A retrospective look at our productions so far
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TheatreMidwest launched in 2019 with our inaugural show, The Friendly Hour. With the idea of presenting relevant stories to Midwestern audiences, putting women's voices down stage center, and making theatre more affordable, we chose each of our past productions because they upheld the values of our mission and of Radical Hospitality.
As we approach GivingTuesday on December 1, 2020, please join us on this look back through our productions and see exactly how we employ the ideas of Radical Hospitality in our work. Then make a donation to our cause to personally influence the increase of access and representation in the theatre community of the heartland. |
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The Friendly HourBy Tom Jacobson
May, 2019 |
Features of Radical Hospitality:
- Based on a real group of Midwestern women from South Dakota. - Takes a careful and sensitive look at the complexities of the female friendships. - Shows us history through the eyes of women in the Midwest who lived through it. - Excellent 3-dimensional roles for 5 women. - Women held prominent positions in organization and theatrical design including the roles of Stage Manager, Technical Director, Scenic Designer, Costume Designer, and more. - 10% of audience members attended for FREE using Radical Hospitality. - 50% of audience members attended at a reduced price using Radical Hospitality. |
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In the interest of Radical Hospitality, we launched a free concert play reading series called Fresh Produce in our 2nd season to facilitate access to quality works of theatre. Allowing us to explore new works and take fresh looks at old works, these readings are just as professional and compelling as our mainstage productions, but are more economical to produce. A narrator reads the stage-directions, the actors use lecterns, and there are no technical elements. All focus is on the voices of the play - just the story, the actors, and you.
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Holy DaysBy Sally Nemeth
November 2019 |
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Features of Radical Hospitality:
- Written by a women.
- Directed and staged managed by women working in Des Moines's theatre community.
- Set in Kansas during the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s.
- Features Midwestern farm families, their values, and traditions as they cope with hard times and grief.
- Relevant to farming and ecological issues of today and their effect on climate change. The catastrophe of the Dust Bowl and Climate Change are both global ecological disasters that were largely a man-made.
- Around 50 people attended the show and a talk-back with the cast for free through Radical Hospitality.
- Written by a women.
- Directed and staged managed by women working in Des Moines's theatre community.
- Set in Kansas during the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s.
- Features Midwestern farm families, their values, and traditions as they cope with hard times and grief.
- Relevant to farming and ecological issues of today and their effect on climate change. The catastrophe of the Dust Bowl and Climate Change are both global ecological disasters that were largely a man-made.
- Around 50 people attended the show and a talk-back with the cast for free through Radical Hospitality.
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Features of Radical Hospitality:
- Written by a female playwright - Women made up a majority of the organizational and design roles including Stage Manager, Costume Designer, Scenic Designer, Dramaturg and more. - Relevant to modern experiences as the characters deal with nuanced circumstances of isolation and anxiety. - 1st time theatrical scenic and prop designer, Julia Franklin - award winning visual artist - brought a new perspective to stagecraft and created a bridge between fine art and theatre communities of Des Moines. - 11% of audience members attended the show for Free with Radical Hospitality. - 33% of audience members attended the show at a reduced cost with Radical Hospitality. |
Brilliant TracesBy Cindy Lou Johnson
January 2020 |
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Hitler's TastersBy Michelle Kholos-Brooks
February 2020 |
Features of Radical Hospitality:
- Written by a women.
- Directed and staged managed by women.
- Entirely female cast.
- The play is set in Germany during World War II and the holocaust - it sheds light on the atrocities done to people of different backgrounds at that time.
- Offers a candid and non-judgmental look at the lives and concerns of teen girls as silly frivolities grapple with the tangible fear and confusion of the world around them.
- Calls out Nazi Racism by drawing parallels to today's political world in America.
- Performed for almost 70 people - every audience member attended the show and talk-back with the cast for Free as part of Radical Hospitality.
- Written by a women.
- Directed and staged managed by women.
- Entirely female cast.
- The play is set in Germany during World War II and the holocaust - it sheds light on the atrocities done to people of different backgrounds at that time.
- Offers a candid and non-judgmental look at the lives and concerns of teen girls as silly frivolities grapple with the tangible fear and confusion of the world around them.
- Calls out Nazi Racism by drawing parallels to today's political world in America.
- Performed for almost 70 people - every audience member attended the show and talk-back with the cast for Free as part of Radical Hospitality.
StrippedBy Colleen O'Doherty
October 2020 Online Concert Reading |
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Features of Radical Hospitality:
- Work of a female playwright from Omaha, Nebraska.
- Directed by a woman.
- Set in modern day Midwest (pre-Covid-19)
- Prominently features LGBTQ+ characters
- Play opens up about the stereotypes that surround those in the stripping profession and how the job affects them financially.
- Showcases the struggles of working families to make ends meet.
- Sheds light on the high cost of medical bills and the lengths some go to meet their demands.
- Offers a multifaceted look at the toll sickness takes on families emotionally and financially.
- Many casting opportunities for woman and people of color.
- Offered for the first time online making the show accessible to audiences members who might not have been able to join in person before.
- Presented the show and a talk back with the cast and playwright for almost 150 people for free with Radical Hospitality.
- Work of a female playwright from Omaha, Nebraska.
- Directed by a woman.
- Set in modern day Midwest (pre-Covid-19)
- Prominently features LGBTQ+ characters
- Play opens up about the stereotypes that surround those in the stripping profession and how the job affects them financially.
- Showcases the struggles of working families to make ends meet.
- Sheds light on the high cost of medical bills and the lengths some go to meet their demands.
- Offers a multifaceted look at the toll sickness takes on families emotionally and financially.
- Many casting opportunities for woman and people of color.
- Offered for the first time online making the show accessible to audiences members who might not have been able to join in person before.
- Presented the show and a talk back with the cast and playwright for almost 150 people for free with Radical Hospitality.
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The Thanksgiving PlayBy Larissa FastHorse
November 2020 Online Concert Reading |
Features of Radical Hospitality:
- Written by female Native American playwright originally from South Dakota.
- Tackles the ideas of white guilt and the portrayal of Native Americans in stereotypical Thanksgiving traditions.
- Offers a candid critique of empty gestures of allyship and wokeness particularly in the theatre world.
- Performed during Native American Heritage month.
- Offered online making the show accessible to audiences members who could not previously join in person.
- Presented the show and a talk back with the cast and dramaturg for 200 people for free because of Radical Hospitality.
- Written by female Native American playwright originally from South Dakota.
- Tackles the ideas of white guilt and the portrayal of Native Americans in stereotypical Thanksgiving traditions.
- Offers a candid critique of empty gestures of allyship and wokeness particularly in the theatre world.
- Performed during Native American Heritage month.
- Offered online making the show accessible to audiences members who could not previously join in person.
- Presented the show and a talk back with the cast and dramaturg for 200 people for free because of Radical Hospitality.
