About

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As the Premier Provider of classic theatre programming in Central Iowa, we preserve and honor classic theatre through the creation of historically appropriate as well as fresh and bold theatric interpretations of classic works, opening these works towards the diversity of American culture, fostering regional economic development and measurable educational outcomes, using Shakespeare as our standard and inspiration.*

*Based on the Mission Statement of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: The Iowa Shakespeare Experience (the ISE) is a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Iowa. The highly-respected Metro Arts Alliance, a 501 (c)3 non-profit, serves as our fiscal agent, and all donations to us are tax-deductable. The ISE is a member of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America.

HISTORY: The ISE was established in 2007 under the name of The Center for Shakespeare of Greater Des Moines, but its roots extend to the year 2002 when the private for-profit consulting firm of Heinemann-Sandoval Associates began to be contracted by several historic house museums to develop and found innovative new theatre programs which continue to this day.

In 2007, due to substantial public and private donor interest in growing the theatre initiatives that had been started to such great success, a Board of Directors was formed, comprised of significantly experienced community, corporate, governmental and arts leaders representing a wide variety of sectors from all across the metropolitan area of Iowa’s Capital City. In 2008, the Board renamed the organization The Iowa Shakespeare Experience.

A YEAR ROUND CULTURAL INITIATIVE: The Iowa Shakespeare Experience is now a year-round cultural non-profit which has received substantial public grant funding and which offers as its signature event an annual outdoor summer Shakespeare Festival known as “Shakesperience™ Fest”.

In addition to its summer festival, the ISE also offers a wide variety of cultural and educational programming, ranging from a year-round radio show to various indoor winter classic theatre programs and plays to a virtual “Institute” which provides school, library, multi-cultural and Senior College programming as well as various types of consulting services.

WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE ISE FROM OTHER SMALL THEATRE COMPANIES: The ISE distinguishes itself from many other theatre and arts non-profits through its use of research-based, outcome-focused educational programming and also through its expertise and experience with “found space theatre”- the presentation of theatre in spaces not normally used as a stage. Additionally, the ISE has received state, regional and national recognition for its innovative multi-cultural programs such as “Shakesper’ese!”™ (Shakespeare in Spanish.)

As do most Shakespeare companies, the ISE produces the works of other classic playwrights in addition to the works of William Shakespeare. Recent productions associated with the ISE or its staff include productions featuring the works of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, and Oscar Wilde.

The ISE further distinguishes itself by bringing a strong multi-disciplinary orientation to its theatre work. Dance and music are routinely found in ISE shows, original theatrical works take the stage along with classics, and

Still another distinguishing characteristic of the ISE is its approach to its artists and the multi-disciplinary strength of its professional staff. The ISE was one of the earliest Des Moines area theatre non-profits to pioneer policies of recognizing theatre artists with paid stipends and/or honorarium, helping to elevate Des Moines theatre to increasingly high levels of professionalism.

The professional leadership staff of the ISE features nationally-recognized. award-winning leaders who bring an uncommonly multi-disciplinary approach to their work- offering a blend not only of artistic and educational disciplines but additionally, the type of managerial and executive expertise often all too rarely found in small arts non-profits.

The caliber of actors and other artists who appear on the ISE stage is also very high. Many ISE or ISE-related shows have averaged 4-5 MFA or conservatory artists among a typical cast, with an equal number of otherwise degreed theatre or musical artists also appearing on the stage.

And as an organization, the ISE holds itself to the highest standards of professional achievement and accountability. Whether as a signatory to various standards of best practice, or as an awardee of public funds (ISE grants are often ranked in the top ten scoring outcomes and have frequently tied for number one positions), the ISE is a quality organization that despite its small size and notably lean budget, significantly contributes to the cultural life of the Capital City of the state of Iowa.

DONATIONS: Donations should be made out to Iowa Shakespeare Experience in care of Metro Arts Alliance and may be mailed to our office at 559 20^th Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50314.

Contact us at 515. 274, 8989.

MORE ABOUT OUR LEADERSHIP STAFF:

Lorenzo Sandoval, Producing Artistic Director/Director for the Iowa Shakespeare Experience AND Playwright, Actor, and Educator:

A five-time Prairie Playwright Award winner who has been published by one of America’s largest publishing houses, Mr. Sandoval received an MFA from the internationally-renowned University of Iowa’s Playwrights Workshop, where he held one of the nation’s scant 100 Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowships. He has been writing, teaching, directing and producing ever since.

