Founded in 1981, Riverside Theatre is Eastern Iowa’s flagship professional resident theatre. From September through April, Riverside produces a full season of work in a newly-renovated 150-seat theatre in the heart of Iowa City’s Ped Mall. June and July features a summer season centered around the classics, including a full production of Shakespeare free for the community at the Riverside Festival Stage in Iowa City’s Lower City Park. Riverside Theatre is affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, and engages a mix of regional and local actors, designers, and directors. Programming aims to strengthen the cultural fabric of Iowa City through intimate, engaging productions from classics to new works; theatre that sparks discourse, builds community, delights, inspires, breaks down barriers, and explores the complexities of the human spirit.