‘Sage of Charles City’ reads latest script

About a dozen local patrons of the arts gathered to listen to Charles City playwright Conrad “Dugan” Thompson, as he held a reading of his 29th play, entitled “Of Press Booth: The Stage Play of The Stage Play,” at the Charles City Arts Center on Friday.

The play was a look behind the scenes of the making and staging of his 28th play, which was called “Press Booth: The Stage Play.”

Although the names were changed, Thompson referenced several local people and places in his work.

Thompson does much of his writing at the Charles City Public Library, and was called “The Sage of Charles City” on a recent episode of “Greetings from Iowa” on IPTV.

Much of his work combines local and historical folklore to reflect on the unexpected challenges and enduring values in Iowa’s changing small towns.

Thompson has been writing plays for about five years. He said he is already working on his 30th.

(Press photo James Grob.)