An Artist Lecture By Suzanne Bocanegra, starring Lili TaylorPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher Up ClosePart of Hancher's 53rd seasonLooking back on a childhood spent in the shadow of the Chicken Ranch.Suzanne Bocanegra recounts threads of her family’s life on a Texas farm. Her tale unfolds as aural and visual memoir, weaving elements of art, design, and monologue into a startling, humorous performance. The narration comes from Bocanegra, but it is actress Lili Taylor (Mysti...

With special guest Jim SwimPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Club HancherPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonAn eclectic vision of musical crosspollination guides an artist unconstrained by genre.If each of José James’s influences was a stone tossed into a bucket, that bucket would be heavy with jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk, disco, rock, and pop as well as a curious appreciation for ‘70s kung-fu film aesthetics. His most recent project—a series of records called 1978—brings these...

TICKETSFree and open to the public. No ticket required.Part of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonAn 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.Seating opens at 12:30 p.m.Roger Guenveur Smith website

Reading and conversationUniversity of Iowa Literary LegendsTICKETSFree and open to the public, registration recommended.Registration will go live Wednesday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m.Part of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonPresented in collaboration with University of Iowa Center for Advancement, University of Iowa Lecture Committee, University of Iowa Vice President for Research Creative Matter Series, Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Nonfiction Writing ProgramTwo renowned...

A film by Sam Greenwith music by JD Samson & sound design by Mark ManginiPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher Up ClosePart of Hancher's 53rd seasonSink into an astonishing soundscape that just might change how you hear the world.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...

In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat: A Personal Tribute to a Revolutionary ArtistPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonThis is one of two stirring shows by an internationally acclaimed actor, writer, and director.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...

A special double billPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Club HancherPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonTwo indie icons bring their current projects to Iowa City.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...

TICKETSFree and open to the public. No ticket requiredPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonA soft-spoken, sharp-thinking comic, Josh Johnson is convincingly reinventing standup comedy with fully-formed sets dropping on YouTube on a weekly basis. Join Johnson as he discusses his process and philosophy with writing and performing comedy.Seating opens at 1:30 p.m.Josh Johnson website

TICKETSFree and open to the public with registrationRSVP will go live online on Tuesday, September 2 at 10:00 a.m.Part of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonA multidisciplinary experience in honor and in awe of the Iowa River.Explore the intertwined ecologies of people, nonhumans, water, and infrastructure. Audiences will gather at the Lagoon Shelter House and travel along a guided walking-tour featuring dancers, soundscapes, and interactive prompts designed to enhance...

Frederick Douglass NOWPart of Hancher's Infinite Dream festivalPart of Hancher's 53rd seasonThis is one of two stirring shows by an internationally acclaimed actor, writer, and director.Roger Guenvuer Smith's Frederick Douglass NOW examines the life and work of the self-liberated abolitionist and pioneering orator Frederick Douglass. Smith has edited Douglass's 19th century texts into a jazz-infused narrative bookended by original writing.“Smith makes Douglass’s critique of American life seem...