Events & Shows

They set their sights on the stars and changed science forever.

Lauren Gunderson’s 2015 play centers around the untold stories of female astronomers through the eyes of a real scientist Henrietta Leavitt, a female “computer” at Harvard College Observatory.

Leavitt is joined by her capable co-workers at the observatory, Annie Cannon and Williamina Fleming, who were restricted from the equipment used by the males. The women were required to settle in a cramped workroom, computing and cataloging distant stars and galaxies founded by male astronomers.

This true story of the 19th-century astronomers, “Silent Sky” explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications.

Mainstage Content Advisory: The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical effects), please contact the ticket office at 515-277-6261.

The performance at 2:00 PM on Sunday, June 9 will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.

The goal of Curtain Crowd is to introduce young adults to the Playhouse, creating new audience members, volunteers, and donors. Membership is free and available online at https://www.dmplayhouse.com/curtain-crowd

You’ll receive an exclusive discount code prior to each show’s opening. Simply enter the code at the shopping cart, hit apply, and make sure your ticket price has been changed to $29 each.

Each Curtain Crowd ticket comes with a complimentary intermission drink (beer, wine, or non-alcoholic beverage). Simply stop by the table in the West Lobby (42nd Street entrance) and fill out the Curtain Crowd drink form.

Plus you’ll be invited to special events throughout the year!

Mainstage Content Advisory: The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical effects), please contact the ticket office at 515-277-6261.

The performance at 2:00 PM on Sunday, July 21 will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.

The goal of Curtain Crowd is to introduce young adults to the Playhouse, creating new audience members, volunteers, and donors. Membership is free and available online at https://www.dmplayhouse.com/curtain-crowd

You’ll receive an exclusive discount code prior to each show’s opening. Simply enter the code at the shopping cart, hit apply, and make sure your ticket price has been changed to $29 each.

Each Curtain Crowd ticket comes with a complimentary intermission drink (beer, wine, or non-alcoholic beverage). Simply stop by the table in the West Lobby (42nd Street entrance) and fill out the Curtain Crowd drink form.

Plus you’ll be invited to special events throughout the year!

The knock-’em-dead, uproarious, most-nominated show of the 2014 Broadway season!

Set in London in 1907, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder centers on Monty Navarro, a penniless clerk who learns after the death of his mother that he is ninth in line to inherit the earldom of Highhurst, controlled by the wealthy D’Ysquith banking family. After the imperious ruling Lord dismisses Monty’s claim of being a relative, the eight D’Ysquiths ahead of young Mr. Navarro begin dying in natural and unnatural ways. A single actor plays all the not-so-nice D’Ysquiths, which adds to the merriment. 

Mainstage Content Advisory: The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical effects), please contact the ticket office at 515-277-6261.

A fairy tale with girl-power!

Ella was given the “gift” of obedience as a baby by her wacky fairy godmother, Lucinda. As she grows into a teenager, Ella realizes how dangerous her curse of obedience could be. Trying to find a way to break the spell, Ella encounters an evil stepmother and her two unpleasant daughters who take horrible advantage of the curse. Despite this, Ella saves Prince Char and his knights from an ogre, leading to a lasting friendship between the two. 

Based on Gail Carson Levine’s 1997 novel of the same name, with themes including determination and independence, you don’t miss this girl-power spin on the Cinderella story that’s a fairy tale like no other.

Children’s Theatre Age Intention: Playhouse children’s theatre productions are intended for ages 5 and up.

A note on seating for this show: Ella Enchanted is performed in the round, which means the audience is seated on all four sides of the stage. Theatre-in-the-round offers an even more intimate theatre experience. While located on the opposite side of the theatre, Center Section Rows A and B will be in the same proximity to the stage as in previous shows. This change is not indicated on the seating map when you go to purchase tickets.

Saturdays, 1:30-2:30 PM*

Upcoming Dates
Mar. 30, 2019
Apr. 20, 2019

$5.00 per session (payable by check or cash at the door each session)

Join us for an exciting day of drama! Come to one session or come to all! Although open to any student, Spectrum Stories is specifically designed to provide drama experiences that best support the development of pretend play, social interaction, and non-verbal communication for students on the autism spectrum and others who may benefit from this experience. Each session is carefully designed to enhance creative expression of spectrum youth while supporting the profile marker needs of each participant. Developed with the guidance of Professor Gretta Berghammer of the University of Northern Iowa, and the Sturgis Youth Theatre, Spectrum Stories uses story, music, and art to bring imagination to life! Pre-registration online at dmplayhouse.com is encouraged but drop-ins are also welcome.

An additional emergency contact form is available at the door specifically for those who tend to elope. Parents are asked to remain in the building during class time, and may accompany their child into class if they wish.

Click here for the Spectrum-Stories-Social-Story – A pictorial guide explaining what to expect when attending these classes.

For more information, contact Robin Spahr, education director, 515-974-5365.

*Notice: NEW TIMES! Spectrum Stories times have been changed for the 2018-19 season to 1:30-2:30 PM.

Goldilocks has been very naughty. She has eaten the bears’ porridge, broken their chairs, and messed up their beds-and all of this without even knocking! Will the bears get home in time to catch her in the act?

Interactive Theatre Shows for Children Ages 4-6! Great for preschools, child care centers, kindergarten classes, and families. Join the Clubhouse at the Playhouse Gang each month as they dramatize a favorite story using their imaginations and the costume pieces and props they find in their Magic Trunk. A new story is presented each month, October through May. Children learn the Clubhouse pledge and secret handshake, and listen for the word of the day.

The performance at 10:45 AM will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.