Riverside Theatre

06/06/2026

“We see Free Shakespeare as our gift to our community.”

One week from today we open Riverside's 2026 Free Summer Shakespeare production: A Midsummer Night's Dream!

Come make some midsummer magic with us under the stars at the festival stage in Lower City Park, Thursdays-Sundays, June 12-28 at 7:30pm. Every performance is free, no tickets needed.

Find out more at riversidetheatre.org/midsummer

Big thank you to all of our sponsors that help make sure Free Summer Shakespeare remains accessible to all.

Presenting Sponsor: ImOn Communications
Producing Sponsors: McGrath Toyota of Iowa City, Miriam Gilbert, Nicolet National Bank, Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Peggy Grimmer of Edward Jones, RDG Planning & Design, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll Law Firm, ​​Dr. Suzanne Stock Orthodontist, Think Iowa City, and The City of Iowa City

05/30/2026

“The actors are at hand” - Peter Quince, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

There is something truly magical about rehearsing in the park at night. In just under two weeks, we open Riverside's 2026 Free Summer Shakespeare production: A Midsummer Night's Dream!

Mark your calendars so you can come make some midsummer magic with us under the stars at the festival stage in Lower City Park, Thursdays-Sundays, June 12-28 at 7:30pm. Every performance is free, no tickets needed.

Find out more at riversidetheatre.org/midsummer

Big thank you to all of our sponsors that help make sure Free Summer Shakespeare remains accessible to all.

Presenting Sponsor: ImOn Communications
Producing Sponsors: McGrath Toyota of Iowa City, Miriam Gilbert, Nicolet National Bank, Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Peggy Grimmer of Edward Jones, RDG Planning & Design, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll Law Firm, ​​Dr. Suzanne Stock Orthodontist, Think Iowa City, and The City of Iowa City

05/28/2026

We are thrilled and deeply honored to be named a recipient of the Shakespeare in American Communities grant through the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest!

This incredible support allows us to deepen our commitment to the idea that Shakespeare is for Everyone — inspiring young people, working with eastern Iowa schools, and creating real opportunities for local theater artists. We are so grateful for this investment in our community and can't wait to share what's ahead!

Here are three things we love:

1. More theater in more places
2. Inspiring young audiences with performance
3. Job opportunities for up-and-coming artists

Shakespeare in American Communities is a grant program from the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest that supports all three.

Today, we're announcing more than $1 million in grants for theater programming and education for young people and theater apprenticeship programs across America.

Congratulations to all the grantees. We can't wait to see what you do!

Learn more: https://artsmidwest.org/about/updates/announcing-the-2026-shakespeare-in-american-communities-grantees/

05/24/2026

The banners are up!

Rehearsals are up and running at the Festival Stage for Riverside’s 2026 Free Summer Shakespeare production: A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Mark your calendars so you can come make some midsummer magic with us under the stars at the festival stage in Lower City Park, Thursdays-Sundays, June 12-28 at 7:30pm. Every performance is free, no tickets needed.

Find out more at riversidetheatre.org/midsummer

Big thank you to all of our sponsors that help make sure Free Summer Shakespeare remains accessible to all.

Presenting Sponsor: ImOn Communications
Producing Sponsors: McGrath Toyota of Iowa City, Miriam Gilbert, Nicolet National Bank, Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Peggy Grimmer of Edward Jones, RDG Planning & Design, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll Law Firm, ​​Dr. Suzanne Stock Orthodontist, Think Iowa City, and The City of Iowa City

05/20/2026

“What fools these mortals be.”

We had so much fun welcoming this amazing group of “fools” to the theatre for our first rehearsal of Riverside's 2026 Free Summer Shakespeare production: A Midsummer Night's Dream!

Mark your calendars now and come make some midsummer magic with us under the stars at the festival stage in Lower City Park, Thursdays-Sundays, June 12-28 at 7:30pm. Every performance is free, no tickets needed.

Find out more at riversidetheatre.org/midsummer
Photos by Joseph Cress, Think Iowa City

Big thank you to all of our sponsors that help make sure Free Summer Shakespeare remains accessible to all.

