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Dreamwell Theatre needs neither Valentine’s Day nor Pride Month to stage a celebration of queer love.

BY ROB CLINE

The details are not yet set, but Iowa City’s Dreamwell Theatre is bringing back its QueertopIA event this fall.

QueertopIA is an offshoot of the Queertopia project in Minneapolis, “a longstanding tradition of an all-inclusive, no holds barred ‘cabaret of queer love’ started in Minneapolis by Jeffry Lusiak and carried on by Nastalie Q,” according to Dreamwell board president Madonna Smith. The variety show includes performances from local artists that include music, spoken word and other short original works.

While the event is typically staged during Pride Month, June tends to be a busy time for queer artists. While the official date and venue for QueertopIA 2023 hadn’t been confirmed at the time of publication, Smith said local can expect the event in autumn.

“This year, after polling our past performers, we decided to not hold the event in June,” Smith explained via email. “We are hoping to hold it in August, September or October this year.”

Smith worked on the original Minneapolis show for a number of years, stage managing and helping with performances.

“It is an amazing celebration to be a part of,” she said. “For 10 years I dreamed of bringing something like this to Iowa City. I had worked with Dreamwell in the past. Our mission, as a theater of exploration … as well as our goal to keep telling the stories that may not otherwise be heard were a good fit for this evening of new works performed by local artists. I reached out to Jeffry and Nastalie and got permission to use the name.”

Dreamwell theatre 2023-24 Season

Wyrd Sisters by Sir Terry Pratchett, adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs, Directed by Josh Sazon at the James Theater, Oct 12-15, 2023

Gnit by Will Eno, Directed by Matthew Brewbaker at the ArtiFactory, February 16-17, 23-24, 2024

Pleasure Play by UI Playwright Eli Campbell, Directed by Meredith Alexander at the ArtiFactory, Spring 2024

Artemisia by Lauren Gunderson, Directed by Carrie Pozdol at the James Theater, June 27-30, 2024

The first edition of QueertopIA was held at the Mill in 2019—and 50 percent of the net proceeds went to Iowa City Pride.

“The Mill co-hosted, providing the space which meant more money could be donated to IC Pride,” said Smith. “We had eight amazing performers sign up. We listened to a staged reading of a brand new work, enjoyed some stand-up, music, poetry and storytelling. There were over 100 people in the house cheering us on. We were sure it was the first of what would become an annual event.”

Of course, a lot of things have happened since 2020, including the closing of the Mill and a pandemic that all but ended live shows for an extended period. QueertopIA returned as an in-person event in 2022 with an eight-person performance at Willow Creek Theatre benefitting the LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library. The audience, though enthusiastic, was notably smaller, which also contributed to the decision to move the event out of the crowded Pride Month.

This past session, punctuated by a June 25 celebration, marked Dreamwell Theatre’s 25th anniversary, and QueertopIA fits neatly into the organization’s approach to its work.

“Dreamwell Theatre has been an advocate for sharing stories that may not otherwise be heard. We love working with new/local playwrights. We typically choose plays and playwrights that have something that needs to be said,” Smith said. “We strive to incite discussions about topics that are relevant to the current social and political climate. Back in the early days, we were one of the only local theaters pushing these boundaries. It’s wonderful to see that in the last five to 10 years more and more theaters are taking more risks to share these kinds of stories.”

QueertopIA is clearly structured around the values Smith notes as instilled in Dreamwell’s efforts from the beginning.

“Our goal [for QueertopIA] is allow people to share what they want to, how they want to. The only real guidelines are no hate speech, minimal set up, and that the act should be approximately five to 15 minutes in length.”

Anyone interested in participating in the 2023 edition—as a performer or in another capacity—can reach out to Smith at president@dreamwell.com.

Rob Cline, a frequent-ish contributor to Little Village, enlisted the aid of Max Cline—who will be studying theater at Millikin University in the fall—on this piece.