Mr. Sandoval is a former top executive and Non-Profit CEO who loves theatre so passionately, he returned to school in his late forties to get his MFA. Prior to that time and since, he has provided extensive executive leadership to a wide variety of large agencies and specialized non-profits, such as for Metro Arts Alliance, the Iowa Interfaith Alliance, Proteus, Swift and Company, and in particular to the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. In a way that may allow him an especially broad perspective, his career has significant depth and range: he’s provided training and consultation to both Fortune 500 Companies like Sears, to national agencies like the Red Cross of America and the United States Department of Justice, and to Universities as well as to non-profit start ups. Mr. Sandoval is further an accomplished grant-writer who routinely brought millions of dollars annually into our state during an extensive stint as a lead grant writer for one of our state’s leading social service agencies. His professional achievements have resulted in numerous Board of Director appointments as well as several governmental and Mayoral Appointments, such as service on the city’s Human Rights Commission, where he was elected Vice Chair.

Currently Mr. Sandoval is a popular and deeply accomplished teaching veteran who specializes in multi-disciplinary teaching across the humanities, theatre, literature and communication fields at institutions of higher education throughout the Midwest. Mr. Sandoval has taught numerous courses for five different colleges and Universities in the central Iowa area and for additional institutions all across Iowa, including the University of Iowa. He also develops, manages and implements award-winning theatre programming for youth – and is further a notably popular instructor for the area’s Senior Colleges.

Mr. Sandoval’s leadership in the Arts is equally as multi-faceted. He is a rostered artist with the Iowa Arts Council, with Metro Arts Alliance, and with p’ARTners Unlimited, and has provided extensive leadership in the arts and in social services through both elected and appointed service on numerous state and regional Boards, from his election as a delegate to Imagine Iowa 2010 to his recent completion of a term as Vice President for the state’s Humanities Iowa Board of Directors.

Mr. Sandoval’s artistic credits span a wide range of disciplines.

· As an Artistic Director, before founding the Iowa Shakespeare Experience, for half a decade Mr. Sandoval served in dual capacity as the jump-start catylist for the Salisbury House Shakespeare initiative he founded, as well as for the Terrace Hill “Victorian Voices” theatre initiatives – serving as Artistic Director, Director, Producing Director and Playwright for both unique series which continue even now. He is also in his 8^th year of directing, writing and producing original theatre for the Des Moines Art Center.

· As a Director, he has directed and produced for a wide variety of theatre companies including Stage West here in Des Moines - -and in extensive teaching residences in other states.

· As a veteran scriptwriter, Mr. Sandoval receives frequent commissions, such as a 2008 radio script writing commission from the University of Alabama or the 2009 work that he is completing for a statewide theatre project under prestigious funding from the Iowa Arts Council. His work has been published by one of the nation’s largest dramatic publishing houses: Dramatic Press.

· As a media personality, Mr. Sandoval has anchored two television shows, most notably the weekly public affairs series “Insight Iowa” for Iowa Public Television. He makes frequent appearances across the state in various capacities as an MC for numerous events – such as his five year stint as MC for International Day at Drake University. Currently his voice-over media work can be heard on both coasts and in such special projects as a 2009 film made in honor of former US Attorney General Janet Reno. He is also the on-air host of the World Food Prize.

· As an actor, Sandoval has appeared in more than 90 industrials and films as well as on regional stages all across the Midwest. Recent roles include a pivotal role in Caucus the Musical and the title role of Mark Twain in his original play, Twain at Twilight, produced in 2008 at Terrace Hill. He’s also been a guest artist in residency out-of-state.

· As a multi-disciplinary artist, Mr. Sandoval has been a featured musician at the Iowa State Fair mainstage and has danced on stage across the US – including on the United Nations stage.

· As a Shakespearean artist, Mr. Sandoval has been involved in several Midwestern Shakespeare companies before founding The Iowa Shakespeare Experience. He is noted for his seamless adaptations of Shakespeare as well as for the creation of new Shakespearean-based works, such as the acclaimed “Romeo and Juliet: Thrice Told Tales”; “The Regina Monologues”, and “Much Adoo-wop About Something”.

· Mr. Sandoval also has completed a variety of artistic residencies – some as close as a recent residency at the Des Moines Arts Center with nationally-acclaimed artist XXXX and others across the country, such as his 2002 residency at Theatre-On-the- Bay with the University of Wisconsin in Marinette.

Robin Heinemann, Executive Director for the Iowa Shakespeare Experience, Founding Executive Producer for the Iowa Shakesperience ™ Festival, has significant experience in founding and jumpstarting ground-breaking programs which almost without exception, have gone on to win major state and federal level awards. She is also a talented artistic designer who has designed and provided a wide variety of leadership roles for 14 different theatrical productions since 2004, as well as for two different television series in Iowa and a variety of television-based initiatives in New York City.

