DES MOINES, Iowa — A first-time collaboration between two local theater companies is taking place to utilize each other's strengths and start important conversations about race and inclusion, with underlying themes of aging, dementia and caretakers to name a few.
The play is called "A Love Offering," expressing how we choose to, or not to, show up for one another in life.
Local 5 sat down with the artistic directors of Pyramid Theatre Company and the Des Moines Playhouse for them to have a discussion on the stage about this collaboration and how this powerful piece is meant to get our community talking.
"Okay, well, we're gonna make this happen. Because we want to work together," said Des Moines Playhouse Artistic Director Katy Merriman. "And because we can do work that might start important conversations."
"I think that we discovered during the process, that there are obvious cultural clashes, things that we don't understand about each other's culture," Pyramid Theatre Company Artistic Director Tiffany Johnson added. "And it gave us an opportunity to explore those things, you know, which was really, really unique."
The play is an opportunity to use art to help transform how the community sees things and hopefully opens the doors for a much better community dialogue and conversation.
You can be a part of a powerful experience by attending "A Love Offering" running Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next two weekends at the Playhouse with streaming opportunities for those who don't feel comfortable going into a theater.
Friday nights are special because there is a talkback with the cast after the show and joining the conversation is the playwright, Jonathan Norton, who joins via Zoom from Dallas.
Click here to get tickets and learn more about the theatre companies.