MOLINE, ILLINOIS (June 30, 2026) — The Black Box Theatre once again brings a premiere to the Quad Cities area. Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk, written by Catherine Bush, tells the true story of Emma Gatewood.
In 1955, at the age of 67, Emma Gatewood told her children she was “going for a walk” and set out with her duffel bag, shower curtain (to keep dry), and a pair of Keds sneakers to walk the Appalachian Trail.
Two thousand miles later, she became the first woman to solo hike fourteen states from Georgia to the top of Mt Katahdin in Maine and she is credited with saving the Appalachian Trail. Gatewood completed her third hike of the AT, this time in sections, in 1964 at age 76, making her the first person to complete the trail three times. She was also credited with being the oldest female thru-hiker by the Appalachian Trail Conference.
Starring Jackie Stiles as Emma and James Driscoll portraying all of the other roles. The production is directed and designed by Lora Adams with light design by Jennifer Kingry and sound by Doug Kutzli.
“In keeping with our mission and history we are thrilled to be the third theatre in the United States to present this story of a most remarkable woman,” said Black Box Co-founder and Artistic Director Adams.
“The script was brought to my attention by actress, hiker, and outdoor enthusiast Autumn O’Ryan. She was originally scheduled to play Emma, but a medical situation precluded her ability to be in the show and Jackie stepped in beautifully.”
The production is sponsored by The Tony and Joyce Singh Foundation. Singh is also an avid hiker. In 1988, Tony set out to hike the AT. It took him 23 years of section-hiking to complete. In 2013 he solo-hiked, 240 miles through the California wilderness on the John Muir trail, which spans from Yosemite to Mount Whitney — the highest point in the continental United States.
The production runs July 10 to18: Friday and Saturday, 7:30PM; Sunday, 2PM; following week Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 7:30PM. Tickets are $18 and available at the door or online at theblackboxtheatre.com.
