The Urban Theatre Project was created by Leslie Charipar with plans to bring "visceral, messy, in-your-face theatre in non-theatrical settings all over the city." Since 2005, they have done just that performing shows in such varied locations as Brucemore, Theatre Cedar Rapids, Old Mays Drug Store and in the empty space above the Blend restaurant in downtown Cedar Rapids. Charipar became Artistic Director of Theatre Cedar Rapids in 2008, so Jason Alberty took over the helm of UTP. What could be considered a mission statement from their website: 2005 2006 2007 2008