Ms. Heinemann is a former associate of Showmakers, a New York City based international Television production studio which garnered a record-breaking number of Emmy Awards.  She also worked various production and audience/ticket management roles for award-winning TV shows such as Saturday Night Live (then with Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Jane Murray and frequent guests Steve Martin, et al) - work which led to her selection for a prestigious role in the New York City Flagship offices of one of the nation’s most recognized industry leaders: the NBC television network. There, she was one of an elite-five member team which served as the personal staff for the Executive Office of NBC’s then-President and CEO, the television wunderkind leader Fred Silverman, first in association with industry mogul Brandon Tartifkoff and later for entertainment industry legend Grant Tinker. There, she mastered client and customer management skills for the likes of King Huessien of Jordan and guests ranging from Ted Kennedy to Raquel Welch- skills she later applied for several other industry leaders such as Hyatt Hotels and Embassy Suites hotels, where she served in over 28 different capacities for several hotel openings and for prototype properties.

Following her time in New York and an 8 year stint in Austin, Texas, where Ms. Heinemann was involved with that city’s renowned music video and music festival scene (appearing on MTV music videos with Bob Wills and also with the Fabulous Thunderbirds), Robin returned to her family’s home in Des Moines.  Here, she turned her significant familiarity with top-notch productions across multiple genres to helping produce a wide variety of community special events, such as the $300,000 White House Millennium Communities project she founded – and served as Tri-Chair, in association with the Office of the Mayor and the City of Des Moines, the Downtown Community Alliance- and 5 other major Metro-area businesses and banks. She was awarded the “Key to the City” of Des Moines for this initiative, which involved working with Mayors from 28 metro-area cities. To date she has been involved as an Event Chair, Committee Chair, or sub-committee chair on over 50 different special events and fundraisers across the Metro.

Upon Ms. Heinemann’s return to Des Moines, she turned her professional talents to the development of national prototype programs that would serve some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations- particularly inner city families and youth. She designed prototype programming for multiple federal agencies in association with key positions she held for 8 years within the Des Moines Public Schools and then for 10 years at Iowa State University.  Her work with these programs led to one of America’s rare 20 “Exemplary in the Nation” awards (and Iowa’s first) - -a testament to her experience and proven ability in creating innovative, effective ways to address some of the nation’s most pressing problems- such as the methamphetamine prevention project she served for many years. She could be found on the leading edges of the initial national movement to create research-based prevention initiatives and is bona-fide expert in a foundational field known as “programming fidelity” – involving the use of Logic Model outcome analysis. Her work is nationally published and disseminated and has resulted in national recognition and leadership in conjunction with prototype projects at Harvard University, the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Alexandria Virginia, and in Washington DC at the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Department of Justice, and the United States Department of Defense. For the later agency, Ms. Heinemann was one of only 6 federal-level consultants selected from all across America, entrusted to analyze issues on US Military bases located all over the world.

Ms. Heinemann’s work in Iowa has involved a wide breadth of other activities that speak to her multi-faceted interests- from the development of programs at Salisbury House and Terrace Hill to her service as Arts and Cultural Liaison to the Office of the Mayor (Des Moines) and her appointment as the founding Chair of the Des Moines Public Art Task force, work which received one of the state’s highest arts awards- the Iowa Arts Council “Arts in Community” award. She further distinguished herself in the field of law at Drake University, where she received two American Jurisprudence Awards for highest scholarship and also was named a national Rockefeller Foundation Alternate Scholar in Divinity. Previously, Ms. Heinemann was a President’s Scholar at Drake and with John Cabot International College, she also attended university in Rome, Italy and Paris, France as well as the L’Abris Institute in Huemoz, Switzerland.

Ms. Heinemann is a member of both the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and Leadership Iowa, institutions which annually elect less than 50 individuals from across the Metro and the State in any given year.She has served on 32 different national, regional, state and metro Boards, such as two terms on the Board of Directors for the Des Moines Community Playhouse and service as a founding Board member for one of Iowa’s largest initiatives for utilizing the arts to reach at-risk youth: The Iowa Arts Council Take A Step project.

Ms. Heinemann’s work for the ISE encompasses the development and supervision of all ISE youth educational programs as well as resource development and lead grant writing services for the ISE, where she maintains the laudable 99% proposal acceptance rate she established for Des Moines Public Schools and Iowa State University.

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