Through the lens of the arts, Infinite Dream explores the complex fabric of the American Story-our grand accomplishments, disruptive failures, and remarkable potential for excellence.
Events will feature performances, presentations, and discussions from artists and thinkers from around the world as well as students, faculty, and staff from the University of Iowa. The festival's theme serves as a reference point for the performances and conversations-a loose frame for artists and patrons to consider as they share and experience transformative work.
The festival also celebrates the vast creativity found on the University of Iowa's campus-evident in the work of its students, faculty, and staff and embedded in its remarkable cultural venues. In addition, Infinite Dream positions the university's artistic efforts within the scope of robust creative activity happening in the larger Iowa City community.
Schedule of Events:
1:00 pm: Roger Guenveur Smith in Conversation
An internationally acclaimed actor, writer, and director, Smith visits Iowa City to perform two solo shows: In Honor of Jean Michel Basquiat and Frederick Douglass NOW. Join Smith as he discusses his career across stages, screens, and styles.
Old Capitol Museum - Senate Chamber - General Admission Seating
5:30 pm: Kaveh Akbar and Eve L. Ewing Reading and Conversation
University of Iowa Literary Legend Kaveh Akbar is an acclaimed poet and author of Martyr!, a National Book Award finalist for fiction. He is also an Iowa City community member as well as a professor and director of the Undergraduate English and Creative Writing major at the University of Iowa. Eve L. Ewing is a writer, educator, and organizer in Chicago. She is an associate professor at the University of Chicago, has written for several Marvel comic book series, and is a revered author, most recently of Original Sins. Their discussion will reflect upon the transformative power of language, the tensions between optimism and reckoning, and the role of art in envisioning a more just and imaginative future.
"So stunning, so wrenching, and so beautifully written that reading it for the first time, I kept forgetting to breathe. I will carry this story, and the people in it, with me for the rest of my life." - John Green on Kaveh Akbar's Martyr!
Voxman Concert Hall - General Admission Seating
6:30 pm: 32 Sounds A film by Sam Green With music by JD Samson and sound design by Mark Mangini
32 Sounds is a documentary film-delivered in real-time-that explores the ways in which sound can shape our perception of the world, seemingly bend time itself, and make boundaries permeable. This full-immersion sensory experience includes headphones provided for each audience member, live narration by filmmaker Sam Green, and live original music by JD Samson.
"Bursting with humor, emotion and curiosity, 32 Sounds is a uniquely mind-expanding plunge into a dimension of the human experience so many of us take for granted, a rare and rewarding sonic journey with the potential to enrich our lives." - Variety
Hancher Auditorium - Hadley Stage - Onstage Seating
7:30 pm: Roger Guenveur Smith In Honor of Jean Michel Basquiat: A Personal Tribute to a Revolutionary Artist
Roger Guenveur Smith calls forth two essential figures of the American narrative. This performance is inspired by Smith's friendship with the young artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose meteoric rise was halted by his tragic death at the age of 27.
"a blend of poetic vision and searing reality … a beautiful piece of stagecraft that transmits a hero's journey to our eyes, our ears, and our hearts." - TalkinBroadway.com
The James Theatre - General Admission Seating
9:00 pm: Alan Sparhawk and His Band Followed by a DJ set with JD Samson
Alan Sparhawk co-founded the seminal rock band, Low, in 1993 with his wife Mimi Parker. Low sustained critical success for nearly thirty years with its quiet-noisy dynamic. Following Parker's passing in 2022, Sparhawk has carried the emotional intensity of his former project into an unexpected, gripping solo career. With material from 2024's glitchy White Roses, My God and this year's earthy Alan Sparhawk With Trampled By Turtles, Sparhawk's band opens the first half of the evening. JD Samson (of Le Tigre and MEN) closes out the bill with a DJ set.
Hancher Auditorium - Strauss Hall - Standing Room
