Mischa: The first thing we should note is that this production was forced by last-minute illness to shuffle some roles around mere days ahead of opening night, so the show could go on.

Kitty: Because of the last-minute casting adjustment, both actresses (understandably) had scripts in hand. But they were very natural in their deliveries and clearly familiar enough with the lines to be at least partly off-book, which is impressive.

The funny, moving, and profound stage version of one of literature's all-time classics enjoys a November 6 through 9 run at the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center when the Department of Fine and Performing Arts presents Of Mice & Men, John Steinbeck's adaptation of his revered 1937 novel included as one of Amazon's list of “The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written.”

If Halloween is approaching, it must be time for that theatrical command: “Let's do the 'Time Warp' again!” Consequently, the Circa '21 Speakeasy will stage its 10th-anniversary presentation of the cult-musical smash The Rocky Horror Show October 24 through 31, treating audiences to live performances of classic songs in this nutty, interactive experience that has been delighting show regulars and virgins alike for more than half a century.

A 2025 Tony Award winner hailed by the New York Times as "the perfect play for our age of disagreement," Jonathan Specter's hilarious, biting comedy Eureka Day enjoys an October 24 through November 9 run at Iowa City's Riverside Theatre, the work also lauded by The New Yorker as "so brilliantly yoked to the current American moment – its flighty politics, its deadly folly – that it makes you want to jump out of your skin."