New Home

Excitement continues at our new home at 2019 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines! 

With all of the great progress that’s been made by the construction crew to get walls complete, Tallgrass was excited to welcome several incredible volunteers into the space this past weekend and begin painting walls! As each space moves forward and begins to take shape, the team is also busy planning for the official move-in from our offsite storage unit where things have been for the past 18 months. Stay tuned as we continue to share new photos and exciting announcements surrounding the project and our upcoming season! For now, enjoy a behind the scenes look at the work that’s been completed recently!  

In November 2020, the team at Tallgrass Tallgrass Theatre Company announced that we had secured a new home at 2019 Grand Ave., Suite 100, in West Des Moines.  Construction in the new space began on July 5 and is rapidly moving us toward our goal of opening later this year.  This new 6,500 sq. ft. space will allow us to develop and expand our offerings by: 

• Providing affordable and accessible theatrical productions, classes and workshops for both children and adults. 
• Expanding collaboration among local arts and culture by creating a shared arts venue with community partners in West Des Moines and the surrounding communities. 
• Creating a space that individuals and groups can rent for performances, classes and other events. 

During our performances of Bridges of Madison County and An Evening with Sondheim, we announced that we were making our New Home Capital Campaign public and that construction was rapidly happening in the space. We are excited to share with you that we’re making great progress towards our initial goal of raising $190,000 for the build-out of our new home. For those of you that have already contributed, we cannot thank you enough for joining us on this journey. For those of you who are still interested in supporting this project, we would love to schedule a time for you to get a sneak peek of the space and learn how your contribution can help get us to opening night! With your support, our New Home Project is quickly becoming a reality! This success simply would not be possible without your help. Thank you for your investment! 

Tallgrass Theatre Company is thrilled to announce we have located a new home! That’s right, Christmas has come early this year for Tallgrass. We have a home for the holidays and beyond!

Tallgrass Theatre Company searches for new home after 13 years at Rex Mathes Auditorium.

West Des Moines, IA – This holiday season, Tallgrass Theatre Company (TTC) has one item on their Christmas wish list: a new home. After 13 years using the auditorium at Rex Mathes School in West Des Moines, the organization’s board of directors received news in October 2019, that their lease would be coming to an end following the 2019-2020 school year.

TTC was founded in 2002 by Jessie Phillips and James Stephenson. At the time, Phillips and Stephenson discussed the idea of starting a theatre company that, like the tallgrass prairies of Iowa, has deep roots within the state. Like the rebirth of the tallgrass prairies from year to year, Tallgrass Theatre stays fresh with constant change, with a firm and steady base of supporters.

In 2006, TTC moved into the under-utilized Rex Mathes School auditorium. Contracting with the West Des Moines Public School District, TTC was able to finally settle into a permanent home. TTC made several renovations to the mostly empty auditorium, which took the space from a barren stage with very little technical support to a fully-functioning theatre performance space. Over the years Tallgrass has added thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, such as an overhead pipe grid system to hang stage draperies, scenic elements, lighting instruments and sound equipment. In 2010 TTC, took the small 9ft. deep x 25ft. wide stage and expanded it to 20ft. deep x 25ft. wide, opening up many possibilities for staging theatrical performances. During the 2017-2018 season, Tallgrass campaigned to raise $30,000 to upgrade their theatrical lighting inventory to all-new, state-of-the-art LED fixtures. TTC exceeded their goal, raising more than $34,000, which all went to the new LED lighting system and console board. In that same season, it became apparent that with the continued growth of Tallgrass, Rex Mathes would not be large enough for the long-term goals of the organization. At that time, TTC launched the official search for a new home, and Tallgrass hosted Home for the Holidays: an Evening with Gina Gedler and Steve Berry, which kicked off the fundraising efforts for a new home. 

In October 2019, the TTC board of directors was informed by the West Des Moines Public School District that all long-term rental contracts (including TTC) would not be renewed after this current school year. Therefore, at the end of the current 2019-2020 season, Tallgrass Theatre Company will no longer be located at Rex Mathes Auditorium. As the search for a new home becomes more critical, the TTC Board of Directors and Trust, the two governing bodies for the organization, are fully committed to finishing out the current 2019-2020 season strong; while continuing to plan for the exciting future of TTC. 

Tallgrass will move into their new home, bringing all their technology and equipment purchased over the last 13 years. This includes everything from the new LED lighting system, the sound system, stage draperies, the pipes for hanging equipment, etc. Tallgrass is a theatre in a box – all equipment can be transitioned into a new space, where TTC will continue to expand theatrical offerings, while remaining West Des Moines’ community theatre. 

Tallgrass welcomes any information on a possible new home in the city of West Des Moines. Donations to support TTC’s ongoing work can be made by visiting www.tallgrasstheatre.org/donate. For additional information or to learn more about the TTC new home search, please contact newhome@tallgrasstheatre.org.