July Theater Will Let You Beat the Heat

July in Des Moines is gearing up to be one of the hottest in several years, so what better way to beat the heat than to catch a show. And while the options this month are not as plentiful as others, there are still great shows to be seen.

Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize winning rock opera Rent has become an iconic show and this month the Des Moines Community Playhouse will present the show beginning July 13th. Rent follows a group of twenty-somethings coming of age in New York City’s East Village and their struggles with drugs, AIDS, and love. For ticket information visit http://www.dmplayhouse.com/

The Rising Phoenix Theater Company, which formed last year to provide more opportunities for women in theater, will present Love, Loss and What I Wore as their first production. Written by Nora and Delia Ephron, Love uses clothing as the jumping off point for an exploration of the turning points in the lives of several women. The show will be presented at the First Unitarian Church on July 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7 pm and July 15th at 2 pm.

So even if the heat wave subsides, there are a couple of great excuses to stay indoors this month.