Early August 2012

Arts in the Park Aug. 9

“Join us August 9^th for Arts in the Park, an outdoor dinner-cabaret celebrating Idaho Repertory Theatre’s 59^th season. The evening features music by Jon Anderson and Rand Walker, and the culinary arts of Bloom Café.  Kelly Quinnett and others will also perform selections from the musicals Hairspray, Next to Normal, and The Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Seating is limited, so contact Bloom for your  today.”

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IRT Backstage Barbecue Aug. 10

Idaho Repertory Theatre is cooking dinner, and everyone is invited.

The 59-year-old professional theatre company will host its annual Backstage Barbecue 5-7 p.m. Aug. 10 in the lawn of the Hartung Theater on the corner of Sixth Street and Stadium Drive.

The free event will include a sneak peek of IRT's summer show Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker, opening Aug. 16. It also will give the public a behind-the-scenes look at rigging improvements recently completed in the Hartung Theater.

"The barbecue is very much like a family reunion," IRT Artistic Director Ann Hoste said, "It's a chance for us to reconnect with long-time fans and meet potential new ones."

A crew of six certified University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts students had been working since May 21 to update the theater's 38-year-old rigging system. The rigging consists of supports and counterweights that hold up the theater's lighting and equipment used to fly objects and people across stage.

Theater tours will give the community a chance to see what renovations were made and how the rigging system works. A silent auction will be held in the Hartung lobby. Donations from local businesses will be available for bidding until IRT closes Aug. 26. Auction items include flight lessons with Inter-State Aviation, a night's stay at the Wesson Bunkhouse bed and breakfast, a wine tour and hands-on winemaking experience with Merry Cellars Winery, and more.

Free outdoor entertainment will include a sword-fighting demonstration, live radio remote with ZFUN 106, face-painting and theatre games for children as well as a hamburger and hot dog buffet.

The night will culminate with a sneak peek of IRT's summer show Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker.

Set in a creative drama class, the play tells the story of instructor "Marty" and her eclectic mix of students as they slog through acting games that push emotions and abilities, or lack thereof, to the limit. Winner of the Off-Broadway Theater Award for best new play, the play has been called "absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny," by the New York Times.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16-18, 23-25 and 2 p.m. Aug. 19 and 26 in the Hartung Theater.

General admission for the play is $10. Advance tickets can be purchased at the UI Department of Theatre Arts' main office in Shoup Hall, Room 201, on the corner of Sixth and Rayburn streets, by calling (208) 885-6465 or mailing PO Box 442008, Moscow, ID 83844-2008.

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Looking in the Mirror

Notes from Artistic Director Ann Hoste

I love etymology--the history and evolution of language. One of my favorite theatre words is rehearse, derived from the Old French rehercer which means “to harrow again.” Although the rehearsal process is harrowing in the sense that it can be daunting, the word rehearse has agricultural roots (please pardon the pun!) As many on the Palouse can tell you, a harrow is a rake-like farm implement pulled behind a tractor to break up clods of dirt. Just as farmers harrow their fields to prepare for planting, actors rehearse their lines to refine their performances prior to opening night.

Here at the Rep, rehearsals for Circle Mirror Transformation are under way and our talented cast members—guest artist Rich Brown and IRT veterans Nancy Lee-Painter, Kelly Quinnett, David Lee-Painter and Kristin Glaeser—are delving into Annie Baker’s engaging, award-winning script. Please join us this August as their work comes to fruition.

See you at the theatre!

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Tickets on sale now

Tickets for Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker are on sale now. General admission is $10 and discounts are available for groups of 8 or more!

Purchase advance tickets with a debit/credit card by calling (208) 885-6465 or stopping by Shoup 201 on the corner of Rayburn and Sixth streets in Moscow. Advance tickets can also be purchased by sending check payment to

Idaho Repertory Theatre
PO Box 442008
Moscow, ID 83843-2008

Check out pictures from the show and more on Facebook!

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A Piece of IRT History ... from 1963

From a newspaper article on the opening of The Matchmaker at the University Field House, the first home of IRT:

A rich Yonkers merchant of the 1890s strolls into the University of Idaho Summer Theatre stage next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and becomes comically involved with a matchmaker.

The Matchmaker, by Thornton Wilder, the last Summer Theatre play this year in the Field House circle stage, will be guided by Donald Hill, visiting director. Marvin Alexander, Lillard, Calif., plays the merchant, Horace Vandergelder, who comes to New York seeking a wife. The matchmaker, Mrs. Levi, played by Sue Galligan of Hailey, is there to meet him. While pretending to find him a wife, she plans to snag him for herself.