Dreamwell Theatre



Dreamwell Theatre was founded in the Spring of 1997 as a non-profit volunteer theatre company dedicated to creating professional-quality productions in Iowa City, Iowa. They further defined their mission as a theatre that creates challenging, innovative and inclusive theatrical experiences. The founders of Dreamwell Theatre were Matt Falduto, Sharon Falduto, Ali Zimmerman and Paul Chakrin.In 1999, Matt Brewbaker joined the board as Artistic Director. Brewbaker helped define Dreamwell's niche as a theatre dedicated to doing lesser known shows. With founder Matt Falduto as Executive Director, the "two Matts" succesfully lead Dreamwell to new heights, bringing to the stage controversial shows such as Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi and Iowa premieres like Valparaiso by acclaimed author Don Delillo. Brewbaker left Dreamwell in 2006, but returned in 2012. After a stint as an at large board member, Falduto is once again president of the board. For a number of years, the Artistic Director role was shared by Chuck Dufano, who has been active with the organization since 2000, and Rachael Lindhart, a well known Iowa actor, director and stage manager. Dufano and Lindhart took Dreamwell in a new direction for 2009 by declaring it a season of "inciting theatre". Dufano explains, "These were all plays that at the time they premiered they were subject to controversy or were immediately shut down. What we think will be interesting is that when these plays are seen by people today they'll wonder, "What's the big deal?" It is in this way we're hoping to illustrate to audiences how theatre both reflects the views of the time and can be an instrument of change." Since then, they have continued to choose theme seasons.

2010: A Taboo Bijou

2011: War and Consequences

2011-12: Here I Stand

2012-13: Ova-tion: A Season of Women's Words

2013-14: In Defense of Guilt

2014-15: The Grand Delusion

Dreamwell has produced over 80 shows in various locations in Iowa City, including the Iowa City Unitarian Society, Old Brick, the Wesley Center, the Iowa Children's Museum, and for one year, their own location in Old Capitol Mall.

You can find more information about Dreamwell at their website.

A list of the shows produced:

2011-12: Here I Stand


 * The Crucible by Arthur Miller, directed by Scott Strode


 * The Curious Savage by John Patrick, directed by Gerry Roe


 * Sans Merci by Johnna Adams, directed by Meg Dobbs

2011: War and Consequences
 * Baby with the Bathwater by Christopher Durang, directed by Rachael Lindhart
 * Bent by Martin Sherman, directed by Angie Toomsen
 * Writers' Skirmish


 * Last Train to Nibroc by Arlene Hutton, directed by Rachael Lindhart, February


 * Stuff Happens by David Hare, directed by Ryan Foizey, April


 * Henry V by William Shakespeare, directed by Angie Toomsen, June

2010: A Taboo Bijou
 * Soldier's Daughter by Members of the Black Doggers, directed by Matthew Falduto, July

2009: A Season of Inciting Theatre
 * Poona the F**kdog and Other Plays for Children by Jeff Goode, directed by Meg Dobbs and Brian Tanner, February
 * Blackbird by David Harrower, directed by Angie Toomsen, March
 * The All in a Day Play Festival 3, sponsored by Dreamwell Theatre and City Circle, July
 * 9 Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo, directed by Rachel Howell, August
 * A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller, directed by Krista Neumann, October
 * Writer’s Joust-November
 * Winner: Innocence by Tom Deiker, performance directed by Pauline Tyer
 * Runner up: Divergence by Janet Schlapkohl, reading directed by Rachael Lindhart
 * Runner up: The Night I Kissed Osama bin Laden by Joe Jennison, reading directed by Gerry Roe

