Black Box Theater in Moline is back with  “La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas,” starring Shelley Cooper, for just three performances — March 26-28. The show, inspired by the life and work of the dramatic 20th-century opera singer Maria Callas (1923-1977), contains stories of Callas’ life and famous iconic arias that she was known for singing. Cooper – an assistant professor of theatre arts at Augustana College — “La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas” at Augustana and at the Retzhof Castle near Graz, Austria, as a part of the International Global Theatre Experience. That... Read More

Former Quad City Times David Burke reporter once referred to the cast of my production of Company as being “the cool kids lunch table” and if he were still reviewing shows in this area, he’d say the same and MORE about this cast. This is the new “cool kids lunch table.” James Driscoll. Jenny Winn. Sara Wegener. Tom Vaccaro. Matt Walsh. Mark Ruebling. Doug Kutzli. It’s like producers Lora Adams and David Miller broke into my brain and picked one of my dream team casts and put them on stage for the new Black Box Theater production of “Dick Tracy.” Unfortunately, they... Read More

It’s been a while, but the Black Box Theatre in downtown Moline will be back with live theater starting Thursday, with a new production of “Dick Tracy: A Live Radio Play,” starring James Driscoll, Matt Walsh, Doug Kutzli, Mark Ruebling, Jenny Winn, Sara Nicole Wegener and Tom Vaccaro in the “Case of The Big Top Murders.” “Dick Tracy and The Case of the Big Top Murders” is a whodunnit focusing on the renowned sleuth’s investigation of murder and mayhem in a traveling circus company. ho killed the clown, and why? Theater veteran Jim Driscoll is Dick Tracy. Lora Adams, BBT co-founder... Read More

Saturday In The Arts offers an in-depth look at a person or subject of interest in the local arts and entertainment scene. It runs every Saturday on your site for fun, free, local entertainment, QuadCities.com.   Max Allan Collins’ success is no mystery. The man in black has proven to be a maestro at making people’s lives full of stress, misery and murder — and people love him for it. It helps that the people are fictional, characters in the canon of the Muscatine-based author, who, this month, was nominated for a Scribe Award for his 2019 novel, “Murder, My Love.”... Read More

Max Collins has killed hundreds of people over the past four decades.   And, not only has he not been sent to prison, but they’ve given him awards, fame and fortune for it. The Muscatine author, who saw his novel “Road To Perdition” turned into an Oscar-nominated film and who was given the 2017 Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement as a fictional murderer, a maestro of mystery novels, is continuing to charm readers with his bloody fun exploits. MWA’s Grand Master Award represented the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge... Read More