Sixteen months after the Spotlight Theatre staged its last major musical, it’s provided the pitch-perfect, post-pandemic production – “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Simple, sweet, nostalgic – both exuberantly childlike and loaded with the weight of the world on its young shoulders – the beloved 1967 musical based on the classic “Peanuts” characters has deeply resonated with me my whole life. First, I’m sure like many socially awkward boys, I always closely identified with the title “Everyman” role. Charlie Brown is the cartoon reflection of “Mister Cellophane” (from... Read More

If Lora Adams’ name is on something there’s one guarantee: it’s going to look AMAZING. And Black Box’s Turn of the Screw is no exception to that rule. The latest offering from the intimate Black Box – and ONLY live theatre event in the Quad Cities this summer – looks and feels as eerie as it should. This particular production has that Disney detail thing going on. It’s like a bunch of Imagineers flew in from Anaheim and rocked a stellar set, lighting and costume design. It looks THAT good. The “Imagineers” in the case are set designer (and director) Lora Adams,... Read More