Richie’s love of theater began in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during his high school years in the 1990s. Yes, the nineteen hundreds.

Over four years, he appeared in twenty productions, qualified as an All-State actor, and performed at the International Thespian Society Festival.

But what stayed with him most wasn’t the recognition. It was the directors, teachers, and fellow performers who made those experiences so meaningful. They showed him what a good rehearsal room could be: a place to work hard, take creative risks, make mistakes, laugh, and discover something about yourself along the way.

That experience has shaped his approach to theater ever since.

Richie went on to build a career that combined organizational leadership with hands-on theatrical work. At Theatre Cedar Rapids, one of the Midwest’s largest community theaters, he served as Sales and Marketing Director while also directing and designing productions. Working on both sides of the organization gave him an appreciation for everything it takes to bring a production to life.

In 2014, he founded Giving Tree Theater, an intimate 110-seat theater in Iowa. Over the next five years, he produced more than sixty plays and musicals, developing a reputation for thoughtful, story-driven productions and meaningful community engagement.

Youth theater became an especially important part of that work. Richie developed programs that treated young performers as members of a real production company, giving them the time, responsibility, and creative guidance to grow through the entire rehearsal and performance process.

Alongside his theatrical experience, Richie holds an MBA and brings a background in corporate training, leadership, and occupational safety. These experiences continue to influence how he approaches directing, teaching, production planning, and creating rehearsal environments where people feel supported.

PaperMap Theater & Co. brings all of those experiences together.

It’s an opportunity to build a theater that reflects what Richie has loved most about this art form for more than three decades: intimate storytelling, imaginative design, meaningful educational experiences, and the extraordinary things that happen when people come together to make something.

A Note From Richie

I started PaperMap because I wanted to create the kind of theater I fell in love with when I was young.

Not necessarily a big theater. Not one with hundreds of seats or enormous casts. Just a wonderful little place where people can do good work together, where young performers have room to grow, and where an audience can feel every bit of what is happening onstage.

I’ve spent a good portion of my life in rehearsal rooms, and I still think they’re pretty magical places.

My hope is that PaperMap becomes one of those places people remember fondly years from now. Maybe because of a show they were in, a friendship they made, or an evening spent watching a story unfold a few feet in front of them.

If we can keep creating those experiences, I think we’re doing something worthwhile.

I’m glad you’ve found us.

Richie Akers
Founder & Artistic Director
PaperMap Theater & Co.

We adventure through theater, together. ✧