuck Dufano and Sharon Falduto.

If you are an actor or director and want to be part of this kind of crew, pop over to Facebook and join "The House is Open" group. There you will find posts for casting and director calls as well as audition opportunities.

Iowa playwrights, you can send your full-length scripts to plays@dreamwell.com for consideration.

Hey Folks! Welcome to the first episode of The House is Open! 

For our inaugural show, we are performing "Bigfoot Takes A Walk" by Liv Schneider. 

Synopsis: Bigfoot (the legendary forest dwelling ape creature) is lonely. Ronnie (a cryptozoologist) takes him on a cross-country roadtrip to find Mothman (a newly found, half-moth half-man potential friend).

Directed by Julia Corbett. 

Featuring performances by Melissa Kaska, Stephen Polchert, Brian Tanner, Matt Falduto, Madonna Smith, Chuck Dufano and Sharon Falduto. 

Hosted by Colin Mattox

Playwright Bio: Liv is a third year theatre major at UIowa. Bigfoot Takes A Walk is their first full-length play, and they hope to write many more. Aside from writing plays, they spend a lot of time thinking about what it would be like to run off into the woods and live there like an old hermit.