Kristian Day named new Director of Marketing for The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts

The Donna Reed Foundation has named independent filmmaker and president of Modern American Cinema, Kristian Day, as the Foundation's Director of Marketing for a term of one year. He has been an outspoken advocate for both independent filmmakers and non-corporately owned movie theaters. In his position, he will expand educational and public outreach of the Donna Reed Foundation at state, regional and national levels. 

Day is a 26 year old native of Rock Island, Ill. and went to high school in Cedar Rapids. He attended the University of Colorado at Denver in the Music Industry Studies program. In 2008, he began directing and producing his own movies. His short films have played all over the world including Austria, Greece, and Italy. His films have also been screened at various festivals in cities across the United States including Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.

 In 2010, Day founded Modern American Cinema, a film production and distribution company based in Des Moines. The company has produced and distributed feature length narratives and documentaries to over 60 theaters in the Midwest. The company is most noted for the feature length documentary, Capone's Whiskey: The Story of Templeton Rye and the Iowa Public Television program, Templeton Rye: Iowa's Good Stuff, which were both directed by Day.

Listening To The Still Small Voice – The Story Of George Washington Carver

Second program of “American Icon Series” is October 12th

Iowa educated, George Washington Carver was best known for creating over 300 uses for the peanut. But Carver the man was an agriculture visionary and much more. On Friday night, October 12^th at 7 p.m., The Donna Reed Foundation in Denison will host a one-man play celebrating the life of Dr. Carver.

The performance is part of the foundation’s “2012-13 American Icon Series – Focus On Iowa” and will take place at the Donna Reed Theater in downtown Denison. The presenter is Paxton Williams, an Iowa State University graduate – like Dr. Carver, who become interested in the doctor’s work as a student and developed a play titled “Listening To The Still Small Voice – The Story Of George Washington Carver”.

Tickets to “Listening To The Still Small Voice – The Story of George Washington Carver” are $15 each for adults and $5 each for youths 18 and under. Tickets can be obtained by calling the Donna Reed Foundation at 712-263-3334 or by e-mail at info@donnareed.org. More information on the “American Icon Series” is also available on The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts website and blog, www.donnareed.org.

Performance News Release

Glenn Miller Orchestra fills Donna Reed Theater with memorable music

Photo by Gordon Wolf

First of Donna Reed Foundation’s American Icon: Focus on Iowa series.

The music of the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra had toes tapping and people swaying in their seats at the Donna Reed Theater, September 21. The audience filled the main floor and spilled over into the balcony as the group filled the theater with their unamplified sound.

The tight performance kept the audience involved and spotlighted the talents of individual orchestra members. Applause greeted many of the musical selections, indicating the group had stirred fond memories.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra, under the direction of Nick Hilscher, consists of five saxophone players, four trumpeters, four trombonists and three rhythm musicians (piano, bass and drums). Two vocalists, one male and one female also accompany the band.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra, formed officially in 1956 under the direction of Ray McKinley, has earned a reputation as a highly disciplined, musical and visually entertaining musical organization. The band currently plays an average of 300 live shows per year in front of millions of fans.