23 Feb 2026

love language: Barely There Theatre’s “word play,” at the Black Box Theatre through February 28

By Madeline Dudziak

What do you get when four young adults’ lives are entangled with one another, yet the full picture doesn’t come into focus until the final moments? You get word play, written by fellow Reader reviewer Alexander Richardson: a tightly woven one-act that asks its audience to lean in, listen closely, and trust the unraveling.

26 Jan 2026

Remains to Be Seen: “Lucky Stiff,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through March 7

By Pamela Briggs

Director/choreographer Ashley Becher and musical director Ethan Hayward, alongside their wonderful crew and energetic, talented crème de la crème cast, elevate the solid script and score into the realm of delight.

09 Feb 2026

River Cities' Reader Theatre Reviews: July 2000 to the Present

By Administrator

Reviews by Rochelle Arnold, Jeff Ashcraft, Patricia Baugh-Riechers, Audra Beals, Pamela Briggs, Dee Canfield, Madeline Dudziak, Kim Eastland, Emily Heninger, Heather Herkelman, Kitty (née Israel) Hooker, Mischa Hooker, Paula Jolly, Victoria Navarro, Roger Pavey Jr., Alexander Richardson, Mark Ruebling, Mike Schulz, Joy Thompson, Oz Torres, Brent Tubbs, Jill Pearson Walsh, and Thom White.

09 Feb 2026

Caution: Women at Work: “9 to 5: The Musical,” at the Spotlight Theatre through February 15

By Mischa and Kitty Hooker

Kitty: In keeping with the feminist theme, the women were the ones driving this show.

Mischa: The three main actresses are all blessed with tremendous singing voices, and each one alternately becomes the center of attention in a series of impressive numbers.

02 Feb 2026

Tri-Cycle: Barely There Theatre’s “What Might Have Been,” at the Black Box Theatre through February 7

By Madeline Dudziak

What a night of theatre Thursday night’s What Might Have Been opening proved to be.

15 Dec 2025

12 Joyful Jurors: “Cheaper by the Dozen,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through December 21

By Alexander Richardson

The Playcrafters Barn Theatre closes out its 2025 season with Cheaper by the Dozen, adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel and directed by Emma Terronez. It offers family-friendly entertainment … if also entertainment devoid of yuletide cheer for the particularly Christmas-adverse.

08 Dec 2025

I’ve Got 99 Problems, but a Grinch Ain’t One!: “Who's Holiday,” at the Circa '21 Speakeasy through December 19

By Mischa Hooker and Kitty Israel

M: It was an unmitigated pleasure to watch Sydney Richardson portray this part. She exuded the perfect mix of Midwestern charm and knowing experience to make it really come to life.

Kitty: Oh, absolutely. This show’s brisk run time of just over an hour could easily feel much longer if the script slipped into a singsong lull. But Richardson handles the verse like a pro.

08 Dec 2025

Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boon: “Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella,” at the Spotlight Theatre through December 14

By Pamela Briggs

The Spotlight Theatre’s current offering is the 2013 Cinderella, which has all the memorable songs and just the right amount of appealing humor. And I thoroughly enjoyed Friday’s opening-night performance, with director Sarah Greim, music director Christine Rogers, and choreographer Michelle Kabel wrangling a large, talented cast with terrific voices, and the show's crew contributing to the magic.

01 Dec 2025

Retirement Gnome: “Santa Claus: The Musical,” at the Circa ‘21 Dinner Playhouse through December 21

By Madeline Dudziak

Harry and Marv. The Grinch. Mr. Potter. Hans Gruber. All of the other reindeer. There is no shortage of Christmas villains, and most are memorable. Yet after seeing Friday’s performance of Santa Claus: The Musical at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, I’m ready to add the name Henchy to the list.

24 Nov 2025

Set Fire to the Reign: “The Lion in Winter,” at the Black Box Theatre through December 6

By Pamela Briggs

The Lion in Winter is considered a classic, and its current area production, directed by Noah Hill for Moline′s Black Box Theatre, is an enthralling, often hilarious feast, with the fine cast of seven doing full justice to the clever script.

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