dsmWeekly - May 7, 2025

By John Busbee

When the new About Time Theatre Company raises its curtain for the first time later this month, it may raise a few eyebrows, too. The group plans to present bold programming in bare bones productions that are both provocative and entertaining.

The company presents its first show, “Squeamish,” May 30 through June 7 at the Haunt speakeasy at 500 Locust St. The one-woman show by Aaron Mark centers on a New York therapist, a recovering alcoholic with a fear of blood, who finds herself in a desperate situation in Texas.

It’s a psychological thriller that fits the new company’s mission to produce “innovative and socially relevant theater that reflects the rich tapestry of experiences within our community.”

To the show’s star, Kim Haymes, the mission means “more interactive theater, immersive theater, and things that aren’t happening in Des Moines.” She used to live and perform in Chicago, where she said people take more creative risks and the approach is: “Don’t be worried, don’t be discouraged, just do the art. Maybe it doesn’t appeal to everybody, but that’s OK.”

About Time formed in 2022, when Haymes and six other seasoned actors began forming a vision for the new group even while live theater was still struggling to recover after the pandemic. Most of the group’s members — Haymes and her husband, Dan, with Maggie Jane, Michael LaDell Harris, Marnie Strait, Nick Strickland and Josh Visnapuu — were Des Moines transplants with stage and screen experience in bigger cities, including New York and Seattle. Over the past decade here in Des Moines, they’ve performed with various local theater companies and have collectively racked up a dozen Cloris Awards and nominations.

All of the members are also parents, with children aged 6 and under. So they’ve changed their process to allow for flexibility about where and when to rehearse.

LaDell Harris, who is directing the company’s debut, said, “No theater company in town is going to be doing this play, especially in the location we’re doing it.”

Rachel Simone Webb as Juliet and Mateus Leite Cardoso as Francois in the North American tour of "& Juliet." (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

BEST BET

Spoiler alert: They get a happier ending

You know the story: Two star-crossed lovers sacrifice everything for love. But the new musical “& Juliet” flips the script this week at the Des Moines Civic Center.

In the national tour of the show, written by David West Read (“Schitt’s Creek”), Juliet doesn’t throw her life away for Romeo. Instead, she gives herself a second shot at life and love. Pop songs like "Since U Been Gone,” "Can't Stop the Feeling!" and “Roar” propel her journey.

The Week Ahead

Flamy Grant, 6 p.m. Thursday, Temple Theater. The award-winning North Carolina drag queen who broke through with her 2022 album “Bible Belt Baby” sings, dances and shares a few surprises in Capital City Pride’s speaker series.

Jasper Winery Summer Concert, 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jasper Winery. The free summer music series begins with “Birdchild,” a cover band that plays everything from classic ’80s music to Taylor Swift. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, and stop by the food trucks for burgers, brats and more.

Iowa Exhibited, 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Polk County Heritage Gallery. The annual group show by Iowa artists opens with a reception and awards ceremony. It remains through June 26.

Abbie Sawyer, 7 p.m. Friday, Temple Theater. The local singer-songwriter who often performs with the Diplomats of Solid Sound, Night Lights and NOLA Jazz Band takes a solo turn in the inaugural Made in the Midwest series from Des Moines Performing Arts.

Joyann Parker, 7 p.m. Friday, Noce. Enjoy covers of old-timey Patsy Cline music, mixed with stories from the bumpy roller coaster of her life.

Market to Market Relay, 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Jefferson to Des Moines. Teams of runners cover the 75 miles from Jefferson’s Mahanay Bell Tower to downtown Des Moines.

Des Moines Community Orchestra, 2 p.m. Sunday, Drake’s Sheslow Auditorium. Conductor Carl Johnson wraps up his 24th and final season on the podium with a few of his all-time favorite finales.

dsm LGBTQ Legacy Leader Awards: dsm magazine is proud to honor Central Iowa’s LGBTQ community leaders with our annual LGBTQ Legacy Leader Awards. This year’s six honorees represent a wide range of vocations, lead with vigor and compassion, solve problems and help build a community that we can be proud to call home. Join us in congratulating this year’s LGBTQ Legacy Leaders:

Kayla Bell-Consolver (she/her), owner and founder of Question Kayla, a mental health education initiative, director of Broadlawns Drake Student Counseling Center and adjunct professor of counseling at Drake.

