ARTISTS IN CONVERSATION BEN GOUGEON – An Oak Tree   Ben Gougeon, a graduate of Western Illinois University’s MFA Acting program (2007), moved to the QCA in the fall of 2019. Before relocating back to the Midwest, he had spent the last decade plus working in New York City as an actor, having appeared on TV shows such as the Emmy Award winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Law & Order: SVU, The Blacklist, Bull, and HBO’s The Deuce, where he performed with Oscar nominated Maggie Gyllenhaal. He’s performed Off & Off-Off Broadway, at the Metropolitan Opera, and on stages in almost... Read More

Emerging from the ashes of the Blacklist, Open Source Comedy, the area’s roving improvisational comedy troupe, is roaming back to its place of origin – the Speakeasy in Rock Island. Open Source will perform for two shows Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Speakeasy, 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island. Tickets are on sale at the door at by phone at 786-7733, ext. 2. “Over the past 25 years, The Speakeasy in downtown Rock Island has been the original home to several popular comedy troupe’s including ComedySportz for 20 years and, more recently, the now defunct Blacklist comedy troupe. The Speakeasy... Read More