Iowa City, IA - Riverside Theatre, Iowa City's resident professional theatre, opens its 2012-2013 Season on Friday, September 7th with the explosive and acidly comical True West by Sam Shepard, directed by Ron Clark.

True West is about two brothers with a score to settle. Austin, an ambitious Hollywood screenwriter working on a potential million-dollar movie project and Lee, a desert drifter and a thief with a compulsion for six-packs and toasters, are reunited at their mother's home while she is away and a struggle for dominance ensues.

"True West is sibling rivalry on steroids," said Director Ron Clark. "The two brothers could not be more different. They both despise and envy each other, which I think is always the foundation of sibling rivalry."

True West is considered to be a modern American classic and Shepard is revered as one of the greatest living playwrights of our time.

True West features Iowa City actors Tim Budd as Austin and Sean Christopher Lewis as Lee.  Scot West of Chicago returns to Riverside as Saul Kimmer and Riverside Theatre Artistic Director Jody Hovland rounds out the cast as Mom.

"They're the A-Team that brings the play to life," Clark said. "It demands virtroso acting that can plumb the mysteries of the relationships. The turnabouts come fast and furious; the action is explosive."

True West also features scenic design by Shawn Ketchum Johnson, lighting design by Courtney Schmitz Watson, costume design by Osean Perez, and sound design by Drew Bielinski. Jason Tipsword choreographs the fight work.

Since the scenic design includes numerous toasters, Riverside Theatre is seeking donations of two-slot, old-school toasters (working and non-working) for the production. Donated toasters will not be returned. Toasters may be dropped off at the Box Office at 213 N. Gilbert St, Noon - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Tickets for True West, September 7 - September 30, are $15-$28 with discounts available for those over 60, those under 30, and youth. $15 students rush tickets are available on a first come first served basis 20 minutes before curtain. Tickets are available by phone at (319) 338-7672, online at www.riversidetheatre.org or in person at the Riverside Theatre Box Office, located at 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City, IA.

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Photo information:

From left: Sean Christopher Lewis and Tim Budd in True West at Riverside Theatre, September 7 - September 30. Photo by Bob Goodfellow.

Performance Schedule

Friday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 9 at 2 p.m.*

Thursday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 16 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September at 23 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 30 at 2 p.m.

*Talkback Sunday, September 9 - Stay after this performance to chat with company members and gain behind-the-scenes info about the play. Free and open to the public.

Upcoming Events

Season-Opening Open House - Sunday, August 26, 2 - 4 p.m.

See behind the scenes before the season starts at the Riverside Theatre Open House. Start out in the Scene Shop, where sets for all the productions are built, and take a tour that includes the backstage area, the dressing room, and more. Refreshments will be provided. Enter the Scene Shop directly via the alley that runs behind the building/parking lot or go to the lobby. For more info, call 319-338-7672.

True West Thursday Theatre Talk - August 30, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

In Sam Shepard's True West, dualities abound; there are two brothers, one a city guy, the other coming out of the desert; one is an upwardly mobile screenwriter in Hollywood, the other a drifter and a thief. But gradually they switch roles, and, indeed, in a number of well-known productions the leading actors have alternated as Austin and Lee. Join Miriam Gilbert and Harry Stecopoulos, University of Iowa Department of English, as they discuss Shepard's play and its vision of America.

Riverside Theatre Announces September 15th Deadline for Monologue Submissions to Walking the Wire: TMI

Iowa City, IA - Riverside Theatre invites playwrights to submit monologues for performance in Walking the Wire. This annual celebration of original work features monologues of ten minutes or less by both established and emerging playwrights. The focus for this season's monologues is: TMI. Submissions must be emailed as a Word or PDF document and dated by midnight CST September 15, 2012; final selections will be announced on Riverside Theatre's website (www.riversidetheatre.org) on November 1, 2012. The monologues will be performed March 1-10, 2013 at Riverside Theatre.

Submission Guidelines

Riverside Theatre is seeking original monologues with the theme of TMI (too much information): moments of startling revelations...wince-worthy weirdness...and hilarious personal habits (that didn't really need to be shared).

1. Up to two submissions per author of original, unpublished and unproduced monologues less than ten minutes length (please read it aloud and include the approximate performance time on the first page of your submission; all lengths of up to ten minutes will be considered, with the objective of choosing monologues of varying lengths).
2. Selection considerations: Monologues should have strong forward action and a clear dramatic event or moment.
3. Copy requirements: double spaced in a minimum 12 pt. font, and including the playwright's name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.
4. Simple is best. Since Walking the Wire typically includes 10-12 monologues, it is important that each one require as little production as possible; set-pieces, props or effects needing set-up, strike, or special technical support may disqualify an otherwise excellent submission.
5. Email submissions (Word or PDF document attachment) must be dated by midnight CST September 15, 2012. Final selections will announced on Riverside Theatre's website, www.riversidetheatre.org on November 1, 2012.
6. Writers will be credited in all marketing and playbill materials; no royalties will be paid. Walking the Wire will be produced March 1-10, 2013. Playwrights are entitled to two complimentary tickets to any single performance; tickets are not transferable.
7. Submissions should be emailed to: artistic@riversidetheatre.org

For more information about Riverside Theatre, visit www.riversidetheatre.org.

Iowa City, IA - Riverside Theatre in the Park is entering the final week of its 2012 summer season with 5 more performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice. The 17-performance summer season opened on June 15 and will close July 8.

As You Like It by William Shakespeare and directed by Theodore Swetz will be performed this Thursday, July 5 at 8 p.m., Friday, July 6 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 8 at 7 p.m. In one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies our heroine and hero flee an oppressive court for the beautiful and healing Forest of Arden.

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare and directed by Kristin Horton will be performed tonight, Tuesday, July 3 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 7 at 8 p.m. One of Shakespeare's less frequently produced plays, The Merchant of Venice introduces characters rich in complexity, humor and, most of all, flaws.

Post-performance Talkbacks will be held after both performances of The Merchant of Venice.

Don't miss your last chance of the summer to escape with an evening of live theatre under the stars at Riverside Theatre in the Park!

Tickets, reviews, photos, videos and more information on the plays is available at www.riversidetheatre.org, or call the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 319-338-7672 to order tickets.

Performances take place outdoors at the Festival Stage in Iowa City's Lower City Park.

Tickets range from $17-$39. To purchase tickets, call the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 319-338-7672 or order online at www.riversidetheatre.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the Festival Stage Box Office starting 90 minutes before each performance.

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Final Week Performance Calendar:

Tuesday, July 3 - The Merchant of Venice, 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 5 - As You Like It, 8 p.m.

Friday, July 6 - As You Like It, 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 7 - The Merchant of Venice, 8 p.m.

Iowa City, Iowa - To mark the opening of The Merchant of Venice at Riverside Theatre in the Park, the Apprentice Company will perform a free preview of The Merchant of Venice Green Show Friday, June 22, at 12:10 p.m. on the downtown pedestrian mall (near Washington St.).

At Riverside Theatre in the Park, the Green Shows are performed one hour before curtain. These 20-minute story theatre versions of the evening's play allow the audience to brush up on the plot in advance of the evening performance.

The nightly Green Show?and this preview performance?showcases the work of the Riverside Theatre in the Park Apprentice Company.

Green Shows are filled with humor and are family friendly.

Riverside Theatre in the Park runs now through July 8, featuring The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, directed by Kristin Horton and As You Like It by William Shakespeare, directed by Theodore Swetz.

For more information about Riverside Theatre in the Park, please call the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 319-338-7672 or visit www.riversidetheatre.org.