Joseph Leonardi lived in San Francisco for 15 years while managing his own theater company, but came back to Iowa with a purpose and an idea.

Leonardi created the Central Iowa Repertory Theatre Company, the newest addition to the Des Moines arts scene, and he sends C.I.R.T.C into the world with the same mantra that a lot of arts establishments share.

“Our mission is to enhance the cultural life of Iowans,” Leonardi says.

C.I.R.T.C will be presenting its first production, “Gems from Giants,” for the rest of this month, and Leonardi says this show is just the first of many to come from the company.

He already has plans for the rest of the year with shows around the holidays as well as a commemoration of Black History Month.

“We want to eventually develop into presenting full seasons,” Leonardi says.

“Gems from Giants” is done in collaboration with AriesWorks Entertainment, a local production company.

AriesWorks founder and co-producer of “Gems” Kimberly Busbee says she is excited about the arrival of the new theater company.

“We are liking to see a repertory company in the Des Moines area that we can collaborate and pool our resources with,” Busbee says. This isn’t the first time Leonardi and Busbee have pooled their resources — the popular Des Moines venue Vaudeville Mews came from their creative minds.

Leonardi says C.I.R.T.C will be serving more than just those looking to see a good show, it will help local actors and actresses stay in the area.

“It will provide employment opportunities for theater artists,” Leonardi says.

“Gems from Giants” is composed of two one-act plays: “Hugie” by Eugene O’Neill and “The Lady of Larkspur Lotion” by Tennessee Williams.

Both plays take place in a hotel, and C.I.R.T.C is presenting the show in the historic Kirkwood Hotel Lobby. Leonardi strives to present plays in unique locations, and says the Kirkwood Hotel was the perfect fit.

“It just splashed on me that the lobby of the Kirkwood was of the same era,” Leonardi says. “And how great it would be to do ‘Hugie’ there.”

“Hugie” will actually use the front desk and lobby area of the hotel, and Busbee agrees that the unique location was innovative of Leonardi.

“He thought it would be interesting to do a play about a hotel lobby, in a hotel lobby,” Busbee says. “It fits perfectly.”

C.I.R.T.C will soon be developing further into a full repertory theater company, and Leonardi says that the next step is getting community members to act as board members so they can apply for grant money. Through this entire process, Leonardi says the road has been pretty free of bumps.

“It’s been relatively smooth,” Leonardi says. “It was kind of ‘meant to be.’ We’re getting to the shore here.”