There’s a good deal to admire in the current Playcrafters production of Agatha Christie’s exotic murder mystery, “Murder on the Nile.” Just don’t ask me to explain the sometimes confounding, labyrinthine plot. In the Playcrafters Barn Theatre synopsis on its website (printed programs were not available the opening weekend), it says: “Kay Ridgeway has led […]
“Marjorie Prime,” a play by Jordan Harrison now running at Richmond Hill Players, is one of the most haunting and sad pieces of theater I’ve ever seen. In the not-too-distant future (starting in 2062 specifically), with artificial intelligence deeply embedded in our daily lives, 85-year-old Marjorie struggles with her disparate, fading memories. She lives with her […]
Walking into see the new production of Playcrafters Barn Theatre’s “The Diary of Anne Frank,” I knew I was in for a riveting, heart-rending drama that would not simply be a decades-old tragedy with no relevance to today. Seeing the Saturday, Aug. 2 performance — directed with precision, flair and profound humanity by Elle Winchester […]
This summer has been a busy, productive one for T Green and Calvin Vo. Not only have the Haus of Ruckus writing and performing partners been co-starring in the fabulous Countryside production of “Hairspray” (continuing this weekend), the talented, satirical duo penned a super silly, slapstick adaptation of an ancient Greek comedy for the Genesius […]
Let’s hope QC Music Guild and Countryside Community Theatre don’t get any federal funding, because it would be yanked after two of this summer’s most satisfying, proudly pro-DEI shows — Guild’s “The Prom,” and its spiritual parent, Countryside’s current musical “Hairspray.” Both boasting the obvious conclusion that diversity, equity and inclusion are societal strengths (and […]
There are three brief, key scenes in Circa 21’s new production of “Mary Poppins” where Gillian Weatherford as the proper British nanny floats above the stage, and another when Jordan Thomas Burnett as the impish chimney sweep Bert does even more gravity-defying gymnastics. But these are hardly the only magic moments in this gloriously entertaining […]
Despite the usual challenges of actors being heard without amplification outdoors, Genesius Guild does an admirable job in presenting the powerful, beguiling Shakespeare tragedy Antony & Cleopatra, with especially strong performances by its titular characters. Antony & Cleopatra is the sequel to last year’s Genesius Guild production of Julius Caesar. The show tells the story of Mark Antony (portrayed by Justin Raver) – who […]
Partly because I’m a writer, I love reading director’s notes in theater programs. They give you insight into what you’re about to see, and are helpful especially if you’re not familiar with a show. “The Prom” at Quad City Music Guild is one of the best shows I’ve seen at the Moline theater, for many […]
Ken Ludwig’s website says that he may well be the most performed playwright of his generation, and the prolific comic writer has been frequently been performed in the Quad Cities, most at Playcrafters in Moline, Circa ’21 in Rock Island, and Richmond Hill in Geneseo. He has had six productions on Broadway and eight in […]
Befitting his ambition and intelligence, Alexander Richardson has written a whopper of a new play, given a madcap, emotional, assured world premiere at Moline’s Black Box Theatre. “To Leer At Lear” – a comedic re-telling of Shakespeare’s immortal, iconic “King Lear,” and a play within a play – is the latest production of Richardson’s Barely […]
