ABOVE : The exterior of the Temple of Creative Arts , formerly the B ’ Nai Jacob Synagogue , in the 500 block of East Main Street , on March 6 , 2024 . BELOW , RIGHT : TThe interior of the former B ’ Nai Jacob Synagogue , now the Temple of Creative Arts , on March 6 , 2024 . The synagogue , built in 1915 and holding Jewish services for over 100 years , was later sold and the American Gothic Performing Arts festival now uses it . Photos by Chad Drury / The Ottumwa Courier .
The capacity of TOCA is nowhere near what the synagogue held , as it can seat anywhere from 60 to 125 , which is on the high end .
Mostly though , TOCA is known for its American Gothic House Festival performances , which are held over 18 days in June and many of which are education-based , without " feeling like you ' re at school ," Willhoit said .
This season , " To Kill a Mockingbird ," " Don Quixote " and " Hello Dolly !" will be among the featured performances at the festival .
" With the festival , there is a strong educational component . We ' re targeting elementary and middle school-aged kids in the summer ," Willhoit said . " This year , we ' re having a bilingual performance of " Don Quixote ," and we ' re hoping to do some special things with that adaptation in both English and Spanish . The language is kind of the focus of the thing ."
Willhoit usually looks for actors in the 18-23 age group who are learning the ropes of artistic production ; they are usually paid a stipend for their services to TOCA . However , some performances , such as " To Kill a Mockingbird ," require older actors .
" Usually , they ' re either still in training in an academic setting or struck out on their own , so we look to provide mentorship to help them get to their professional goals ," he said . " Sometimes , though , you require certain-aged people , and we do bring in more experienced actors in
6 | Now & Then their careers , and they also serve as mentors .
" That mix of age and experience naturally creates an educational environment . We ' re not hiring people solely based on their performance skills , but on how they fit into this puzzle ."