Since first experiencing one of Genesius Guild's end-of-season comedies two summers ago, I’ve eagerly anticipated playwright/director Don Wooten’s witty work each subsequent year. His sharp, humorous, sometimes biting rewrites of Aristophanes comedies abound with political, pop-culture, and theatre references at the local and national levels. And while I’ve not had the honor of being personally referenced in one of his jokes – at least not while I was present – this year’s The Frogs features hilariously pointed jabs at almost every theatre company in the Quad Cities area, with Saturday’s performance the funniest of the three annual Guild spoofs I’ve yet seen.

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightfully entertaining musical comedy that I wouldn’t mind seeing over and over again, as Friday’s performance of director Tommy Iafrate’s production was funny, touching, and energetic, serving as an exceptional rendering of the musical’s charm, wit, humor, and high level of enjoyability.

Even if you entered the Timber Lake Playhouse’s Boeing-Boeing unaware that author Marc Camoletti’s play was a farcical comedy – its elbow-in-the-ribs title somehow not divulging that information – all it would take is one look at Nathan Dahlkemper’s scenic design to know that some serious slapstick was bound to be in store.

There’s a lovely sincerity to the Playcrafters Barn Theatre’s production of Bernard Slade’s Moving, and Saturday’s performance possessed such realism – with notable acting from every member of director Bryan Woods' cast – that I had to wonder how such an impressively produced piece could feel so mismatched with its script.