DAVENPORT, IOWA - New Ground Theatre presents Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama 'night, Mother opening April 30th at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Theatre, 2113 11th Street, Davenport.

The production stars Jamie Em Behncke and Susan Perrin-Sallak as a mother and daughter spending their final night together because the daughter has decided that life is not worth living any longer. Reviews of 'night, Mother say "...honest, uncompromising, lucid, penetrating, well-written, dramatic, and...unmanipulatively moving..." ?NY Magazine. "It is sparse and concise, introspective and penetrating, powerful and uncompromising, intense and intelligent, warm and theatrical. It is THE American tragedy." ?New England Entertainment Digest. 'night, Mother is directed and designed by Lora Adams with lighting by Tristan Layne Tapscott. "Marsha Norman has written an extraordinarily beautiful play about love and letting go" said director Adams.

The performance will take place April 30th, May 1st, May 4th, May 7th & May 8th at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, May 2nd and 9th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 563-326-7529.

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The Genesius Guild needs the help of everyone in the Quad Cites to win a grant from Pepsi. The Rock Island based theatre needs enough votes at www.refresheverything.com/genesius to receive a $50,000 grant  to help replace outdated equipment. In a time of shrinking funding, this grant is very important to this 54 year-old local arts organization.

The Pepsi grant program kicked off in February and Genesius Guild received enough votes to be given a second chance in March to mobilize people to win a grant. The theater's Executive Director, Doug Tschopp, says "the trick to winning this is to network through email, Facebook and other social media... and then to get all of those people to continue to pass this along."

The grant will replace lighting equipment that includes undependable dimmers that are nearly 50 years old. The equipment, which usually lasts only 15 years, is a vital to putting on each and every play. The grant would also allow the group to purchase new video equipment. The 30 year old VCR camera no longer works and according to Tschopp, "even when it did work, the audio was recorded at the camera which was so far back all you could hear were the crickets and frogs in the park".

They also need people to share this with their friends through email and facebook. A short funny video promotes the need for the grant: www.xtranormal.com/watch/6225607/.

Genesius Guild performs in Lincoln Park in Rock Island every summer. The performances are free and include Shakespeare, Greek Tragedy and Greek Comedy. The 54th season opens this year with a weekend of ballet. More information can be found at www.genesius.org.

GALENA, Ill. - The Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers of Galena, tucked away in the scenic and hilly corner of northwest Illinois, will once again present their annual interactive Murder Mystery weekends! These two-day events take place right in downtown Galena, with participants staying with the city's finest innkeepers. Galena features a wealth of historic 19th-century dwellings, in a variety of styles, that are now cozy B&Bs and inns.

Visitors can try their hands with "Love U to Death" on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27, or attempt to solve "Murder in the 3rd Millennium" on Friday and Saturday, March 12-13. "Love U to Death" encompasses the complete atmosphere of the 1940s. Complete with authentic gangster ambiance, plenty of passwords and crooked officials; it will truly be a challenge for even the most trained sleuth. The second weekend will truly be an out-of-this-world sci-fi experience. Can you avoid the humanoids, aliens, and even a robot to solve this challenge? With some help, you can unmask the killer!

Each event is $70 per person, plus the cost of lodging, and includes a Friday night reception in the Grand Ballroom and Saturday night dinner theater in the Courtyard of the historic DeSoto House on Galena's quaint Main Street. Visitors can choose between the following BBIG members: Aldrich Guest House, Annie Wiggins Guest House, Avery Guest House, Belle Aire Mansion Guest House, Brierwreath Manor Bed and Breakfast, Captain Harris Guest House, Cloran Mansion & Antonio's Cottage, Farmers' Guest House, Galena Log Cabin Getaway, Hellman Guest House, Ryan Mansion Bed & Breakfast or The Steamboat House.

Tickets are limited to 100 per event. They may be purchased from the selected innkeeper and picked up at the lodging facility. Period costumes always add to the fun but are not required. And an interactive drama gives the audience a chance to participate as performers. For more information please call Kathie Farlow at 815-777-3456 or visit bestofgalena.com. For information about room availability, shopping, dining, attractions, events and more, please go to galena.org, the Web site of the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, or call 877-464-2536 toll-free. The Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers of Galena represent a not-for-profit group of select innkeepers with the common goal of providing their guests with the very finest travel experience.

You are invited to attend the 2009 Quad City Earth Charter Summit on Saturday September 26th at Augustana College, Rock, Island, IL. Registration is from 9-10am, Summit is 10-3:30pm.

Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG) will present this year's Quad City Earth Charter Summit, with the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, Augustana College, The Riverboat Development Authority and the Doris & Victor Day Foundation as major sponsors.

Local Food is the theme of the 2009 Earth Charter Summit, focusing on PACG's Local Foods Initiative whose goal is to promote and assist in the development of a healthy, safe, sustainable, local food supply for the Quad Cities and to support local sustainable agriculture.

The Summit will include local and regional speakers and informative workshops focused on how we can create locally sustainable agriculture and a local food plan on an individual level and at an institutional level as the result of working together as a community.

The Earth Charter Summit day will also include a delicious local lunch prepared by the Augustana Food Service which is modeling the practices we are organizing around.

Additional sponsors to include Quad Cities Chapter-Buy Fresh Buy Local, Neighborhood Housing Services of Davenport, Quad City Chapter- Sierra Club, Radish magazine, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light and the Faithful Pilot Café & Spirits

Join us! Together we can help educate and mobilize QC citizens, municipalities and organizations to strengthen the Quad City area and foster a source of healthy, local food.

For more information or to register please contact Rachel Griffiths at rgriffiths@qconline.com 309-721-3204 or Caroline Vernon at 563-676-7580.

Registration is $10.00 / $5.00 for students and includes lunch. Seating is limited. Scholarships are available.

www.qcproressiveaction.org

www.augustana.edu

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