Theatre Cedar Rapids facts for kids
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| Address | 102 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
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Theatre Cedar Rapids (TCR) is a fun community theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It puts on many exciting stage shows each year. The theatre also offers acting classes for people who want to learn. More than 50,000 people visit TCR every year. They enjoy the shows created by over 35,000 hours of volunteer work.
Contents
History of the Theatre
How It Started
In 1925, a group of local people started putting on small plays. This was part of a bigger movement called the Little Theatre Movement. Famous artist Grant Wood and others staged these shows in Wood's apartment. This apartment was at 5 Turner Alley.
Grant Wood helped a lot with the theatre. He designed the sets, and he also wrote, directed, and acted in plays. He even painted his famous picture, American Gothic, in this same apartment! Another artist, Marvin Cone, also helped build and paint scenery. The theatre group paused their work when World War II began.
After the War
After World War II ended in 1948, the theatre group started up again. They called themselves "The Footlighters." They often performed at the local YMCA and at Coe College.
In 1955, the group found a new home. They moved into the Old Strand Theatre. This building had been a movie theatre since 1912. It was also known as The Olympic. When they moved, the group changed its name again. They became 'The Cedar Rapids Community Theatre (CRCT)'.
The Modern Era
In June 1928, a different theatre opened, called the 'RKO Iowa Theatre'. It showed movies and also had live vaudeville shows. In 1940, famous actress Katharine Hepburn performed there. She was in the stage play The Philadelphia Story.
In April 1983, the Iowa Theatre closed down. Just four months later, the building was given to the CRCT by Audrey Linge. When the group moved into the Iowa Theatre building, they changed their name one last time. They became Theatre Cedar Rapids, which is what they are called today.
The 2008 Flood
In 2008, a big flood hit Iowa. The Iowa flood of 2008 caused a lot of damage to the theatre. Because of the damage, the theatre had to close. It stayed closed until February 2010.
While the building was being fixed, the theatre group still performed. They put on shows at local malls and churches. Two actors, Michael Emerson and Ron Livingston, helped raise money for repairs. Both actors grew up in the Cedar Rapids area. Ron Livingston had even performed at TCR before! The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gave over $4 million to help with the repairs. FEMA also made a short movie about the theatre's rebuilding.
The theatre is special because it has the only remaining 'Rhinestone' Barton Organ. This organ was badly damaged in the 2008 flood. But it has been fully restored and sounds amazing!
After the theatre was fixed, one of the first shows was Rent. Anthony Rapp, who played a main role in the original Broadway show, came to see a performance. After the show, he answered many questions about the play's history. He praised TCR, saying, "Thank you guys, for a performance with so much heart, grace, humor and spirit." He also said, "To be able to restore this theater shows the community’s commitment to the arts — and this theater is amazing."
A Play and a Protest
In 2010, TCR put on a play called The Laramie Project. This play tells a story about a community's reaction to a sad event. A group called Westboro Baptist Church planned to protest the play. They said they would protest the "theatrical production."
Many theatre supporters and other people disagreed with the church's plans. They organized their own gathering to support the theatre. In the end, the church did not show up to protest. So, the supporters turned their gathering into a rally to show their strong support for the theatre and its message.
Special Performances
Theatre Cedar Rapids has been one of the first community theatres in the world to perform some very popular musicals. It was one of the first to put on Les Misérables. Hugh Jackman, the movie star who played Jean Valjean in the film version, even recorded a special message for the theatre. He wished them "Chookas" (good luck)!
TCR was also one of the first theatres in the world to perform the stage version of Disney's Mary Poppins.
Famous People from TCR
Many talented people have been part of Theatre Cedar Rapids. Here are some of them:
- Grant Wood
- Marvin Cone
- Ron Livingston
- Don DeFore
- Macdonald Carey
- Megan Reinking
- Joshua Casteel
See also
