The Augustana College Department of Theatre presents Miss Nelson is Missing! the Musical on October 9 and 10, 2021 at 1:30 PM. The uncontrollable children of Room 207 are in for a surprise when Miss Nelson goes missing and is replaced by Viola Swamp, a no- nonsense substitute who assigns piles of homework! The students learn lessons of appreciation and respect, but will they ever get their beloved Miss Nelson back? Based on the well-loved children’s books by Harry Allard and James Marshall. Book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing, and directed by Jackie McCall. “We’re so excited that... Read More

Words and art are my business – as tools, objects of affection, contemplation and worship, ways to make sense and meaning of life – as they are for “Red,” the brilliant, caustic, literate John Logan play given a fantastic, thrilling new production by Mississippi Bend Players at Augustana College. Over an emotional 90-minute rollercoaster — in an action-packed, dialogue-dense one act, first-class director Cait Bodenbender and peerless actors Mike Schulz and Tristan Odenkirk grab your attention and never let go. It’s as riveting, passionate, thought-provoking – and deeply committed... Read More

After a fairly hellish 2020, Shelley Cooper is back in musical heaven as the first half of 2021 is shaping up to be very busy and fulfilling. The enthusiastic Augustana College assistant professor of theater arts recently filmed two special performances for Circa ’21; she’s directing a new college production of “Into the Woods” this month; choreographing the next Circa mainstage show in March, and directing the Circa musical after that; performing a one-woman original show at the Black Box Theatre in late March, and then going to Orlando, Fla., to do the same show by June. Plus, you know,... Read More

The brave new world of streaming theater seems to be cursed for Rock Island’s Augustana College. First last August, they had a derecho sweep through the area, forcing postponement of a Zoom reading of “For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday.” In the fall, the college had a transformer next to Centennial Hall catch on fire, knocking out power and internet moments before “Doctor Faustus” was supposed to start streaming. And now, on Feb. 12, a nationwide technical glitch caused the online Showtix4U platform to stop working for tens of thousands of customers — including all of Augustana... Read More

The classic bromance of Faust bargaining with the devil, becomes a feminist, queer bond in a new Augustana College production opening tonight, Oct. 29, at the Brunner Theatre Center’s Blackbox Theatre. “The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) stars students Lauren Larson as Faustus and Alyssa Frazier as Mephistopheles, directed by senior theater major SophiaRose Brown. Doctor Faustus has mastered every scholarly subject, so what is left to explore? Magic? Necromancy? When offered everything she desires for 24 years and a demon at her command, the temptation... Read More

The 1953 Samuel Beckett classic “Waiting for Godot” has had a long wait for its premiere Thursday at Moline’s Black Box Theatre. But it’s perfect for a pandemic-plagued 2020. Directed by local theater veteran Mike Schulz (an Augustana College alum), he started rehearsals in May, originally as a partnership between QC Theatre Workshop and Mississippi Bend Players. A plan to do the mainly two-person play outside at a pavilion behind Brunner Theatre Center was later shelved, and it’s now going up independently at the small Black Box with a maximum audience of 26 – masks are required –... Read More

Theaters in the Quad-Cities and nationwide are canceling spring and summer shows, due to Covid-19. The latest response to the global pandemic is the Augustana College-based Mississippi Bend Players (MBP), which is shelving its 2020 season. Jackie McCall is in her first year as MBP producing artistic director, and this was to be the fourth season for the professional summer-stock company. It planned to start rehearsals for Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound” June 7, with performances June 19-28 at Brunner Theatre Center, Rock Island. “When we just looked at ahead at what could happen,... Read More

In 1999 the Quad-City Playwrights Festival was created to inspire and showcase the work of budding high school writers. In 2005, it expanded to include writers from throughout the community. Each year, playwrights submit 10-minute original plays to an adjudication committee. Selected plays are given to a director and a cast of all Augustana College students to present a staged reading of the work. Augustana College will host the 18th annual Quad-City Playwrights Festival on Saturday, May 13 at 1:30 p.m. The 2017 selected plays include:     It isn’t Funny by Victoria Navarro     The Familiar... Read More

There are some exciting things happening this month in the arts at Augustana College! Here’s a rundown of some of the cool events: Titanic: the Musical opened last weekend, with more performances this weekend May 5-6 at 7:30 p.m. and May 7 at 1:30 p.m. Get your tickets at www.augustana.edu/tickets. The Senior Art Exhibition opened Friday, featuring the Senior Inquiry projects of the studio art and graphic design majors of the Augustana Class of 2017. As part of the Celebration of Learning on May 3, students will give artist talks in the Centennial Hall galleries beginning at 10:30 a.m. A closing... Read More

      The gripping drama Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley will be playing on the Kim and Donna Brunner Main Stage at Augustana College from January 27 through February 5. The play tells the story of the three McGrath sisters, together again in their hometown of Hazelhurst, Mississippi. Lenny is the caretaker of their granddad. Meg, the middle sister, left home to pursue stardom as a singer in Los Angeles, but so far has only found happiness at the bottom of a bottle. The youngest of them all, Babe, has just been arrested for the murder of her abusive husband, Zackery Bottrelle.... Read More