Rock Island-based Genesius Guild has never staged the 1843 classic “A Christmas Carol” in its distinguished 63-year history. Until now, without actual staging. After the first summer without free, live theater in Rock Island’s Lincoln Park since 1957, Genesius veteran Mischa Hooker has organized a unique audio version of the iconic Charles Dickens story, featuring many other Guild vets among its 24-member cast. In a 90-minute abridged version Dickens himself created for public readings, the Genesius cast includes Susan Perrin-Sallak as narrator, Michael Carron as Scrooge, Phil Tunnicliff... Read More

Well, you can forget about spring sports and concerts, and a whole bunch of other things you enjoy, unless you enjoy wearing masks, in which case YOU’RE IN LUCK! Illinois’ stay-at-home order has been extended to May 30, keeping a myriad of Quad-Cities businesses and activities closed through at least early June. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker made the announcement this afternoon in an online press conference. Pritzker is also requiring residents to wear masks in public. The current stay-at-home order was through April 30th. “On our current trajectory, the state is projected to see a peak... Read More

For the first time since 1949, the sweet sound of music will not play in Prospect Park. Quad City Music Guild became the latest arts organization to cancel its summer 2020 season, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it announced Wednesday. Following a March 13 decision to cancel the planned spring show, “The Secret Garden,” at Music Guild’s April 21 board meeting, they decided to cancel the three summer productions (all already cast) – “Spamalot,” “Mamma Mia!,” and “Matilda.” “Our hope is to bring you these three shows, along with our previously canceled spring production, ‘The... Read More

Joining the chorus of Covid-related theater closings, Rock Island-based Genesius Guild on Tuesday afternoon announced it is canceling its planned 2020 season.  “This is a decision that none of us took lightly – we have not canceled a season since the Genesius Guild started in 1956 – but we feel that it is the right call,” the nonprofit posted on Facebook.  “This decision protects the health of our audience, our cast who would begin rehearsing together in the next month, and our crew, who would have needed to begin working in the upcoming weeks to get the stage ready for the season to... Read More

We’re looking back on a great year of entertainment, sports and features here at QuadCities.com, and QC Scene is here to display some of the images of the year, featuring the places, people and events that made the year great! Here’s part one of our look back in pictures:  Read More

Aristophanes’ classic comedy “Ecclesiazusae” will close the Genesius Guild’s 2019 season with performances at 8 p.m. on July 27 & 28 and August 3 & 4 at the Don Wooten Stage in Lincoln Park, Rock Island. Ecclesiazusae is a perfect example of Aristophanes’ sharp wit and political commentary, with the jokes updated to cover modern-day themes. Performances are free. Aristophanes was a familiar and upsetting figure in classical Athens with his knack for writing plays that needled local authority figures. In “Ecclesiazusae,” Aristophanes turns the local... Read More

The Genesius Guild will present The Tempest by Shakespeare on June 15, 16, 22, and 23. Performances start at 8:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Classic Theatre in Rock Island. Admission is free. The Tempest is thought to be one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote without collaborating with other authors. Beneath the comic themes about a ship crew stranded on the enchanted island, the show explores themes of family, betrayal, and forgiveness. Many scholars believe that Shakespeare wrote himself into this work. Prospero, the magician at the center of the show, engineers events to create the world... Read More

The Genesius Guild will present “The Merchant of Venice,” opening on Saturday, July 14 at 8 p.m. in Lincoln Park, Rock Island, IL. The production will also be performed Sunday, July 15 and the following weekend, July 21 and July 22 at 8 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public. “The Merchant of Venice” is a play often studied in high school and college, but rarely performed onstage in the United States. The script includes some challenging content, but its powerful message about how humans treat people from different backgrounds remains highly relevant today. While... Read More

It’s not summer without Genesius Guild, and the venerable local theater company begins its latest round of theater in the park shows this weekend after debuting its performance schedule with Ballet Quad Cities’ Ballet Under the Stars in Rock Island’s Lincoln Park last weekend. The 2018 summer series includes nineteen performances of five productions, including ballet, Shakespeare, and classic Greek drama. All performances are offered free of charge in Lincoln Park, Rock Island. It is the only community program of its kind in the country (www.genesius.org). Shows always begin at 8 p.m. This... Read More

The summer is passing quickly and the Genesius guild finishes their summer schedule with “the Birds” by Aristophanes. This play was written 2430 years ago in Athens. In this play, two protagonists are fed up with the media-driven ways of human life and society. They tire of politics. They grow weary of the rules and struggles for power. They desire a whole entire new life. As as result of this want, the two men decide that they are finished with the ground and shall forever live among the birds. Ironically, they introduce these very human behaviors and beliefs to the sky. The play has... Read More