02 Dec 2024

Secret Santa Baby: “Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through December 29

By Madeline Dudziak

Everyone knows that Christmas is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill to men. Unless, of course, you’re an ever-opinionated but lovable first-grader who, in director Kiera Lynn's Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, is brought from page to stage, hilariously, by portrayer Natalie Scheers.

18 Nov 2024

Mr. Chekhov, Tear Down This (Fourth) Wall!: “Life Sucks,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through November 24

By Mischa Hooker and Kitty Israel

M: It’s the cast members, in character, telling you to put your cell phones away and all that, which perfectly sets the tone for all the fourth-wall-breaking in Life Sucks.

K: So much fourth-wall breaking. Does the fourth wall even exist here?

18 Nov 2024

Ninja Stars: Haus of Ruckus' “Dojo to Go,” at St. Ambrose University through November 24

By Pamela Briggs

If anyone can parody a parody -- along with its early roots, its subsequent wannabes, plus a bunch of random stuff -- it's Calvin Vo and T Green, founders of the theatrical troupe Haus of Ruckus, and their posse of benign troublemakers. They do so spectacularly in Dojo to Go, now running at St. Ambrose University's Studio Theatre, written by the prodigious pair and directed by Vo.

18 Nov 2024

Guest-ing Game: “My Son Is Crazy, but Promising,” at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre through November 24

By Madeline Dudziak

Directed by Dana Skiles, My Son Is Crazy, but Promising boasts 15 actors, and while about half of the characters don’t especially move the plot along, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t bring their “A” game.

14 Nov 2024

Lend Me a Tenner: “The Comedy of Errors,” at Augustana College through November 17

By Alexander Richardson

Shakespeare is the staple of theatre and has been for centuries. Augustana College’s latest production, The Comedy of Errors, presents one of the Bard’s more oft-told tales: that of two twins with identical names who get into increasingly absurd situations. Directed with aplomb by Jeff Coussens, this is a classic story for fans of laughter.

11 Nov 2024

R&R at the B&B: “Irving Berlin's White Christmas,” at the Prospect Park Auditorium through November 17

By Alexander Richardson

The Quad Cities’ theatre season is beginning to wind down for the year. So it follows that the holiday season must be ramping up, and the final production of Quad City Music Guild’s 76th season, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, is staged with plenty of charm by director Kevin Pieper, offering a pleasant-enough teaser of the tidings to come.

11 Nov 2024

I Saw Mommy Dissing Santa Claus: “Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through December 29

By Pamela Briggs

Thanks to a wealth of talent onstage and behind the scenes, Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical is visually and aurally impressive. But Willson's material sometimes falls short of delightful.

21 Oct 2024

Long-Distance Kill: “Dial M for Murder,” at the Black Box Theatre through November 2

By Madeline Dudziak

The scenes featuring Savannah Bay Strandin and Stephanie Moeller were particularly engaging highlights of this Dial M for Murder.

21 Oct 2024

Neil Diamonds: “The Sunshine Boys,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through October 27

By Pamela Briggs

Friday's opening-night performance of director Jane Watson's The Sunshine Boys drew lots of big laughs from a smallish crowd. This one definitely deserves a bigger audience.

14 Oct 2024

Audio Drama: Rock Island Tunnel Co.'s “The Tapes: An Immersive Revolution,” at the Sound Conservatory through October 26

By Mischa Hooker and Kitty Israel

K: I immediately thought that the tapes, as a plot device, were inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale. In that book, the heroine’s story is recorded on a series of cassette tapes. But you found a parallel in a different dystopian novel.

M: It reminded me of the mysterious films in Philip K. Dick’s novel The Man in the High Castle. But audience members will just have to see for themselves what the tapes are, and what they mean.

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