Black Doggers

The Black Doggers are an Eastern Iowa playwrighting group created by Joe Jennison on Monday, July 10, 2005. Founding members were Joe Jennison, Joshua Beadle, Matthew Falduto, David Martino, James Trainor, and Amy White. Over the years, the Black Doggers have included: Cindi (Need Last Name), Greg Aldrich, Deborah Gideon, Steven Hunt, Nina Martin, Tom Johnson, Meg Merckens, Barbara Lau, Vicki Krajewski, Brian Tanner, Chris Okiishi, Mary Sullivan, Megan Gogerty, Mike Moran, Monica Leo, Andrew Juhl and Duane Larson. They started with one rule: Don't touch the black dog.

A number of plays workshopped in Black Doggers sessions have been produced. Joe Jennison's plays Cedar Rapids Famous and The New Normal were both produced in the Cedar Rapids area. Matt Falduto's play Pop Tart Hero was produced by Rage Theatrics as part of their Hero Stories production. A Simple Request by Brian Tanner was produced by City Circle. Amy White has had two plays produced by the Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Theatre, Teacher's Lounge and Drama at Dry Gulch Creek. Joe Jennison, Amy White, and Brian Tanner have all had monologues performed as part of Riverside Theatre's Walking the Wire series.

In July of 2011, Dreamwell Theatre will produce Soldier's Daughter, a play written collaboratively by Doggers Matt Falduto, Barbara Lau, Mike Moran, Brian Tanner, James Trainor, and Amy White. Falduto will also direct.