About ICCT
Established in 1956, Iowa City Community Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit community organization dedicated to promoting high quality all-volunteer theatrical productions in the Iowa City area and encouraging the participation of diverse community members.
ICCT Values Statement
ICCT is an organization committed to creating a space for anyone in the community to engage with creative expression through theatre.
We connect with our audience through performances that tell stories which capture diverse human experience. In the stories that we tell, the people are central.
We care about who they are, watch what they do, experience how they live, and see how they treat each other so that we might learn more about how we should be ourselves.
We value the life experiences of each volunteer, and so we commit to elevating and enabling them to participate and treating them with respect. We, therefore, require them to do the same for one another.
We recognize that building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment is central to our relevance and sustainability in the community we serve.
Definitions utilized: EQUITY means recognizing that not everyone starts at the same place, addressing inequities in access and opportunity, and allowing for full and fair participation. DIVERSITY means acknowledging and respecting human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups we are a part of or with which we are associated. These qualities include but are not limited to: ethnicity, race, color, country of origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual or relationship orientation, family structure, religion, beliefs, political affiliations, experiences and ability differences. INCLUSION means honoring and accepting the gifts, backgrounds, experiences, and wisdom that every individual brings with them, so that every stakeholder feels valued by Iowa City Community Theatre. Our stakeholders are volunteers, production team members, board members, donors, audiences, and community members. (section adapted from Dallas Theater Center)
Show Selection Statement
ICCT strives to produce a wide variety of shows that appeal to many audiences. Each season includes a number of shows, frequently including at least one musical, one comedy, and one drama. Shows are selected by a committee of volunteers who review proposals submitted by local directors. While choosing a season, ICCT shall consider what stories will resonate with our local audience, and seek scripts that will provide performance opportunities for volunteers of various backgrounds and experience levels.
While we try to select as diverse a range of productions as possible, we recognize that our selection options may be limited by the all-volunteer structure of our organization, budget, licensing availability, and the content that local directors are interested in submitting. We encourage anyone interested in helping ICCT craft future seasons to consider pitching a director proposal or joining the Play and Director Selection Committee.
Casting Statement
All performers are encouraged to audition for any production. Almost all of our characters can be played by anybody. Some roles require skills or attributes which are assessed through an audition process.
In limited cases, the licensing contract may require that a character be played by a performer meeting a specific description; when this happens they will always be clearly marked.
Final casting decisions will depend on audition attendance, and the organization bears the responsibility of reaching out to bring a diverse representation of the community to audition.
Each director will exercise his or her own discretion in choosing the performer who is the right fit for each role. Where licensing requirements permit, creative casting decisions can be made to allow performers who do not fit the character’s description to play the role. While this type of creative casting is encouraged where appropriate, ICCT commits to casting roles specifically written for members of underrepresented communities as accurately as possible. In situations where such a role cannot be cast from the audition pool, the show director will consult with the ICCT board to determine a solution, possibilities including, but not limited to, adding additional audition dates or selecting an appropriate performer without an audition. Such decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
These decisions are not taken lightly, are the responsibility of the show’s production team in collaboration with the Board of Directors, and frequently are made specifically to highlight or contrast human elements of the show.