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
 * An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Angie Toomsen, March-April
 * The Drag by Mae West, directed by Chuck Dufano, June
 * The All in a Day Play Festival 2, sponsored by Dreamwell Theatre and City Circle; winner of an Icky award for Collaborative Theatre
 * Master Harold and the Boys by Athol Fugard, directed by Rachael Lindhart, September
 * Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge, directed by Rich Riggleman, November
 * More Fun Than Bowling by Stephen Dietz, directed by Rachael Lindhart, February/March
 * All in a Day Theatre Festival sponsored by Dreamwell Theatre and City Circle, August
 * The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, directed by Josh Sazon, September/October
 * Lear’s Daughters by the Womenâ€™s Theatre Group based on an idea by Elaine Feinstein, directed by Gerry Roe, November
 * Die! Mommy! Die! by Charles Busch, directed by Jeff Shields, March
 * Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moises Kaufman, directed by Dawn Wittke-King, June
 * Pen v. Sword: An Evening on the Fringe Featuring: Your Swash is Unbuckled: Three Pirate Plays by Jeff Goode presented by Rage Theatrics; and Typing Lear by Gregory Aldrich presented by Dreamwell directed by Rachael Edwards Harvith, July
 * That Day in September by Artie Van Why, directed by Matthew Falduto, September
 * Kimberly Akimbo by David Lindsay Abaire, directed by Brian Tanner, November
 * Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, directed by Matthew Brewbaker, February
 * MA for Mature Audiences by Gregory Aldrich, Matthew Brewbaker, and Dawn Wittke-King, co-directed by Matthew Brewbaker and Dawn Wittke-King, July
 * Sounds of Sondheim Returned! Coordinated by Josh Sazon, July
 * Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol by Tom Mula, directed by Madonna Smith, December
 * Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, directed by Gerry Roe, February
 * David’s Red Haired Death by Sherry Kramer, directed by Jessica Link, June
 * Baal by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Janet Bentley, September
 * Eve-Olution by Hilary Illick and Jennifer Krier, co-directed by Matthew Falduto and Brian Tanner, October
 * Fortinbras by Lee Blessing, directed by Josh Sazon November
 * Rosenstrasse by Terry Lawrence, directed by Pauline Tyer April
 * Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, directed by David Pierce September
 * The Book of Liz by Amy and David Sedaris, directed by Jeff Shields, November
 * Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Matthew Brewbaker, February
 * Raised in Captivity by Nicky Silver, directed by Pauline Tyer, July
 * Below the Belt by Richard Dresser, directed by Madonna Smith, September
 * Largo Desolato by Vaclav Havel, translated by Tom Stoppard, directed by Scot West, November
 * Wake An Actor’s Lab Production, directed by Matthew Brewbaker, January
 * Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends (A Final Evening with the Illuminati) by Larry Larson and Levi Lee, directed by Lu Miller and Don E. Schneider, March
 * Original Copy: An Evening of Locally Written One-Act Plays coordinated by Matthew Brewbaker: How to Sell a Chair by Mark Hansen, directed by Matthew Falduto; Mr. Wu by Scot West, directed by Joshue Sazon, June and Robyn Miessler-Kubanek; Set Strike by Vicki Krajewski, directed by Dan Fairchild, June
 * Valparaiso by Don Delillo, directed by Scot West, September
 * On the Verge Or, the Geography of Yearning by Eric Overmyer, directed by Kristy Hartsgrove, November
 * Little Murders by Jules Feiffer, directed by Rachael Lindhart, March/April
 * Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally, directed by Matthew Brewbaker, June
 * The world premiere of X.J. Kennedy’s new translation of Lysistrata by Aristophanes, directed by Jamie Ewing, October
 * Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, directed by Blake Davis, Feb/March
 * Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman, directed by Matthew Brewbaker, May
 * International One Act Play Festival: Protest by Vaclav Havel, directed by Matthew Brewbaker; The Sound of a Voice by David Henry Hwang, directed by Jamie Ewing; Springtime by Maria Irene Fornes, directed by Jessica Cook, July
 * To Jerusalem by Terry Lawrence directed by Pauline Tyer, October
 * Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief by Paula Vogel, directed by Rachael Lindhart, February/March
 * Greater Tuna by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, directed by Don E. Schneider, Spring
 * Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, directed by Gerry Roe, Summer
 * The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Jess Winfield, Adam Long and Daniel Singer, directed by Sue Gilbert, Fall/Winter
 * Baby With the Bathwater by Christopher Durang, directed by Paul Chakrin, January/February
 * Intellectual Orgasms by Matthew Falduto, directed by Paul Chakrin, April/May
 * Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, directedy by Gerry Roe, September
 * Cruise to Murder by Sara Geer, June
 * Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck, directed by Sharon Falduto, September
 * Murder in Disguise: A Halloween Murder Mystery Masquerade by Matthew Falduto, October