We are thrilled to present our annual Iowa New Play Festival in the Theatre Building featuring full productions written by MFA playwrights Sixtus Chetachi Igbokwe, Eli Campbell, Xiaoyan Kang, and a collection of work by the Undergraduate Playwrights Workshop! Plus, there are readings daily from new, full plays written by MFA playwrights.

Productions:
UI Students (with ID) - Free, limit 1 ticket per ID
General Admission - $5, cash only

Reading Series:
UI Students (with ID) - Free, limit 1 ticket per ID
General Admission - Free, but you must obtain a ticket

Schedule of Events:

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Guest Roundtable - salt tongue

A roundtable discussion of the Iowa New Play Festival production salt tongue by Eli Campbell directed by Kayla Adams.

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: The Milk Miracle

By Poonam Dhir
Part of Iowa New Play Festival - Reading Series

The Milk Miracle centers on a playwright navigating questions of identity, place, and belonging—both personal and cultural—while writing a story about a family struggling with grief, community expectations, and the weight of tradition. The play explores the layered tensions between the act of writing and the forces that shape a story's creation.

Tickets
UI Students (with ID) - Free, limit 1 ticket per ID
General Admission - Free, but you must obtain a ticket

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: The Words of Ants

By Xiaoyan Kang
Directed by Meredith G. Healy
Part of Iowa New Play Festival - Production Series

The visit of an uninvited woman changes Yan's life forever. As the last natural inheritor, Yan embarks upon a journey to preserve an almost extinct language, but at what cost?

Please be advised this show includes discussions about death of loved ones and mention of child abuse.

Tickets
UI Students (with ID) - Free, limit 1 ticket per ID
General Admission - $5, cash only

9:00 pm - 11:00 pm: The Words of Ants

By Xiaoyan Kang
Directed by Meredith G. Healy
Part of Iowa New Play Festival - Production Series

The visit of an uninvited woman changes Yan's life forever. As the last natural inheritor, Yan embarks upon a journey to preserve an almost extinct language, but at what cost?

Tickets
UI Students (with ID) - Free, limit 1 ticket per ID
General Admission - $5, cash only

10:15 pm: Digital Graffiti showing

The world has seen the dazzling delights of digital artwork projection mapped onto some of the most iconic buildings: the Empire State Building, the Sidney Opera House... even our own Old Capitol! Now you can see the Theatre Arts building come to life with digital art made by students in the new UI course, Digital Graffiti.

The art of projection mapping is a growing sector in public art and engagement. Many cities are eager to engage their communities and shine light onto the facades of their downtown districts. Imagine the possibilities these architectural canvases can provide to explore the visual intersection of digital art and architecture while engaging local communities.

This event is FREE and open to the public, and it's part of #NewWorkCity, the spring initiative by #PerformingArtsAtIowa to highlight new work created by our talented graduate students in the performing arts. Join us as we celebrate one part of the full range of creative work happening at the University of Iowa.