Bell Tower Theater Announces Plans for the Remainder of the 2020 Season
Dubuque, IA—The Bell Tower Theater, your hometown theater, is pleased to announce that more in-person live theater will be performed in 2020. However, the schedule has changed significantly.
The production of The Church of Diminishing Marginal Returns, a comedy by Jay Hauling, originally scheduled for October has been moved to November 6–22, 2020. The performance will be directed by the Bell Tower Theater’s Artistic Director Sue Riedel. The production of A Doublewide, Texas Christmas, originally scheduled for December has been cancelled. The presentation of GIT Improv originally scheduled for November 14 has been rescheduled for December 5, 2020. Due to the current public health crisis, these shows will be performed with social distance seating and a variety of other precautions. Some examples include: 1) The capacity of the Bell Tower Theater has been reduced from 174 seats to 62 seats, 2) All patrons will be required to wear a mask while in the theater; 3) The shows will be performed without an intermission and 4) Strict cleaning protocols have been put into place. Details about these and other changes can be found at www.belltowertheater.net. Because of the severely limited capacity, current ticket holders are being given an opportunity to claim their seats first: Season ticket holders only from now until October 4 and single ticket buyers from October 5 to 18. On October 19 any remaining seats will be opened to the public. The Church of Diminishing Marginal Returns When “not-entirely-honest” entrepreneur Josh finds himself in financial trouble, he cons his evangelical brother Jon into starting their own church. Josh and Jon raise so much money they’re able to pay off most of their debts. Then the IRS shows up! The laughs are non-stop as the boys try to solve one comic complication after another. The cast features Bell Tower veterans CJ Burroughs, Scott Schneider and Angela Schwarte alongside newcomers to the Bell Tower Stage, Dakota Vaassen and Benjy Miller. Performances are every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoon at 2 pm from November 6 to 22 plus two added Saturday 2 pm performances on November 14 & 21. Tickets for all performances are $22. GIT Improv (formerly Guys in Ties) Bell Tower favorites, Guys in Ties offers improv comedy at its best. Every performance is a brand new adventure as these talented comedians create a unique show right before your very eyes using suggestions from you and your fellow audience members. One performance only Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20. The Bell Tower Theater is conveniently located in Fountain Park at 2728 Asbury Road in the city’s vibrant West End just minutes from both Highway 20 and the Northwest Arterial. For information and to purchase tickets call 563-588-3377. Please note online sales (www.belltowertheater.net) will begin on Monday, October 19 at 11 am when the show is opened to the public. 
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Instructions for Confirmation were in full swing as John and I, Elizabeth, the eighth and ninth members of the family, prepared for our Confirmation day. Archbishop John (Sugar) Keane was not partial to the Monastery Parish as its pastor. Rev. Placid Magee, lived partially under Cistercian rules which hindered the Archbishop from having complete jurisdiction over him. The Archbishop had threatened not to confirm the class four years previously as he said, “They are not properly prepared.”
Rain or shine, John and I drove our single buggy to catechism on Saturday morning. Our sleek black pony. Dell, gave us a swift jaunty ride as we enjoyed freedom and responsibility. Our heads were crammed with Baltimore Catechism answers, which sounded like a record production with little understanding of their meanings. The whole class marched with their sponsors, names to be taken pinned securely, and awaited the questions. “How many were in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles?” Silence prevailed. All heads were down cast in deep thought. Our pastor, Father Placid, stood behind the clergy, with his right hand plainly writing in midair the number 120. After a long silence, I stood up and said, “Your Excellency, about 120 people were present.” With a broad smile the archbishop replied, “Very well answered.” The whole congregation took on an atmosphere of relief as we had crossed the first hurdle. As more simple questions followed, the whole class volunteered answers, making it a happy occasion. My sister Mary was teaching in Humbolt, Iowa. She was so happy with our achievement that she sent a box by parcel post to John and me. The mailman even drove his team up to our house to deliver the heavy brown package. We hurriedly tore it open to find two pairs of shiny new roller skates, just our size. We slipped the snuggly fitting skates over our shoes, but found the two-plank boardwalk too rough to skate on. John said, “We can clear a place in the upstairs hayloft to skate on.” So with two three-prong pitch forks we moved about two tons of hay back and up to get a 40 x 60 place to skate. The floor was planed and smooth so we could play tag games and master short curves with great speed. The hollow sound from our skating was a real giveaway, and any task not finished summoned us to quit skating and get it done. Now in 1997 we see the kids on their blade skates mastering far greater skills. We appreciated our reward and cherished the thought that right will prevail! 
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