Shannon Samuelson (she/her), senior credit underwriter with Wells Fargo and treasurer of the Iowa LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Board.

Jenny Smith (she/her), financial adviser and owner of Smith + Friedberg Financial, and former board chair of One Iowa.

Jeremy Weiss (he/him), director and U.S. head of front office consulting for Alpha FMC, current board chair for One Iowa and Community Youth Concepts.

Emerging Leader Award: Tristan Miedema (he/they), founding director of the TRANScendent choral ensemble and associate professor of voice in musical theater at Drake.

Ally Award: Connie Ryan (she/her), executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and the founder and chair of Justice Not Politics.

We'll celebrate this year’s honorees during a special event Sept. 9 at The River Center. Event details and registration will be announced this summer.

Checking out: The Des Moines Public Library will host a free screening of the documentary “Free For All: The Public Library” on May 19, with panel presentation and Q+A session with filmmakers after the showing.

Tony-winning shows: Des Moines Performing Arts invested in three shows that received several 2025 Tony Award nominations this award season. “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical” were both nominated for Best Musical, and “Real Women Have Curves” was nominated for Best Original Score. Collectively, all three shows received 16 nominations. The 78th annual Tony Awards will air at 7 p.m. June 8 on CBS.

Over the years, Dennis Kelly’s vision has brought a breath of fresh air to mental health awareness in Des Moines. As the founder of the city’s beloved Yoga in the Park program, Meditation Around Town and the innovative Yoga in Nature series at Brenton Arboretum, he has championed the transformative power of yoga and meditation, especially outdoors.

He recently discussed his passion for these practices and explained how they can change lives. The following conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

What first drew you to yoga and meditation?

I worked for John Deere in the Quad Cities, where I met a family from Kolkata, India. This meeting proved the saying true: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” As I went through my own journey of self-discovery and released old patterns, teachers would appear at the right place and the right time to take me to my next level of awareness and consciousness. Indira, from this family from Kolkata, became my yoga instructor. When I was transferred to Des Moines, she encouraged me to teach yoga, saying, “Go teach.” While I don’t hold any formal yoga certifications, I carry the blessing from my teacher, and that is all I need.

You’ve founded several inspirational programs. Could you tell us more about them?

Over 15 years ago, I started Yoga in the Park, inspired by a similar event I attended in Chicago. I launched the program with the help of Des Moines Parks and Rec. I organized classes every Saturday at Gray’s Lake for a decade before the city took it over. Similarly, I created Meditation Around Town, which meets monthly, has visited over 50 community locations and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. All the programs are free and self-funded.

What’s your philosophy toward yoga and meditation? How do they influence overall health?

We are beginning to understand the connections between the physical, mental and emotional aspects of our being. Louise Hay, a pioneer in this field, highlighted how physical ailments, like knee issues, can reflect emotional challenges, such as fear of moving forward. My philosophy centers on the idea that we are all just energy. Any distortion — fear, anxiety, drama or trauma — can disrupt our energetic field and throw us out of balance. I practice yoga and teach yoga in nature because nature is the healing clinic of the future. I firmly believe that doing meditation and yoga in nature is a critical part of the healthy living equation.

Yoga and meditation can have amazing benefits for our human bodies, including lower blood pressure, improved blood circulation, enhanced mental activity and reduced stress. We’re fortunate that today we have yoga and meditation, tools that provide a sense of reassurance that we are OK. Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had to endure a world filled with trauma, fear and anxiety and often did not use these tools. These practices lead to a quieter mind, better relationships and healthier lives with less disease, more energy and a more positive overall experience.

For more stories focused on mental health awareness, programs and resources, see our 2024 Lifting the Veil publication online.