Presenting Sponsor: ImOn Communications
Producing Sponsors: McGrath Toyota of Iowa City, Miriam Gilbert, Nicolet National Bank, Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Peggy Grimmer of Edward Jones, RDG Planning & Design, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll Law Firm, ​​Dr. Suzanne Stock Orthodontist, Think Iowa City, and The City of Iowa City

Cast
Mackenzie Elsbecker - Hermia
Charles Fraser* - Nick Bottom
Randy Jackson-Alvarenga - Lysander
Lilly Johnson - Mustardseed
Kathleen Johnson - Snug
Elijah Jonesm - Peter Quince
Mary Jane Knight - Titania/Hippolyta
Dale Leonheart - Helena
Joseph Lepire - Francis Flute
Jeremy Mahr - Tom Snout
Deucalion Martin - Puck/Philostrate
K. Michael Moore - Egeus
Asher Nehring - Cobweb
Jaye Piper Rosewell* - Oberon/Theseus
Aaron Stonerook* - Demetrius
Christina Sullivan - Moth/Lady in Waiting
Kaia VanLeeuwen - Peaseblossom
Janette Luu - Robin Starveling

Creative Team
Adam Knight - Director
Melissa L.F. Turner* - Stage Manager
Robert Sunderman - Scenic Designer
Heather Klar - Costume Designer
Lowden Flower - Lighting Designer
Tyler Salow - Sound Designer
Mary Jane Knight - Composer
Stephen Polchert - Props Designer
Carrie Pozdol - Intimacy Director
K. Michael Moore - Fight Choreographer
Kathleen Johnson - Verse Coach
Jordan Jones* - Assistant Stage Manager
Victoria Wojdan - Board Operator
Chelsea Prestien- Costume Associate/Crew
Stacia Stonerook - Poster Art Design

*Member of Actor’s Equity

05/13/2026

😍 Shakespeare is for everyone!

05/06/2026

"From the very moment I got to Iowa City… the community has really embraced me and this play with open arms." — Emily Bohannon, playwright of The Fiancé.

Riverside’s season closed with the world premiere of The Fiancé by Emily Bohannon. Little Village sat down with Emily to dig into the brilliance behind the play: her razor-sharp humor, her enormous heart, and the 13 years of devotion it took to get here. We are so lucky this story found its world premiere home at Riverside and we can’t wait to see its future success.

After more than a decade, Emily Bohannon, a graduate of the Juilliard Playwrights Program, finally got to see her play, The Fiancé, produced for the first time in Iowa City's Riverside Theatre. The world premiere capped Riverside's 2025-2026 season with a run of performances led by two of the theat...

05/05/2026

As we close the curtain on another incredible season and turn our eyes toward what’s next, we’re need to take a moment to celebrate one of the people who helps make Riverside Theatre so recognizable.

Stacia Rain Stonerook is the brilliant designer behind nearly every show poster Riverside Theatre has produced for the past five years. Her work isn’t just eye-catching; it’s deeply intentional. From researching the right species of spruce trees for a show set near Geneva, to coordinating with set and costume designers so every poster feels like it belongs to the same world as the production, Stacia brings a level of care and craft that elevates everything we do.

In her own words: “I love the challenge of balancing clear communication with eye-catching design…I love that after five years and thirty-five posters, we’ve built a strong recognizable style, helped by the amazing team at Riverside nailing poster distribution!”

Thank you, Stacia, for your incredible artistry and for making our audience stop and stare before they even walk through the door. Here’s to many more beautiful pieces of art. 🎭

05/02/2026

“Being a fiancé is the most wonderful feeling. It’s almost worth getting engaged just to feel it. Meeting his friends and hearing him say: This is Bea, my fiancé.”

That wonderful feeling is on stage right now — there are still two chances to see the world premiere of The Fiancé by Emily Bohannon. Get your tickets today at riversidetheatre.org/fiance or call our box office at 319-259-7099.

The Fiancé tells the charming and heartfelt story of Bea, a woman who moves to a retirement home to finally chase the city life she always dreamed of. There, she meets Doug, a new friend and unexpected suitor. When sparks fly and a proposal follows, Bea must navigate her family’s reactions and make the biggest decision of her life: how she wants to spend her future, and with whom.

This production is generously sponsored by Jo Ann Bell and The Robert E. Yager Charitable Trust.

Photos by Christopher Hunter and Joseph Cress