Iowa

‘Stereophonic’ won Best Play at the Tony Awards. The playwright is a University of Iowa alum

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

‘Stereophonic’ won Best Play at the Tony Awards. The playwright is a University of Iowa alum

A University of Iowa alum’s record-breaking play won several awards at the 77^th annual Tony Awards Sunday night.

David Adjmi is the playwright behind the 13-time Tony-nominated play “Stereophonic.” It received the most nominations of any play in Tony history. It won five awards, including Best Play, when the Tonys aired on June 16 on CBS.

“This almost didn’t happen,” Adjmi said in his acceptance speech. “This play took me 11 years to manifest in a production and it wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Adam Greenfield and Playwrights Horizons, the off-Broadway theater that gave us a world-class production that we basically transferred to the Broadway stage.”

Adjmi thanked his friends for both emotional and financial help, including for giving him a place to live for “seven years so that I could write this play.”

“It’s really hard to make a career in the arts,” Adjmi said. “We need to fund the arts in America. It is the hallmark of a civilized society.”

“Stereophonic” follows an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album “on the cusp of superstardom,” but whether that pressure breaks them up or inspires their breakthrough is left for audiences to discover, according to Playwrights Horizons.

Adjmi attended the Iowa Playwrights Workshop from 1998 to 2001, University of Iowa public relations manager Steve Schmadeke said in an email to the Des Moines Register.

He wrote “Strange Attractors” during this time, which premiered at the Empty Space Theatre in Seattle, according to Playbill. He has also written “Marie Antoinette” and “The Evildoers.”

Adjmi was admitted to Juilliard’s American Playwrights Program, Schmadeke said, and other honors include being awarded a Mellon Foundation grant to a Guggenheim Fellowship, according to Adjmi’s website.

He authored a memoir, “Lot Six,” published in 2020.

What was David Adjmi’s time at the University of Iowa like?

Art Borreca, co-head of the Iowa Playwrights Workshop, recalled some of Adjmi’s time at Iowa with the Register in a phone interview.

Borreca had started running the MFA playwriting program, and Adjmi was part of the very first class Borreca was responsible for admitting.

Borreca recalled reading the play Adjmi submitted for admission.

“The play that he submitted was really, really strong,” Borreca said. “It clearly had a strong sense of voice and sense of theater, and the application rose right to the top. So, we admitted him and recruited him a little bit. I remember that there was another program that very much wanted him, but he liked our program in particular, and ended up coming here.”

Borreca saw Adjmi’s first drafts as part of a course in the program, and his work was more advanced than what one would expect from a first draft, Borreca said.

“On top of being very talented, he had a really strong academic background, was always very smart and very knowledgeable about the theater and about literature in general, and that came across both in the workshop and in the other classes,” Borreca said.

During the time Adjmi was enrolled in the Iowa Playwrights Workshop, work submitted to the New Play Festival had the chance to be selected for the main stage season the following year, Borreca explained.

One of Adjmi’s plays was selected for the main stage season, an “indication of how strong his work was,” Borreca said.

Adjmi’s success benefits the Iowa Playwrights Workshop by drawing in students who are considering where to apply, Borreca explained. It also affirms the “quality of the writers that come here,” he said.

Were there other Tony-winning shows with Iowa ties?

Des Moines Performing Arts invested in five of the Tony-nominated shows as part of the Independent Presenters Network, a consortium of 40 Broadway presenters, theaters and performing arts centers, according to a news release from DMPA in April.

Those shows are “The Outsiders,” “Here Lies Live,” “The Notebook,” “Gutenberg! The Musical!” and “Monty Python’s Spamalot.”

“The Outsiders” won Best Musical at the Tonys. It also won for:

Best Direction of a Musical, Danya Taymor — “The Outsiders”
Best Lighting Design in a Musical, Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim — “The Outsiders”
Best Sound Design of a Musical, Cody Spencer — “The Outsiders”

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

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Iowa

Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.

Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing

37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing

Midday: 0-5-8

Evening: 9-9-2

Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing

Midday: 0-2-7-3

Evening: 0-7-0-6

Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing

14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Iowa

Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid

Published

15 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid

IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.

The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.

“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.

Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.

At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.

That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.

“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.

The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.

“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.

Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.

For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.

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Harkin backs Turek for Iowa Senate

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.

Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.

“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”

Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.

Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.

Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.

Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.

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