Kayla Lansing and Sam Jones in ParadeWas it justice or discrimination? That is what you'll likely be asking yourself after leaving St. Ambrose University's production of Parade. It takes a mature, professional cast to pull off a musical centered around racism, bigotry, and murder, but these actors do just that. Director Daniel Rairdin-Hale brings the true story of the trial of Leo Frank and its aftermath to life in such a way that I entirely forgot I was at a student production, and Thursday night's dress rehearsal was as close to show-ready as possible.

Christina Marie MyattIn 2005, Christina Marie Myatt - president of the Countryside Community Theatre's board of directors and owner/artistic director of Davenport's Center Stage Performing Arts Academy - was diagnosed with breast cancer. And not long afterward, as she recalled in our interview, she received a visit from her parents.

"They came out when I was getting ready to go for chemotherapy for the first time," says Myatt, "and my dad said, 'I brought you a gift.' I opened it, and it was his Purple Heart from when he was in Vietnam. And I said, 'Why would you give this to me? I can't take this.' And he said, 'When they hand you this medal, they tell you that this medal is for bravery in the face of an unseen enemy. And watching you, that is what you are doing right now.'"

Benjamin Cole and Nicole Horton When you visit the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, you know you won't get much in the way of spectacle - the intimate stage space is charming, but limited - so, instead, you look for inventiveness, especially when the production in question generally thrives on spectacle.