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The Culture Buzz

The Culture Buzz

5/7/2019

There is a diverse and appealing array of cultural indulgences awaiting the Cultural Adventurer in Central Iowa. Leave the personal devices behind and savor the rich offerings that performing arts, exhibitions and more offer. Sally forth and reward yourself.

Featured Cultural Offering:

Market Day. Sat May 11, 2019, 9 am to 3 pm. The Atrium at Capital Square, 400 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA. Free — the first 100 customers to arrive will receive a Market Day tote bag with freebies and coupons. Dozens of artisans, creatives and fine crafters gather in this always eagerly anticipated pop-up event. www.MarketDayIowa.com

More Cultural Considerations:

1. The Friendly Hour makes its Iowa debut, produced by Iowa’s newest theatre company, Midwest Theatre. Presented May 9-12 in the beautiful Viking Theatre at Grand View University, this play spans decades as it follows five women who were part of a monthly club that met in their rural part of South Dakota. Check out the link below for this show being featured in the May Center Stage column in Cityview. https://www.theatremidwest.org/current.html

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2. Disgraced opens Fri May 10 and runs through May 19 in the Kum & Go Theatre, the latest show from Iowa Stage Theatre Company. This Pulitzer Prize winning play promises a thought-provoking evening. For this production, there will be cast/audience talk-backs after all shows except opening and closing performances. https://www.iowastage.org/18-19season

3. Ella Enchanted the Musical at the Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre (Des Moines Community Playhouse) continues through May 19. https://www.dmplayhouse.com/events/ella-enchanted

4. Second City It’s Not You, It’s Me continues its uproarious show through May 19 at the Temple Theater. Join the memorable fun with this iconic comedy factory’s mix of famous sketches, music and improv.  https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/18-19-the-second-city/

5. Scriptease on Tue May 14 will be The Insane Root, presented by Iowa Stage Theatre Company at the Kum & Go Theatre. This play is based on a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. https://www.iowastage.org/scriptease 

Auditions and Other Participation Opportunities:

1.     Hope Drama Troupe will audition its next company members on Tue May 14, 4:00 PM. Hope Drama Troupe is seeking up to 25 students entering 8th-12th grades for this Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre outreach and advocacy program. https://www.dmyat.org/hope

2.     Art Beacon Digital Residency. Through Art Beacon’s Instagram, this advocacy and promotion group grants Iowa-connected artists and 1-2 week residency. Residents share their work and inspirations in daily posts. Artists are invited or selected from call submissions. Interested artists should contact: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bc151e9f8135a248159e4ba/t/5bc3f26cf9619a73607cc95c/1539568238147/AB+Digital+Residency+Guidelines.pdf

Worth the Drive:

The Faulconer Gallery in Grinnell at Grinnell College is a wonderous destination and less than a hour to the east of Greater Des Moines. Anchoring the Bucksbaum Fine Arts Center, this gallery, under the masterful guidance of Director Lesley Wright, is an ever-changing exploration of visual arts and great presentations. https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/faulconer-gallery

Greater Des Moines Independent Book Store Happenings:

The Culture Buzz shares many authors and their books with its audiences. We encourage you to visit your local independent book store regularly. The folks at these destination locations know books, and welcome the chance to help anyone connect with titles and subjects they seek. Check these sites, as their calendars are always filled with enticing activities and news.

1.     Beaverdale Books, Des Moines. http://www.beaverdalebooks.com/

2.     Plot Twist Bookstore, Ankeny. https://www.plottwistbookstore.com/

3.     Pageturners Bookstore, Indianola. http://www.pageturnersbookstore.com/

4.     Artisan Gallery 218, 218-5th Street, Historic Valley Junction, West Des Moines (select author events), http://www.artisangallery218.com/

Cultural Exploration Resources:

The Culture Buzz will begin including carefully vetted but comprehensive listings where you can do some advance online exploration before scheduling destinations in the region. These are two great websites to know about:

1.     Center Stage – John Busbee writes this Cityview monthly column. See what is happening on Central Iowa’s stages. Distributed throughout the region and available online. https://www.dmcityview.com/center-stage/2019/05/01/theatre-midwest-enters-central-iowa-theater-scene/

2.     Art Beacon Des Moines is Central Iowa’s home for promoting the visual arts. Our calendar of events highlights exhibitions, art talks and calls for art. Subscribe to the Art Beacon Weekly, our online newsletter filled with links to the latest art happenings. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. http://artbeacondesmoines.com/

3.     A Gentle Guide to Des Moines Theatre is Central Iowa’s source for knowing what productions by which companies are available when. In short, you can know what’s playing before it happens rather than after the fact. Timothy Rose created this site with its comprehensive theatre calendar for you, the cultural consumer. He includes articles and more, making this a worthy destination when curious about what’s happening in Central Iowa’s theatre scene. http://www.gentleguidedsm.com/

As always, I appreciate news and information from you out there in the cultural trenches and am ready and willing to pursue a story or interview to share with my audiences.

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