About UTP/Iowa
A few years ago, Leslie Charipar moved back to Cedar Rapids after spending several years getting her MFA in Acting, working as an actor/director/teacher and working with the theater scene in Chicago. Riding on the words of her grad school mentor, “You can do theater anywhere” and frankly a little envious of all the cool stuff that was happening in Cedar Rapids in her absence, she decided to rally her talented and dedicated pals and create a theater company in her hometown.
Believing that another kind of theater in CR would only enhance the great stuff that was already happening, and feeling strongly that theater audiences in CR might be interested in a little something different, the gang decided to create its own brand of visceral, messy, in-your-face theater in non-theatrical settings all over the city.
After accepting the position of Artistic Director at Theatre Cedar Rapids, Leslie asked Jason Alberty, teacher/actor/director/writer, to take the helm of UTP/Iowa, working toward our non-profit status and creating a full season of in-your-face theater.
With a group of incredibly gifted actors, our boundless imagination, and very little money, we are dedicated to bringing Cedar Rapids story-driven, actor-centered, accessible theater that makes you feel and think.
We look forward to seeing you at our next show.
