Ankeny Theatre
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DMACC
Theatre Department
theatre@dmacc.edu
DMACC Ankeny Theatre
Summer Short Shakespeare ’25: The Two Noble Kinsmen
by William Shakespeare & John Fletcher
adapted by Carl Lindberg
Directed by Sarah Kate Bode
Performances are in the Atrium of the Iowa Culinary Institute in Building 7 on the Ankeny Campus at the following dates & times:
- Friday, July 18 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 19 at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, July 25 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 26 at 7 p.m.
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show start time.
Performances are FREE
No reservation required
Hark! Partake in the merriment of the evening and don thy garb of yore!
Fetch thy most noble vestments - don your shiniest armor and your most divine smocks and tunics. Gather your ostentatious gowns and your light cloaks. Adorn thyself with the finest brooches in your wardrobe. We beseech thee to travel back to the time of knights and knaves and lords and ladies - and join in the revelry with the noble cast & valiant crew!
Questions can be directed to theatre@dmacc.edu
About Summer Short Shakespeare:
Our annual tradition of shortened and updated Shakespeare takes us to medieval times, as The Two Noble Kinsmen, derived from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, begins as Athens defeats Thebes in war. Arcite and Palamon, Theban knights and devoted cousins, are imprisoned in Athens. From their cell, they see Emilia, the sister-in-law of Theseus, Duke of Athens, whereupon they both fall in love with her, becoming bitter rivals.
Arcite is released but, for love of Emilia, stays in Athens at the risk of his life. The jailer’s daughter, who loves Palamon, helps him escape, but goes mad with anxiety. Arcite encounters Palamon and challenges him to formal combat for Emilia. Theseus discovers them before they duel, where he first sentences both to death, but then establishes a contest in which the loser will die and the winner will wed Emilia.
Harken back to medieval times with us as these knights, knaves and gentry fight for love!
DMACC Ankeny Theatre produces shows & events geared toward our college student experiences. Our program does not proactively offer content ratings of shows as sensitivities vary amongst individuals and between families. For more information about any of our productions, please write to theatre@dmacc.edu.
THE 2024-2025 SEASON
A: I Love You
A new play written by DMACC Students, Staff, & Local Theatre Professionals in collaboration
with Artificial Intelligence;
Written and Generated by Ryann Daggett, Charlotte Elsasser, Christopher Morales &
Cade Rewerts
Directed by Carl Lindberg
Performances are held in the Black Box Theatre in Building 5 on the Ankeny Campus at the following dates & times:
- Friday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, September 29 at 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, October 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show start time.
Questions can be directed to theatre@dmacc.edu
About A: I Love You:
A play about an average American worker who day by day witnesses the diverse range of human relationships yet struggles to make sense of how it all adds up. Nevertheless, they keep learning, they keep adapting, and they keep showing up to work.
A: I Love You was written by four DMACC students in collaboration with ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models. For millennia, drama has been an expression of human experience and creativity, but this play tests the future as it blends human voices with artificial intelligence output.
The Swindlers: A True-ish Tall Tale
by Noah Diaz
Directed by Brittny Rebhuhn
Performances are held in the Black Box Theatre in Building 5 on the Ankeny Campus at the following dates & times:
- Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, November 23 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, November 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show start time.
Questions can be directed to theatre@dmacc.edu
About The Swindlers: A True-ish Tall Tale:
Marie is feeling discontent. Her boyfriend’s a dud, her bank statements are piling up, and her job at the local dry cleaners feels like a dead end. Oh, and the FBI has just seized her house and assets in their pursuit of her father, a notorious con man on the run for swindling families and businesses out of their money. When Marie is used as bait to lure her father in, she inexplicably finds herself stuck on a road trip with him to acquire the stolen funds. Loosely inspired by the real-life exploits of the playwright’s mother and grandfather, THE SWINDLERS is a raucous "memory farce" that explores redemption, reconciliation, and the unspoken rewards of surviving time with family.
Ride the Cyclone
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell
Directed by Brynn Sweere
Performances are held in the Black Box Theatre in Building 5 on the Ankeny Campus at the following dates & times:
- Friday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, April 6 at 2:00 p.m.
- Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m.
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show start time.
Questions can be directed to theatre@dmacc.edu
About Ride the Cyclone:
In this hilarious and outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win a prize like no other — the chance to return to life. This popular musical is a funny, moving look at what makes a life well-lived!
Summer Short Shakespeare ’25: The Two Noble Kinsmen
by William Shakespeare
adapted by Carl Lindberg
Directed by Sarah Kate Bode
Performances are in the Atrium of the Iowa Culinary Institute in Building 7 on the Ankeny Campus at the following dates & times:
- Friday, July 18 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 19 at 7 p.m.
- Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, July 25 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, July 26 at 7 p.m.
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to show start time.
Performances are FREE
No reservation required
Questions can be directed to theatre@dmacc.edu
More info about Summer Short Shakespeare ’25 will be announced during the Spring 2025 term.
About Summer Short Shakespeare:
Our annual tradition of shortened and updated Shakespeare takes us to medieval times, as the Two Noble Kinsmen, derived from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, begins as Athens defeats Thebes in war. Arcite and Palamon, Theban knights and devoted cousins, are imprisoned in Athens. From their cell, they see Emilia, the sister-in-law of Theseus, Duke of Athens, whereupon they both fall in love with her, becoming bitter rivals.
Arcite is released but, for love of Emilia, stays in Athens at the risk of his life. The jailer’s daughter, who loves Palamon, helps him escape, but goes mad with anxiety. Arcite encounters Palamon and challenges him to formal combat for Emilia. Theseus discovers them before they duel, where he first sentences both to death, but then establishes a contest in which the loser will die and the winner will wed Emilia.
Harken back to medieval times with us as these knights, knaves and gentry fight for love!
DMACC Ankeny Theatre produces shows & events geared toward our college student experiences. Our program does not proactively offer content ratings of shows as sensitivities vary amongst individuals and between families. For more information about any of our productions, please write to theatre@dmacc.edu.
'24-'25 Production Graphic Designs by Aven N.B.
Performance Venue
Black Box Theatre
The Black Box Theatre (added in 2016) is a flexible space that can be configured for many types of staging styles. When used in conjunction with a theatrical stage there is flexible seating for up to 200. The Black Box is located within Building 5 near the center of campus and can be accessed from Lots M, K and L.
For visual assistance with where the Black Box Theatre in Building 5 is and where to park, here is a link to the campus map, as well as the Building 5 Student Center.
If you are interested in helping with the production offstage, please contact Production Manager, Rachel Trimble to set up backstage interviews!
Contacts:
Carl Lindberg, Program Chair: celindberg@dmacc.edu
Rachel Trimble, Production Manager: rltrimble@dmacc.edu