Events & Shows

The musical comedy that’s killing it!

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.

The performance at 2:00 PM on Sunday, Sept. 15, 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.

We triple dog dare you to see this show!

Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, IN, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts: an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; the Chinese restaurant; Christmas dinner; and many others.

Family Theatre Age Intention: Playhouse family theatre productions are intended for ages 5 and up.

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 1:00 PM on Sunday, Dec. 15, 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.

“Where there’s hope, there’s life.” – Anne Frank

Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of the original, Pulitzer Prize award-winning script by Goodrich and Hackett draws from previously unpublished parts of Anne Frank’s real-life diary. For nearly two years, Anne, her father, mother, and sister, joined with the Van Daan family, hide in a secret annex space above her father’s former office in Amsterdam as the Nazis deport the Jews of Holland to their deaths. In her secret attic, Anne comes of age: she laughs, plays, fights with her mother, and falls in love for the first time. In spite of her oppressive circumstances and the horrors that surround her, Anne’s spirit transcends, as she voices her belief that “in spite of everything, people are truly good at heart.” Anne’s dynamism, her luminous spirit, and her story of resilience continue to resonate deeply, making her story as vital today as when her diary first was published.

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, Feb. 2, 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.

How freaky would it be if you turned into your mother?!

Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, is a heartfelt, comedic, and unexpectedly emotional update on an American classic. By spending a day in each other’s shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate each other’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.

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

Note: Freaky Friday will be presented in the Mainstage auditorium.

Adventures this big don’t grow on trees!

A magical peach! An imprisoned boy! Giant talking insects! The incredible tale of James Henry Trotter will fulfill the fantasy of anyone who has ever dreamed of escaping to a new and exciting world. Roald Dahl’s story comes hilariously to life in this delightful dramatization that reveals the wickedness of some, the goodness of others, and the indecision encountered by many when they are faced with crises. James and the Giant Peach is high adventure for the whole family!

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

2019-2020 Dates Now Available!

Fall Session: Ages 6-16 * Saturdays, 9:00-10:00 AM * Sept. 7-Oct. 26

Winter Session: Ages 6-16 * Saturdays, 9:00-10:00 AM * Jan. 4-Feb. 29, 2020

Spring Session: Ages 6-16 * Saturdays, 9:00-10:00 AM * Mar. 28-Apr. 25, 2020

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

Join us for an fun hour of drama! Come to one session or come to all! Open to any student, Spectrum Stories is a theatre class experience designed for the unique interests and needs of students on the autism spectrum. Through storytelling, creative play, social interaction and non-verbal communication, your student can work on social skills, flexible thinking, self-expression, empathy for others and self-confidence. Siblings and friends are welcome as well. 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.

A true princess is courageous and kind, and beautiful both inside and out. Only a true princess would be able to feel a pea placed under a stack of 20 mattresses. Will Princess Penelope pass the test?

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.

The vain and foolish emperor loves to show off the newest trends to his people. When two scoundrels weave a suit of cloth so light and fine it looks invisible, only a young boy has the courage to say what everyone is thinking: The Emperor is in his underwear!

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.

Who will take the presents to the children on the other side of the mountain?  When everyone else refuses, the smallest of all the engines volunteers to help. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…I thought I could! 

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.

After slaying seven flies with one swat, can one little tailor use brains instead of brawn to get the best of some goofy giants and a crafty king?  It’s not her fault if, along the way, a giant thinks she slayed seven giants, now is it? 

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.